flights from Cancun to Cozumel?

[BettyfromToronto]

Robin: So we are finally going to meet in May? I assume you will be at SCC? Looking forward to it

Betty

 

[cvchief]

Well, certainly if you travel heavy, maybe Mayair isn't an option. I don't use them on the way down. I have done the bus. Nothing wrong with it, but for 4 people, I can get a private van cheaper from my van guy and make the trip FASTER. He meets me at the door and helps me get my crap in the van. I do come down heavy often. Someone needed a stand mixer once, 50+ pounds of carnival supplies, condo stuff, hyperbaric chamber supplies.... My gear stays local. Nice too to grab a tricycle and let the guy take my bags onto the secure dock, so I don't have to sclep them while I am waiting for the next ferry. Usually i miss the ferry by a minute. Like I literally watch it leave I seems.

Coming home though, I am always light. I have a carryon with not a whole lot in it. Most of it is the empty duffles I brought stuff down in. Weight is have never been an issue. But heck, it is Mexico: Why not email them an negotiate for weight? Can't hurt. And if it doesn't work as an option, don't be mad at Mayair for flying small planes with less that 20 people on them. I love those guys. I am a little ticked to hear that Al got $35 tickets. I suck at negotiating apparently. But the last time it was a little rainy. Mayair brought out a parcel of golf umbrellas. They opened them in a big stack outside the door and handed one to each passenger for the walk out. Then at the plane they took them as you got in. I imaging AA or Delta wouldn't even offer you a towel once you got on the plane soaked!

I don't know that I am looking forward to this whole SW thing. I like my Airtran non-stop. I like picking my seats and all that. I was looking for Airtan flight in July. None were showing when I looked. Tell me I am going to like this SW thing.....

 

[Mossman]

That's a good point. I don't recall ever boarding a flight on the tarmac when it was raining. Do they make everyone walk through the rain and line up for the stairs while getting soaked?

 

[Mike]

. Tell me I am going to like this SW thing.....

Many people rave about SW. I personally can't stand flying with them and avoid them like the plague. The whole cattle line up thing at the gate, the crazy everybody sitting at a computer waiting to pounce to sign in at the same moment to get a better seat.. the walking into a plane filled with stooges staring at you from their aisle and window seats with the empty middle seat between everybody...the seat saving antics that their system creates... ... just not my cup of tea for the sake of a little lower ticket price, SW just represents the very bottom of the barrel to me.

 

[cvchief]

Many people rave about SW. I personally can't stand flying with them and avoid them like the plague. The whole cattle line up thing at the gate, the crazy everybody sitting at a computer waiting to pounce to sign in at the same moment to get a better seat.. the walking into a plane filled with stooges staring at you from their aisle and window seats with the empty middle seat between everybody...the seat saving antics that their system creates... ... just not my cup of tea for the sake of a little lower ticket price, SW just represents the very bottom of the barrel to me.

Didn't I say help me like SW? Ugg.... How plebeian.... I want to buy early, pay early and get those exit row seats.

 

[Mossman]

Many people rave about SW. I personally can't stand flying with them and avoid them like the plague. The whole cattle line up thing at the gate, the crazy everybody sitting at a computer waiting to pounce to sign in at the same moment to get a better seat.. the walking into a plane filled with stooges staring at you from their aisle and window seats with the empty middle seat between everybody...the seat saving antics that their system creates... ... just not my cup of tea for the sake of a little lower ticket price, SW just represents the very bottom of the barrel to me.

SW has always worked great as a local carrier: multiple flights a day between California airports and Vegas. Even a middle seat isn't so bad when the flight is only an hour.

As for longer flights, you can always pay a little more and reserve a better place in line that guarantees you a good seat pick.

 

[georoc01]

Yes its Maya Air, yes I did it once and had no problems. You have to chain terminals in the Cancun airport and there is a shuttle bus that will take you over. No services at the commuter terminal so be aware of that if you think you would want to grab a snack before your flight.

As far as baggage allowances go, we had no problems, but the plane wasn't full either. I have a feeling that it might have been a bigger deal if there were more than just a couple of us on the plane.

The other trick was once we got to Cozumel, all of the international flights were long completed so there were no taxis to be found and the taxi stand closed. We were able to get someone to call for a taxi and being the last drop off, took a while.

Did we save much time doing it that way vs. the bad drag? Probably not too much, depending on the timing of how long you end up spending in Playa waiting for the ferry. I've had waits as long as 3 hours. At least for that, you have plenty of beachside bars to kill time at.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Did we save much time doing it that way vs. the bad drag? Probably not too much, depending on the timing of how long you end up spending in Playa waiting for the ferry. I've had waits as long as 3 hours. At least for that, you have plenty of beachside bars to kill time at.

Exactly. Such a hardship waiting for the ferry.

 

[cvchief]

Exactly. Such a hardship waiting for the ferry.

Which is another reason we ferry down. The ferry TO Cozumel is relaxing. From Cozumel, not so much.

 

[DjDiverDan]

Mike and CVChief, you don't actually have to fly SW to like it. Just watch carefully the effect SW has on prices for competetive airlines. The FAA even has a name for it - the "Southwest Effect". This was a big part of the debate over repealing the Wright Amendment, which limited Southwest's ability to fly out of Love Field in Dallas. Take just two examples - Dallas/Kansas City and Dallas/St. Louis. Before the Wright Amendment was modified to allow SW to fly to Missouri, American had a virtual monopoly on these routes. Many years ago, I represented a client in a big trucking company bankruptcy in Topeka Kansas; I had to fly into Kansas City and drive to Topeka, and RT air from DFW to KC on American ran about $580. Once SW was allowed to fly to Missouri, and added a Dallas Love to KC route, airfares dropped by over 30%. Same story with Dallas to St. Louis. Expect airfares into Cancun and, to a lesser extent, Cozumel, to drop on other airlines once traffic from Southwest picks up. So even if you hate the SW model for boarding and seat assignment (BTW, the mathematics behind that model and why it is the most efficient for filling a plane and allowing a quick turnaround, part of SW's cost advantage over other airlines, is fascinating for math geeks), and decide not to fly SW, you should still root for SW because its low-cost model keeps airfares in check and reduces ALL fares on routes where it competes.