BajaNews
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Changes ahead for air travel to Mexico
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/thisw...
By Tom Parsons
http://www.bestfares.com
August 15, 2010
If you're traveling to Mexico soon, be aware that the FAA recently downgraded Mexico's safety rating due to oversight concerns. U.S. carriers will
still be able to fly to and from Mexico, but they won't be able to do code-sharing flights with Mexican carriers. This will have an impact on carriers
such as American and Delta, which offer a number of code-sharing flights with Mexican airlines.
If you want to fly to a smaller airport that doesn't have service from a U.S. carrier, you'll have to book a ticket to a gateway city, such as Mexico
City, and buy a separate ticket to your final destination. Prices to smaller cities probably will increase because of these new rules and a lack of
competition.
The Mexican carrier Mexicana recently filed for bankruptcy and temporarily stopped selling tickets. The airline says it will continue flying, but it
could be out of business by the time you read this. At press time, the airline was still offering a daily flight between Dallas and Mexico City, but
it had suspended flights between many of its other destination cities, including one of two daily round-trips to San Antonio.
If you're holding tickets to Mexico, take a close look at who is operating the flights. If you bought tickets through Mexicana, your plan of action
will depend on the details.
If you're flying on a Mexicana-operated flight that is canceled, contact your credit-card company and ask for a refund for services not rendered.
If you paid by cash or debit card, you'll have to get in line in bankruptcy court.
If you purchased through Mexicana, but the flight is operated by American, call American and use a lot of honey and no vinegar to see if it will
reissue your tickets on American.
Effect on prices
While Mexicana's trouble is certainly not good news, I don't think it will have a huge impact on ticket prices. From Dallas, American still offers
flights to a number of Mexican cities, but you may have to fly on another U.S. carrier and have a stop along the way to get the best price.
Continental offers a great number of flights to Mexico, connecting in Houston, and Delta and US Airways also offer connecting flights to Mexico.
We should still see deals pop up to Mexico, but smaller cities will be more problematic when it comes to low fares. As always, watch fares and buy
when you see a good price.
Fares to Los Cabos are usually expensive, but we do see sales. Some weeks, Puerto Vallarta is high-cost, and some weeks it's low. We should still see
deals to cities that have competition from more than one U.S. carrier, such as Mexico City and Cancún.
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Mango
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Wowch.
I used to fly Mexicana to DF years ago; but, their prices just kept going up and up.
I always had good service/experience with them; but, spending $200 more for a ound trip ticket ... well I had to just stop flying with them. I still
looked before I booked; but, they were always much higher.
Right now Volaris flys out of Oakland, CA to GDL and DF. Much cheaper. Other carriers were cheaper too. (Volaris also flys to TJ as well.)
Too bad for Mexicana and anyone holding tickets with them.
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tjBill
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Location: Tijuana
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I always noted Mexicana had the most expensive fares; more than US carriers. Best to get good prices with Volaris and Interjet.
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Eli
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I am flying Mexicana Click from Oaxaca to Los Cabos, one way full cost Includes taxes $2,500 pesos, I leave Oax. at 6 am, arrive in San Jose before
noon. I think that is very reasonable.
If I were to take Interjet, I would have to bus from Oax. to Mexico City, 6 hrs, $650 pesos, cab to Toluca bus, $120 pesos, Toluca bus, $50 pesos, Cab
from bus station to airport, $30 pesos, and flight from Toluca to San Jose, $1,300 pesos. If I took the midnight bus from Oax. to Mx., I might be able
to pull it off in 1 lonnnnnng day, and save maybe $300 pesos.
On National flights, Mexicana still works for Me.
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