Flying Private to Mexico today
 

Up early and gathering our last few items to be packed. No worries if our cremes and unguents are more than 3 ozs.! Or we have 6 carry-on bags each! TSA..... what's that?

Heading over to Boeing Field at 8AM and then non-stop to Central Mexico on what usually is a Citation X. It is approx a 3:45 minute flight compared to the 13+ hours it takes to go commercial with connections.

I will try and get a photo journey but our hosts are camera shy.

More later.

Enjoy!

Can't wait to read the report.

Btw, how is this miles related? ;)

If he put this on a mileage earning credit card he'll sure get more miles than flying full F on commercial. ;)

A TR would be delightful, if you manage to put one together. Flying private is on my bucket list, but I don't hold out much hope....

Enjoy the sensible airport experience, lack of taxi wait times, potentially comfy seat. If flying C or F spoilts ever going back to Y, I can't imagine what this would do if your next flight is in Y....

trip report
 

We arrived at Boeing Field in the rain at approximately 10:30 AM. We waited at the security gate that would take us out to the tarmac. We could see the Citation X idling about 500 feet away on the apron. The gate automatically opened and we drove out to the plane. The pilots came out to greet us and the ground crew began to unload the cars and stow the baggage in the cargo. The six of us boarded the plane. It was warm, dry and opulent. The interior was leather, burl wood and “gold-plated” fixtures. There were trays of catering (more on that later) all around on any flat service. The plane is narrow as are the seats, but they are well padded and well-appointed with reading lights and buttons that do stuff I have no idea what. There were six of us flying and 8 seats. There were lots of carefully sculpted drawers and compartments on the plane. They held everything from candy and gum to playing cards and stationary. The bathroom, which occupied the back part of the plane, was similarly filled with drawers that had every toiletry you can imagine. The only souvenir with the Netjets name were decks of playing cards.

Within ten minutes of boarding and a safety briefing from the captain we were on the move. Traffic at Boeing was light and we headed straight for the runway passing a new parked 787 on the way. It looked smaller than I thought it would.Take-off (to the south) was fast and we were above the clouds and rain in no time. Flying time to central Mexico was 3hours and 45 minutes flying at 41,000 feet at about 650 mile per hour. Normally this journey going from Seattle to our place in Mexico takes 14 hours with connections in Houston going commercial. There was no turbulence the entire trip until our final approach into the airport in Leon.

Once we took off we began to explore what the caterers had provided. What a feast. Smoked salmon, bagels and herbed cream cheese. Two seafood platters piled with lobster, crab claws, jumbo shrimp, scallops, and squid. There was a trio of dipping sauce for the seafood. Fresh fruit platters, cheese assortments (not pre-packaged) and for dessert, cookies and a large birthday cake. (It was one of our friend’s birthdays) Everything was great and we feasted. In the words of one our flying companion’s….
“This flight is so fast; I hardly had time to finish my lobster”. ( he said this the last time we flew private…so the joke is getting old)

We arrived in Mexico and were greeted by the immigration representative who handles private planes. He had all our forms pre-filled except for customs. They loaded our baggage onto a cart and we followed our rep into the terminal. Although another commercial plane had just arrived he escorted us to an immigration desk ahead of the growing line. Our visas and passports were stamped and we were waved through to customs where all our baggage was piled. They asked to whom each piece belonged and sent us on our way….minus the left-over seafood we tried to take.

Our driver, whom we have known for years, met us outside customs and we loaded the suburban and drove the 90 minutes to the house, both relaxed, excited to be “home” and not feeling the customary effects of an international flight at all….


I do have a few images..... but to upload is taking forever here in Mexico.... so I will wait till I get back to the States.

Great experience ^

Been there, done that... but congratulations!! ^^

The Citation X is a comfortable bird, isn't she?

Thanks, I liked reading this. Like BizClsDreaming, flying private is on my bucket list and actually I think that can be done with points in the American Express Membership Rewards program.

One of these days ....

Question: you note that you were taken to essentially to the front of the immigration line. Do you know if that is standard or if flying private timing is everything and you don't get special privileges, just luck of the landing?

This is not our first time flying private on this route.... and each time we have been met by the same immigration officer in Leon and escorted either to the private terminal which is where the plane parks or to the main terminal ( a short walk away from the parked plane). If it is the main terminal he has always walked us through immigration and customs escorting us in front of any line from other commercial aircraft.

What is a mystery is when they use the private terminal vs. the main terminal...it is a crap shoot which one they direct us to.

It really is the way to travel isn't it? I've got to tag along on some corporate trips in the past and now fly a little airplane... no luxury but I'll take my way over an airline any day*

When I last flew down to Mexico the airport of entry I used had no airline service. So, there was no difference and I think all flights were equal for customs & immigration purposes.

I suspect that the outfit you chartered (?) the flight through probably paid for a 'handler' to take care of the logistics in Mexico. I would not be surprised if the handler greases wheels/pays people to get their clients to jump the line. I'm not saying its right... just my suspicion of how its done. There is no overt need to use such a handler, but if not, your flight crew probably would have to have coordinated your arrival with the customs (did they use the traffic signal there?) & immigration folks.

* Any day the weather isn't too bad.

Great report, I look forward to the pictures!

I am curious where exactly you flew into. You mentioned Central Mexico then said you went through immigration in Leon which I thought was along the coast... curious only arises as you said commercially it would be 14 hours to go commercially but I've often flow SEA-IAH-MEX and it is only 7hrs with the stop over.

We flew into Leon (Central Mexico....8 hours by car from the nearest coastline)).... we live on an island in Puget Sound so I add on ferry time and waiting at Seatac, etc to my 14 hour travel time......

Thank you for sharing!! Flying private is also on my bucket list and I look forward to the day we are able to do so. Look forward to the pictures.

Got to love the comments that say nothing much more than 'hey look I flew on a private jet too' :rolleyes:

I think my screen name says it all, my office was a Lear 45 for 4 years. Have flown all over in a pvt jet.

Someday. for now I can only dream

Agreed :rolleyes:. Apparently its hard just to be happy for others without identifying yourself as equally as "cool."


Would have loved some pictures; thanks for the report!