Volaris Airline

Wow, quite the a la carte menu they offer. I've never before heard of either a (paid for) on-time guarantee nor the "personal attention" (my first reaction: maybe a little too personal...). Will be interested to hear your impressions.

FWIWm last year I flew another low-cost Mexican airline, Interjet, from MEX to CUN, and it was not just good, but I thought great (bordering on awesome). They didn't have quite so many optional add-ons (my fare included a checked bag and seat selection; I opted for a 2nd checked bag because we were lugging diving gear along). So even though some folks might be skeptical over the entire idea of "Mexican" + "low-cost airline" my experience was great. Hope yours works out as well.

Have fun in Guadalajara - I'm headed for Baja next week. ¡Vaya con dios!

I'd be more interested in your impressions of Guadalajara (hopefully you can post something even though it's not Europe-centric). I was there too short of a time period, but would like to return! I'm familiar with Volaris because they fly out of the LA area where I used to live. I've flown Aero Mexico in the past and they treated me well.

David, I also flew Interjet last year. I wouldn't be quite as effusive in my praise as you, but I agree they were better than a lot of other airlines I've flown lately. Their standard economy seat had as much leg room as premium economy on most airlines. And snack and beverage service was above average.

I'm actually going to be spending a week in Ajijic, but I will have a chance to visit Guadaljara for a day while I'm there. I'll be happy to share about the trip.

Enjoy Los Cabos or wherever in Baja you're heading!

Peter Greenberg, a travel writer, did a piece about Volaris on his PBS program recently. Specifically how people who live near San Diego are avoiding flying out of SAN and instead walking across a bridge on the US border to the Tijuana airport to take Volaris all over the world including US destinations. It is MUCH MUCH cheaper than flying out of SAN as their ticket prices are akin to bus fare (they call themselves a flying bus) in which you pay next to nothing for a ticket and then pay for extras like what was listed in the OP.

So I'm looking forward to reading what you thought about Volaris with great interest.

So I just arrived in Guadalajara. We were scheduled to arrive at 5:28 am, and we were actually on the ground at 5:00. I arranged for a private tour to start my visit, and the guide is picking me up at 8am, so I am having some breakfast in the airport, and I thought I'd share my impressions of Volaris.

First, many of the announcements at the gate and on the plane were in Spanish only, no English translation. (Safety briefings were in both languages.) Boarding was completely chaotic. It was ostensibly by group, but they pretty much boarded everyone at the same time, and people formed a mob rather than any kind of line. While we were waiting, gate agents came around and randomly tagged rollaboards for gate checking. Then, at the end of the jetway, they offered the option of free baggage check to anyone who wanted it. When I got on board, all the overhead bins were closed. But when I opened the one at my seat, it was empty. And they did not fill up.

In spite of the 22 lb. limit for carry-ons, they did not weigh any bags.

The seats were very hard and uncomfortable, and legroom was minimal. I'm 5'9", and I couldn't extend my legs under the seat in front of me without banging my shins. There were no adjustable headrests. No entertainment system of any kind.

I didn't partake of any food or beverage service, but as best as I could tell, nothing was complimentary.

@Continental, I'd forgotten your comment about how they call themselves a flying bus. When I got seated and looked around, I thought to myself, "I feel like I'm in a big bus."

There are jetways at this airport, but I guess Volaris saves money by not using them. We went down the stairs and onto an actual bus to the terminal.

We departed on time and arrived early and safely, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

But I wouldn't recommend Volaris for people taller than I am. If you have an option for a discount Mexican airline, go with Interjet.

Lane, your review was EYE-OPENING. I sometimes take the bus (Bolt or Megabus) between NYC & Boston or Albany and they seem like a first-class cabin compared with your description. None of what you described was on the PBS program. Now that I think about it, I don't remember passengers interviewed about the cabin and comfort on a Volaris flight. Even school buses sound more enticing. Still you arrived early! Did the pilot pushback early? Was there a lot of cushion added to the flight time?

Thank you very much for taking the time to share this.

This information is really helpful! If you are looking for more travel information, I found great things on the Guadalajara website.
https://www.visitguadalajara.com/travel-to-around-the-city

Have so much fun on your trip!