From Los Cabos to Mexico City and from Mexico City to Tijuana, we flew on an Aeromexico 737-9 MAX in economy class. Here’s a condensed review of both flights.
Aeromexico 737-9 MAX Economy Class Review
My ticket cost only 52 USD for both legs of the trip booking less than a week before departure, made possible because of Aeromexico’s low-cost competition (Viva and Volaris) offering even cheaper pricing on non-stop flights between the two cities.
I was very happy to pay so little for these flights with the added benefit of spending the night in Mexico City and thereby introducing my son to my favorite city in Mexico.
As I indicated earlier, we were originally booked on late evening flight from Los Cabos to CDMX, but successfully moved to an earlier afternoon flight for 500 MXN (just under 25 USD at current exchange rates).
I should also add that the Aeromexico app offered us upgrades on both flights: 105 USD for the SJD-MEX flight and 100 USD for MEX-TIJ. If I was traveling alone, 100 USD for the 3.5-hour flight to Tijuana would have been a no-brainer, but with Augustine, it simply is not worthwhile…all he wants to do is watch the screen, which is no different in economy class. He does not need the extra legroom.
The check-in process in SJD was easy…there was no line. Security had no line either and we enjoyed a nice stay in the VIP Lounge in Terminal 1.
While I was “kicked out” of the Sky Priority boarding lane, we were still among the first to board. The domestic terminal in SJD does not use jetbridges.
Aeromexico 387
Los Cabos (SJD) – Mexico City (MEX)
December 2024
Depart: 4:53 PM
Arrive: 8:15 PM
Duration: 02hr, 22min
Distance: 732 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737-9 MAX
Seat: 9E (Economy Class)
Onboard, we were greeted by a pair of flight attendants standing in the forward galley and made our way back to our seats.
Seats
The Aeromexico 737 MAX 9 features 165 seats in economy in a 3-3 configuration (16 seats in business class). Seat pitch is 31 inches.
Universal plugs were located under the seat (two for every three seats) and the monitors had USB-A plugs underneath.
Individual air vents were located in the passenger service unit above the seat.
Wi-Fi + IFE
I was very pleased that both flights not only had wi-fi internet onboard, but that it was fast and inexpensive. A flight pass cost 8 USD and the Viasat service worked very well…the flights were extremely productive.
A safety video was screened before takeoff.
Meanwhile, both flights were extremely entertaining for Augustine, who very much enjoyed the seatback screens and the content for children like Tom & Jerry cartoons (it makes me chuckle that he enjoys the same 1960s cartoons that I enjoyed as a kid and that my mother enjoyed as a kid).
The library included movies, TV shows, and music…and I quite enjoyed some of my favorite hymns onboard…
A moving flight map as well.
Complimentary headphones were provided, but they were very cheap and uncomfortable in the ear (no rubber or foam padding). Thankfully, we had kept our heapdhones from our earlier Delta flight, which were much better.
And the IFE system also has Bluetooth connectivity, so I was able to connect using my AirPods.
It was a beautiful day outside and we enjoyed a lovely sunset as we approached Mexico City.
Food + Drink
Only drinks and light snacks are offered on Aeromexico domestic flights. Snacks included peanuts and cookies while the beverage selection included complimentary alcohol.
I just had “agua mineral” (sparkling water) while Augustine had “zumo de manzana” (apple juice).
While I greatly appreciate that Aeromexico offers free drinks, I’d love to see it offer heartier meals for purchase, like SkyTeam partner SAS offers.
Lavatories
Lavatories are very small…there are three in the back and one in front.
* * *
We landed on-time in Mexico City and were quickly off the aircraft, though it took 15 minutes for an Uber to show up.
Back at MEX the next afternoon, we already had our boarding passes for our connecting flight and stopped at the Aeromexico Terraza Premier Lounge before boarding our flight to TJ.
Aeromexico 178
Mexico City (MEX) – Tijuana (TIJ)
December 2024
Depart: 3:40 PM
Arrive: 5:35 PM
Duration: 03hr, 55min
Distance: 1,429 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737-9 MAX
Seat: 12C (Economy Class)
This flight was essentially a mirror image of the prior flight.
Our flight was not as full and Augustine and I enjoyed an open middle seat between us, giving us plenty of room to spread out. I ended up moving to the middle seat, though, because the massive passenger seated in the row in front of me on the aisle promptly reclined, making it more difficult for me to work.
This time the peanut mix did not have dried fruit. Flight attendants performed two beverage services early in the flight, but then disappeared for the remainder of the flight.
The internet worked flawlessly.
We again enjoyed a lovely sunset as we approached Tijuana.
We landed ahead of schedule but had to taxi for a bit, pulling up to the gate on time.
From there, it was on to the CBX to cross back into the USA, which I will outline in a future post.
CONCLUSION
I found my two domestic Aeromexico flights on the 737-9 MAX to be very pleasant. Legroom is a bit on the tight side, especially when your seatmate in front of you reclines, but I appreciated the seatback screens, fast wi-fi, power outlets, individual air vents, and complimentary beverages.
It has been a few years since I’ve flown Aeromexico longhaul (787-9 review here) and I hope to do so again soon.
Tom & Jerry cartoons are the best. Glad to hear Augustine enjoys them.
The IFE on the MAX 9 looks like United’s NEXT interior IFE
AM is all over the board. Those look like some seriously pleasant domestic flights. I’ve had worse experiences with them in J.
I so enjoy your articles. What a pleasant flight. Nice to see that you travel with young Augustine in tow. What a father! Best wishes and Merry Christmas to yourself and your family and friends- from somewhere in Montana