Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Wizard

AeroMexico wanted to charge me over $800 to change my return flight, so I booked a one-way flight on Volaris, which I took yesterday.
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On the negative side, the plane was filled to capacity, or close to it. Extremely little leg room. My knees were touching the char in front of me and I'm 5'10". There were no free beverages or snacks. Everything you had to pay for.

I guess you get what you pay for. AeroMexico, by comparison, has about 3" more of leg room and good beverage/snack service.

We're not at the Golden Age of commercial aviation, I realize now, but rather at the Brave New World Age.

Consider:

Low-cost and Ultralow-cost carriers do have cheaper fares, but they charge for everything that's not a seat, oxygen, and the lavatory (and that last surely will change eventually). In the meantime full service carriers have higher fares, and they include some ancillaries like checked luggage and snacks, but they've begun charging for "extras" as well (better seats, better meals, more luggage, etc.) And both types also tend to want an arm and a leg for making any kind of flight change.

Aeromexico offers differentiated fares. You can get a more expensive ticket which includes changes, should you make any, for a lower fee (like $150 or so). I haven't checked Volaris recently.

Interjet was the exception. There was one fare, and it included a snack (no meals), plus 50 kilos of checked luggage on international flights, plus low fees for changes, if any even apply, plus it has fantastic economy seats with plenty of leg room.

This all may still apply, but just two days ago I checked their web site and found differentiated fares. I need to see into this in detail, which I haven't had the time to do.

For Vegas, alas, Interjet only offers two flights per week, on Thursdays and Sundays, and only from Toluca.

AeroMexico charges $200 for a change, plus the difference in ticket price.

I had two bags this trip. AeroMexico charged me $50 for the second one and Volaris charged me around 1750 pesos. I don't recall the exact number, but it was the equivalent of about $100.

Quote: Wizard

I had two bags this trip. AeroMexico charged me $50 for the each one and Volaris charged me around 1750 pesos. I don't recall the exact number, but it was the equivalent of about $100.

17.5 per $1 US is a very fair price for a dollar.

I thought Aeromexico allowed one included checked bag per passenger.

Try Interjet next time, assuming it doesn't change too much.

Quote: Nareed

I thought Aeromexico allowed one included checked bag per passenger.

I meant they charged $x for the second bag. They both allowed the first bag for free.

Quote: Wizard

The cost of a one way flight from Mexico City to Las Vegas was $169. That is remarkably cheap. That taxes and fees on that were $100, so the base ticket was only $69. So, all due credit for a low price.

Volaris started by calling themselves the Southwest of Mexico. Now they are more like the Spirit Airlines or Allegiant Airlines of Mexico. Interjet is the JetBlue of Mexico so you should try there first.

I can't wait for the report. Casinos, hotels, restaurants, did you go outside of the city, etc.? With the rise in Dollar are the prices reasonable?

Quote: Pacomartin

Interjet is the JetBlue of Mexico so you should try there first.

There are similarities, but no question Jet Blue offers far more, even if they now charge for checked bags.

Interjet has the leg room, no question, and free snacks and drinks (including alcohol). But there the similarities end.

Unlike Jet Blue, Interjet has no seat-back screens with complimentary live TV, or anything else. There's something going on in the ridiculously small overhead screens, and supposedly there's some audio available, but I never pay it any attention unless it's showing a take-off/landing camera view.

BTW, I checked Interjet's site yesterday and indeed they now have tiered fares. Three, to be precise. The first two differ in the kinds of fees for changes to a flight, like date, name, time and so on. But both still include 2 checked bags and a carry-on. The third option, more expensive, has fewer or no fees for changes, includes three checked bags rather than 2, and gets priority boarding.

So it's still all ok.

Quote: Pacomartin

I can't wait for the report. Casinos, hotels, restaurants, did you go outside of the city, etc.? With the rise in Dollar are the prices reasonable?

Briefly, I spent time in Mexico City, Puebla, and climbed Mount Iztaccihuatl, the third highest mountain in Mexico. I will say for now I took full advantage of the strong dollar. Everywhere I went I couldn't believe how little everything cost. However, one thing at a time.

Moving along in my trip report, I would like to give a great plug for the Angus Butcher Shop. The idea is simple -- a steak house, that has a bit of a whorehouse style of interior decoration, with lovely waitresses wearing corsets. I happened up one in the Zona Rosa in Mexico City but their web site mentions several locations around Mexico. Here is a video of my Caesar salad preparation, which took ages to make. The lovely woman making it had to call in a back-up.



Note the prices at the end of the video. $100 (pesos) for 1 and $205 for 2. Would anybody care to explain that other than an ignorance of math and economics?

I might add there were at least two, shall we say, agents hanging around the front door who could arrange personal entertainment for any men leaving the restaurant.

Quote: Wizard

Note the prices at the end of the video. $100 (pesos) for 1 and $205 for 2.

What's outrageous is that they use the very worst kind of Worcestershire you can get in this country. And it's not even the cheapest.

Quote: Nareed

What's outrageous is that they use the very worst kind of Worcestershire you can get in this country. And it's not even the cheapest.

I knew there was something that didn't taste right about that salad, but I blamed it on too much mustard.

Quote: Wizard

I knew there was something that didn't taste right about that salad, but I blamed it on too much mustard.

1) The cheap yellow mustard is actually quite good.

2) There's no such thing as too much mustard.