Last night, my son called me from La Jolla California because his flight to Southern Mexico surfing on Aero Mexico was last night and not tonight as
he thought, when I was going to pick him up in California and drive him to the Tijuana airport.
I hopped in my car at 11:30 pm. and got to San Diego about 1:15 am...needless to say there was no traffic at the border. I then picked up my son and
we went to the airport in Tijuana. Actually it has been modernized and was very comfortable, but much smaller than the San Diego airport. We walked
inside, and there were windows open to sell airline tickets. There was Volaris and Interjet...which both were willing to sell my son a ticket early
in the morning to Mexico City. However, AeroMexico was closed, and we wanted to know what arrangements could be made about making up the lost leg of
the journey. A very nice woman at Interjet gave us the 1800 number of AeroMexico. We first got a woman who spoke no English and said that if you
miss one leg of the journey your other leg and return flight are automatically cancelled so he had to pay $800 American dollars for another round trip
ticket. I had heard of this before on US flights. We then called back several times and got several different people. Finally they gave us someone
who spoke English, and the guy told us if we got another flight with Aero Mexico and rescheduled, then they wouldn't cancel the returning flight, so
because there were no regular seats available on the next flight, for $155 American dollars he could upgrade to First Class and get the next flight
out. My son paid the $155 and we high tailed it back to the Otay border, no mentionable traffic there either at that hour. Thankfully the traffic at
3:30 am. wasn't that bad. So I will be dropping him off at the TJ airport today...remember folks, don't always listen to the first person you talk
to, they might be trying to sell you the kitchen sink.
[Edited on 6-20-2013 by EnsenadaDr]sancho - 6-20-2013 at 11:27 AM
Sounds like my sister in law, she always misreads
dates, times, I think it's called attention to detailEnsenadaDr - 6-20-2013 at 11:34 AM
yes, I wasn't too happy to come to the border at that time, but he doesn't make that kind of mistake too often. He is so responsible at his job in
Sydney that they let him come to the US for 2 months and work from home.BajaBlanca - 6-20-2013 at 11:40 AM
and he flew first class to boot! dang ... maybe I wanna miss more flights
EnsenadaDr - 6-20-2013 at 11:43 AM
I wonder how first class on AeroMexico is compared to a US airline. I'll let you know when he reports back!!Bajahowodd - 6-20-2013 at 04:55 PM
We flew to Mexico City on AeroMexico on a morning flight a couple of years ago. There were only four passengers in First Class with us.
They served us what was apparently leftover dinner for breakfast.
Never have been happy with that airline. Cancelled seat assignments and overbooking abound.
Does anyone else miss Mexicana like I do? They had class.durrelllrobert - 6-20-2013 at 07:52 PM
Mexicana was much better but they will never come out of bankruptcy and the owe the TJ airport millions of pesos for fees never paid.
[Edited on 6-21-2013 by durrelllrobert]shari - 6-21-2013 at 07:57 AM
that is a big lesson I have learned living in Mexico...never take NO for an answer...if one is persistant, polite and patient, there is usually a
solution to every problem if you are willing to go the distance and try and try again.EnsenadaDr - 6-21-2013 at 08:38 AM
Shari I have learned that from dealing with bureaucrats in the US...you would be surprised on how many different answers I get from the same company
or government agency. Another hint, when I dropped my son off yesterday at TJ airport there was a huge line for him to get his travel visa, one line
to pay and one line to fill out paperwork...he was told to run to his gate after they made him pay $70 American for a surfboard. Customs checked his
surfboard, and he had put two in one surfboard bag, and so the guy runs to the counter and tells the clerk "TWO tablas"...so they would charge him for
two, but the lady only charged him for one...that is ridiculous, $70 for a surfboard!! And what does customs care who charges what, their job is to
inspect for contraband, not make sure AeroMexico gets their extra money.
[Edited on 6-21-2013 by EnsenadaDr]DavidE - 6-21-2013 at 10:38 AM
Yeah it can work. Except with ADUANA and HACIENDA. Don't count on it. Like the IRS and REVENUE CANADA, these folks live on a different planet.MMc - 6-21-2013 at 11:03 AM
$70.00 per board is common these days. They also will not cover any damage. United is charging $80.00 to 100.00
When I go to Hawaii, I order a boards there, surf them. If I like they go under a friends house if not, they get consigned and the money goes to to
the next board.
Indo, I always take one, and buy the rest there, sell them all before I come home.
Mainland Mexico, I take all the boards down and sell or give away coming home. Puerto, I can stash boards.EnsenadaDr - 6-21-2013 at 12:13 PM
My son is the surfing expert, so I never tell him what to do with his boards. He knows exactly whether or not it is worth paying for, even if it
seems unreasonable to me.MMc - 6-22-2013 at 12:36 AM
I defer to the expert, I just have been surfing for 35+ years of my 50+ around the globe. I am a FOP
I surf more then 100 days per year, ride a short board, and live in the 909, what would I know????
Most trips I take these days the board doesn't come home. When I was his age, they did.
[Edited on 6-22-2013 by MMc]EnsenadaDr - 6-22-2013 at 04:03 AM
I am not the expert. And I am sure your opinion is probably the best one. I am just saying my son is going to spend his money surfing his way, and
not do what I nor anyone else tells him. When he was sixteen, I took him on a three island Hawaiian surf trip. He started off at the Big Island,
where I bought him a board for $250 in Hilo, that the owner of the shop said he could bring it back on consignment. On that particular trip, he
wanted to buy a board in Hawaii and he surfed all over the Big Island, then we went to Oahu, stayed at the North Shore for a week, and he surfed
East/west Oahu, then we went over to Maui, and he surfed all over Maui. The last day of the trip he went to Honolua Bay, and rode in the longest wave
I have ever seen, and broke his board at the end of that ride. It was the last day of the Long Summer vacation. He mentioned his bosses had gone to
Indonesia since he lives and works in Sydney it's only a few hour flight. I guess he surfs with his boss on lunch hour, must be nice!!
[Edited on 6-22-2013 by EnsenadaDr]
[Edited on 6-22-2013 by EnsenadaDr]shari - 6-22-2013 at 07:01 AM
MMc what's a FOP?MMc - 6-22-2013 at 07:07 AM
F en Old Person
Dr. your son made better choices then I . I wish, I could surf at lunch.EnsenadaDr - 6-22-2013 at 09:47 AM
You sound like you are doing just fine, going to all the good surf spots whenever and wherever you want. Doesn't look like a few years has diminished
your capacity to exercise and keep in shape.
Quote:
Originally posted by MMc
F en Old Person
Dr. your son made better choices then I . I wish, I could surf at lunch.
EnsenadaDr - 6-23-2013 at 08:49 AM
Wow an update from my son on his trip to Oaxaca says the surf is the best he has ever surfed and the breaks are perfect, snapped both his boards the
first day...doesn't seem upset!! Said he surfed with three world class surfers and had his picture taken with Dane Reynolds, and also surfed with
Taylor Knox and Craig Anderson, all three are recognized surfers from California.
[Edited on 6-23-2013 by EnsenadaDr]David K - 6-23-2013 at 08:58 AM
Nice! EnsenadaDr - 6-23-2013 at 09:02 AM
sorry Craig Anderson is from outside Sydney, Australia very near my son, very good news for Mexico's surfing tourism.wilderone - 6-23-2013 at 09:06 AM
F en Old Person
LOL! That's a new for me - an FOP!!EnsenadaDr - 6-23-2013 at 09:19 AM
How about Fantastic Older Person?
Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
F en Old Person
LOL! That's a new for me - an FOP!!
EnsenadaDr - 6-23-2013 at 10:02 AM
Here is my son on the right with Dane Reynolds in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico yesterday
also, a clip of Dane Reynolds surfing in the same surfing camp they are staying at.
