- Introduction: Mexico City, Really?
- Using The Cross Border Xpress
- Review: Tijuana VIP Lounge
- Review: Aeromexico Salon Premier Tijuana
- Review: Aeromexico 787 Business Class Tijuana to Mexico City
- Review: Las Alcobas Hotel Polanco Mexico City
- Hot Air Ballooning Over Teotihuacán
- Visiting Teotihuacan
- An Evening Of Lucha Libre
- Floating Around Xochimilco
- Day Trip To Coyoacán
- Exploring Mexico City’s Historic Center
- Dining At Dulce Patria
- Palacio De Bellas Artes & The Ballet Folklórico
- Mexico City: Andrew’s Thoughts
- Review: Minute Suites DFW
As the Aeromexico lounge was so depressing, we decided to head to the gate early.
Hey, it’s our plane!
Which was a good decision, because holy cow the gate area was a cluster.
Yep.
Let’s zoom in on the Sky Priority queue…
They could have used some of those ANA ladies with their boarding group signs…
Aeromexico 185
Tijuana (TIJ) – Mexico City (MEX)
Thursday, May 12
Depart: 10:20AM
Arrive: 3:10PM
Duration: 2hr50min
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8
Seat: 6A & 6C (Business Class)
Before we get into details, keep in mind that this was a domestic flight. And not a long one. The flight distance is similar going from Tijuana to Mexico City as it would be from San Diego to Dallas, and I think that’s an important perspective.
I had hoped to board early to take photos of the mini-cabin (where we were to be seated), but that obviously didn’t happen, and many of the other passengers were already seated by the time we boarded. Check out Ben’s recent Aeromexico reports for more photos of the cabin interior.
Aeromexico 787 business class
We boarded to find a super tiny pillow and blanket at our seats, which were the same B/E Aerospace Diamond seats that I love on American’s A321T.
Aeromexico 787 business class
The mini-cabin is really the way to go on this configuration, particularly on the window side, as you have much more foot room, and are closer to the nice lav (the front lavatory doesn’t have a window).
Aeromexico 787 business class
The highlight of the boarding process? The gentleman in 5D. I don’t know who he was, but probably 65% of the other people on the plane did.
Mysterious passenger in 5D
Boarding took an exceptionally long time, as most of the economy class passengers stopped to shake his hand as they filed back to their seats. Many of the business class passengers came back from the main cabin to have a little chat as well.
He was very good natured about the whole thing, so my guess is that he was a local politician of some sort? The interactions were very fun to observe.
Tijuana airport terminal
The taxi out was fascinating, due to the combination of random construction projects and even more random aircraft.
Tijuana airport
Random cargo plane
Some construction…
Ooh! A 747SP!
Interesting story on this 747 — I showed the picture to Andrew as soon as I saw him (because he’s a huge avgeek, and how often do you see a 747-SP in the wild?).
He promptly recognized the plane as the aircraft involved in the China Airlines 006 incident. Apparently the new owners have been deferring maintenance, as the plane has just been sitting in Tijuana for years.
Tijuana from above
The climb out wasn’t particularly scenic, as metropolitan Tijuana isn’t that attractive. I do like the extra height of the 787 windows though.
Shortly after takeoff the flight attendants dimmed all the windows in the cabin. I thought was a bit of an overkill for a short daytime flight, but to each their own.
This flight offered WiFi, but as I’d already synced my various inboxes to my “offline” setup, I didn’t bother using it on this flight. I did use an hour of WiFi on the return, and didn’t have the same data gobbling problem on my laptop as Ben experienced on his phone. Definitely make sure your iPhone settings are correct before trying to use a system that limits your MB usage.
About 45 minutes into the flight, the meal service was delivered. There was no choice of meals, nor really a choice as to whether or not one wanted a meal.
Business class lunch on Aeromexico
The meal itself was mostly unremarkable. It wasn’t bad enough to complain about, but certainly wasn’t good either.
That probably sums up the service as well. Our flight attendant was… perfunctory. Not rude, but certainly not friendly. After the meal trays were cleared we didn’t see the crew again until landing.
The other great thing about row 6 of the mini-cabin?
This view.
Aeromexico 787
The views were fun as we approached Mexico City as well.
Football (soccer) stadium and bullfighting arena
A hazy afternoon, but a decent sense of the nearby mountains
Oh hi Mexicana!
As we’d already cleared immigration in Tijuana (seriously, this CBX thing is great), we arrived in Mexico City as domestic passengers.
It was a quick walk through the terminal, though we could immediately sense the change in altitude.
One of the coolest parts of the airport was baggage claim. Seven-year-old me could have spent hours watching airport operations through the huge windows.
Mexico City airport
Mexico City airport
We didn’t have checked bags though, so moved straight to the arrivals hall, grabbed some pesos from the ATM, and headed into the city.
Mexico City airport
Bottom line
I had a great flight, for reasons almost entirely independent of Aeromexico. I love the B/E Aerospace seats, the views were fabulous, and I was traveling with my husband, which is rare these days.
The service and catering were mediocre, at best, even when I remind myself that this was a domestic flight. From Ben’s reports though, it doesn’t sound like those are significantly improved on longer segments, so who knows.
Really though, you can’t beat having an internationally-configured business class on a three-hour flight.
For those who fly AM more often — is this typical catering/service for domestic routes?
He looks like former president Vicente Fox to me.
The only way the AMex is going to get better is for Mexicana to return to the skies. Too bad the former flag carrier hasn't made it back. AMX is the only big player in a country of 100 millions. Volaris? Perhaps a future competitor, but then again, it's Mexico. Sad.
Great review. I'm a frequent flier on AM (2 flights a week aprox). What you experienced is pretty much the usual service for regular AM flights: blue blankets and small pillows versus the gray blankets and bigger pillows on transcontinental flights. Those croissants are the only option in business for long flights (to the us or Canada for example). Couldn't figure out who the famous guy on 5 C was. Congrats!
I felt the same way in my flight a few months ago. I reviewed this flight as well. One can click on my name for my page and review. Pretty much the same as Tiffany. Was nice to fly the 787 on a domestic flight, but the meal issue is terrible!
I used to live in Mexico and fly Aeromexico the most. Not really cause I like them, but they are a well-known national carrier and have most frequencies. Service is ok on a good day, but if there is a delay or anything minor service level will go down as the Mexican peso. Boarding is always hell, just like you outlined. Lunch is typical for a domestic flight, hate the use of plastic, seems like...
I used to live in Mexico and fly Aeromexico the most. Not really cause I like them, but they are a well-known national carrier and have most frequencies. Service is ok on a good day, but if there is a delay or anything minor service level will go down as the Mexican peso. Boarding is always hell, just like you outlined. Lunch is typical for a domestic flight, hate the use of plastic, seems like it was picked up at a local Oxxo. Enjoy Mexico City, it's a great city. I love staying at the Marriott on Reforma.
"we could immediately sense the change in altitude."
I wonder about this. The 787 is supposed to be pressurized like 5-6,000 feet. But MEX is at 7,400. So do they depressurize it on landing? And pressurize it before takeoff? That would be mighty uncomfortable for passengers unless it happens very, very slowly.
And what happens in a MEX-UIO or MEX-BOG flight where both airports are over the pressurization altitude of the jet? The pax would...
"we could immediately sense the change in altitude."
I wonder about this. The 787 is supposed to be pressurized like 5-6,000 feet. But MEX is at 7,400. So do they depressurize it on landing? And pressurize it before takeoff? That would be mighty uncomfortable for passengers unless it happens very, very slowly.
And what happens in a MEX-UIO or MEX-BOG flight where both airports are over the pressurization altitude of the jet? The pax would be subject to a pointless and painful pressurization just to get between two cities both at similar and pleasant altitudes.
How sad that the new owners of the 747-SP has left that plane there for years, the link you provided shows a photos of it taken in 2009 at the same spot...
I recommend you flying on the flight 99/98, it operates 3 times a week out of Tijuana in the morning, and from Mexico City to Tijuana at night.
It is the flight going to Shanghai and stops in Tijuana. Only opens ( TIJ-MEX-TIJ ) for sale one week before the date you want to travel.
On that flight in the section Mexico-Tijuana offer onboard service like international flight with a la carte menu with...
I recommend you flying on the flight 99/98, it operates 3 times a week out of Tijuana in the morning, and from Mexico City to Tijuana at night.
It is the flight going to Shanghai and stops in Tijuana. Only opens ( TIJ-MEX-TIJ ) for sale one week before the date you want to travel.
On that flight in the section Mexico-Tijuana offer onboard service like international flight with a la carte menu with hot food (3 options), blankets and pillows of better quality, slippers and premium alcohol as champagne.
I am a regular JFK-MEX run and a Plat Medallion with DL and used to avoid AMX at all costs. Although its a hit or miss, honestly they have been improving a lot (As we know DL's hands are in there right now), nowadays I do consider using them to fly to MEX, since both the aircraft and the passenger experience seem better than DL most of the times. Hope the improvement and cust svc standards become a regular thing in the future.
. . . or it might be Carlos Slim, the third richest man on the planet, next to Gates and Buffet.
Although he can well afford his own jet, I hear he is notoriously cheap.
That man in the seat is Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico.
Haha, just kidding! I have no idea who that is.
I'm really loving this trip report. Thanks for doing it. Mexico City is a great city and this report definitely adds some great variety to this site. Especially cant get over how you did the CBX. Totally fascinated by that. Very innovative!!
Cool review, as usual, Tiffany. The stadium you saw is Estadio Azul, of Cruz Azul.