applegrcoug

Mods feel free to get this where it should go...

I need to get about 80 people from GEG, PDX or SEA to DGO in Mexico at the end of October. It doesn't need to be all on the same day, but I would like to keep it to three or four days tops. It really looks like the only option is Aeromexico. What is the best way to arrange for that many people? Should I contact Aeromexico directly? Delta? A consolidator???

Thanks-

Efrem

I would start by filling out this form to contact Aeromexico Group Services and see what they say. It doesn't commit you to anything. With that many people, you might even look into charters.

erik123

Use a travel agent. Too many things that can go wrong.

Efrem

If you do that, be sure to use one who specializes in, or at least has a lot of experience in, group travel. It is not the same as arranging family trips.

applegrcoug

Well, after contacting Aeromexico's group desk I am really unimpressed. They seem slow and pretty clueless at what I am trying to accomplish...ugg

sokolov

80 people sounds like a charter situation. And a charter may even be available from a smaller airport with cheap (free?) parking and quick security - but it would likely need to be big enough to have a handling agent. Also, imagine there is an irrop on a scheduled flight, and parts of your group get rerouted through different airports, maybe arriving on different days. A quagmire. And with such a large group your chances of some of the luggage not getting their in time or one piece are high.

In any case, you can not expect to get a great deal from a group booking. They are unlikely to give you the advertised price for which they usually sell ~8 tickets for a group of ~80.

I would ask Air North if they want to do a quote for a charter. SEA is close to several airports they fly to regularly (YYJ/YVR/YWL), and I know they do charters to Mexico.
1.800.661.0407 ext 5

From what I hear, Air North is easy to deal with. They may or may not be allowed to fly between the US and Mexico - they would know. Legally, it may be easier to do a YVR-SEA-DGO flight, if you have any passengers boarding in YVR (or YYJ, YWL, etc.). In any case, Air North can't say more than 'no thank you' - and since they are Canadian, they'll surely add a 'sorry' for free. :-)

Please let us know how it all plays out.

lin821

If you are considering charter flights, you may want to take a look at the other forum for further discussion:

Other Air Travel including Private & Non-Airline Aviation Forum

sokolov

Never mind Air North. They currently (2018) don't have the necessary papers to fly to Mexico, but I understand that may change in the future.

skywardhunter

Pretty much every airline is open to charters if the price is right, sounds like you'd need a small RJ or something, so worth checking with the large legacies that operate such aircraft, but also some of the LCC and holiday airlines, Sun Country, etc, though I'm not familiar with their fleet, they may not have something small enough, a 737 would be twice the size you need.

And what about SW (scheduled flights)?