Apr 24, 2014, 9:42 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Please edit or add information to this wiki as necessary.
Note: international arrivals into MEX ordinarily requires immigration (migración) recovering bags and customs (aduana). If you are connecting to another flight, this means checking bags etc. at the connecting airline's counter. Be sure to allow sufficient time for all this, including the possibility you may have to take the APM across the airport to the othe terminal.
Aerotrén / Air Train: The airside elevated APM (Automated People Mover) Aerotrén requires same-day boarding passes or proof of flight between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. It consists of two to four cars, 25 passenger (with baggage and hand carry) capacity per train, travels at 28 MPH / 45 kph over the 1.9 mi / 3 km range. Time en route is 4:40, dwell time in each terminal is 60 seconds, time between trains is 10:45.
Landside red shuttle busses operate 05:00 (am) to 01:00 (am), also used during Aerotrén breakdowns, are labeled ""Transportación entre Terminales"; the stops are at entrance No. 6 of Terminal 1 and entrance No. 4 of Terminal 2. They are air conditioned, have luggage spaces and are wheelchair-accessible.
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MEX airport map
CHeck with your airline or alliance for lounges and locations. The American Express lounges are now:
Note: international arrivals into MEX ordinarily requires immigration (migración) recovering bags and customs (aduana). If you are connecting to another flight, this means checking bags etc. at the connecting airline's counter. Be sure to allow sufficient time for all this, including the possibility you may have to take the APM across the airport to the othe terminal.
Aerotrén / Air Train: The airside elevated APM (Automated People Mover) Aerotrén requires same-day boarding passes or proof of flight between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. It consists of two to four cars, 25 passenger (with baggage and hand carry) capacity per train, travels at 28 MPH / 45 kph over the 1.9 mi / 3 km range. Time en route is 4:40, dwell time in each terminal is 60 seconds, time between trains is 10:45.
Landside red shuttle busses operate 05:00 (am) to 01:00 (am), also used during Aerotrén breakdowns, are labeled ""Transportación entre Terminales"; the stops are at entrance No. 6 of Terminal 1 and entrance No. 4 of Terminal 2. They are air conditioned, have luggage spaces and are wheelchair-accessible.
MEX airport map
CHeck with your airline or alliance for lounges and locations. The American Express lounges are now:
Originally Posted by flugvergnugen
The Amex lounges that currently operate at MEX are:
T1 International - F1 landside
T1 National - 17 and 18
T2 - airside mezzanine level
The Amex lounges that currently operate at MEX are:
T1 International - F1 landside
T1 National - 17 and 18
T2 - airside mezzanine level
MEX Connection Times and Information international - domestic master thread
Jan 16, 2014, 2:41 pm
#31
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Lima, Peru
Programs: LAN Commodore
Posts: 733
I´m doing a MR with the first two legs being LIM-MEX-LIM on the same plane. I have an hour to get off and back on. I should have my boarding pass and will only have a carry on bag. Do I really have to go through immigration? If so, can I do it speedily?
Jan 16, 2014, 4:05 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 70
It was the same procedure on the way down to Argentina. I'm fairly certain that all transiting passengers -- whether or not your onward flight is out of mexico -- are required to go through customs and immigration and then go back through security.
Jan 16, 2014, 8:48 pm
#33
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Iirc, it's certainly easier with no checked baggage - and I don't know if they are using the system they developed a few years ago for those connecting from countries more likely to have narcotraffic (e.g. Colombia), which at one point had a "special" area to disembark and process.
pollione, thanks for the update!
pollione, thanks for the update!
Jan 19, 2014, 8:23 pm
#35
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 9
Having read through the thread, I don't think I've seen this combo yet. We're flying AeroMexico Connect (on a Delta codeshare) ZIH-MEX and then Delta from MEX-DTW. We only have an hour between flights. Should I be concerned?
They're both in Terminal 2. We won't have to go through customs or immigration in MEX will we? I assumed that we'd go through Mexican customs/immigration in ZIH and not need to in MEX.
They're both in Terminal 2. We won't have to go through customs or immigration in MEX will we? I assumed that we'd go through Mexican customs/immigration in ZIH and not need to in MEX.
Last edited by barreg; Jan 19, 2014 at 8:35 pm
Jan 19, 2014, 11:02 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Go west young man!
Posts: 549
Departing Mexico City airport for the U.S., airlines recommend checking in at airport 2 hours before flight. Do I really need to get there at 4:50 am for a 6:50 am flight?
This will be a Sunday.
I am flying Alaska Air business class, carry on bag only.
I assume there's no express lines for business class passengers?
Thank you.
This will be a Sunday.
I am flying Alaska Air business class, carry on bag only.
I assume there's no express lines for business class passengers?
Thank you.
Jan 20, 2014, 8:02 am
#37
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Though one would imagine oh-dot early in the morning on a Sunday would be easy, MEX can have lengthy queues at counters, and then through immigration and security (and there are no premium lines iirc), plus it can be a long way out to the gate. I'd say two hours would be good planning, and that is substantiated by others here.
While I've not done this using your terminal and airlines, normally you would be on a domestic flight, and then transferring to international - you would indeed be processing immigration at MEX, as well as security, I suspect. (Customs you will be going through at DTW. )
I hope someone who has done T2 domestic arrival to international departure can chime in, but an hour seems tight to me.
Departing Mexico City airport for the U.S., airlines recommend checking in at airport 2 hours before flight. Do I really need to get there at 4:50 am for a 6:50 am flight?
This will be a Sunday.
I am flying Alaska Air business class, carry on bag only.
I assume there's no express lines for business class passengers?
Thank you.
This will be a Sunday.
I am flying Alaska Air business class, carry on bag only.
I assume there's no express lines for business class passengers?
Thank you.
While I've not done this using your terminal and airlines, normally you would be on a domestic flight, and then transferring to international - you would indeed be processing immigration at MEX, as well as security, I suspect. (Customs you will be going through at DTW. )
I hope someone who has done T2 domestic arrival to international departure can chime in, but an hour seems tight to me.
Having read through the thread, I don't think I've seen this combo yet. We're flying AeroMexico Connect (on a Delta codeshare) ZIH-MEX and then Delta from MEX-DTW. We only have an hour between flights. Should I be concerned?
They're both in Terminal 2. We won't have to go through customs or immigration in MEX will we? I assumed that we'd go through Mexican customs/immigration in ZIH and not need to in MEX.
They're both in Terminal 2. We won't have to go through customs or immigration in MEX will we? I assumed that we'd go through Mexican customs/immigration in ZIH and not need to in MEX.
Jan 23, 2014, 11:14 am
#38
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,503
It has been about two years since I last flew into T2, but my recollection is it is designed so that all pax from arriving flights are NOT disgorged into the main hall with those waiting to board planes but are kept separately to exit the terminal.
So, you may very well have to exit the secured portion of the terminal and then go back through security to back to the gate.
If you have your boarding passes for DTW one hour should be enough; but if you have to get your boarding passes or they did not check your international travel documents and take your tourist exit card, than I would not be comfortable with one hour as the lines for steerage are long at all hours of every day in Mex. If you have premier access the wait will be significantly less but you still have to clear security and get to your gate.
In T1 departing and arriving pax are not separated in the terminal.
So, you may very well have to exit the secured portion of the terminal and then go back through security to back to the gate.
If you have your boarding passes for DTW one hour should be enough; but if you have to get your boarding passes or they did not check your international travel documents and take your tourist exit card, than I would not be comfortable with one hour as the lines for steerage are long at all hours of every day in Mex. If you have premier access the wait will be significantly less but you still have to clear security and get to your gate.
In T1 departing and arriving pax are not separated in the terminal.
Feb 10, 2014, 8:42 pm
#39
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K on final to 2MM
Posts: 144
Intl--->Intl Connection at MEX
I am flying from IAH to MEX on United then onward to FRA on Lufthansa. The flights are on separate itineraries. A couple of questions. If I can convince UA in IAH to check the bags through to FRA on LH will I have to recheck them in MEX. Given both airlines are in Terminal 1 will I also have to go through immigration and pass through security?
Feb 10, 2014, 10:11 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Go west young man!
Posts: 549
Just wanted to report back on my experience this past Sunday.
Had an MEX-LAX flight on Alaska departing 6:50 am. Got to the airport at 5:25 am, which turned out to be plenty of time. There was no line for elite check-in, and even the line for regular check-in was pretty short.
There is no immigration check upon departure, and it took me all of 5 minutes to get through security.
Had an MEX-LAX flight on Alaska departing 6:50 am. Got to the airport at 5:25 am, which turned out to be plenty of time. There was no line for elite check-in, and even the line for regular check-in was pretty short.
There is no immigration check upon departure, and it took me all of 5 minutes to get through security.
Feb 25, 2014, 9:43 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 505
will I also have to go through immigration and pass through security?
Mar 9, 2014, 7:03 pm
#42
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Programs: AA Plat, UA Silver, DL Silver, Marriott Titanium, etc.
Posts: 4,210
What is the minimum recommended time to arrive at MEX before an international departure? (Just can't seem to find this listed anywhere)
Is departing the historic district during rush hour 2.75 hours before departure going to be enough time?
(took well over an hour to get through immigration coming here, hope it doesn't take that long on departures!)
Is departing the historic district during rush hour 2.75 hours before departure going to be enough time?
(took well over an hour to get through immigration coming here, hope it doesn't take that long on departures!)
Mar 9, 2014, 9:40 pm
#43
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I try for two hours before departure in MEX. It can be easier if you have a Business or First counter to use, but emigration and security can clog up. Some of the more distant gates can take a while to get to as well. Part of it's dependent on time of day, and how it's staffed, of course.
Mar 11, 2014, 9:37 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 505
If you can check-in online and get a printed boarding pass, then you can skip the counter and proceed directly to a security checkpoint. There is no "emigration" procedure other than surrendering your tourist card or FME to the gate agent (only for e.g. FM2 holders is there a more formal emigration procedure involving an officer - don't worry about this if you're a tourist). Security should not take long. If in T1, gates 29 and higher require an additional 5-7 min walk.
Mar 11, 2014, 6:20 pm
#45
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
If you can check-in online and get a printed boarding pass, then you can skip the counter and proceed directly to a security checkpoint. There is no "emigration" procedure other than surrendering your tourist card or FME to the gate agent (only for e.g. FM2 holders is there a more formal emigration procedure involving an officer - don't worry about this if you're a tourist). Security should not take long. If in T1, gates 29 and higher require an additional 5-7 min walk.
Emigration in MEX is not tedious - mostly, fees prepaid, good idea to get one's FM2 stamped going out, no big deal. I have had the queues get clogged at "rush" hours. (My preference is do it earlier and hang out at one of the lounges - Sala Centurión is not bad if one has an AMEX card, and I've had people tell me they have been admitted even with an AMEX Gold card.)
