During my recent trip to Puerto Vallarta to speak at a tourism convention, I flew Aeromexico from New York City, with a connection in Mexico City. This is a summary of my travel experience on the flight from New York to Mexico City.
THE FLIGHT: New York City/John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Mexico City/Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX); Boeing 737-700, economy class, 4 hours, 40 minutes
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THE AIRPORT: We arrived three hours early at JFK airport Terminal 1, so the check-in process was fast, as was the security screening. When it comes to boarding Aeromexico frequently uses a somewhat strange boarding system that splits economy-class passengers by the type of seat they have — boarding first the window, then the middle seats, then the aisles. It’s not made clear how passengers who are seated next to each other should board (do they have to split up and board separately based on aisle and middle, even though they’re seated next to each other and are ticketed together?). I have elite status with Delta Air Lines, which translates into status with Aeromexico, as they are partners in the SkyTeam alliance — but they never announced the “Group 2” boarding that was indicated on my boarding passes, moving instead directly from business class to the strange “window-middle-aisle” process. I had to ask about Group 2, and then they let me board.
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THE AIRCRAFT: The Aeromexico Boeing 737-700 has two classes of service, as well as premium economy seating in the front of the economy cabin, which is where I sat. Here’s a roundup of the on-board amenities and services:
Airline seating: The headrests had wings (a favorite amenity for me)
Blankets & pillows? Blankets were waiting on every seat in economy class; only some had pillows.
Inflight entertainment? Free headphones were waiting on the seats in economy class, which could be used to watch movies and programming on the overhead screens.
Inflight food? A warm croissant sandwich was served (for free) on this morning flight.
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THE ARRIVAL: Our arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City was efficient, and there were nearly no lines at customs or immigration. We connected onward to our flight to Puerto Vallarta from there.