Hi, I'm looking at booking travel MEX-SJD or -PVR and would then transfer to a USA-bound flight. I wonder how simple this is at these airports? We'd be flying in with a budget airline and then would get an Alaska Air flight out.

I'm aware that Alaska would say "tough luck" if we were delayed on the incoming, and figure that's what CSR travel insurance is made for (plus, we'll be travelling light with only a carry-on). Mainly I'm just trying to assess how quickly this could usually be done without too much stress?

Thank you!

Actually, the plan would be to do this on the way to MEX as well, so feedback on the transit situation when flying in from the US would be handy too!

Arriving in Mexico you will have to go through passport control, baggage claim (if you have any checked bags) and customs - so depending upon day and time of arrival this can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5hrs plus. I would allow at least 2 hours connection time arriving from the US to allow for any delays on the incoming flight and delays in processing on arrival.

SJD and PVR are pretty small airports so while I have not personally been to them I suspect making it will not take long in terms of physically getting one gate to another. However, you will almost assuredly be required to leave the sterile area to check-in w Air Alaska for the return to USA. I have no idea how efficient Air Alaska is at that station. You might or might not then need to go through exit passport control where you turn in the FMM card (if one was given to you on arrival in Mexico - Mexico seems to be in a transition away from the card but at different stages of this at different airports). After passport control (if needed) you will then go through security. Then to the gate where there might or might not be additional security screening. All of which is to say, I would plan at least 2.5 hours connection time to the return flight to USA. Your incoming flights could well be delayed....

How much time you allow for connections all depends on how critical it is for you to make the connections.

Mexico does not have "Exit Passport Control." The FMM cards were traditionally collected at boarding.

Yeah, but over the years I have turned in the FMM at various different places at different airports (at check-in desk, at the gate, and before going through security) so while I know they are in the process of getting rid of it altogether that's why I hedged with the answer.

We will not be checking in any luggage, so it sounds like MEX-bound we will need to clear immigration and customs. Is there a quick shortcut to security when transferring in PVR, or would we enter the main way, as though we were arriving to PVR by land?

When flying from MEX-PVR, since it's a domestic flight, would we not be able to just stroll to the Alaska gate and check in with an agent there? Otherwise, US-bound, it sounds like we would deplane and potentially would need to stop at the Alaska counter to check in (I'd hope we could check in online, and realize that there are passports involved, so maybe it's not so simple. Either way, we're AS MVP so that should save time if that's the case) before going through security and making it over to our gate? I guess the main question here is whether we could just do an electronic boarding pass from PVR-PDX; perhaps this is a question better asked in the Alaska forum?

Thanks again!

All of my travel to MEX over the last 5+ years has been to T1 where one must exit the Aduana (Customs) area into the land-side (non-sterile) area of the airport. I seem to recall similar setup in T2 - I do not believe there is a way to go from the sterile Aduana area directly to the sterile gate-area but my memory may be faulty or they have changed the setup - hopefully someone knowledgeable can comment on that.

If you do not have checked baggage then upon arrival at SJD/PVR you might well be able to go directly from the domestic flight to the AS gate to check-in for that flight - I don't know as I do not know that airport. Probably worth a call to AS to find out.

If you aren't very familiar with Mexican airlines, I highly suggest that you check the hand luggage allowances, and expect them to be strictly enforced both as to size and as to weight. You may get lucky, but be prepared.

Terminal 2 is the same. Immigration -> Baggage Claim -> Customs (They usually run everything through x-ray, sometimes there is a non-declare walk-through section open) ->Security checkpoint (up the escalators on the left) to gate side.

On Domestic flights, you can go from plane straight through to your next gate without going through security again.

T2 as far as I know is limited to Aeromexico, Delta, and some Aeromar flights. All other carriers - including Alaska, and the other 2 budget domestics (Volaris and VivaAerobus) use terminal 1. There is a tram that connects the two.

On this point we have no unease: I'm quite aware, and we'll likely opt the extra $3 for a real carry-on. Besides, we're going for less than a week, and travel very lightly. Thanks for the tip though: this is relevant to others for sure, as they're sticklers

This is good information, thanks. It seems that when we travel from MEX, if we're on one of the budget airlines we'll be able to walk off the plane and straight to our next gate. And if not we'll need to hop on the team (any noted how long the team takes?).

On the way from the US we'll *basically* need to exit the airport and return inside to go through security in T1 and return to the sterile area and catch our flight.

To me, understanding it's something of a gamble since the immigration area may be mobbed, it seems doable to have paperwork filled out onboard the flight, bee-line it to immigration, then customs, and to security. Since the budget airlines will have us boarding last anyway, the gamble is mainly whether we'll be tracking to arrive in PVR on time (which we'll know hours in advance). If so, it seems that an hour is plausible through maybe not super comfortable for slow movers or those who prefer a chiller connection.

If I'm mischaracterizing/-interpreting anything (to myself more so than to you all), please tell me?

My comment on domestic connections is only pertinent to MEX Terminal 2 - I have no idea if T1 is the same. Sorry for the confusion.

For USA-MEX-PVR or PVR-MEX-USA. As described before (at least regarding Terminal 2.)
For MEX-PVR-USA. I would treat it as two completely separate flights. As in when you arrive PVR from MEX, leave baggage claim, you need to start the check-in process with Alaska for your USA flight, go though security, go through US screening (easy, usual questions) and on your USA bound flight.
For USA-PVR-MEX. Again, separate flights. Arriving PVR, immigration and customs, leave customs to do check in on budget airline to MEX, go through security.

A PVR expert needs to weigh in on what wait times would be like for check in/security look like to determine if 1 hour is enough.

a one-hour connection time from an international flight seems to be cutting it too close. On the other hand, depending on the time of day you are arriving there should be additional flights to SJD/PVR from MEX so might not be a hardship to get the next flight (unless you have a deadline at the arrival - eg. a cruise ship).

I suspect you're replying as though this connection is in MEX (where I'd agree an hour is too tight), but in reality the connection I'm inquiring about takes place in PVR. In case that changes anything in your advice. There would be a later Volaris/VivaAerobus flight we could catch, it would probably just be a fare difference I'd hope to recoup from insurance. But still, just trying to figure out what to expect

Ah, I guess I got a little confused about your itin and thought your first arrival in Mexico from the US would be at MEX instead of PVR/SJD. As RFNJ said, someone with experience as an int'l arrival to PVR will have to weigh in on how long it takes.