Mileage Run Deals - Has anyone traveled on the AA ACA $0 fares?

Just wondering. Did they ask any questions?

Pretty sure we're fine but I'm taking nine family members in a couple weeks.

Curiously, the flights don't look near full at all.

I was also wondering the same thing. We fly on Jan 2nd. Any info would be helpful.

I don't fly till March but I really don't see a problem. I traveled on the near-free fares with NW to Europe twice in the past six weeks. No problem. Even almost got bumped off one flight in exchange for a $300 voucher.

The check in people and GA's don't care how much you paid for your ticket. If something was going to happen, it would have happened long before you check in.

Enjoy your time in ACA.

I fly on 1/13 (out) and 1/16 (back). I'll report back with my experience soon thereafter. Hotels are kind of pricey down there - we're considering not going since this is supposed to be a bargain-basement trip. But we probably will go.

My parents, my brother, and I are leaving on 1/6 and return 1/9. I don't see any issues with the tickets so far and expect no problems.

We're having difficulties with lodging, too. Right now we're trying to swing a timeshare exchange or something like that to make it affordable. Good luck to all, and enjoy sunny ACA!

Right now we're trying to swing a timeshare exchange or something like that to make it affordable. Good luck to all, and enjoy sunny ACA!

You can usually get the Mayan Palace Acapulco on an RCI Bonus Vacation basis, for around $200 for a week.

Hotels are kind of pricey down there - we're considering not going since this is supposed to be a bargain-basement trip.

Try Priceline or Hotwire. I got the Avalon Excalibur for $71/night on Hotwire (although I was hoping for the Fiesta Inn).

My parents, my brother, and I are leaving on 1/6 and return 1/9. I don't see any issues with the tickets so far and expect no problems.

We're having difficulties with lodging, too. Right now we're trying to swing a timeshare exchange or something like that to make it affordable. Good luck to all, and enjoy sunny ACA!

Try the Crowne Plaza, different weekend, for about $90/night. Not cheap but not expensive. Most importantly, I have some Intercontinental points that coupled with this stay will get me over the 10,000 level to transfer to an airline.

Wife and I are going Jan. 14. Will be interesting to see if zero fare produces AA miles. Hyatt in ACA (on the beach) had 75 -90 night rates 2 days ago but they have since increased. my original club room went down in price 2 weeks ago and I rebooked. Hyatt also has 3K weekend bonus promo going on. Good luck.

Will be interesting to see if zero fare produces AA miles.

There is no reason why the tickets should not earn miles. They were booked in Q, which is a mileage-earning bucket in this instance. The cost is irrelevant.

Mike

Going on Feb 10, and staying at the crown plaza and found an upgrade coupon on the IC forum.

Going on Feb 10, and staying at the crown plaza and found an upgrade coupon on the IC forum.

I'm heading from OKC to ACA on January 13-January 18th, also staying at Crowne. Anyone else going to be there?

We're going 1/9 - 2/5, will be staying in Zihuatanejo - 2 hours ($6 by bus) north. Considerably less expensive and IMHO nicer (beaches, cleanliness, atmosphere, ...). Less nightlife and partying, less crowds and cost.

Details: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4890775&postcount=176

Pardon my ignorance, but what is zero fares? and when did you get this offer?
thanks! :D

Pardon my ignorance, but what is zero fares? and when did you get this offer?
thanks! :D
There was a opportunity to get tickets for $0 + taxes, see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=493879

uhmmm you are a wee bit late

Pardon my ignorance, but what is zero fares? and when did you get this offer?
thanks! :D

We fly out Sunday the 15th of January. What a great deal! AND we few frequent flyer miles. I love this website.

We fly out Sunday the 15th of January. What a great deal! AND we few frequent flyer miles. I love this website.

What does "AND we few frequent flyer miles" mean?

CF :confused:

Just back. Great place. Thanks AA & FT!! ^ :D

Just back. Great place. Thanks AA & FT!! ^ :D

if you don't mind sharing, where did you stay? and if you have any suggestions on what to do, feel free to share that too (I'm going in a week) :cool:

if you don't mind sharing, where did you stay? and if you have any suggestions on what to do, feel free to share that too (I'm going in a week) :cool:
I did Hotwire and ended up with the Avalon Excalibur for $70/night. I've got mixed feelings about the place. Location was fine, staff was fine, but room wasn't ready when I arrived (was nasty dirty which may have biased me, though it was promptly cleaned) and wasn't overly nice. Hotwire said the place was 3* -- some parts of it were, but my room was maybe 2* -- needed refurbishment. That said, it met minimal requirements of clean & safe. Right on the beach, so that was nice. Also good access to restaurants & other things.

It looked like there was lots to do -- both touring type stuff, as well as water activities. I went for total relaxation -- sat on the beach & on the terrace and read a good book while admiring the view. Will try to do better when I go back next month! ;)

Have fun -- I enjoyed it and look forward to going back.

I'm booked at the Acapulco Park Hotel for $48+ per night at the tail end of March. Looks good on location and adequate on comforts, but I guess they all do when it's an advertisement. Didn't have to prepay or risk anything if trip falls through. Wanted to have something confirmed on the off chance there'd be spring breakers affecting demand for that time.

I'm going Jan 13-16 and have booked a $71 room at the Hyatt Regency.

Any problems with EQM's posting to AAdvantage?

Just back. Great place. Thanks AA & FT!! ^ :D

Any problems with EQM's posting to AAdvantage?

Durn, I sure hope not. They'd better not try to cheat me out of those miles! I'm gonna complain to as many PEOPLE as I can get through to at AA if those miles don't post! :D :mad: :D

Of course, I've got less than 10K miles on AA and may only be able to use 'em for magazine subscriptions, but STILL... I'll be watching over it like a hawk.

Durn, I sure hope not. They'd better not try to cheat me out of those miles! I'm gonna complain to as many PEOPLE as I can get through to at AA if those miles don't post! :D :mad: :D

Of course, I've got less than 10K miles on AA and may only be able to use 'em for magazine subscriptions, but STILL... I'll be watching over it like a hawk.

AA can issue small Hilton award certificates starting at 2000 AA miles. Each AA mile equals 2 Hilton Honors points. Don't waste those miles on magazines.

CF

Any problems with EQM's posting to AAdvantage?
No problems. Return hasn't posted yet, but outbound EQMs are sitting in my account looking as pretty as can be.

I did Hotwire and ended up with the Avalon Excalibur for $70/night.

Thanks for the review. Hotwire also dished out the Avalon Excalibur for me, even though I was hoping for the Fiesta Inn.

How did you get to/and from the hotel? Having never been to ACA, I assume that there are a bunch of shared vans available at the airport as in CUN for a decent price. Can you confirm?

thanks, just making sure..

also.. I too am curious as to the airport transporation at ACA (to/from the Hyatt)... How is the best way to get from ACA - Hyatt? time to/from ACA?

No problems. Return hasn't posted yet, but outbound EQMs are sitting in my account looking as pretty as can be.

AA can issue small Hilton award certificates starting at 2000 AA miles. Each AA mile equals 2 Hilton Honors points. Don't waste those miles on magazines.

CF


I typically get my AA flights into my BA account. However, I have 2,000 miles on my AA due to bonus promotions... They were expiring last month, so I ordered a magazine in November (500 miles) then another in December (1,500 miles).... I still have 2,000 miles and have already got the magazines... From my experience.... the magazines were really a good deal. I had to open a point.com account to have activity on my AA account so the miles would not expired.

Several people have inquired about ground transportation, so here's what I found out/did. The most economical way from the airport seems to be the shuttles (servicio colectivo ). When I asked around at the airport, I was told a taxi would be about US$45. The shuttle was $7.50 -- they seem to be based on zones so it is possible that some people may find it even a bit cheaper, but this really was quite quick and obviously much better in price. For the return, the shuttle requires a 24 hour reservation and supposedly picks you up 2 hours before your flight. Someone I chatted with in the shuttle line who has been going to ACA for years said she always took the shuttle in to town, but took a taxi to the airport, as it was more predictable time-wise -- the shuttle may make a bunch of different stops and she knew of people who had had the shuttle get them there uncomfortably close to the departure time -- and she said the taxi from town to the airport were only about $15. I ended up going with the taxi back and it was $20 -- this could have been an inflated rate since it was still the high Christmas season for the many folks from Mexico City who were not heading home until after Epiphany (Jan. 6). I talked to one or two others and was told $15-ish for a taxi to the airport from the Golden Zone, which is where most of the hotels are.
TrojanHorse I'm pretty sure the numbers wouldn't be very different from the Hyatt -- it is at the far other end of the strip from where I stayed, but there were Hyatt people on my shuttle and the taxi rates seemed fairly consistent up & down the strip from what I could make out.

It took about 35 mins from the far end of the Golden Zone to the airport at around mid-day.

I hope that covers people's questions -- let me know if there are any others.

Thanks, Telfes - great advice!

Just returned to DFW from the ACA deal. It's really gorgeous there right now, so enjoy it folks. :)

We stayed at the Las Brisas (my folks footing the bill since I got them the tix) and it was amazing. The views alone were worth the price, and the view from the restaurant was priceless.

I'll concur with the ground transport info that was offered previously. We used a slightly different method, but it all seems to coincide with what we found.

Thank you very much for the information.. I think we will do the shuttle to the hotel and cab it back.. thanks again.. ^

Several people have inquired about ground transportation, so here's what I found out/did. The most economical way from the airport seems to be the shuttles (servicio colectivo ). When I asked around at the airport, I was told a taxi would be about US$45. The shuttle was $7.50 -- they seem to be based on zones so it is possible that some people may find it even a bit cheaper, but this really was quite quick and obviously much better in price. For the return, the shuttle requires a 24 hour reservation and supposedly picks you up 2 hours before your flight. Someone I chatted with in the shuttle line who has been going to ACA for years said she always took the shuttle in to town, but took a taxi to the airport, as it was more predictable time-wise -- the shuttle may make a bunch of different stops and she knew of people who had had the shuttle get them there uncomfortably close to the departure time -- and she said the taxi from town to the airport were only about $15. I ended up going with the taxi back and it was $20 -- this could have been an inflated rate since it was still the high Christmas season for the many folks from Mexico City who were not heading home until after Epiphany (Jan. 6). I talked to one or two others and was told $15-ish for a taxi to the airport from the Golden Zone, which is where most of the hotels are.
TrojanHorse I'm pretty sure the numbers wouldn't be very different from the Hyatt -- it is at the far other end of the strip from where I stayed, but there were Hyatt people on my shuttle and the taxi rates seemed fairly consistent up & down the strip from what I could make out.

It took about 35 mins from the far end of the Golden Zone to the airport at around mid-day.

I hope that covers people's questions -- let me know if there are any others.

Just returned to DFW from the ACA deal. It's really gorgeous there right now, so enjoy it folks. :)

We stayed at the Las Brisas (my folks footing the bill since I got them the tix) and it was amazing. The views alone were worth the price, and the view from the restaurant was priceless.

I'll concur with the ground transport info that was offered previously. We used a slightly different method, but it all seems to coincide with what we found.

We are leaving this week and will be staying at Las Brisas too, any info on the hotel would be appreciated too. I am very glad to hear a good review.

We are leaving this week and will be staying at Las Brisas too, any info on the hotel would be appreciated too. I am very glad to hear a good review.

Did you get a casita with a private pool? If so, you'll probably be on the 5th level. In any case, if you can get a room number that is 4xx or 5xx, you'll be sitting pretty . . . in more ways than one. The main road in front of Las Brisas (LB) is pretty loud, even at night. The 4xx/5xx rooms are higher up on the hill than other rooms, so the road noise will affect you less, in addition to the view being much more spectacular. There is a nightclub a few blocks away from LB called "Palladium". It gets going late and doesn't stop until daybreak. If your room is in the 1xx/2xx level, you'll be dealing with that as well as road noise. Word of warning about the jeep service within the LB compound: they can be rapid, or they can be slow like molasses. If you really need to be somewhere, call for the jeep pickup about 10 minutes early, just to be safe. Another tip: Eat one dinner at the Bella Vista. If your budget can afford it, eat more than one, but make every attempt to eat there once for dinner. The view is unparalleled and the menu is exquisite. I had the Châteaubriand with Béarnaise and it literally melted in my mouth and I about fell over. Defintely a memorable experience, and the waitstaff was very good.

Other than that, not much more to recommend. Enjoy the shared/private pool, the view, and the overall service. Make an attempt to visit the beach club (La Concha) at least once. They have a restaurant that is on the ocean; great for lunches if you're already down there or don't want to really leave the complex. They have a shuttle van (not unlike airport hotel shuttles) from the main lobby to the beach club which takes about 10 minutes to get there and leaves from the main lobby on the hour, 20s, and 40s from 10am to 5pm.

edit: one last tip, basically for anyone flying back home from Acapulco: If you think you'll want food before you board your flight, eat before you get to the airport. There is one burger/taco/quesadilla joint beyond security and when the afternoon bank of flights ready to go, everyone and their sister is in line for a quick sandwich. Add to that the slow service from the restaurant itself and it spells no lunch for you. Be advised.

Anyone going to be on AA 301 ORD-ACA on January 13 or AA 410 ACA-DFW on January 15?

I'm staying at the Hyatt Regency with two friends from work.

We are on the same 301 and 410 on Friday and Sunday.

After an overnight at the airport in ATL....

one last tip, basically for anyone flying back home from Acapulco: If you think you'll want food before you board your flight, eat before you get to the airport. There is one burger/taco/quesadilla joint beyond security and when the afternoon bank of flights ready to go, everyone and their sister is in line for a quick sandwich. Add to that the slow service from the restaurant itself and it spells no lunch for you. Be advised.
This is good advice -- the airport food options were indeed poor. But for $0 fare, I can live with that. :)

we were there from 07jan06 to 09jan06. the fiesta inn had a reasonable rate, and with a continental airlines privilege pack coupon, we were upgraded to the top floor, corner unit with wrap-around balcony directly over the pool area. the fiesta inn has it's own "private" beach since it's surrounded on both sides by boulders, and the location could not have been better since we were mid-way from all the activities we wanted to partake in.

the flights down and back were upgraded to first-class using 15k AA miles each, so a most rewarding experience, to say the least.

one of the best experiences, though, was when my girlfriend, her daughter, and i were sitting in a lounge above the cliff of le quebrada, awaiting the cliff divers to do their thing. a gentleman sitting at the next table was conversing with the waiter in spanish, and i asked his assistance in ordering something for our table. after a brief conversation, we discovered that we were both FTers down there on the same deal -- even flying down and back on the same flights! IdealFlyer -- thanks for everything!

I just got back from Acapulco this evening.

I was rather disappointed in Acapulco. The water does not appear to be very clean; it looks like the hotels are stuck in a 1960s time warp; and the nightlife was surprisingly lackluster. The only interesting thing about Acapulco was the customization of the school buses that are used for public transportation (graphics, lights, etc.). Give me Cancun any day over Acapulco.

The AA check-in counter at AA -- like most check-in counters at most Mexican resort airports -- is a complete clusterfu©k (pardon my French). The folks manning the counter are nice enough, but there is something wrong when the alleged business class line is longer and slower than the regular economy line. Be forewarned and plan you arrival at the airport accordingly.

AA was nice enough to allow me to e-upgrade both ways on the flights from and to DFW. Can't beat first class for free.

It was also a nice swan song for me with AA. After 11 years of loyalty to AA, I have decided to move on to greener pastures. So getting a free ride to Acapulco was a nice parting gift.

One more note on transportation. The quoted rate on taxi from the airport is indeed about $45 IF you talk to the people soliciting inside the airport. Walking outside towards where the cabs are parked knocks down the price to about $18. In fact, I paid 180 peso to go to the westernmost part of town (much further than the beachfront hotels). It is slightly more than the shuttle for two, but a no-brainer for three or more.

One more note on transportation. The quoted rate on taxi from the airport is indeed about $45 IF you talk to the people soliciting inside the airport. Walking outside towards where the cabs are parked knocks down the price to about $18. In fact, I paid 180 peso to go to the westernmost part of town (much further than the beachfront hotels). It is slightly more than the shuttle for two, but a no-brainer for three or more.

Any specific area to go for those cabs? We have four in the group and will probably just grab a taxi to the Camino Real.

Thanks for the heads-up!

Goheelswks,
When are you staying at the Camino Real? We are also staying there, arriving this Friday on flight 301 from ORD at 1:00pm.
I would be curious to know how many of the passangers on these flights are there because of Flyertalk and the $0 fares!

Just back, no problems at all with the flight. As far as Ground Transportation goes, I paid 180 pesos (inclusive of tip) to go from the airport to the Hyatt. When you head out of customs you will be bombarded by people offering rides at various rates. My suggestion is to walk past the people who are inside the airport (the one's I talked to were all quoting 300 pesos fixed). As soon as you are outside of the airport you will get approached by cab drivers looking for a fare back from the airport. Offer them 150 pesos (or 15 dollars if you prefer) or so and see what you can settle on. Don't pay more than 200 pesos. There will always be someone else more willing to deal.

I was told by a local that the prices you negotiate are inclusive (i.e. include the tip). As a suggestion, make sure to negotiate a cab fare anywhere inside the city before you get into the cab. (The cabs do not have meters). Also, never pay more than 50 pesos to move around within the city itself.

Also, there are three atm machines inside the airport, as you walk out of customs turn left and walk into the main ticketing hall, they are on your right.

Have a great time!

The views alone were worth the price, and the view from the restaurant was priceless.

The views were worth $0?

;)

Just got back from ACA. We stayed at the Fairmont Princess. The beach there is fantastic. The beach is quite large, unlike if you stay in town or at Las Brisas. You are on the Pacific Ocean so it is not the blue of the Atlantic.

The Princess is not as nice as the Brisas, but if anyone has any questions about the Princess feel free to ask.

Arrival at airport:

Got mobbed when we came out which was not good. People trying to sell you tour packages and such. My wife read online about people getting ripped off by taxis so we had to use the taxi stand. Chose to do a round trip purchase which was a poor decision. One, the person gave us a return ticket for only one person and we didn't figure that out until going back to the airport. Two, it is cheaper to get a cab from the hotel. We did get it straightened out with only mild complaining. Total was $50. We could have paid $29 and then got a cab for $15. Personally I would do the shuttle if not for my wife and then get the cab back.

I have read online about many people complaining about the Princess, but I found it to be very nice. The furniture is a little old, but it is all clean with beautiful pools, grounds and the best beach in ACA. The food was great and the staff was nice. We had SPA treatments that weren't really worth it.

We went to Old Acapulco and enjoyed it. We had a great/inexpensive lunch at Hotel Los Flamingos. It was owned by John Wayne and Jonnie Weismuler (Tarzan). Beautiful view. This was my wife's favorite part of the trip... other than the beach.

Also had dinner at the Linde Vista. Food was good, but view was great at night. Make reservations and get a good seat.

But the big score for us was a taxi driver our hotel got for us. He lives in Atlanta most of the year and comes down to work the winter in ACA. He will be there about another month. His English was good and we hired him for $20/hour to drive us anywhere. We basically hired him for a day to tour us around ACA. If anyone wants more info on him PM me. I wish we had been in town longer and I would have hired him to take us to Taxco.

Also, if anyone wants more info about the Princess let me know.

Goheelswks,
When are you staying at the Camino Real? We are also staying there, arriving this Friday on flight 301 from ORD at 1:00pm.
I would be curious to know how many of the passangers on these flights are there because of Flyertalk and the $0 fares!

We'll be on your flight, and leaving on Monday on Flight 410 to DFW--looking forward to a great weekend. We have club level rooms at the Camino Real--come say hey, it would be fun to meet other FTers out and about! I'm booked now to be in either 14DE or 19BD on the flight down, but we're going to try and change so that the four of us are together.

bill

Disgusted with the inflated taxi rates at the ACA airport, I walked through the gauntlet of taxi drivers and went acoss the street and grabbed the pubic bus to the Hyatt. It took two buses (connecting in Puerto Marqués) and about 50 minutes. Total cost was about a dollar. Took a taxi returning to the airport from the Hyatt - 150 pesos.

Euw! Disgusting indeed..! :D

Disgusted with the inflated taxi rates at the ACA airport, I walked through the gauntlet of taxi drivers and went acoss the street and grabbed the pubic bus to the Hyatt. It took two buses (connecting in Puerto Marqués) and about 50 minutes.

For a less expensive alternative to a taxi ride, the servicio colectivo vans offer shared service for a fixed rate of 75 pesos or $8 U.S. dollars per person (obviously with the exchange rate, paying in pesos is the better deal). Depending on the location of your hotel, the shuttle may make a few stops before getting you there, but it is a minor inconvenience at worst.

I took a shared van to my hotel and a taxi back. Since the Avalon Excalibur is one of the northernmost hotels on the bay, I paid 200 pesos for the return taxi ride.

We left ATL on 1/13 on the $0 fares, and were able to get an 18 hour stopover in DFW to visit friends. We arrived in ACA on Sat. and came back last night. Great trip!

Some things we discovered in our two days that might interest others: on the way to/from the airport, make sure to ask the cab driver to stop at the "mirador" or scenic overlook near the Camino Real for some great views of Puerto Marques and the Playa Revolcadera beyond. If you're staying in town, ask the cab driver to take the "Costera Palmas" along Playa Revolcadera so you can see the two Fairmonts (Pierre Marques and Princess), Mayan Palace, and all the condos. in that area.

The beaches were great in Acapulco, but for a more unique experience head 10 miles north of Acapulco up Highway 200 to Pie de la Cuesta. There you have open ocean on one side of the road, and a nice lagoon on the other, plus sunsets you can't find on Acapulco Bay. You can have lunch on the beach at Las Tres Marias, which also operates water-skiing on the lagoon. It's really nice. We also visited the Fuerte San Diego in Acapulco which was very interesting, and with nice views. Apparently, the best market for nice artwork, etc. is the Mercado de Artesanias near the Fort and Cruise Ship Terminal. Avoid, the cheaper stuff on the Costera Miguel de Aleman in Acapulco. You can get nice Talabera pottery from Puebla...obviously, you need to bargain heavily as they started out with $45 for one big plate...by the end we had 3 plates for under $40.

Make every effort to see the cliff-divers at La Quebrada. Call in advance and make a reservation for the 7:30 seating at Las Palmas Restaurant overlooking the cliffs. Get there by 6:45 to get a good table, and don't leave until it's all over at 9 (you'll get to see 2 shows). For $18/person, you get entrance and 2 drinks per person, which is a fairly good deal.

We ate at Bella Vista Restaurant at Las Brisas, but I thought this was pretty much a let down. Way overpriced, and views you can find elsewhere, plus mediocre service. Don't waste your money.

In Acapulco proper, use the blue and white VW bug cabs which are cheaper. Never pay more than 50 pesos per ride within Acapulco itself. If you leave a club or restaurant, hail one on the street even if one is sitting right out front, because he'll automatically charge more. I speak Spanish, which certainly helps, but you can do all the above without it.

Although it's pretty clear at this point that travel on the $0 fares is working fine, I figured I'd chime in that my trip January 13-16 went off without a hitch, and that the miles for the outbound segments have posted.

We ate at Bella Vista Restaurant at Las Brisas, but I thought this was pretty much a let down. Way overpriced, and views you can find elsewhere, plus mediocre service. Don't waste your money.


I thought the service was excellent, and the food was great. Perhaps the price was what really left an impression with you and soured the rest of the experience? Yes, it's not cheap, but people on these boards spend way more on other meals, so it's not a huge thing to swallow. It's not McDonald's, either in cost or in taste. Or perhaps you just had a bad dish. I sampled the Chateaubriand and the sea bass, both of which were excellent. I disagree about the view comment, though. Perhaps we weren't lucky enough, but where else could you get that view? I think it's a great combo for dinner and a view, especially outside of the city of Acapulco, which means it's quiet and very peaceful and you get a great view of the shoreline and city from afar.

I thought the service was excellent, and the food was great. Perhaps the price was what really left an impression with you and soured the rest of the experience? Yes, it's not cheap, but people on these boards spend way more on other meals, so it's not a huge thing to swallow. It's not McDonald's, either in cost or in taste. Or perhaps you just had a bad dish. I sampled the Chateaubriand and the sea bass, both of which were excellent. I disagree about the view comment, though. Perhaps we weren't lucky enough, but where else could you get that view? I think it's a great combo for dinner and a view, especially outside of the city of Acapulco, which means it's quiet and very peaceful and you get a great view of the shoreline and city from afar.

Don't get me wrong, we did enjoy the experience and were glad we went. The view was nice as was the music. I think I've just had much better food elsewhere, including my lunch on the beach that same afternoon for $6 at Las Tres Marias in Pie de la Cuesta (although, in fairness, that was some of the BEST seafood I have ever had!). It wasn't really the price that left a negative impression (especially on $0 tickets!), although I do think it was overpriced. I have certainly paid that much for dinner in Latin America before, in a number of countries. The atmosphere reaked of pre-packaged tourism, which I don't necessarily care for. Also, the whole Las Brisas mentality (i.e. rip-off) can be summed up by my experience leaving the resort. After dinner, we took the pink jeep back to the reception area to catch a cab. There was one right there, having brought some passengers back to the resort. I proceeded to reach for the door handle when the concierge stopped me and said "not that cab." The cab drove away. I realized immediately what had happened as another one with the "Las Brisas" official logo on its side pulled up. I questioned the concierge in Spanish why the first cab was not adequate. He simply said "no" politely two or three times, before I escalated the situation, and he admitted that if he had let me take the first cab the resort wouldn't have gotten a cut. Sure enough, the ride back to the Hyatt area cost 70 pesos, which is twice the amount it should have cost! I paid it, not wanting my wife and I to walk down the street after a nice dinner, but I have to say that it was truly the only time I was ripped off in Acapulco. How ironic that it happened at the place that is SUPPOSED to be most friendly to Westerners. That left a bad impression. Otherwise, Acapulco was wonderful, and we enjoyed every second!

Note to all Hyatt Regency bookers, the rate went down to 163.50 from 181.50 for a double ocean view.

I repriced via phone and now have a $60 credit to use on food and drink.. mostly drink :D Too bad they just couldn't give it back..

After dinner, we took the pink jeep back to the reception area to catch a cab. There was one right there, having brought some passengers back to the resort. I proceeded to reach for the door handle when the concierge stopped me and said "not that cab." The cab drove away. I realized immediately what had happened as another one with the "Las Brisas" official logo on its side pulled up. I questioned the concierge in Spanish why the first cab was not adequate. He simply said "no" politely two or three times, before I escalated the situation, and he admitted that if he had let me take the first cab the resort wouldn't have gotten a cut. Sure enough, the ride back to the Hyatt area cost 70 pesos, which is twice the amount it should have cost!

This happens everywhere. I just returned from Thailand and it happened to me there, too... Where else? Caymans, Cancun, Grand Bahama, New Delhi, I could go on...

Just returned from a great trip Jan 15-17 and everything went off perfectly.

Wanted to recommend a wonderful driver, Senor Hector. He charged $40 to drive nine of us from the airport to the Hyatt. It was so nice to have him waiting there for us and no taxi hassle. He is a tour guide and we used him for that too. Very friendly, polite, perfect English, clean van. He can be reached at angelherreraes@yahoo.es

Thanks for the info - I just emailed him to see about him picking us up tomorrow. It would be nice to have transportation already worked out before we leave!

We were there 1/13-17... we found 5 other FT'ers (or friends with them) on our flight. A van took us to the hyatt where we all were staying for $36 USD total.. we gave a $10 USD tip upon arrival. Took less than a half hour.. I guess seatbelts are non existant in Mexico LOL

Return.. I inquired with various cabbies around the Hyatt for the rate to the airport. Four of us went for $22 all inclusive. It was a bit cheaper at Wal-Mart but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of finding the guy later to save four stinkin bucks

Just returned from a great trip Jan 15-17 and everything went off perfectly.

Wanted to recommend a wonderful driver, Senor Hector. He charged $40 to drive nine of us from the airport to the Hyatt. It was so nice to have him waiting there for us and no taxi hassle. He is a tour guide and we used him for that too. Very friendly, polite, perfect English, clean van. He can be reached at angelherreraes@yahoo.es

We were there 1/13-17... we found 5 other FT'ers (or friends with them) on our flight. A van took us to the hyatt where we all were staying for $36 USD total.. we gave a $10 USD tip upon arrival. Took less than a half hour.. I guess seatbelts are non existant in Mexico LOL

Return.. I inquired with various cabbies around the Hyatt for the rate to the airport. Four of us went for $22 all inclusive. It was a bit cheaper at Wal-Mart but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of finding the guy later to save four stinkin bucks

I forgot to metion that there were two FT's on my flight down who sat beside my wife and I. The same couple was on our flight back also sitting beside us again. Sort of funny how that works out.

It always surprises me how different experiences can be when traveling to a location. Every cab I stepped into had seatbelts. Every driver wore them, so we did too.

For those of you who have already traveled, how far in advance do you suggest checking in at the ACA airport before your flight time? Do things move fairly quickly?

Thanks!

We got there two hours early on Sunday at 12:30pm. The airport is hot. I had access to the club room so it wasn't that big of a deal, but even it was a little warm. Getting through security was quick for us. Next time I would probably only get there 1 to 1 1/2 hours earlier to minimize time spent in the airport heat. Are you checking luggage? That would make a difference also.

Good point - yes, we are checking luggage (traveling with the SO!)

Good point - yes, we are checking luggage (traveling with the SO!)

I personally would get there 1 1/2 hours earlier. Just in case.

Sounds smart - I think we will do that.
I have to ask (probably a dumb question), but what club are you talking about? Acording to AA's website, there is not an Admirals Club in ACA.............I was thinking of purchasing a one day pass.

For those of you who have already traveled, how far in advance do you suggest checking in at the ACA airport before your flight time? Do things move fairly quickly?

My van picked me up at my hotel at 12:15, it made a stop to pick up nine slow people at another hotel, and I was still checked in, through security, and at my gate by 1:15. However, I only had a carry-on bag. If you have checked luggage, allow some extra time because they will need to hand-search it.

Sounds smart - I think we will do that.
I have to ask (probably a dumb question), but what club are you talking about? Acording to AA's website, there is not an Admirals Club in ACA.............I was thinking of purchasing a one day pass.

You are right there is not an Admiral's club, but there are two different clubs there. I can't remember what the other is, but I went to:

Airport ACAPULCO,Juan N. Alvarez International
Lounge AEROMEXICO - SALON PREMIER ACAPULCO
Location Landside - Upper Level. Take the stairs in the principal hall.
Opening Hours 06.30 - 21.30 daily. Hours may vary according to flight schedules.
Conditions Maximum of two guests (Children under 12 years have free entry when accompanied by an adult).

I get in with my Priority Pass.

ACA is served by:

National Airlines
Aerolitoral (Guadalajara)
AeroMexico (Mexico City, Tijuana)
Aviacsa (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Tijuana)
Avolar (Hermosillo, Puebla, Tijuana)
Lineas Aereas Azteca (Mexico City)
Magnicharters (Monterrey)
Mexicana (Chicago/O'Hare, Mexico City)
International Airlines
American Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth)
Continental Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) (Starting March 11, 2006)
Northwest Airlines (Detroit)
US Airways
US Airways operated by America West Airlines (Los Angeles, Phoenix)

One of them has a club room...

We had a 2:40 p.m. flight to DFW and when we walked into the ACA airport there was a HUGE line to for those checking luggage. As someone above stated it was for a hand check of your bags. Fortunately for me, my EXP upgrade had cleared and I went to the Business class line which had zero people in it.. All four of us went to this even though one was in J. We had our bags cleared, tickets and were out of the ticketing in ten minutes. We had arrived at 12:25 p.m. for the 2:40 p.m. flight (1:55 p.m. was scheduled boarding) but we didn't board till 2:15 p.m. for some reason.

I saw the Mexicana airline lounge but didn't even try to go in. Maybe I should have as an EXP and an AC member. Oh well. There were a few shops (one eatery) outside security. Inside security (hint go to the security furthers from where you come up the stairs.. as you pass the Mexicana lounge).. there was not one person in that line when we went through.. they were real nice.. also no shoes off, no laptop out.. nothing.. just lay it on the xray and go through..

the other line had maybe 20 people or so in line.

Once inside there are a couple bars, stores and duty free which did have some good prices.

Thanks for the hints and suggestions!!

Thanks, everyone, for the help! ^ Can't wait to leave tomorrow. :cool:

Two quick questions:
1. What night clubs did you find the most fun?
2. Exchanged today at AMEX Travel at about 9.5 pesos-$1...where did you find the best xchange rates...ORD currency booth, using an ATM, or using something else down there?

Thanks, everyone, for the help! ^ Can't wait to leave tomorrow. :cool:

Two quick questions:
1. What night clubs did you find the most fun?
2. Exchanged today at AMEX Travel at about 9.5 pesos-$1...where did you find the best xchange rates...ORD currency booth, using an ATM, or using something else down there?

Avoid changing in the US at all costs...you'll get a bad rate. Last week, I got a minimum of 10.3 pesos/$1 at exchange booths around Acapulco, and slightly better from the ATM. You don't need to have any pesos upon arrival...take some small US bills (10s and 5s) for the cab (they'll take them 10 to 1), and change/use an ATM when you get into town.

1. can't help ya with clubs
2. Hyatt gave me 10.1 to the dollar; numerous places near the Hyatt were giving 10.35 to the dollar and the place in Wal-mart was a rip off giving 9.65 to the dollar.. my AX translated the peso at 10.36 to the dollar..

Don't change in the USA, you don't need the peso at ACA as the vans, taxi's etc will take US cash heck even the bar at the airport let me give 50 pesos and a one dollar US bill for a 6.00 USD drink

Thanks, everyone, for the help! ^ Can't wait to leave tomorrow. :cool:

Two quick questions:
1. What night clubs did you find the most fun?
2. Exchanged today at AMEX Travel at about 9.5 pesos-$1...where did you find the best xchange rates...ORD currency booth, using an ATM, or using something else down there?

Thanks, everyone, for the help! ^ Can't wait to leave tomorrow. :cool:


2. Exchanged today at AMEX Travel at about 9.5 pesos-$1...where did you find the best xchange rates...ORD currency booth, using an ATM, or using something else down there?


getting 10.5 via ATM at zihuatanejo (2 hours north)

I received an effective rate (Including ATM fee) of 10.5 from the HSBC machine at the Airport. (That is pretty good considering I only took out 150 pesos and the fee was 7.5 pesos). Fortunately, my credit union does not take on any extra atm fees.


getting 10.5 via ATM at zihuatanejo (2 hours north)

The views were worth $0?

;)

Haha. I missed this. Touche.

The views alone were worth the price of dinner. ;)

Thanks to the tip I received from these boards, my SO and I spent a long weekend in ACA on the $0+ fares. In the spirit of trying to give something back to these boards, following are some tips/hints I either picked up during our trip, or received from other posters that I found to be worth repeating:

Our flight from MSP-ORD-ACA was very uneventful (just as you want a flight to be!). Every flight we were on to/from ACA was completely full. We had NO problems with the $0+ tickets – one of the gate attendants tried to upgrade us to Biz class, but when she pulled up our tickets on her computer she saw the fare we paid. Her only comment was “I can’t imagine how you got such a good fare! I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to upgrade you” Fine with me - $0+ for coach is great!

Prior to arrival to ACA, I emailed Hector who is a local taxi driver. For $40, he was waiting at the airport for us and took all 8 of us to the Camino Real (again, thanks to these boards!) If anyone is looking to set up taxi service (his taxi is a minivan), feel free to email him at angel_herrera77@hotmail.com. He speaks very good English, and will make any stops you wish to make on the way to your hotel.

We stayed at the Camino Real, and are VERY HAPPY with our choice! Beautiful hotel in an exclusive part of ACA in a gated community. We booked a standard room through hotels.com for $131 per night. At check-in, we were upgraded to a deluxe room at no additional charge. Everyone in our group found the restaurants to be very good. We ate all our meals on-site, and never had a complaint. Food is a little on the pricey side, but not really that bad (a bacon cheeseburger with fries is $110 pesos). The rooms are very nice, with tile and marble floors. The in-room safe is large enough for a laptop, and even has an electrical outlet inside the safe. The beach is on the small side, but since it is a private beach, it was never very crowded. We are very impressed with the staff and would love to return. When you first arrive, there are signs saying no outside alcohol or food is allowed. We showed up with 3 cases of corona and they didn’t say one word. The bellmen even loaded the cases on his cart and took them to our room. Each evening we sat around the lobby bar area with our own drinks without any problems.

Two of us chartered a boat to go deep-sea fishing for a day. Their van picked us up at 5:30am and took us to the boat approximately 30 minutes away. By 6:00am the boat was headed out to sea! We went 21 miles out, fished for several hours, and got back to the dock at 2:30pm. Total cost including chartering the boat, fishing licenses, drinks on the boat (pop, water and beer available cold onboard for $1 each), and tips for the 3-person crew was $440. Money well spent!! I highly recommend www.fish-r-us.com if you want to go deep-sea fishing! We ended up catching a black tuna and a 8’3” sailfish.

The flight back was just as uneventful as the flight there. I am very impressed with the DFW airport. We were through immigration, baggage claim and re-check, and customs all within 5 minutes! Amazing.

A Few other thoughts:
When leaving the ACA airport you go upstairs to go through security. Immediately at the top of the stairs is one line to get through security (very long line!). Look to your right, and down the hall at the other end is another security line that is not used as much. We went to that line, and were through security in less than 5 minutes.
The ACA airport was actually very pleasant – not as hot as I had expected.
On the way to the Camino Real, you pass a Super Walmart if you want to pick up anything. You will also pass several liquor stores with good prices.
On the way to our fishing trip, we passed the Hyatt, and I noticed that it is within walking distance of a Walmart.

If anyone has any questions about our trip, I will be happy to pass along any info I can!

Miller4isu-
I'm so glad you were pleased with Senor Hector--we were too.

If we had only had one more day, we would have gone deep sea fishing too. A trip like that in Hatteras, NC would cost over $1000 and no guarantees.

We were happy with the price also - I was expecting it to cost a lot more.
I'm looking at the pic of me standing beside the sailfish, wishing I was still there!!

Has anyone had any luck changing a name on one of these tickets my husband has to go on a mission trip the same dates I booked. So I have three options: change dates (figured not likely), change name, or go by myself and waste one of the tickets I booked. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I would be VERY suprised if you are able to change the name on the ticket. Having said that, a free phone call will answer that question very quickly.
Good luck!

Has anyone had any luck changing a name on one of these tickets my husband has to go on a mission trip the same dates I booked. So I have three options: change dates (figured not likely), change name, or go by myself and waste one of the tickets I booked. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I would be beyond astonished if either a name (unthinkable, actually) or a date change were allowed.

I would be beyond astonished if either a name (unthinkable, actually) or a date change were allowed.

Most likely an act of God would be required for a date change; namely severe weather in either the departing location or ACA.

Has anyone had any luck changing a name on one of these tickets my husband has to go on a mission trip the same dates I booked. So I have three options: change dates (figured not likely), change name, or go by myself and waste one of the tickets I booked. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Name change: not happening. Almost no airline will allow a name change on any ticket, let alone a mistake.

Date change: possible, but you'll pay the fare difference + $100-200 per ticket, so you're essentially buying a new ticket since the original ticket has very little value.

ACA solo is your best bet if you want to salvage anything from this trip. At least you'll only be out the $100 for your husband's ticket.

Has anyone had any luck changing a name on one of these tickets my husband has to go on a mission trip the same dates I booked. So I have three options: change dates (figured not likely), change name, or go by myself and waste one of the tickets I booked. Any suggestions would be appreciated!


I split a record and changed every passengers dates to different days and flights to accomidate different work schedules with no cost.


How did I do it?

I found the most butt ugly agent and sweet talked the agent into it. I'm still not sure if the agent was a man or woman or some combo but it was really a nice agent.

:(

I found the most butt ugly agent and sweet talked the agent into it. I'm still not sure if the agent was a man or woman or some combo but it was really a nice agent.

both our flights ATL-ORD-ACA-DFW-ATL were 1/2 full at best in Y and J. Flights were uneventful which is good yet the FA's were great southbound from ORD and hags (and thats being nice to them) Northbound to DFW. I was able to get my EXP upgrade both ways although both in ATL and ACA, they tried to charge me for VIPs before I said No Way.. these should be free. They were after discussions.

We did the harbor tour which well was a harbour tour, with beers included, a stop to see the cliff diving and a stop to go swimming in some really nice warm very clear water in some cove somewhere.. it was a 3 hour tour.. and unlike Gilligan ours came back perfectly.

I second the comment by this poster about security. One note if you go to the far security entrance.. beware, you must go down steps (no esc or elev.) so if you either are physically challenged or carrying a ton of stuff.. well use the other line.. however it is only maybe a dozen steps or so.

Thanks to the tip I received from these boards, my SO and I spent a long weekend in ACA on the $0+ fares. In the spirit of trying to give something back to these boards, following are some tips/hints I either picked up during our trip, or received from other posters that I found to be worth repeating:

Our flight from MSP-ORD-ACA was very uneventful (just as you want a flight to be!). Every flight we were on to/from ACA was completely full. We had NO problems with the $0+ tickets – one of the gate attendants tried to upgrade us to Biz class, but when she pulled up our tickets on her computer she saw the fare we paid. Her only comment was “I can’t imagine how you got such a good fare! I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to upgrade you” Fine with me - $0+ for coach is great!

Prior to arrival to ACA, I emailed Hector who is a local taxi driver. For $40, he was waiting at the airport for us and took all 8 of us to the Camino Real (again, thanks to these boards!) If anyone is looking to set up taxi service (his taxi is a minivan), feel free to email him at angel_herrera77@hotmail.com. He speaks very good English, and will make any stops you wish to make on the way to your hotel.

We stayed at the Camino Real, and are VERY HAPPY with our choice! Beautiful hotel in an exclusive part of ACA in a gated community. We booked a standard room through hotels.com for $131 per night. At check-in, we were upgraded to a deluxe room at no additional charge. Everyone in our group found the restaurants to be very good. We ate all our meals on-site, and never had a complaint. Food is a little on the pricey side, but not really that bad (a bacon cheeseburger with fries is $110 pesos). The rooms are very nice, with tile and marble floors. The in-room safe is large enough for a laptop, and even has an electrical outlet inside the safe. The beach is on the small side, but since it is a private beach, it was never very crowded. We are very impressed with the staff and would love to return. When you first arrive, there are signs saying no outside alcohol or food is allowed. We showed up with 3 cases of corona and they didn’t say one word. The bellmen even loaded the cases on his cart and took them to our room. Each evening we sat around the lobby bar area with our own drinks without any problems.

Two of us chartered a boat to go deep-sea fishing for a day. Their van picked us up at 5:30am and took us to the boat approximately 30 minutes away. By 6:00am the boat was headed out to sea! We went 21 miles out, fished for several hours, and got back to the dock at 2:30pm. Total cost including chartering the boat, fishing licenses, drinks on the boat (pop, water and beer available cold onboard for $1 each), and tips for the 3-person crew was $440. Money well spent!! I highly recommend www.fish-r-us.com if you want to go deep-sea fishing! We ended up catching a black tuna and a 8’3” sailfish.

The flight back was just as uneventful as the flight there. I am very impressed with the DFW airport. We were through immigration, baggage claim and re-check, and customs all within 5 minutes! Amazing.

A Few other thoughts:
When leaving the ACA airport you go upstairs to go through security. Immediately at the top of the stairs is one line to get through security (very long line!). Look to your right, and down the hall at the other end is another security line that is not used as much. We went to that line, and were through security in less than 5 minutes.
The ACA airport was actually very pleasant – not as hot as I had expected.
On the way to the Camino Real, you pass a Super Walmart if you want to pick up anything. You will also pass several liquor stores with good prices.
On the way to our fishing trip, we passed the Hyatt, and I noticed that it is within walking distance of a Walmart.

If anyone has any questions about our trip, I will be happy to pass along any info I can!

I went with my wife January 20 - 22. I had originally booked an award stay at the Hyatt, but after some bad reviews and the fact it's not on the beach I decided to look elsewhere. We were able to book the Park Royal Hotel (http://www.parkroyalhotels.com.mx/acapulco_eng/inicio.htm) with an all inclusive rate of $184/night through Orbitz plus $14 in tax/fees, so it came out to under $200/night all-in. The hotel is on the other side of the bay from the rest of the action, but overall we really enjoyed it. The rooms were nice, though very sparse (no alarm clocks!), but they actually had really nice TV's (Phillips flat tube TV's).

The food was fine I thought, considering it's all inclusive, and the alcoholic beverages did their job. For the total price, and considering we enjoyed just laying on the beach and around the pool, it was great. Most of the complaints I read online concerning this hotel related to the variety of food, but as long as you're not there for a week or more, it shouldn't be too bad.

I decided to just rent a car from Hertz since it was only $65 total for two days. I reserved the cheapest car they had with an automatic, got a Dodge Neon with 70,000+ kilometers, but it was fine, though it bottomed out a few times on the bigger speed bumps and other road anamolies around the city. If you rent a car, make sure to check the gas gauge, they don't rent them with full tanks, and in our case the tank was very empty when we picked it up! Valet parking at our hotel was only 30 pesos a day.

As for getting pesos ... I'm not sure I'd bother ... either you can use your credit card to pay for stuff or just pay with USD at a 10-1 rate, which while not quite as good as you may get elsewhere, is certainly convenient. The gas station, airport bar, hotel gift shop, and flea market merchants we dealt with all gladly accepted US dollars, and they would provide change in pesos. If anything I would just bring lots of fives and ones so as to avoid getting stuck with many pesos at the end of the trip.

On the way to the Camino Real, you pass a Super Walmart if you want to pick up anything. You will also pass several liquor stores with good prices.There's also a Costco about a half-mile past the Super Walmart for those with Costco memberships, with lots of beer, wine, and other adult beverages, and of course non-alcoholic beverages. We didn't look at the prices in the Super Walmart, but FYI the prices at Costco are noticably higher for non-alcoholic beverages than in the US (e.g., the case of water that costs under $4.00 in the US was something like 600 pesos), but on the flipside the portions you have to buy are smaller (Pepsi and beer was in 12-packs instead of the 36 packs you find in US Costcos!). There's also a SAM'S Club near downtown, but we didn't check it out (I'm sure it would be more crowded since it's in the middle of the city, and I prefer Costco to Sam's anyway).

(e.g., the case of water that costs under $4.00 in the US was something like 600 pesos)

$60 for water? Carísimo, indeed! ;)

$60 for water? Carísimo, indeed! ;)Oops ... conversions get me everytime ... like 60 pesos ... is that better? Still like 50% than a US Costco anyway. :)

The Hyatt is indeed on the beach

I had originally booked an award stay at the Hyatt, but after some bad reviews and the fact it's not on the beach

Also wanted to say.. that 8 days after checkout.. still no stay/point credit to GoldPassport

The Hyatt is indeed on the beach

I thought it was across a street from the beach, but either way, I'm still quite happy with where we stayed and don't regret not going with the Hyatt!

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful tips! I'm looking forward to Acapulco.

My husband and I arrive on 1/30 for a week. We enjoy meeting other flyertalkers but we aren't much into partying anymore.

However, if anyone is interested in meeting for a sunset drink, sharing a sightseeing trip or a boating or fishing expedition, please contact me.

We are staying near the Hotel Los Flamingos but so far no rental car. Beckles great rates makes getting a car tempting but I'm wondering if we need it. Would love to hear others' opinions.

anybody going to be there Friday night 2/27/06 PM me.

ACAPULCO, Mexico: Drug gangs mowed down three people in a drive-by shooting in Acapulco on Friday, a day after members of a drug cartel in the northern border town of Nuevo Laredo murdered three others and set their bodies on fire.
The killers in the Pacific resort of Acapulco shot their victims in the street in an outlying district of the city, home to 700,000 people.
“The characteristics of the crime show it was an execution by those who are caught up in drugs,” Acapulco Mayor Felix Salgado said.
A feud between rival drug gangs broke out in Acapulco in 2005, surprising Mexicans more used to drug violence on the US border or in the drug-producing states of western Mexico.
Last year, the deputy head of a state police force was shot dead leaving a beachside restaurant and suspected members of a drug gang attacked a police station with grenades.
Tourists have not been involved in the violence and Salgado said the city, popular with US visitors, was safe.
“People involved in illicit activities have problems, but tourists are respected here, they walk about here, they are looked after here,” he said.
More than 1,000 people died in drug killings in Mexico last year, mostly in a fight between the Gulf cartel in northeastern Mexico and an alliance of traffickers from the western state of Sinaloa. – Reuters

Jerry--what was the date on the story above?

My wife and I will be in ACA March 28-April 1...would be interested in scheduling a fishing trip with some fellow FT-ers...just let me know!

Anyone have any suggestions for fishing outfitters? Price?

By fishing outfitters, I assume you mean deep-sea fishing?

If so, I HIGHLY recommend www.fish-r-us.com. We used them last week and are VERY happy. A friend and I chartered a 38' boat for just the 2 of us (plus the 3 crew) from 6:00am to 2:30pm for the following cost:
Boat & crew = $315 (tell them you saw their ad on www.acapulco.com for a 10% discount)
fishing license = $12 each
Cold water, pop, and beer on the boat = $1 each
Shuttle service to/from your hotel for $12 each person
Tip for crew = $40 (YMMV)

They all speak english very well, are friendly, and have some of the best equipment.

They helped me catch a 8'3" sailfish.

By fishing outfitters, I assume you mean deep-sea fishing?

If so, I HIGHLY recommend www.fish-r-us.com. We used them last week and are VERY happy. A friend and I chartered a 38' boat for just the 2 of us (plus the 3 crew) from 6:00am to 2:30pm for the following cost:
Boat & crew = $315 (tell them you saw their ad on www.acapulco.com for a 10% discount)
fishing license = $12 each
Cold water, pop, and beer on the boat = $1 each
Shuttle service to/from your hotel for $12 each person
Tip for crew = $40 (YMMV)

They all speak english very well, are friendly, and have some of the best equipment.

They helped me catch a 8'3" sailfish.

Thanks for the info. I will look into them.

unfortunately it looks like I won't be able to go on my trip :(

I'm thinking of calling AA to cancel and suggest that since I'm technically giving them back a $0 fare that would otherwise cost $400+ it's reasonable for them to give me a full refund. anyone have any input on this idea before I call? to me it sounds like I'm doing them a favor, not the other way around (if anything they should offer me a voucher to cancel :P) but they may want to stick to their rules and I'm out $110...

unfortunately it looks like I won't be able to go on my trip :(

I'm thinking of calling AA to cancel and suggest that since I'm technically giving them back a $0 fare that would otherwise cost $400+ it's reasonable for them to give me a full refund. anyone have any input on this idea before I call? to me it sounds like I'm doing them a favor, not the other way around (if anything they should offer me a voucher to cancel :P) but they may want to stick to their rules and I'm out $110...

With this logic, I'd argue that since you technically paid $0 for a $400 fare you still owe them money. Once the final payment comes in, a cancellation for a voucher can occur.

With this logic, I'd argue that since you technically paid $0 for a $400 fare you still owe them money. Once the final payment comes in, a cancellation for a voucher can occur.

aww....but if they already agreed to honor the $0 fare, they acknowledge that I don't owe them anything. I'm giving them a chance to back out of it :P

aww....but if they already agreed to honor the $0 fare, they acknowledge that I don't owe them anything. I'm giving them a chance to back out of it :P

So, which leg are you standing on: a $0 fare or a $400 fare? If a $0 fare, they aren't going to give you anything. If a $400 fare, you owe them still.

Anyway, do they actually need the seat? is there Y0 B0 availability on your flights?

So, which leg are you standing on: a $0 fare or a $400 fare? If a $0 fare, they aren't going to give you anything. If a $400 fare, you owe them still.

Anyway, do they actually need the seat? is there Y0 B0 availability on your flights?

yes, as of now there is...anyway, what I'm getting at is, how about AA gives me a break so I'm more inclined to become a regular AA flier ;)

of course technically they don't *have to*, but surely they'd rather try to resell that seat in the next few weeks at regular price, eh?

of course technically they don't *have to*, but surely they'd rather try to resell that seat in the next few weeks at regular price, eh?

They already can if there's availability.

They already can if there's availability.

I know, but I'm asking if there's any chance they'd make a one-time concession. I don't know if it's the case that AA would have to refund the taxes out of their own pocket, but they're not losing any money on the airfare because I didn't pay them any.

If my flights were any indication.. they were both half full or half empty on both flights to/from ACA.

There is no incentive (based on the loads I flew) to give you a thing.. unless its F0 A0 Y0 etc.. why should they give you a thing.. they have other seats to sell at the regular fares..



So, which leg are you standing on: a $0 fare or a $400 fare? If a $0 fare, they aren't going to give you anything. If a $400 fare, you owe them still.

Anyway, do they actually need the seat? is there Y0 B0 availability on your flights?

unfortunately it looks like I won't be able to go on my trip :(

I'm thinking of calling AA to cancel and suggest that since I'm technically giving them back a $0 fare that would otherwise cost $400+ it's reasonable for them to give me a full refund. anyone have any input on this idea before I call? to me it sounds like I'm doing them a favor, not the other way around (if anything they should offer me a voucher to cancel :P) but they may want to stick to their rules and I'm out $110...

My money is on AA keeping your money and telling you "your sand and mallet are over there, sir." :D

aww....but if they already agreed to honor the $0 fare, they acknowledge that I don't owe them anything. I'm giving them a chance to back out of it :P
lucky them.

I doubt they will give you a refund, and here is why:

If people knew they could get a refund on tickets like these, how many people would have purchased multiple tickets? For example, if John Doe knew he could get a refund on any tickets he didn't use, why not buy tickets for every weekend, then only use the ones he wanted?

After traveling to ACA last weekend on $0 tickets, my SO and I wish we would have purchased a few more for upcomming weekends. We didn't, because the fact that we would have been out $100+ for each ticket we didn't end up using kept us 'down to earth' and only purchased 1 ticket each.

That being said, I would love to hear if you have any luck!

My money is on AA keeping your money and telling you "your sand and mallet are over there, sir." :D

well here's a better question - what money is AA keeping? if it's all taxes, what exactly is AA keeping? isn't my $110 going to various goverment agencies?

and I won't apologize for trying to work the system a bit - if I did I should never have booked the fare in the first place :D

well here's a better question - what money is AA keeping? if it's all taxes, what exactly is AA keeping? isn't my $110 going to various goverment agencies?

and I won't apologize for trying to work the system a bit - if I did I should never have booked the fare in the first place :D

I was under the impression that airlines automatically refunded taxes, even on non-refundable tickets. This has always been the case when I've refunded with DL and NW, and on award tickets. Often times I've not even asked, and the fee reappears as a credit on the card originally used (sometimes, for award tickets, it can be as little as $5 or $10 if all they charged intially was the Sept. 11 security fee). Last time, DL didn't refund the taxes, and after about a month, I called their refunds department directly and she processed the credit on the spot. So, maybe you should try and find a number for the AA refunds department rather than reservations and call them instead (if AA has such a number...it took some digging to find DL's). If they turn you down, I would write a letter and perhaps threaten a class action suit, b/c these taxes and fees are certainly not their's to keep.

This fare may be a $0 fare, but it is not a fully refundable fare!

When you refund a ticket, it usually is in the form of a travel voucher, less any change fees unless it is a refundable ticket, which this ain't.

So, a $110 total ticket - a $150 change fee means you owe AA a $40 voucher. Got one handy? ;)

This fare may be a $0 fare, but it is not a fully refundable fare!

When you refund a ticket, it usually is in the form of a travel voucher, less any change fees unless it is a refundable ticket, which this ain't.

So, a $110 total ticket - a $150 change fee means you owe AA a $40 voucher. Got one handy? ;)

my question is, where are the taxes going? when I return an item to a store, I get my sales tax back. why are airfare taxes different? maybe this is a dumb question and pro MRers learned this in grade school, but I do wonder.

I doubt they will give you a refund, and here is why:

If people knew they could get a refund on tickets like these, how many people would have purchased multiple tickets? For example, if John Doe knew he could get a refund on any tickets he didn't use, why not buy tickets for every weekend, then only use the ones he wanted?

There is actually some precedent for this sort of thing, though - AA not only offered refunds to passengers, but also gave them miles as if they had flown, for a group of people who took advantage of a fare error from the UK to Cleveland last August. The key difference, though, is that the error was only on flights within a very limited period of a couple of days, making it more obvious that people were only flying these for the miles.

I kind of hoped that AA would do the same thing with these (or at least allow people to get their taxes back on a refund) as I can no longer use my tickets, but I'm not really counting on it.

Mike

In light of previous pricing mistakes by airlines and hotels alike, let's not forget that AA is honoring this fare no-questions-asked.. and is providing EQMs as well. Trying to get a refund on a nonrefundable fare error is just a bit .. well.. wrong.

Trying to get a refund on a nonrefundable fare error is just a bit .. well.. wrong.

Is it wrong if the airline offers it, though?

That's the point I'm trying to make. I'm not going to push the issue even though I can't use the tickets, but if AA were to call me and ask if I'd take a refund (as they have done before) in exchange for the miles, then I'd be more than happy to take it.

Mike

my question is, where are the taxes going? when I return an item to a store, I get my sales tax back. why are airfare taxes different? maybe this is a dumb question and pro MRers learned this in grade school, but I do wonder.

AA will give you your taxes back!

However, the terms and conditions of the ticket that you agreed to when you purchased it necessitate that 1)any refund is not in cash, but rather in the form of a voucher that can be applied to a future international ticket and 2)that you agreed to pay a fee of $100-200 (not sure what it is for this particular fare) if you wished to have a refund described in 1).

If the ticket had been $500 + $110 in taxes, you would be eligible for a refund if you followed the procedures in 1) and 2) above. However, you would receive a voucher for $410 - $510 instead of owing AA $40, should you insist on trying to get these taxes refunded.

It's that simple. :)

Away fromthe taxes/refundn discussion for a minute:

Is anyone else going down on the 11th? My husband and I are doing a quick visit from the 11th to the 13th and I'm just wondering if anyone else will be there too :)

I'm also curious as to what people think the best way to see the cliff divers is - I'm leery of driving at night, so should we drive out on our own during the day or pay for a tour to La Perla at night (with van), or is there a third option?

Away fromthe taxes/refundn discussion for a minute:

Is anyone else going down on the 11th? My husband and I are doing a quick visit from the 11th to the 13th and I'm just wondering if anyone else will be there too :)

I'm also curious as to what people think the best way to see the cliff divers is - I'm leery of driving at night, so should we drive out on our own during the day or pay for a tour to La Perla at night (with van), or is there a third option?

We went to the lookout on the cliff itself. To me, it was very crowded and you had to arrive very early if you wanted a good viewing spot. I would recommend trying to take a boat tour to watch it from the sea. The boats get fairly close to the cliffs, so it seems to be an excellent view. I'm not exactly sure how you book it, but if you ask at the hotel, I'm sure they can tell you. Or maybe someone here can tell you.

We went to the lookout on the cliff itself. To me, it was very crowded and you had to arrive very early if you wanted a good viewing spot. I would recommend trying to take a boat tour to watch it from the sea. The boats get fairly close to the cliffs, so it seems to be an excellent view. I'm not exactly sure how you book it, but if you ask at the hotel, I'm sure they can tell you. Or maybe someone here can tell you.

The lookout over the cliff did indeed look terribly crowded when we were there. We chose to make a reservation at La Perla restaurant. Just get the number and call yourself (we did the same afternoon we wanted to go). No need for a tour or van to take you there with others...they'll just charge a commission and you can set it up yourself. Make a reservation for the 7:30 seating, and get there by 6:45 and you'll get a great table. The restaurant can be expensive, but ask for the "2 drinks package" which gives you 2 drinks for approx. $18 or so each (you're mostly paying for the view!). We had a table right up against the edge, and great views (plus you have a place to sit!). We stayed for both shows (one at 7:30 and the other at 8:30) and left at approx. 9:00. Also, I don't know why you would need a rental car in ACA at all. If you don't feel like driving at night (my first concern would actually be the parking at La Quebrada) then just take a cab.

Also, I don't know why you would need a rental car in ACA at all. If you don't feel like driving at night (my first concern would actually be the parking at La Quebrada) then just take a cab.

We're staying in the Pie de la Cuesta, so it's a bit more expensive to take cabs back and forth than to rent a car - and taking buses in Mexico is something I'm pretty much against. I'm more of a "middle of nowhere" resort person if I'm going somewhere "beachy."

I made reservations for 7:30 at La Perla, and I'll make sure we show up at 6:45 as recommended above.

Thanks :)

Several of us have used Senor Hector to drive us and I would highly recommend him. He would drive you to the cliff divers and wait for you if you'd like. He charges about $20 an hour and speaks perfect English, great van etc.

You can e mail him at angelherreraes@yahoo.es

We're staying in the Pie de la Cuesta, so it's a bit more expensive to take cabs back and forth than to rent a car - and taking buses in Mexico is something I'm pretty much against. I'm more of a "middle of nowhere" resort person if I'm going somewhere "beachy."

I made reservations for 7:30 at La Perla, and I'll make sure we show up at 6:45 as recommended above.

Thanks :)

Ah, I thought you were staying in ACA. Pie de la Cuesta is great. We went up there for an entire day while we were there. We ate at Tres Marias following a tip from a cab driver. Food was superb...also, walk down the beach to the next place just before Tres Marias on the road from ACA and there's a small place with a nice old guy who made us some great Coco Locos. It's a lot calmer than Tres Marias, and we were the only ones there to watch the sunset. Also, I really enjoyed the waterskiing at Tres Marias (across the street on the lagoon). I rented a boat for $25 for 30 minutes...skied about 20 and he gave us a free 20 minute tour of the lagoon. Also, just so you can compare, cabs between Pie de la Cuesta and the main section of ACA are $10-12...this may be more or less than your rental car depending on the rate you got and how much you want to travel between one and the other. Enjoy!

RE Taxes and refund.

I agree fully with the posters that question where the tax money goes if AA doesn't refund it. I would be very interested to know if they actually pay it (mostly to the Mexican government) based on reservations or as I suspect based on the passengers that arrive and depart. I suspect that this type question will turn into a class action lawsuit someday (not because of this $0 fare). Such a class action would seem to have all the countries of the world as plaintiffs and serve no purpose other than to make some lawyers money and raise the litigation cost of airlines.

I also agree with spiff that if you want a refund you owe AA the $150 change fee.

I think AA made a smart decicion to honor the fare. The flights are empty. I suspect they actually lost revenue on the domestic connections that run much more full. I doubt they lost much revenue on the DFW-ACA flights because I doubt that many people booked these rather than paying AA for a ticket. It also cost them a few million advantage miles I suspect. They earned a lot of good will for their handling of the situation.



I noticed a lot of pickups full of heavily armed military last friday night. I just read this article and realized why

At a stoplight, some of the suspects opened fire on police. One of the assailants tried to throw a grenade out the window, but it ended up exploding inside the vehicle, setting the Jeep on fire and detonating several rounds of ammunition the suspects were carrying.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/16772.html

Also, just so you can compare, cabs between Pie de la Cuesta and the main section of ACA are $10-12...this may be more or less than your rental car depending on the rate you got and how much you want to travel between one and the other. Enjoy!

Thanks for all the info! I've never been waterskiing, so I'll totally look into that.

I edited it down to just the rental car price bit to respond, just because I don't like quoting whole posts :)

I got a rate of $82 from Alamo for the whole time I'm there including full insurance. That's basically the cost of the airport cab back and forth, so we're ahead no matter what we do ;)

Have you ever driven in Mexico? It can be quite an adventure!

Have you ever driven in Mexico? It can be quite an adventure!

I have driven tens of thousands of miles in Mexico. The intercity driving on old narrow winding highways passing and being passed in curves and blind spots can be exciting, dangerous and nerve racking. The city and new interstate (very expensive tolls) driving is boaring and uneventful except for the car that flipped over in front of my hotel last saturday and the Machine gun/grenade battle last friday morning. But seriously no seasoned international traveler should be concerned about driving around Acapulco as long as they are adquately insured.

Have you ever driven in Mexico? It can be quite an adventure!I didn't find it any worse than driving in NYC or Boston ... of course, there's plenty of people who won't drive there either. If anything, it's not as bad driving there because half the cars can't move fast enough to get in the way anyway ...

Have you ever driven in Mexico? It can be quite an adventure!

Yup - we actually have a place in Cabo that we go to every year and always rent there (taxi costs add up, and my aforementioned hated of the Mexican bus system precludes me from anything else). I went to school in the UK, and I've found that driving there is much more nerve wracking.

I live in the Boston Metro, btw, and I'm from NYC, so I'm used to road hazards ;)

Just got back from a month in Zihuatanejo on this fare.

My wife loved it so much she wanted to extend the return date 2 months.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, I'm not sure which) these tickets had a 30 day max travel time and could not be extended by paying the $150 change fee...

Now she wants to go back in March for The Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival (http://zihuafest.info/) ...

Just got back from a long weekend in ACA with 4 other couples. Had a fun fun time. Stayed at Crowne Plaza, which was fantastic value at $81 plus tax. Definitely can recommend Si Casa restaurant, as well.

any review comments on the EL MIRADOR ACAPULCO


Plazoleta La Quebrada No.74 - Acapulco, Mexico 39300

Flanked by trees, gardens and the cliffs of La Quebrada, the El Mirador Acapulco in Acapulco, Mexico, opened in 1933 as the city's first opulent hotel. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean on one side and the bay of Santa Lucia on the other, the hotel offers great views of the famous La Quebrada cliff divers who dive from 130 feet into turquoise-blue waters. Guests are only a short walk from the beach and ideally situated for fishing, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling and windsurfing. The El Mirador houses three pools, one of which is filled with sea water. Guests can enjoy the best dishes at La Perla Restaurant, along with stunning views of the cliff divers and sunset. Each daily show includes three to six divers, with the least experienced divers jumping from half way up the cliff, and the more experienced divers leaping off the very highest edge. The fear factor arises when there is not enough water in the gorge, and divers must make sure to enter the water in a position that does not cause bone injuries. The 133 rooms and nine suites at the six-story El Mirador feature authentic, remodeled Mexican tile and offer satellite television and bottled water.

[QUOTE=vickh]any review comments on the EL MIRADOR ACAPULCO


Plazoleta La Quebrada No.74 - Acapulco, Mexico 39300

QUOTE]

Didn't stay there, but saw the cliff divers this past weekend. Didn't eat at this hotel, either. That said, I think it is much better to stay on the beach, rather than near the divers. The divers are the #1 sightseeing thing to do in Acapulco, but that isn't saying much. Doesn't seem to be much around this hotel to do. Everything is really along the strip between the Crowne Plaza and the Hyatt. I would stay on the beach, and go see the divers for an hour. I wouldn't recommend staying the whole time by the divers. Not worth it.

Enjoyed the cliff divers two shows last Friday night February 3. Supposedly, they have more frequent shows (every 30 minutes) on the weekend nights and it wasn't at all crowded.

Don't go to the lowest level as you have a much better view by staying higher up. A perfect spot was near the top, right in front of the shower room for the divers, as the view to the diving spot was wide open. Watch for the 12 year old girl who's training as a diver. We didn't get to see her. The Mirador Hotel beautiful but I hadn't read anything good about the food. The Zocalo (historic town center) is near the cliff divers and down hill. Lots of restaurants and entertainment there, especially weekends.

On the return flight we spoke with a couple who had a day trip mini bus tour to Pie de la Cuesta. It included a visit to a simple farm and the lagoon cruise with pick up at their hotel. I regret not doing that as the farm sounded very interesting but I wanted to alert others who might also enjoy it.

We stayed near the cliff divers, by Los Flamingos Hotel, and loved the location. We are not disco/beach people. We walked all around the area and took the collectivos (pick up trucks with awnings) up the hills when we tired out. Sometimes we took the VW cabs and learned that locally the cost about $2.50 almost anywhere in the historic area. When you want to go to a specific restaurant, make sure the driver knows it. That caused us a headache when we wanted to go to a special pozole place on Thursday. We enjoyed taking the buses, air condition ~.50 American.

We took a cruise and chose the sunset Bonanza boat cruise over the Aca Rey. It was fun and nice--like a tour of the palaces of the rich and famous and cost 220.00 (~$22/person American) pesos including free drinks, lots of music and humorous narration. Bring binoculars! It's enjoyable to see Acapulco from a different perspective. We met some thrifty American retirees who got free tickets from listening to a timeshare presentation for the Mayan Palace. Not worth it to me but maybe to you.

Something else I regret not seeing was the bullfights. My husband had been a few times already so I felt maybe I didn't need it. Now I wish we'd attended because I heard later about the beautiful music, pagentry, color and culture. They are held Sunday nights (?7:30) near Caleta Beach at the arena del Toro and you don't need reservations. Buy the cheapest ticket for ~$16 and you will be able to get good seats. Learn from my mistakes.

On the Costera, we enjoyed Papagayo Park with the monkey's swinging in the trees overhead and a nice silver jewelry market. They offer free drinks and nice restrooms and don't pressure you to buy. You can watch jewelry being made and see a replica of the Taxco silver mine.

Also for anyone interested, the best coffee we made in our rooms. We bought it at Gigante on the Costera and it was in a green package. There's a cash machine in Gigante too, in the front far corner, by the cash registers. The packages read that the coffee was from Veracruz and much better than any we had in restaurants. Very smooth and full body. I wish I'd bought more of that and I think it cost ~400 pesos.

The historic Spanish fort near the Zocalo is wonderful. Signage in English and air conditioned so a nice break. Spectacular views of the bay.

I just got back from my weekend trip there also. Great way to unwind after being on the road for all be 2 nights since the first of the year.

My wife and I stayed at Las Brisas resort and barely left our casita. Exceptional service, relaxing, private accomidations....even a private pool. Couldn't be better. The restaurant served one of the best desserts I've ever had (being the big fat guy you all complain about sitting next to on the plane I can vouch for desserts :D) To top it off, my wife is in the middle of a plat challenge and got some valuable Q points.

As far as AA losing out of this fare, to get "free" tickets, I bought lga-atl ft for 2 and upgraded my wife on 6 of 6 legs. AA won, I won...everyone wins.

about the El Mirador Acapulco. I have a expedia.com coupon that would knock the price down to $47 a night. ($60 w/o coupon)

They claim:

This hotel is a 10-minute walk to the beach is it?

Complimentary airport transportation is offered, along with two fresh-water pools, a special sea water pool, and a swim-up bar. how much would that save me?



either that or stay at the Calinda Beach Acapulco
(Rates from $74.00)

This beachfront hotel is on Acapulco Bay in the city’s Golden Zone, 2 blocks from the convention center.

Guestrooms with balconies offer views of the jungle-covered mountains, the golf course, or the ocean.

The hotel offers two restaurants, two outdoor pools overlooking the bay, a fitness center, and tennis courts.

anyone stay there?

about the El Mirador Acapulco. I have a expedia.com coupon that would knock the price down to $47 a night. ($60 w/o coupon)

They claim:

This hotel is a 10-minute walk to the beach is it?

Complimentary airport transportation is offered, along with two fresh-water pools, a special sea water pool, and a swim-up bar. how much would that save me?



either that or stay at the Calinda Beach Acapulco
(Rates from $74.00)

This beachfront hotel is on Acapulco Bay in the city’s Golden Zone, 2 blocks from the convention center.

Guestrooms with balconies offer views of the jungle-covered mountains, the golf course, or the ocean.

The hotel offers two restaurants, two outdoor pools overlooking the bay, a fitness center, and tennis courts.

anyone stay there?
Check out tripadvisor.com regarding places to stay. They have comprehensive user reviews (and their Acapulco forum is very helpful too). I too was looking at El Mirador, but after reading the reviews, I will not be staying there. I am leaning toward the Fiesta Inn.

either that or stay at the Calinda Beach Acapulco
(Rates from $74.00)

This beachfront hotel is on Acapulco Bay in the city’s Golden Zone, 2 blocks from the convention center.

Guestrooms with balconies offer views of the jungle-covered mountains, the golf course, or the ocean.

The hotel offers two restaurants, two outdoor pools overlooking the bay, a fitness center, and tennis courts.

anyone stay there?

I stayed at the Calinda Beach when I was there 1/20-22. The hotel is basic but good. The floors are tiled rather than carpeted, the rooms a little bit worn but adequate. The staff helped me out quite a bit when my reservation through price-travel.com got messed up (they never received the payment from the website). The crowd seems mostly Mexican.

If you're looking for something 4*, this isn't it. But it you want a basic, affordable 2-3* hotel, this isn't a bad place.

Greg

thanks for the replies!

A few people have mentioned taking the shuttle from the airport to the hotels. Does anyone know how you actually go about doing this? Do you need to make reservations? Where at ACA do you catch the shuttle?

Howdy
Just got back from our ACA weekend trip. (2 nights)
Special thanks to all who have posted there tips about the place, they came in very handy.... :)

Flight Down ATL-DFW-ACA - Normal pain in the a_s AA flight connecting at DFW. I must say with every trip through DFW, I wonder more and more why I fly AA. (Except $0 fare, of course)

Dont get me started on that SkyTrain.!!! Geez, how does it take 20 min to get from one terminal to another (C to D) is amazing...

AC in Terminal D - Only 3 minutes to use the bathroom and grab a bottle of water. Bar women was an absolute bi_ch, and was worth a complaint on exit to the front door attendants...(Wont go into it)

Arriving in ACA - Oh, how it is to a movie star, at least for 2 minutes. Everybody loves you and wants to talk. Come see this, come see that, Taxi to ACA $40, blah, blah, blah.... After 5 minutes of saying , No, No, No. I want to pay $15 , No , No, No. We ended up with a $20 ride. Which I was happy with..

Fiesta Inn - Again thanks to others who stayed and posted, I asked to see the room before check in. Room was nice, on floor 7, but wanted a room on the corner, on the beach.. After a couple minutes of careful negotiation, we ended up on the 15th floor , on the corner...
I have never stayed in ACA or even been to MX before, so I had nothing to compare it to but, we had a fantastic time there. Everything was perfect. The staff were great, security was there but not intrusive. There wasn't one thing that was disappointing about it.
Food, was good when we ate in the hotel. Breakfast was yummy but a bit expensive at US$15 each, but well worth it.

Every staff member was helpful and patient, even know there was a language barrier, most could speak a bit of English..

Taxi back to ACA, - $20 which again I was happy with. Others say you can get it for $15, but hey, who wants to argue after such a nice time.

Airport - Turn right up the escalators for a quick trip through security...

Flight from ACA-DFW-ATL - ACA-DFW flight was actually good.
DFW Airport - For a non-citizen, this was the first time it was quicker to get through customs. Nice surprise.
Then were faced with a massive security line as Intl passengers have to go through security again... Why, Oh Why. Anyway......

DFW-ATL - Crappy flight. Flight 100% full, no policing of carry on's. Everything was full, Ended up putting our bags under the seat, so others could have there jackets/coats and handbags in the overhead...
Seated next to a guy who I think had turrets. 5 times for the first 15 minutes, he blurted out "Bulls__t" then went silent.... Hmmmmm.

Anyway, all in all, we had an fantasic time. Loved the place, loved the people and loved the hotel.
Starting to hate the airline.... :(
Anyway...

...I asked to see the room before check in. Room was nice, on floor 7, but wanted a room on the corner, on the beach.. After a couple minutes of careful negotiation, we ended up on the 15th floor , on the corner...


I am looking at staying at the Fiesta Inn too. Did you have a reservation? How difficult was it to negotiate for your corner room and was it much better than the regular room?

Something else I regret not seeing was the bullfights. My husband had been a few times already so I felt maybe I didn't need it. Now I wish we'd attended because I heard later about the beautiful music, pagentry, color and culture. They are held Sunday nights (?7:30) near Caleta Beach at the arena del Toro and you don't need reservations. Buy the cheapest ticket for ~$16 and you will be able to get good seats. Learn from my mistakes.
.

I hope I learned from my bull fight mistakes. The last one I went to in Costa Rica in 91 started with a fireworks display every night. The night before our show a dozen spectators in the audiance were severly burned by the fireworks landing in the bleachers. The newspaper reported some were reportedly children not expected to live. Our show was the same, all of the fireworks ended up exploding in the crowd, just don't don't know what the injuries were if any that night.

Then after the the pros fought the bull they invited the men in the croud to come into the ring and give it a try. Needless to say a lot of drunk macho latino guys (and one american I resemble) ended up in the ring with some huge bulls. If anyone tried to jump out the crowd would throw them back in and most of us had enough drinks in us we couldn't put up much of a fight. I remember one guy being stomped by both the bulls front legs (entire weight of the bull) 3-4 times. When they drug his lifeless body out of the ring I remember the announcer immediately saying the paramedics say he is OK.

I'm not saying this is what the ACA bull fight is, but with 3rd world adventures it is good to check things out before going.

I am looking at staying at the Fiesta Inn too. Did you have a reservation? How difficult was it to negotiate for your corner room and was it much better than the regular room?

Hi
The corner rooms a little bigger, but were finished the same as the regular. Only difference was the view from inside the room. Looking at the rates, they only seem to be $15 more expensive. I would have paid this but the room wasnt available on Expedia when I booked.

Not difficult to negotiate, but I was very flexible, and very polite. The receptionist said it was going to be 2 hours for that room to be available. I said, no problem, and thanked her for her help, checked in and asked for a map of so we could go for a walk. 2 minutes later, it was ready.

Be careful with 'El Presidente" air conditioners next door being very noisy, and can be heard from inside the room (TripAdviser Reports), but on the other side, the only thing I could hear was the ocean.....

Rob

Just got back at 1:30AM last night - switched my return DFW-ATL leg for DFW-BOS so I could get home faster (and with less hassle).

Stayed at the Qualton Club Parador del Sol and loved it. Very, very serene. Rooms smell moldy but are clean, but the place is RIGHT on the Pie de la Cuesta beach, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Walk out onto the beach and look in either direction and you'll see nothing for miles. The only peddlar you'll find is a man who stands with his horse on the beach, patiently waiting for someone to pay him $50 for an hour and a half ride.

The staff at that hotel are the friendliest group I've ever met, anywhere. It says it is a 4 star, and maybe it was, once, or is for the area, but I'd give it a 3. The staff, however, learned everyone's names and gave us personal attention. We asked if they had any Coco Loco's available (it was an all-inclusive resort) and the activity director said that they didn't carry that drink, but if we gave him a few hours he'd have someone get a coconut for us, then apologized for it having to be an extra charge. We said that was fine, as we wanted to try one. When we got it, it was this huge, freshly picked coconut, and he shamefacely asked for - wait for it - 10 pesos.

We went to see the cliff divers on our second evening and ate at La Perla because I didn't feel like standing. Food wasn't great but not terrible, service was exceptionally slow, but we got to see the show twice. Man, those guys can dive.

My father is a member of Club Regina, so we went over to the Villa Vera to scout it out. He'd made a reservation there for us for Sunday evening and we reluctantly left our original hotel. The VV put us in room 601, which is in the Casa Lisa - absolutely gorgeous. The only problems: no door on the bathroom. Like, really no separation for the bathroom at all. Also, no windows, just screens and wood slats, so since it is in the middle of the city we kept hearing all the dogs barking and cars driving by all night. The room was to die for though, and having a pool all to ourselves (the villa has a pool just for the 6 rooms in it) was nice.

People were nice at that hotel too, but not nearly as much as at the PdS.

Downtown was busy, busy, busy. Monday morning we were looking for breakfast and I found a place on the beach that seemed to be called "Free Beer Tomorrow." We walked in and were ushered to a table, then served fresh fruit without asking and given menus. I ordered eggs and my husband enchiladas, and they were served with the most wonderful potatoes I've ever had. I think they were boiled, then fried in vanilla.

Anyway, we had a great trip. Rented a car from Alamo and had no trouble except for the fact that the streets all have no name and the drivers all are idiots.

I just got back this week.... ACA was a blast. My first time to Mexico, and I will be back for sure.

On the way back in DFW, I heard my favorite airline announcement... " the flight is oversold and overweight, we need volunteers...."

My friend and I both got bumped, $250 each for our next AA fare error!

any good recommendations for
*inexpensive ground transportation and relaxing things to do in Acapulco
*peso conversion in Phoenix or use dollars,

any good recommendations for
*inexpensive ground transportation and relaxing things to do in Acapulco
*peso conversion in Phoenix or use dollars,

You can use dollars ANYWHERE I found.... taxis are extremely cheap... 5 bucks or less inside the ciy gets you almost anywhere. Beware the cabs at the airport.. as well as the guys eager to let you use their phone cards.... they will try to tell you the phone charges are in US dollars, not peso's...Try to have your transportaion from the airport worked out in advance... either way, don't pay over 15-20 bucks for a trip from the airport. Make sure the fee is agreed to in advance.

Anybody stay around the Zocalo? (old section?)

Any other FTers gooing to ACA on the $0 fare. PM if you want to meet. Wife and I staying at Hyatt.

any good recommendations for
*inexpensive ground transportation and relaxing things to do in Acapulco
*peso conversion in Phoenix or use dollars,



I rented a car dor $20/day because we had 3 people and planned a trip into the mountians. At the north end of the terminal downstairs there is a transportation desk that arranges colectivos for $7.