No More Service to ACA?
 

Wife and I used to love to spend a week or so at the Las Brisas Resort in Acapulco. We haven't been able to do this for probably three years now because of the reduction and then elimination of all flights from both DFW and ORD on AA, CO service from IAH, and DL service from ATL. At one time several European carriers even flew into ACA "in season." Even the cruise ships won't stop there anymore. It's damned near impossible to get there without overnighting in MEX and that takes a couple of days away from the fun in ACA. Are there any other Acapulco lovers who have found a viable way to get to this sensuous city or have the drug dealers, cartels, extortionists, etc. scared all but Mexican residents away? We dearly love renting a casita with private pool, the great dining choices, and the best views of the city day and night, breakfast delivered to the room on demand and other amenities been lost to the hoodlums who terrorize the place? I'm really hoping the allure of this magnificent city has not been lost forever.

<redacted> UA operates IAH-ACA non-stops five days a week in February.

<redacted>

Does flying into ZIH and driving to Acapulco not work? I would probably do that rather than overnight in MEX.

suggestions:

- try going from an LAX area airport
- try taking one of the buses from Mex to ACA - about 5 hours. see the wiki thread on buses.
- as mentioned above - try driving or bus from ZIH

The only people I have known who have driven from ZIH to ACA (or vice versa) were stopped at gunpoint and had all of their possessions removed - including cash, jewelry, and all identification. So no driving or bus for us - thank you anyway!!! considering the fact that they were both beautiful French young ladies, I'm surprised they weren't molested. The drive from SAN to LAX is also torturous and usually involves an overnight in MEX when traveling by Aeromexico. And no more Mexicana! The Feb. service from IAH is promising.

The Bus travel in Mexico, the definitive thread has considerable information on the bus between Mexico City and Acapulco as an alternative - the best busses are quite more luxurious than the airplane many of us rode in on, and are economical, safe and reliable.

Round trip MXN $470 (USD $36) for Pluss, MXN $615 (USD $47) for Diamante, Mexico Taxqueña to Acapulco, is possibly cheaper than the tolls on the highways alone, for a five hour comfortable trip with reclining seats with legrests (only 24 per bus), in-seat power, touch-screen IFE, snacks and beverages, lounge whilst waiting, etc. on Diamante.


assuming one didn't just want to connect at MEX to domestic services - less than one hour to ACA on Aeromar, Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect and Interjet from MEX. (Same bus company connects Zihuatanejo - Ixtapa and Acapulco, MXN $160 - $180 (to USD $13), Pluss or Primera EDO, just under five hours).

To the OP, I think your post describes the problem: Acapulco just isn't what it once was. It might be crime (real or perceived); it might be decision of the tourism industry there years ago to go more downmarket and "spring breaky"; it might be that Acapulco has been eclipsed by Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and Los Cabos. The demand for flights isn't there like it used to be, and that's reflected in airlines cutting back service. You can still get there. It won't be as convenient as it was.

Still NO nonstop Service to ACA
 

There is service from IAH to MEX on UA which still requires a change of planes to Aeromar. All the majors fly to MEX, so what's the difference? I'm looking for NONSTOP service from the states to ACA without going through MEX.

there are no nonstops from airports within 150 miles of San Diego. And you are right, it appears that almost all flights to ACA are from MEX.

However, as mentioned earlier, United flies nonstop r/t IAH to ACA; flt 4094/4618 4x a week and there appear to be some regularly scheduled non-stops from YYZ, HOU, and SAT.

Yes, that is pretty much it. Acapulco was in its heyday in the 1950s and '60s, '70s even, but is much less the destination it once was. (I always liked Zihuatanejo for its smaller aspirations and cozy bays). Of course, Mazatlán sprawled into what it is, and Miguel Alemán's computers found Cancún and now the tourist love has spread, particularly toward the Belize border; Ixtapa came along, just north of Zihuatanejo; Puerto Vallarta was developed (the Alemán influence again) and now it has spread hugely north and south, Los Cabos developed (and there is a development action encompassing the once-tranquil bays of Mulegé, Loreto, etc.) and more growth is occurring in Manzanillo; Puerto Esconico never hit it as big as any of these, and some like it precisely for that reason.

How to get to Acapulco??
 

I would like to spend Christmas in Acapulco but apparently it's not as easy as buying a ticket...

There are no direct flights from LAX or SFO. I don't believe there are any direct flights from any of the regional airports in So/NoCal either. Everything is routed through Mexico City. Fares are $600+/person RT and even pricier (from $300-500/person) for one-way routes. Worst of all, flight times are ridiculously long... like transcontinental duration! 7 hours from Southern California is just stupid. And if anyone could explain the one United operated flight from LAX to ACA that I pulled up on Hipmunk with a 2hr layover in HOUSTON (?!?!?!?) I would like to shake your hand.

I realize the airlines like the rest of the travel and tourist industry, are hurting right now due to the int'l safety warnings, but this just seems outrageous.

I even priced a domestic flight thinking we could drive to San Diego and spend a night or two in La Jolla, then cross into Tijuana, but that's priced at $600/person ONE-WAY... within Mexico!!

Is it basically impossible to travel to Acapulco from anywhere in Calfironia at reasonable cost and convenience this year? Why are AeroMexico's itinerary so screwy? Is there any possible way that I can still make this trip or should I just give up and look to other destinations?

When demand is high, prices are high. I'm not sure why you are so surprised, that's one of their peak tourism times.

Try PVR. Much nicer, IMO, and lots of non-stops. Of course, it will be expensive, too, but maybe $100 cheaper. I'm seeing it on UA for $460 nonstop.

Let me know if you want a hotel recc in PVR.

Thanks but I really wanted to see Old Acapulco and stay at the Las Brisas, visit the Boca Chica and all those mid century hotels that were the vacationland for 1940s-50s Hollywood. I've always wanted to visit and the appeal is the well preserved '50s architecture; sort of the Palm Springs of Mexico!

I may do the Yuccatan Peninsula instead, or somewhere in Southern California. It's not so much the prices that are shocking, but the overall trouble. The fact that there are no direct flights from LA says a lot. I was under the impression that Acapulco's international tourism was getting battered by the safety warnings; perhaps I put too much weight to that. The fact that there are no reasonable flight times is baffling. I could fly to Canada just as quick as I could fly to Acapulco, which is scary! It just seems like a very inaccessible destination from what should arguably be (and historically has been) a very popular point of departure - California!

We might do 4-5 nights at Hacienda San Angel in Puerto Vallarta over NYE actually... not a bad idea!

I think your expectations are unrealistic on several fronts.

That's just it: That 1950s heyday when you took the champagne flight to Acapulco with Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, and Frank Sinatra is long gone. Those people are long gone. Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Cancun have eclipsed Acapulco. It isn't as well served by flights as it used to be.

LAX is not a United hub. If you want to fly somewhere on United, you're going to be routed through IAH.

$600 RT to a Mexican beach resort over Christmas doesn't strike me as bad. That's about as peak-season as you can get.

Looks like a nice hotel. I have heard about their restaurant, and it gets good reviews.

If you do go, make sure to have lunch at the little hole in the wall restaurant on the corner just across from the cathedral. It's called El Campanario, nice food in a typical local restaurant. The comida corrida lunch is always good, I like the shrimp fajitas. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran..._Vallarta.html

A really great time to visit PVR is Dec 1-12 when the Guadalupe festival is going on. Parades and lots of street activities every night.

If Hacienda San Angel is booked up, you might try an ocean view room at Hotel Playa los Arcos for something right on the beach.

I like Acapulco for the same reasons as the OP.

You could fly to Mexico City and have a wonderful drive to Acapulco by rental car.

Christmas holiday season is a popular time for Mexican families to head for the beach as soon as school lets out for winter break. So no matter which beach city you head to you'll want to ensure you have made lodging reservations well in advance if you have a particular hotel in mind.

The Tres Estrellas de Oro bus line runs very comfortable deluxe service multiple times per day between Mexico City and Acapulco (also Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo).

Try Volaris via TIJ
 

Volaris has a non-stop, red-eye flight from TIJ to ACA. I just checked XMAS 2014 flights are they're ~$185 USD one-way, all-in. Leaves TIJ at 1:40 AM and gets into ACA at 7:09 AM.

Volaris has a shuttle service from San Diego or you can leave car on the US side of the border and take taxi to TIJ airport (~$15 USD).

I agree with others though; ACA has been eclipsed by Cabo, Vallarta, Cancun. Careyes (south of Vallarta) is where the 1950's vibe still exists.

Having spent considerable time in Acapulco during the fifties into very early sixties, I'd recommend staying away, particularly for Christmas or "Semana Santa", when it experiences huge crowds, high prices and significant services shortages due to being inundated by people - many who leave filth and garbage everywhere, are rude and worse.

Go to old Zihuatanejo (ZIH, serving the more modern and crowded Ixtapa) and stay at the classic Casa Que Canta.

Unfortunately, prices jump on or about December 15, as México enters high season and the Department of Tourism authorizes nationwide price hikes that may exceed 30%.

I have booked for Christmas similar vacation. Flying on delta from Gsp to mex for 35000 miles each and then taking a bus from Mexico City to Acapulco and it is 45 $ each one way or you can rent a car too

This is an old thread, but for my trip to ACA next week Saturday, I have to overnight in MEX, from MIA. So I decided to spend two days in Mexico City both ways, 2/2. There is only one UA flight out of Houston, which would have made for 15 hours of travel. So it it much easier/cheaper to fly to MEX and use another airline/bus service to ACA. It is so sad, that in 2020, the city is so hard to get to. Even within Mexico, there are not that many flights, from other parts of the country. Such a once glamorous, rich city, now just forgotten about!

I am going to Acapulco next week, through Mexico City. You need to fly to MEX and stay overnight both ways. I am doing 5/4 nights in both cities (Mexico City 2/2). I think this is the best option, yes your hotel is amazing, it was even featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" in the 1980's. I am staying at the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial: this is the hotel, where Howard Hughes stayed before his death.

Just to add here, AA now runs service a few times a week direct DFW-ACA, bringing the number of direct US routes to 2. Interjet (codeshare with AA), Aeromexico (codeshare with DL) and Aeromar (codeshare with UA) all run multiple daily flights from MEX. Coming from NYC, very easy to make same day arrival. I would have thought the same from MIA. But the days of directs from NYC are sadly long gone.

If time is of the essence or one does not want to have a long layover in MEX (such as mentioned above) one should consider Toluca Airport (TLC) for getting to ACA - Interjet has 4 flights a day to Acapulco. Fly to MEX then get to TLC.

While not terribly convenient (particularly with baggage that must be checked) it is also not difficult and may well take significantly less time than waiting in MEX. MEX is about 33 miles from TLC and normal drive time between the airports is 45 minutes to one hour.

The bus service Caminante has direct service between the two airports for about $10US per person including checked baggage.

In addition, at one point Volaris and Interjet offered shuttle service between the two airports for their passengers and might still do so.

TLC's history is very strange to me; it's almost the antithesis of "build it and they will come." Around 2000 it was an ugly airport with few redeeming qualities for pax except for location (next door to all the major manufacturing in Toluca and 30 minutes from Santa Fe, the financial center of CDMX) and ease of getting in/out. But it was international and CO/UA and a number of other airlines had a variety flights and the FBO services seemed strong. My favorite part was getting delicious milanesa or Cubano sandwiches from the very nice old lady in a super small kiosk, literally a hole-in-the-wall, just across from the CO desk. Enplanements were around 200k. Then an enormous capital improvement campaign was completed with new terminals, aprons and the first (only?) CAT II ILS in Mexico increasing capacity to 6m; passenger traffic grew exponentially to 4m. But then around 2010 both Interjet and Volaris fled, shifting their hubs to MEX and GDL and now the only int'l flight is to Caracas and enplanements are around 500k. The most likely reason is because fees were jacked up to pay for the improvements but this causes a vicious feedback cycle. Perhaps the delay of the new airport in CdMX and the opening of the new rail line between Toluca and CdMX will change their fortunes cause I really miss the convenience of TLC.

It looks like the AA flights run on Tuesday and Saturday and are identified as "seasonal." I'm sure they'll come to an end, oh, say, around Easter? UA does something similar, seasonally from IAH.

You are correct, they are seasonal.. Volaris tried an LAX (or Oakland, I don't remember) route to ACA a few years back, and it lasted all of 4 flights, never to return.....I hope AA has better luck. I am seeing higher demand from obviously NOTB passengers on the MEX-ACA routes I am seeing. More resorts/AIs being opened is insulating the nervous tourist from the perceived troubles in the city. So hopefully the demand grows

I'd like to see Acapulco make a comeback too.

It is getting better, but it has a long, long way to go. Homicides down 30% in 2019, but still way to high at 75 per 100k. There has been some consistent spending by the government to clean up the tourist areas and renovate, especially in the traditional area, but the whole city is still plagued by water outages, so they really need to be focusing on the basics. So there is a lot of 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

The private investment, and what will be the best driver of NOTB revenue, has been the push for resorts, and more all inclusive options. Dreams just opened on the bay, and Grupo Autofin has been investing a lot in the Diamante area. They are the owners of the Princess, Mayan, Fairmont, and the entertainment group Xtasea. I am not personally a fan of AI, but it gives people to take advantage of the perfect weather of the area, without the security concerns. Hopefully if they get off the resort to do tours of the city, they will lose some of the fear and consider other options on the bay.