Quote:
Originally Posted by malcorub16
2 bad reviews for Viva Aerobus both of which calling it a zoo and "flying Greyhound" hahaahha...interesting, sounds like I will stay away from that one.
Anyways, it looks like they are based in Monterrey NL and don't come over here to Tijuana or anywhere on the West Coast of the US.
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Viva is owned by a bus company. Mexicans fly about 30 million domestic air trips per year. If I am not mistaken, Californians fly more trips than that 500 miles or less. At the same time they take 75 million executive or luxury intercity bus trips. This is a category of travel that is almost completely non-existent in the USA. Primarily it is because tolls and automobile rental are so expensive in Mexico, that even middle class people often take the bus.
Executive bus travel can cost twice as much as first class buses. They often put as few as 25 seats in a bus, and they lay flat. They have a bag of toiletries and movies for viewing. The three low cost airlines aim to turn the majority of these 75 million riders into airplane passengers.
The problem is, of course, infrastructure and in particular the massive reliance on Mexico city airport. Outside of MEX the only significant airports for transfers are Monterrey and Guadalajara, with Tijuana and Cancun being primarily origin and destination airports.
The plan is to completely rebuild MEX so that it can handle more passengers than ATL.
Average fares converted to USD are (according to Volaris)
$71.10 Viva Aerobus (Houston only destination in USA)
$94.10 Volaris (16 USA destinations)
$104.50 Interjet (5 USA destinations)
$171.80 Aeromexico (17 USA and Montreal)
The fare comparison may not have much validity concerning Aeromexico as that airline flies 14 widebody jets in addition to it's fifty 737's.
Volaris has 58 middle seats on most planes and leaves 31 seats empty on average. Interjet has 50 middle seats and leaves 42 empty on average. Viva uses maximum density and the legal minimum of 28" pitch.
Volaris intends to acquire 19 new aircraft in the next two years, 10 for replacing older smaller jets, and 9 for future growth. That will bring their fleet up to 59 jets.
Check prices on Interjet. If they are not too high, your trip will be much more comfortable and your drinks will be free.
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