Mexico City Airport - Avoid making connections here if you can. The airport is poorly signed and confusing, and with its vulnerability to fog/smog, flights can be delayed. Continental flies nonstop Houston-Huatulco, but only once or twice a week in the spring/fall shoulder seasons.
Note: For more details on specific connection issues at Mexico City's Benito Juarez Airport, see comments below. I will say that once a traveler has a concept of the layout (one very long terminal area with international gates at one end), it is easier than arriving clueless and depending on poor signage and misleading information. But I still believe that the first time around, it's good to have a little spare time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
What's in Huatulco? I've never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteI actually love the approach into MEX. I flew it in '05 and loved coming in over the high mountain, then diving in around the high rises.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find the airport that bad - I think they've done some major renovations to the terminals, but what's different is that its one really, really long building.
Yes I'd love to hear more about Huatulco - I'm not at all familiar either!
Buen viajes!!
Very Important news. Thanks for
ReplyDeleteposting.
James - The approach to Mexico City's Benito Juarez Airport was indeed gorgeous on my return flight -- no fog, snow-capped volcanoes sticking out of puffy white cloud and a bird's eye view of the sprawling city. On the way down to Mexico City, I had an aisle seat and was more concerned about making my connection because of the flight delay than about the scenery. I needn't have worried. The Mexico City-Huatulco flight was delayed even more.
ReplyDeleteAt the airport, when anyone asks any Mexicana agent from which gate Flight # Whatever leaves, the reply is often "Gate B." There is no Gate B. There are a whole bunch of Something-B Gates -- Gate 13B, Gate 17B, whatever. I waited near a bunch of those gates, but none of them looked promising. When I asked for the third time, it became semi-clear that I had to go up half a flight of stairs to Level B -- a large waiting area where gate announcements for some/many/all domestic flights are actually made. But instead of just directing me to the airside access (I think there is one), the Mexicana agent sent me out to the landside area through a glass-walled maze that required going through security again yo airside. Then, when my flight WAS announced on Level B, the announcer said, "All passengers for Flight XXX to Huatulco should be on board now." I raced to the gate only to find a leisurely line and passengers only just disembarking from the inbound flight.
As I wrote, it's not a user-friendly airport for making connections -- until you get a clue about the layout. I got it on my return flight and since I had only carry-ons, I was able to catch an earlier flight than I was booked on and arrived home 3 hours earlier than expected.
And,James, stay tuned for a Huatulco posting.