Unnecessary business trips...

Yesterday I was forced, literally, to go to Hermosillo, Sonora to make a simple payment.

Hermosillo has a very small airport, but it gets a surprising amount of traffic. I was surprised to see there were flights to and from Monterrey, Mexicali, Mex City, Guadalajara, Cd. Obregón, Cd. Juárez, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Most surprising, US Airways operates at least one daily flight to and from Phoenix.

I flew Interjet on the way out, and Aeromexico back. Interjet offers by far the better flying experience. It has a lot more legroom, and regardless of the fact that the B-737 and A-320 are of similar fuselage width, I judge Interjet's seats as a bit wider.

There was another side effect. Interjet flies off Mex City's airports' Terminal 1, while Aeromexico uses Terminal 2. I parked at T-1 (long story). SO I had to return there after arriving at T-2. I assumed there'd be some sort of free transport. Well, yes and no. There's a free little train running between both terminals, but you're only allowed on it if you have a boarding pass for the other terminal.

The alternative is a bus that charges 12.50 pesos (about US 0.90). Or you can hire a cab or walk. It's not much and the trip is short enough, though it runs outside the airport. But it seems to me there should be a free shuttle, as there are at other airports I've visited. Monterrey has a free shuttle, for example.

Oh, I know meal service on flights shorter than 4 hours are a thing of the past, and low cost outfits like Interjet never had them. But when was video and audio taken off flights? Neither airline offered anything. I was more surprised at Interjet, since they used to have a takeoff/landing camera, and a running light info display on all flights. The latter proved very informative, giving air speed, ground speed and temperature info. Once it remained on during taxi to the gate, when I learned planes taxi at about 50 kph.

Oh, well, I slept through most of both flights anyway. I got up at 4 am to make the 6 am flight, and despite two cups of coffee and a coke zero, I was ready to fall over by the 1 pm return flight anyway...

Something else happened yesterday.

I am very punctual. Ask anyone who knows me. I don't do that well with work, but I'm usually on time for meetings, deliveries, appointments, etc. I've never missed a flight in my whole life. There's no mystery to this. I allow for plenty of time, plan the route (if needed) and I drive carefully. That takes care of 99% of all problems. I can get lost, which happens when I go to unfamiliar areas, and still make it on time.

Or so I thought.

The Hermosillo trip was scheduled to leave at 6:10. Since I already had a boarding pass and carried no luggage, I planned on arriving at the airport at 5:30 am or so. That, I thought, gave me enough time to shower and a quick breakfast before leaving. But I didn't count on two different freeways to be closed for ongoing works that early in the morning. I had to improvise a route, and I'm bad at that.

I arrived at the airport at 5:45. That is I parked my car at that time. I thought surely I'd miss boarding. So I ran to the terminal, then walked through security (you can't run past it, alas), and then I ran to the gate clear on the other side of the airport. All told I ran close to a full kilometer, give or take some meters.

But I made it to the gate at 6 on the dot.

Well, the plane hadn't begun boarding when I arrived. It didn't board til 6:15. I felt cheated... I could have just walked fast and made it on time, without tiring myself out and giving myself leg pain the next day (I hate running).

That was the first time I had to run to catch a flight.

Quote: Nareed

Hermosillo has a very small airport, but it gets a surprising amount of traffic. I was surprised to see there were flights to and from Monterrey, Mexicali, Mex City, Guadalajara, Cd. Obregón, Cd. Juárez, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Most surprising, US Airways operates at least one daily flight to and from Phoenix.

There are a lot of immigrants from Sonora in LA and Phoenix. Although it is only a 330 miles drive from Phoenix, the border crossing can be so time consuming, that it is often easier to fly. You also have a lot of gringos that like to fish at Guaymas, so many of them are changing planes in Phoenix.

Quote: Nareed

I flew Interjet on the way out, and Aeromexico back. Interjet offers by far the better flying experience. It has a lot more legroom, and regardless of the fact that the B-737 and A-320 are of similar fuselage width, I judge Interjet's seats as a bit wider.

I thought that we would report on the final results for the year 2014 for Mexican aviation

In general it was a banner year for Mexico, increasing aviation by 5 million passengers over 2013 ( a total of 8.5%). The pressure on Mexico City airport will be tremendous if it continues to grow at this rate for the next few years.

Interjet remains the number 2 airline domestically, but Aeromexico (particularly in the Connect division) is pulling further ahead, and Volaris is coming up fast.

Interjet is not doing well internationally, where it is lost 5.5% of its passengers. Aeromexico (+21.0%) and Volaris (19.2%) are making huge gains. Even Viva Aerobus has increased international passengers. It seems that the new Dreamliners are helping Aeromexico on the world stage.

Aeromexico, the national airline, is still very dominant in Mexican aviation, controlling 35% of domestic traffic and 65% of international passengers carried by a Mexican airline.

But all told the Mexican airlines have increased international passengers by 975,893 . In comparison the USA airlines have increased Mexican traffic by 1,089,979 and the rest of the world (Canada, Europe, Central and South America) by 665,979. No Asian airlines fly to Mexico.

Quote: Pacomartin

Interjet is not doing well internationally, where it is lost 5.5% of its passengers.

That's really odd. I thought for sure their 50 kilo free luggage policy would entice people to take Interjet. Mexicans do a lot of shopping in the US, so knowing one can bring all along without surcharges is a big plus.

On the other hand, the no meal policy probably hurts them a bit.

I'll still be taking Interjet to Vegas next May. It's the best choice.

Quote: Nareed

On the other hand, the no meal policy probably hurts them a bit.

You bet it does. Heck, you can replay some of those Comedy Club routines from decades ago about how people who don't care for peanuts and would totally step over a bag of peanuts lying on the sidewalk will kill to get the free bag of peanuts on an airliner since they've paid for it.

Airline "meals" cost five bucks or less. But the plane has to fly those meals and the galley and have sufficient stewards to serve and collect them. Also a galley area means, no seats can be there. Beverage carts in the aisle are weight and nuisance issues too.

What interjet should try is serving 'something'... prepackaged snacks, cans of "coke". End this plastic cup filled with ice and a splash of an assortment of beverages. Put the cans on ice before take off, walk down handing the cans only to people in aisle seats. No cups, no ice: drink from the can and be grateful. Same with the snacks. Package of food labeled "Food". walk down the aisle handing to the aisle seat enough for everyone in the row. Tiny little packages of Food and Drink. No frills but at least its something to do during the flight and like those silly little bags of peanuts its "something" that counts.

Quote: Nareed

That's really odd. I thought for sure their 50 kilo free luggage policy would entice people to take Interjet

Volaris is packing even more people into a jet while Interjet is not. Plus you don't know which country the drawdown is from.

Interjet has 5 USA destinations and 4 other international destinations
Las Vegas
Houston
Miami
Nueva York
San Antonio
San José C.R.
Bogotá
Guatemala
La Habana

Weekly international flights (one way) for 2014 are
Aeromexico + A. Connect 889
Interjet 165 (168 in 2013)
Volaris 249 (224 in 2013)

I would think you would have to do a study why Volaris was able to add 25 weekly international flights last year, and Interjet lost 3.
More importantly Interjet went from 106.7 passengers per international flight down to 103.1
Volaris jumped from 122.4 to 131.1

Interjet has 40 Airbus A320 and 13 Sukhoi Superjet 100s, but I doubt that the Sukhoi's fly internationally.
Volaris has 33 Airbus A320 and 18 Airbus A319. I don't know if the smaller jets fly internationally

Quote: Pacomartin

Weekly international flights (one way) for 2014 are
Aeromexico + A. Connect 889
Interjet 165 (168 in 2013)
Volaris 249 (224 in 2013)

Interjet took a long time to even begin international flights, and then began with Guatemala for some reason (they've dropped the route since). I'm amazed they haven't expanded their scheduling to Vegas from Toluca, either. It's still just flights on Sundays and Thursdays. I suppose they get the weekend crowd mostly.

Quote:

Interjet has 40 Airbus A320 and 13 Sukhoi Superjet 100s, but I doubt that the Sukhoi's fly internationally.

My understanding is the Superjets are used for shorter flights with less demand.

Quote: Nareed

My understanding is the Superjets are used for shorter flights with less demand.

Well the short range ones are listed as 1800 mile range, and the long range as 2800 miles. All of those destinations are less than 1800 miles except NYC which is still less than 2800 miles. But I assume that it is unlikely that demand is so small for an international destination that you would use a regional jet.

But even Aeromar flies to the USA.

But it's a shame that Mexican airlines are only getting 1/3 of the expansion in international flights to Mexico. But the USA airlines do not have half the foreign flights to USA.

BTW, the official documents in Spanish/English us Estadounidenses/ American instead of
Americano/American or Estadounidenses/ "From the USA" which would be consistent.

Quote: Pacomartin

But I assume that it is unlikely that demand is so small for an international destination that you would use a regional jet.

Going to Houston and returning two years ago via Aeromexico, I drew an Embraer. I think that's a regional Jet. I forget the model, but it's the one with 4 across seating (2 and 2) which looks like a shrunken B-737.

With Interjet and Volaris going to Vegas and back, I got A-320s every time.

Quote:

But even Aeromar flies to the USA.

And their fleet is all ATR-42 props and one regional jet variant.