Bajahowodd - 2-3-2010 at 05:20 PM
A few recent threads have been posted dealing with the issue of the validity of one's Mexican Auto Insurance in the absence of a valid FM-T. Other
threads have dealt with the issue of FM-2 and FM-3 holders seeking to get reimbursed from the airlines for the visa charge that is automatically built
into the ticket price.
Given that there is a "free" seven day FM-T available at the border immigration offices, I was wondering if just perhaps, since a majority of vacation
travel to Mexico is of a seven day or less duration, that the airlines might be pocketing the fees many people paid for what would be, according to
Mexican law, free. Perhaps I may be a tad cynical. But I remember the days when it was up to the individual traveler to work out their visa
arrangements. So, just perhaps, what appears on the surface to be a service convenience provided by the airlines, may just be an additional source of
revenue to them, since a majority of their bookings involve vacationers who spend seven or less days in Mexico. I don't expect that there are any
folks on this board who work for Alaska airlines, but it certainly would be interesting to be able to get to the bottom of this.
sancho - 2-3-2010 at 06:02 PM
In the past, and it may still be true, not sure though,
at the TJ Airport they would issue a free 7 day fmt,
one could fly to the interior, most air Gringo Vacation
Packages are for 7 nts, there is the rub,
the free fmt is for 6 nts , 7 days, whether by design
or not , the free fmt is often 1 nt short of
some average vacations, if that was intentional
my hats off to Mex IMM
David K - 2-4-2010 at 01:12 PM
7 day free: It is for land travelers... airline FM-Ts are a different 'can o'worms', pre-charged in your ticket price...
It's all about dinero... and it only hurts the people in Mexico who make a living on tourism, as the this tourist tax deters business and the money is
never used to help small business.