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An Interjet Domestic Surprise
There are several choices for a domestic flight between Mexico City and Cancun. The typical choice would be Aeromexico because they fly more internationally and people seem more aware of the brand. However, a quick search through the reviews revealed Interjet to be a great choice as well. The price was reasonable, and even its basic fare includes a checked bag. Booking on its website was easy as well.
Mexico City's airport is quite close to town. It is directly accessible by metro, but is not recommended during rush hour thanks to plenty of pickpockets. Metrobus' Line 4 has a more premium service into the historic centre and cops are on the bus to give you a perception of safety. However, at 30 pesos a person, it is actually cheaper to Uber if you have a larger group of 3 or more. When 48 hours before my flight arrived, I went to the website to check in. No luck. Such a popular domestic flight cannot enjoy the benefits of automation. Saturday morning traffic was not problematic at all and it took less than 25 minutes to reach the old Terminal 1. This would be my only regret as Aeromexico uses a much nicer and newer Terminal 2. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2286.jpg Although there was a sizeable crowd in my line, it steadily moved thanks to many counters in operation. My boarding pass was printed on a supermarket-like receipt quickly and the agent reminded me to check at 11am for the gate number as it had not been assigned yet. I explored the terminal a bit more thoroughly, noting many exchange shops on the departures section. The marble floor looked nice but you can definitely see how dated the facility has become. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2289.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2284.jpg Upstairs, there were lots of food options and a seating area to enjoy a fast meal before your flight. Nothing fancy here - just simple, middle class food. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2293.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2294.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2297.jpg Entrance to the airside zone is guarded by staff in wheelchairs. It's quite nice for the airport authority to be more inclusive in their hiring as they can do the job just as well as anyone else, although the threat of automation looms. Security was quick with many lines open and I reached the gate area quickly. A set of escalators led me upstairs to a large common lounge with more food options. My gate number hadn't been displayed yet, so I patiently waited. An announcement came at around 10:30 with that information, and I was off to my gate. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2300.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2302.jpg From the lounge, there are several exists to the gate hallways, which are walled off. A set of stairs would connect the two. Why there are so many different levels with no ramps is probably a legacy issue. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2304.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2311.jpg I browsed around for an open window, which is quite difficult with the terminal's design and even with a window, most of them were blocked. There were a lot of Interjet planes here. AeroMexico is across the tarmac so I could only spot them taxiing. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2306.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2320.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2316.jpg Boarding started timely and I was impressed with the huge legroom in Economy Class. The plane looked a bit beat up but my legs were sure comfortable with Premium Economy / regional Business spacing. I wasn't even in an exit row seat! http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2326.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2328.jpg I liked this graphic showing what can or cannot be done at the various stages of flight. It is quite simply laid out and intuitive. I suppose you can use your laptop as well provided it is in flight mode? http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2331.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2332.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2455.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2454.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2336.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2340.jpg With the sun not glaring at my window, I was happy to snap away as we rolled and took off into the blue sky. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2351.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2352.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2356.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2357.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2361.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2363.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2368.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2364.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2373.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2379.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2382.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2383.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2386.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2390.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2396.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2394.jpg We were over the Gulf of Mexico when service began. To my surprise, this airline gave a decent-sized bag of chips and a whole bottle of soft drink. It wasn't half a bottle poured into a small cup. So far, I'm impressed. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2400.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2403.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2401.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2411.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2412.jpg Soon, we were back over land and with a flight time of only 2 hours, it was time to descend. Cancun's weather seemed decent today as well although we bounced occasionally in between clouds along the way. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2424.jpg In the distance, I think I could see the hotel strip, which looked a bit like Varadero. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2440.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2432.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2442.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2443.jpg We landed uneventfully but it took forever to taxi into the terminal. This place must be massive; I couldn't even see the terminal until a few turns later. As we pulled into our gate, I thought I had returned to the US with all their planes parked next door. Despite all the drug violence that has spilled into Cancun's tourist strip, the tourists keep coming. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2447.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2448.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2450.jpg Cancun's airport looked fresh and fairly new, a huge contrast to Mexico City. Tourism seems to have enhanced their standards here. With my luggage picked up, it was an easy stroll outside, where my pre-booked hotel shuttle was waiting. http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2457.jpg http://www.globalphotos.org/mexico/2...1/IMG_2459.jpg Interjet is a pleasant surprise with a very good hard product and a surprisingly good service for a short flight. I wouldn't even associate this airline as a low-cost carrier at all. At only about CAD $90 for a one-way, the price is reasonable and worth trying. While Mexico City's airport is nothing to rave about, at least Cancun's airport can impress. More : https://www.globalphotos.org/interjet.htm |
Why mention pickpockets if nothing of the sort happened to you?
Also, as much as T1 at MEX sucks, it at least is 1) close to the city (as you mentioned), and 2) has a few Priority Pass lounges (sometimes with edible food). Last week, I flew into T2 around 20:00; instead of dealing with traffic, I walked the fifteen+ minutes to Pantitlán, and took the >25 minute ride downtown (Sevilla). Ultimately, there might have been only a 5-10 minute difference with Uber on a good day. I'd also argue that CUN is as unpleasant as MEX-- ridesharing isn't a possibility at CUN (taxi mafia), the infrequent terminal bus exists because terminals are all over the place, free internet isn't available in all terminals (same with MEX, actually), and security queues aren't well-organized. My choice Mexican airport for connections these days is GDL. |
Originally Posted by BuildingMyBento
(Post 31117393)
Why mention pickpockets if nothing of the sort happened to you?
Also, as much as T1 at MEX sucks, it at least is 1) close to the city (as you mentioned), and 2) has a few Priority Pass lounges (sometimes with edible food). |
I agree about Interjet. Recently flew them MEX-HAV and HAV-CUN and both flights were great, with tons of room and nice service (free beer and chips on each). Only painful thing was check-in at both airports, which was fairly slow and chaotic. Then again they were the first flights in eons where I haven't had some ability to be in a priority queue so my tolerance for queues is probably pretty low.
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Originally Posted by BuildingMyBento
(Post 31117393)
Why mention pickpockets if nothing of the sort happened to you?
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Yeah was impressed with Interjet, flew them MTY-HAV-MTY a few years ago. They fly into San Antonio now as well
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Agree on Interjet: flew them this winter on PVR-MEX. Flight was late but the plane was comfortable enough and reasonably priced.
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