Review: Aeromexico Business Class Boeing 737 MAX (MEX-MIA)

For the next segment of my two times to Latin America review trip, I flew Aeromexico’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 business class on the 2hr50min flight from Mexico City (MEX) to Miami (MIA). I’ve gotta say, this flight was a pleasant surprise, and exceeded my expectations.

I found Aeromexico’s 737 MAX business class to be a cut above its US counterparts operating similar routes, with a modern cabin, great entertainment, reasonably priced and fast Wi-Fi, good food, and solid amenities. I also appreciate the consistency of Aeromexico’s product, since all 737 MAXs have the same business class cabins, so you know exactly what you can expect.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting Aeromexico offers some amazing product on a global scale, but within North America, I think it’s a cut above what you’ll get on US carriers, and I’d gladly fly with the airline again.

How I booked my Aeromexico business class ticket

I booked my Aeromexico business class ticket using Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles. Specifically, I booked the following for 24,000 Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles plus $113.22 in taxes and fees:

9/21 AM412 Mexico City to Miami departing 7:10AM arriving 12:40PM

Flying Blue miles are are easy to come by, as the program is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou. On top of that, Flying Blue often sells miles at a discount.

Aeromexico business class lounge & boarding

In the previous installment, I reviewed the Aeromexico Lounge at Mexico City Airport, which leaves a bit to be desired. My flight was departing from gate 73, roughly a five-minute walk from the lounge. Boarding was scheduled for 6:25AM, 45 minutes ahead of the scheduled 7:10AM departure.

I want to give Aeromexico a shoutout for its straightforward boarding process — there are five zones, and each gate has five different lanes, which minimizes the confusion and chaos at the gate. Boarding started right on schedule, with Zone 1 (which included business class) being invited to board first.

Aeromexico 737 MAX business class cabin & seats

I had a favorable impression from the moment I stepped onboard the Aeromexico 737 MAX, as the cabin felt fresh and modern. Aeromexico has 16 business class seats on all of its 737 MAXs (both the MAX 8s and MAX 9s), in a 2-2 configuration. The airline has the Collins Aerospace MiQ seat, which is among the most common types of premium seats you’ll find in service.

Aeromexico’s business class seats have 38″ of pitch, which is roughly one more inch than you’ll find in first class on most US airlines.

I assigned myself seat 3A, the window seat on the left side in the third row.

Each seat has a personal entertainment screen, which is both quite large (13″) and high definition.

You’ll also find a little foot rest on the back of each seat, which is something that I wish US airlines offered more consistently, as it can help with getting comfortable, and seems like a pretty inexpensive addition.

Aeromexico’s business class seats have both AC and USB-A power outlets, located underneath the center armrests. That space can also double as a storage compartment, and it’s easy to access things thanks to the armrest raising and lowering.

The entertainment controller is also in this space, though I find it to be unnecessary, given that the monitor is touchscreen.

The center console also has an area where you can place drinks, plus an extendable tray, if you want more space.

There’s also a small storage compartment on the front side of the center console, though it’s pretty shallow, and I also feel like you could easily forget placing something here.

The tray table extends from the far armrest, and can be folded over in half, depending on whether you want to use the whole thing or not.

If you do fold it over in half, it also doubles as an entertainment device holder, should you bring your own tablet.

As you’d expect on a 737 MAX, the overhead bins and console are modern. The bins are the new larger ones that can accommodate more bags, while the overhead console has individual reading lights and air nozzles.

All-in-all, I was impressed by Aeromexico’s 737 MAX business class. It was a step up from American’s 737s, and it’s also a much more consistent product than you’ll find on Delta and United, which are all over the place with their interiors.

Aeromexico business class amenities

Waiting at each business class seat upon boarding was a basic pillow and blanket. I know this is nothing to get excited about, but I was thrilled to see this, since you just don’t typically get these on most US airlines anymore.

Toward the end of boarding, pre-departure drinks were served in proper glassware, with the choice of either water or orange juice. I selected the former.

Later on, after takeoff, headphones were distributed, in paper packaging. The headphones were pretty good for a short flight. However, note that Aeromexico has bluetooth audio on its 737 MAXs, so you might not actually need these.

While totally random, I found it interesting how Aeromexico had literature in the seat back pocket about human trafficking, and about how to spot the signs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before on another airline, though maybe I just haven’t been paying attention.

Aeromexico 737 MAX business class entertainment & Wi-Fi

Aeromexico’s 737 MAXs have large, high definition entertainment monitors in business class.

The first thing to note is that they offer bluetooth audio, so you can connect your own headphones to the entertainment selection, rather than using the ones provided by the airline.

The entertainment system had movies, TV shows, and music. I couldn’t quite figure out exactly how many there were of each option (due to the way things were organized), but the selection was extensive, and I think most people should have no trouble staying occupied throughout a flight.

As always, my favorite feature was the customizable map, which I always enjoy having on, when I have the option.

Aeromexico also offers Viasat Wi-Fi on its 737 MAXs. The system offers free messaging, or you can buy Wi-Fi for a full flight for just $8, with no data caps. I found the speeds to be great — personally I’ll take this over Delta’s free (but often slow) Wi-Fi, or American’s Viasat Wi-Fi, which is almost always priced way higher.

Aeromexico 737 MAX departure from Mexico City

The boarding process was efficient, despite the flight being full. Aeromexico has some very nice boarding music, which I enjoyed listening to while on the ground.

Boarding finished up at 7:05AM, at which point the main cabin door was closed, and the captain made his welcome aboard announcement. He informed us of our flight time of 2hr50min, and our cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, the safety video was screened.

At 7:10AM we began our pushback, and then 10 minutes later, we began our taxi.

We had a very short taxi to the runway, and I particularly enjoyed the views of the parked Guardia Nacional 727s — three engines, swoon!

We also taxied past the Aeromexico hangar, where there were a bunch of Aeromexico Connect Embraer jets undergoing maintenance.

We had a bit of a queue, and then at 7:35AM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 5L.

We had a long takeoff roll, given Mexico City’s high altitude, but our climb out was then smooth and gradual.

The seatbelt sign stayed on for around 20 minutes. Once it was turned off, the crew closed the curtains between cabins, and also between the cabin and the galley. I like how Aeromexico has proper curtains, unlike US carriers.

One thing worth mentioning about the flight is that there was one business class passenger seated a couple of rows from me who snored at probably the loudest volume I’ve ever heard, for the entirety of the flight. Even with headphones on, I could hear him. He put any crying baby I’ve ever heard to shame.

Aeromexico business class meal & service

Breakfast was served on this Aeromexico flight, given the early morning departure. Service was slow to get started after takeoff. On many airlines, you’ll get a round of drinks and then you’ll get the meal, but that wasn’t the case on Aeromexico. Instead, around an hour after takeoff, the flight attendant appeared in the cabin with a cart, containing both food and drinks.

The two breakfast options were described as an omelet or waffles. I selected the former, and I must say, it was significantly above average for an omelet on a North American airline.

The omelet was actually tasty, and had goat cheese, as well as a mild hot sauce. It was served with a side of greek yogurt, a croissant, and fresh fruit. I had a coffee to drink, and as far as airplane drip coffee goes, I found it to be surprisingly tasty.

The flight attendant passed through the cabin several times with the cart, either to clear trays, or to offer drink refills. Once she completed that, she passed through the cabin with a snack basket, which had several options, both sweet and savory.

All-in-all, I thought it was a pretty good meal for such a short flight. As far as service quality goes, the flight attendant was friendly, though the service flow definitely felt a bit assembly line-esque. I think it would be nice if Aeromexico offered a round of drinks before the meal, but that’s not a huge deal.

Aeromexico 737 MAX business class lavatory

There was a dedicated business class lavatory at the front of the plane. As is standard on the 737 MAX, it was claustrophobically small, and in particular, the sink was tiny. At least the lavatory was clean.

Aeromexico 737 MAX arrival in Miami

At around 11:55AM Miami time, the captain announced that we’d shortly be descending, and would be landing in around 30 minutes. Around five minutes later we began our descent, and at this point we made landfall on the west coast of Florida, just south of Marco Island.

We couldn’t have had a much more direct approach. We had a steep descent over the Everglades, and had a straight in approach into the east, for runway 9.

We touched down in Miami at 12:25PM.

From there we had a roughly 10-minute taxi — my eyes were drawn to the gorgeous Boliviana de Aviacion A330, which would be the next part of my adventure, after a couple of days of rest at home.

We pulled into our gate at 12:35PM, around five minutes ahead of schedule.

Bottom line

Aeromexico’s Boeing 737 MAX business class is a lovely experience, at least compared to what you’ll find on most US airlines. The airline has comfortable seats, great entertainment (with bluetooth audio), fast and reasonably priced Wi-Fi, and tasty food.

I don’t want to suggest that Aeromexico is some amazing airline in short haul markets, but on balance, I’d select the carrier over American, Delta, or United, and that’s to be commended.

What’s your take on Aeromexico’s 737 MAX business class?