danielonn

I'm arriving on AeroMexico from SFO at 7:06 AM and connecting to TAM the same day to Sao Paulo at 7:45 PM. How do I get my bags transferred to TAM? Will my bags be checked all the way from SFO-GRU or do I need to reclaim them and take the tram to the TAM terminal? Will the TAM counter be open in the morning so that I can leave it with TAM?

Will I get my boarding passes from SFO-GRU or do I need to checkin again at the TAM counter in Mexico City? If I were to do online checkin with AeroMexico would this speed up the process and be able to get my boarding passes for TAM or should I go to the TAM website and get my boarding pass for the TAM flight?

Our ticket is booked on the TAM(JJ) Ticket Stock Ticket starts with 957. If someone here who has access to Sabre or Amadeus that can tell us the process that would be most appreciative. Does AeroMexico Interline with TAM?

Thanks

JDiver

Whoops, missed this!

Nonetheless, as long as Aeroméxico and TAM have an interline agreement, you should have been able to check your bags through. Boarding Passes I'd suspect that you'll have to check in with TAM, as they're not even in the same alliance.

benzemalyonnais

Would it be reckless to book a DL award LIM-MEX-JFK (on AM) with a 30 minute connection at MEX?

As of now, there are no ATL-JFK/BOS/PVD on my dates so I have to work around that. I'm confident something will open up - it usually does.

Another option would be booking LIM-MEX-GUA/BOG-JFK but that would obviously be annoying......

gglave

Well, I've read all the posts in this thread and I must confess I'm confused. Nothing new there, I suppose

On June 9th at 3:30 AM I'm arriving at MEX on Avianca 44 (from BOG).

Three hours later, At 6:30 AM, I'm departing MEX for YVR on Air Canada 997.

Do I need to deal with Mexican customs & immigration? Some seem to say yes (due to BOG origin, others say no?)

Is there a Star Alliance lounge available? (I'm *G)

I assume everything's closed at that hour...?

Thanks in advance.

sw3

I've not done international arrivals to MEX but the minimum connection between AM domestic flights there is 40 minutes. It might be a mistake to allow you to book that... Have you checked if it would be possible to book the same flights on AM's website or if it forces a longer layover?

sw3

According to the Star Alliance lounge finder you should have access to several lounges there. Aeromexico lounges open at 4 AM (not 5 AM as listed in the lounge finder) but these are in T2 and you'll arrive and depart from/to T1 and it looks like there's no airport-provided transport between terminals before 5 AM. There are American Express lounges in both terminals, these open at 5 AM.

gglave

Thanks for that.

Any advice on the sterile transit question? Will I have to clear Mexican immigration & customs?

flugvergnugen

There is no sterile transit; you'll have to clear immigration, customs, and security. Mexico has copied the US methodology.

JDiver

Actually, they have done the isolation of arriving and departing passengers poorly at that. The new secure arrivals corridors at Terminal 1 cross several access corridors for departing passengers, kind of like waling down glass cattle chutes. If an aircraft is boarding, glass barriers can block one's progress if arriving, so delaying progress to Migración and Aduana twenty minutes or longer whilst you wait for the departing aircraft to board. At least, that was my experience arriving last month.

And for departures they prefer to funnel everyone through Duty Free shopping.

txp

Flying AA from DFW to MEX in F, Sunday arrival, mid day. How long should I expect the immigration line to be?

Is there a priority line for F pax?

Thanks!

JDiver

Please read what I posted immediately prior to your post; you can spend anything from ten to thirty minutes to just get to immigration (it took me perhaps 20-25 minutes last month, as they blocked the arrivals glass cattle chute to load a departing TACA flight).

There are certainly no priority arrivals, immigration or customs queues for Business class passengers (AA doesn't offer First class flights to or from México or Central America). Sunday can be busy for arrivals, and can be staffed cleanly with mostly junior personnel; lots of dependent variables here.

Are you connecting? I always prefer a little more time to connect in MEX because "cosas pasan".

txp

Thank you, I understand now what happens. I am not connecting and I will be armed with lots of patience. When in Rome...

flugvergnugen

Well, considering T1 was built back in the 1950's or 60's, they've done what they can to separate pax flows. Obviously, demolishing and rebuilding would be better, but I think they're not going to invest too much money into Benito Juarez until a new airport is completely off the table.

Lol, I usually arrive late at night, 9PM or later, and have encountered completely closed off doors without anyone around. Luckily, screaming and banging against the glass is usually heard by somebody who alerts somebody else so that somebody else can come and open the door

JDiver

Pretty picture!

Yep, Benito Juarez is an old, old airport, and they did the best they could without spending huge amounts of money to build a different level (the current lower level is used for maintenance, etc. iirc). But I'm not going to hold my breath for a new airport proposal after what happened to the last one.

Off topic: In the old days of propellers, when one arrived at MEX, as you were waiting in queue they handed you - margaritas! (Perhaps they felt this might be a kind of truth serum and induce some admission of customs violations?)

A long queue meant several margaritas, and at this altitude, well, all that remained was to arrive at the hotel, have a couple of more drinkies to celebrate the trip. Of course, the next morning, the usual blame systems were the altitude (well, yes, partially) or the water.

Maybe margaritas again for those trapped in the glass halls?

txp

Hi everyone,

Is there still an AMEX lounge at MEX? The AMEX website says there are only two centurion lounges (DFW and LAS) but I read somewhere else that there should be one at MEX as well.

Thanks.