Aeromexico Lounge Mexico City: I Got Told To Knock It Off

"Only pictures of yourself are allowed.”

okay, i'll be taking some sharply-angled selfies...

Sounds like regular service in that lounge. Everyone asks what you want until you want / need something. Then all the employees dissapear

It's Mexico. Nothing makes any real sense.

This lounge is always packed to the Extreme and later in the day expect it to be buried in garbage on all tables, chair and even much of the floor
But after all Mexico is a third World country, so is to expected :/

This lounge is a pothole with too many people, and too many of those people watching TV on their phones and tablets with their speakers turned on for everyone to hear.

The end.

It's an ok lounge at best, ofc im biased since I'm Mexican and grew up flying in n out of that lounge. But it definitely has its lows. Especially in the food department. But I will say I really love the grab and go drink section, something I wish more lounges had. Even with lounge access, I end up getting food during long layovers elsewhere at the terminal (I personally recommend Mayson Kayser).

As for the pictures policy, I've filmed and taken multiple photos in all 3 aeromexico lounges there, and NEVER once had an issue. This sounds like a lady just being in a. bad mood making up rules as they go.

“But after all Mexico is a third World country, so is to expected”

Here, I’ll translate, because I speak TC.

“I’ve only ever travelled out of the USA to one country and that was to Mexico, and from that I know that all countries that are third world are all the same, and that is to be expected, because third world, and my one experience.”

What's funny is that the Polaris lounge at SFO is so horrible and they don't even have an espresso machine. It's overcrowded and the food is substandard.. yet many US based bloggers keep praising it like it's great. This Aeromexico lounge seems to at least have an espresso machine. Even the third party lounge in India that you can access with Priority pass are far better than Polaris lounge.

I was once not allowed to take a picture of a McDonald's menu in Slovenia. No one was in the picture. I was taking a picture because they had Pistachio McFlurries and thought it was interesting.

I am pretty sure there is not a company wide policy not allowing pictures of a McDonald's menu. Some people just want to be difficult because they can.

Buy one of those cheap bluetooth remotes and move your phone towards the spot you want to photograph and press the remote. Nobody will ever imagine you are taking pictures.

@TravelinWilly

Seems like you're easily getting triggered whenever there's a slight criticism/insult of non-First World country.

Tell me if there's any country, besides the US, that is in the First World where "This lounge is always packed to the Extreme and later in the day expect it to be buried in garbage on all tables, chair and even much of the floor" happens.

Have you tried to use your website in mobile, specifically reading the comments?

It's literally impossible now due to all the popover ads in mobile (I had to use an ad blocker here to post it).

Also, if you're using dark mode, the grey on blue links are unreadable.

I am a Mexican living in Boston who travels to MEX 7-8 times per year.

The Aeromexico lounge is dogshit. Enough said.

That’s so unfortunate that you encountered the lounge with this policy, Ben. I really appreciate the efforts you go through to share with the readers unadulterated photos of lounges, aircraft’s, hotel rooms, etc., without the “influencer-standard” selfies with big-assed grins and thumbs-up signs.

@Mason - Galleries lounges

The expression “third world country” doesn’t mean anything anymore since the Soviet Union is no longer around. It seems to mean, “This country is unpleasant and has a number of major inconveniences. The air is polluted. There is also a lot of poverty, and that’s tough to look at. I generally cannot drink the water.” You might want to just use the word “poorer” and desensitize people to the idea, since much of the world is poor and experiences the same problems. Still, Mexico is now a middle-income country, so it’s hard to argue it’s poor relative to others.

Why are people still using archaic terms like "third world" and "first world" when they (clearly) have no idea what those terms actually (and not colloquially) mean?

Switzerland it technically a third world country, whereas El Salvador is not; but would they know that?

I once wanted to take a pic of a STOP sign at a road junction because I thought it looked interesting. But then I couldn't take the pic because I realized the sign said 'STOP'. That sign was being deliberately difficult with me, because it could.

I once got hassled in the Grand Cayman airport for taking a picture of the departure screen at the gate. The agent even called security on me. I showed him the picture I had taken and he apologized and backed off. Perhaps the agent was simply having a bad day.

I'll bet when travelers aren't taking photos of themselves, and are instead taking photos of the furniture, it's more likely they are documenting uncleanliness, dirty dishes, etc. than documenting cleanliness.

You should have replied: "Do you know who you're talking to"? 🙂

Here we go through life, travelling in the pointy end, hence amongst the very best customers.

The number of cross (=irritable), possibly power tripping airline staff we need to ignore/appease/obey is rather substantial.

Rather sad, this failure of selection, training and/or supervision.

At least it is generally consistent across airlines.
That doesn’t make it any better.

No readers and bloggers can acknowledge that the six GCC states are the third world countries because they defy the definition of "third world". They are not "first world" countries because they are ruled by absolute monarchy families. By the way, Sri Lanka and Bhutan also defy the same definition as well. How about Singapore?

Yep, sounds like Aeromexico. Par for the course with them, nobody cares about anything but covering their butts.

Or "Perhaps you don't know who I am... I'm doing advance work for an unplanned Taylor Swift concert. If you assist me I assure I'll provide you with very good tickets.

Did you ever think about doing some sketches?

I've been to 3 of the Aeroméxico lounges in Mexico city. All 3 are terrible and crowded. Operations wise I don't think they get it either. First world problems of course but when you're running an international business... Here's an example. I was flying first class. They lined us up by groups. There were only two others in my group. But we didn't board directly. Instead we boarded a bus to the plane. Well they herded everyone into the bus at the same time so what's the point of lining up by groups? Then when we boarded which was a free for all. The economy folks just ran up to 1st class to whatever seat they wanted. Though not really a big deal given this flights 1st class was one of those where they just block the middle seat. Nonetheless, the whole experience screams amateurs and the lounges are a reflection of that.

I had a similar experience at the arrivals pp lounge at Puerto Vallarta, was told it was against lounge policy to film, photos were ok though. I've been told the same thing when exiting thru the timeshare chaos at Los Cabos and PV airport, supposedly a secure area with no filming allowed.

Not sure if anything has changed, but the Amex lounge at MEX was much better than the Am lounge pre-covid.

You might be confused. Every United lounge systemwide has at least one illy espresso machine. This has been true since the launch of their partnership.

Not sure what lounge you’re thinking of but something tells me it’s not the Polaris.

Aeromexico's lounges are awful. But to be clear there are 3 or 4 lounges at Mexico City. Aeromexico has two lounges and then 1 or 2 mini-lounges. They're all rubbish. Most of the time I just go to Casa Ávila, a steakhouse and sit there for an hour or so. Then I walk around the terminal to get steps in and people watch.

I have also visited this lounge several times. I am underwhelmed by my experience as a business traveler in Aeromexico, and the airport in general. It really does not compare to other airlines of the Skyteam in most business features and the lounge is another glaring example. Since the airport itself is a hot byzantine mess, the cavernous and gloomy lounge is still a desired place to be.
Regarding the coffee to order, the only way to have it is to stand there and say "thanks for the offer, I insist I wait, I appreciate your hospitality" or something of that sort. The pressure of your presence will fulfill the order. Stand and smile.
You were extremely kind with your review. The lounge needs a complete overhaul.

The Centurion at MEX is far superior.

A lounge that repeatedly refuses to serve coffee at 5AM on a Saturday doesn't deserve a good review, no matter what. 😉

Although people may understand what you mean when you says merely trying to say Third Word, this is actually an unfortunate and antiquated terminology sadly still used by people. There are better ways to describe countries: undeveloped, developing countries or poor countries, you could even say "shithole" and sound a little more educated than saying "third world". Clearly I do not think of Mexico as a shithole, in fact, I love it.

Also, no, I have been to very luxurious places in Mexico, the airport is not one of those. There are many poor countries who invest in tourism infrastructure to increase their economic output and they do it well. Some Mexican resorts are second to none. So to expect a great international airport and lounge is not something that could be unexpected.

I agree!
Best comment ever!
(and I'm Mexican)

Sure it wasn’t the old united club? Those were horrid and definitely infestation grounds for deadly global diseases.

"“Only pictures of yourself are allowed.”

As any of these pictures will have the lounge in it it's obviously some made up nonsense.

I had the same thing happen to me in Geneva, at the McDonalds just outside of Cornavin. The menu there had shrimp a la carte and a curry burger. No pictures!

Well, the group boarding/bus melee is not exclusive of AM. I had similar experiences with UA,AR,LA,LH and for sure others trust I don’t remember. The only times I had differentiated bus boarding were with Qatar and LOT.

Just FYI - At 5 am, when the lounge opens, all international European Aeromexico flights arrive. Flights from London, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam and Paris all arrive at the same time and the lounge gets crowded.

Let me tell you something, folks, Aeromexico is a fantastic airline, absolutely *fantastic*. And you know why? Because it’s partnered with Delta, the *most premium* airline in the world. People are saying, “Oh, the lounges are packed.” Well, you know what that means? Success! So many people want to fly with Aeromexico because it’s just that good. If the lounges are full, that’s a sign of greatness, folks. People are flocking to Aeromexico because they know they're getting top-tier service. And don’t forget, Delta has a stake in them, okay? If Delta trusts them, you know they’re doing things *big league*. The lounges? They're filled with *winners*, folks. Only the best, because that’s what you get with Aeromexico and Delta together. Trust me!

These Tim Dunn troll comments are now becoming long in the tooth...
Seems like lots of readers are still behaving like 10 year olds...

That sounds like every flight I take in Mexico

I do not think any photos are allowed at the Sri Lankan Airways lounge in Columbo. I think it is a legal/security issue.

The lounge staff probably read something online about "Influencers” In First & Business Class on some American credit card blog few days ago and think that I have to do something with all these people taking pictures in the lounge.

Tim Dunn dominating the replies are long in the tooth. Tim is the cart. Trolls are the horse. Only Ben can shut this down and chooses not to.

Tim Dunn dominating the replies are long in the tooth. Tim is the cart. Trolls are the horse. Only Ben can shut this down and chooses not to.

Lounge standards in Mexico and Latin America in general a very low and the Aeromexico lounges are pretty awful.

I'm surprised your were able to take pictures of and empty seats as the place is usually packed like a can of sardines. Food is poor, understaffed and untrained employees. The ladies that do the cleaning are in point. If the staff put in a third the effort the limpiadoras at least you could get a drink

Rating: dogshit

Lol, Indian lounges. You've obviously never been to the Polaris lounge.

They will bring a full breakfast with cappuccino to your table.

I regard staff in any location who say “photos are banned” as someone probably doing a poor job and don’t want evidence appearing on a blog tomorrow.

dude, be relevant.

he dgaf.

I've found that it's nearly always much less crowded upstairs. I think many people don't realize that that second level is there.

Sounds like Mexico, period.

Ben, yes lounge people and certain others sometimes tend to "own" an area. And no rime or reason that we can think of, they recite rules to us.
It happens. People like their "territory"

No tocar - do not touch

But thanks for being in line at 4:30 am to take those photos, because they do help others and thats the way the world should work.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky." Indeed, you do.

From what I was told by a Delta executive, Aeromexico had engaged Delta's Sky Club team to update its lounges but then the US government took action to end the Aeromexico-Delta partnership. It seems like everything is on-hold at the moment. The sad thing is labor is so cheap in Mexico that Aeromexico should have one of the best Sky Team lounges worldwide. They already have decent waiters in the lounge. They just don't have good drinks or enough space. It's even worse flying out of Mexico City internationally to Europe or wherever. Air France flies two daily flights out of Mexico City, including at least one with La Premier seasonally or maybe year-round. The lounge that Air France uses is even worse.

LATAM's lounges are good. But yeah, the Priority Pass lounges in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, etc. are just awful. Puerto Vallarta was probably the worst lounge I've ever seen. I left after about 5 minutes.

It is not enforced. I took videos and photos many times in that tiny lounge and they don’t care.

Skyteam lounge at SCL, *A at EZE, and Banco Safra (ex *A, now used by lots of airlines) at GRU all are absolutely fine, I wouldn't say outstanding but definitely well above average for non-hub facilities.

The AM lounges may not be amazing, but some other airlines within Skyteam -namely UX, RO, and OK (admittedly the latter is about to stop flying altogether)-have no lounges whatsoever, and then there's AR which only has one lounge at EZE despite offering more flights from AEP. I am definitely not a Skyteam hater, but there's no denying the fact that most of its members tend to have a minimalist approach to lounges and are happy to make do with the generic airport ones.

Perhaps you simply should have asked for permission prior to your investigative surprise visit.

The airport was very crowded at 6 a.m. so I paid to go into the lounge. It was overcrowded as well but I had a little food and coffee. A staff member went from table to table saying that she was going off shift and would like her TIP now. I was more than a little surprised!

I would tell you to knock it off too. I want my privacy and dont want to be always looking around to see who is filming. Ect.

Umm, did you even read the article? He was the first one there with nobody around. Likewise, you really shouldn’t EXPECT privacy anywhere that others can reasonably access. Your attitude is rather entitled

It only happens because people like you don't speak up and do something to end the wrong-doing. The lounge staff are there to serve the customers, not the other way around, and they certainly don't "own" the place. If they are making up ridiculous rules or otherwise behaving badly, they need to be stopped. That's only going to happen if customers speak up and put an end to it. The poster of that comment, and anyone who has such a submissive, defeatist attitude, is part of the problem.

Mexico City is the hub of the Americas!! The people who pass through are from countries throughout the world. At any time you enter that lounge you can see people from every corner of the world. Many you can recognize, some you don't, bht I can assure you no one wants their pictures taken!!!

You should get one of those Meta Ray Bans, to be super discreet.

I’m surprised you didn’t check out the citi prestige lounge down the mezzanine

My other half wears an Insta-360 go camera

Connects to him with a magnet under the shirt

Easy enough to capture a full walk through. and it works easily with your Iphone.

Much more discrete, perhaps a bit more time in edit.

I spend a lot of time in airport lounges, world wide. One thing that really pisses me off is families with kids taking up too much space, let alone being disruptive, and the staff allowing too many guests in at once, resulting in over-crowding.

I hope they all lounges ban photography, selfies etc of any kinds all of this garbage being posted to social media is nonsensical.

To all those reading this 1year old article and learning the the Aeromexico lounge are garbage.....its May 2025 and they are still garbage.

Exactly