BajaBlanca - 2-6-2014 at 04:32 PM
Aeromexico quits Los Angeles to La Paz Flights
After just 7 months Aeromexico plans to discontinue service from Los Angeles LAX to La Paz LAP in February, 2014
January 21, 2014 Aeromexico has decided to terminate flights from LAX to La Paz in February. Aeromexico assumed the flight schedule abandon by Horizon
Airlines, a division of Alaska Airlines just last June. The cancellation of this route will leave La Paz with no direct connection to the US. A flight
from LAX to LAP will now route through Mexico City and make travel time, including lay-over, a little over 10hrs. The direct flight from LAX to LAP
was about 90 minutes.
Air travel to La Paz has been an ongoing challenge for tourist related businesses in the capital city since the demise of Aero California several
years ago. Aero California offered service to three of the major Southern California Airports at one time or another. Additional flights were
available from Tijuana International Airport to La Paz.
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The addition of Interjet and Volaris increased the number of seats destine for La Paz in 2013, but the loss of AeroMexico will mean no direct flights
to the US. There were more arrivals in La Paz, but mostly from the mainland cities of Guadalajara and Mexico City. These flights brought more Mexicans
to La Paz, in part indicating the increased business connection between Baja Sur and the mainland. But both Mexican travelers and businessmen spend
less per day than there North American counterparts. Losing the US and Canadian access for travelers will hurt La Paz at a time when the city has over
extended and over built to attract tourism.
The La Paz flight was subsidized by the local hotel and restaurant association. They agreed to guarantee AeroMexico $8.5 million pesos to establish
the flight, but in 7 months only about 1400 seats were sold. To make up the shortfall it is figured that the subsidy per passenger was about $4000
($320USD) pesos per traveler.
This is a difficult blow to the city of La Paz which is struggling to develop itself as a more eco-friendly travel alternative to Cabo San Lucas. More
than 500 new hotel rooms will come on line in 2014 in the city of La Paz, it will now be more difficult than ever to fill those rooms.
Some regular travelers to La Paz enjoy the trip to Tijuana to and fly direct to La Paz via InterJet and Volaris, but neither serve US airports with a
regular schedule were found in researching their respective websites.
The La Paz airport competes with the larger and more efficient Los Cabos airport, which offers direct flights to a variety of US and Canadian cities
and is just about 90 minutes away. Many travelers chose to rent a car or take a shuttle bus to La Paz. Despite the additional connections and travel
time, this route has often cost significantly less than direct flights to La Paz. In more than a decade of calling La Paz home I have never booked a
flight from La Paz to the US, for cost and scheduling reasons.
One of the reasons sited by the airline was bad timing, flights to La Paz did not arrive at a time the facilitated connections with other
international flights and gate bookings, for the value of the La Paz flight could not be accommodated.
The resulting cancellation of flights to La Paz will come at the peak of the spring travel season and will leave La Paz without a stateside air
carrier. Delta airlines had offered flights to La Paz as a code sharing with Aeromexico, which will also come to an end in February.
At this time no airline has stepped up to offer replacement air service to La Paz from Los Angeles.
Whale-ista - 2-6-2014 at 09:02 PM
Hmmm... on the bright side (for visitors): does this mean a glut of cheap hotel rooms in La Paz? Of course, assuming they are willing to drive there.
What are the other options: flights to Cabo? Loreto? Will those be the closest to LP?
Alan - 2-7-2014 at 08:35 AM
Hummm? I just booked a non-stop flight last week for LAX-LAP for 3/1.
Phil C - 2-7-2014 at 09:56 AM
Aerocalifa Tijuana to La Paz twice a week.