Flights to Cozumel about to get more expensive

[Ron Lee]

If the price difference going to CUN versus CZM is only about $70 USD less (CUN cheaper) I would not do it unless other significant factors are at play. Just the roundtrip bus and ferry will cost around $50 USD. I actually like the bus/ferry option and developed this crude website to document the process.

Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen/Cozumel by ADO Bus

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Ron,

Just remember those folks who could get a non stop to Cancun vs a plane change in Denver today, or Houston during thunderstorms. That is a much bigger factor in my mind. I also have timed it and the direct into Cancun is usually faster in getting you to Cozumel than a plane change that happens to be on time!


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[Ron Lee]

You are correct Dave. People have differing views on travel aspects. Another might be that the only option is fly into Cancun. Not long ago I was flying COS-DFW-CZM. Mechanical problems at COS resulted in me missing the ONLY flight to CZM. Problem? No. I just changed my DFW flight to CUN and took the bus and ferry. I got to Cozumel a bit later but no worries.

On connecting flights into the US, I typically allow around three hours for customs/immigration at the first US stop.

 

[cvchief]

I am finding the Cancun option even sucks on pricing out of Washington. Cancun next week is costing me maybe 390 because I waited so long to buy the tickets. CUN in June is looking to be closer to 500 now.

 

[blue steal]

I have looked at the flights from lax-cun, most are 1 stop in mexico city or somewhere else.
Very few non stop flights. Money aside, about $70 difference (COZ versus CUN), and taking Dave's advice about possible delays and missing the only connection/flight into COZ could happen. So a non stop would have to be the option.
But the nonstop flights I have seen so far land after 5pm. How much time would it take, at that time of day, to get at the Coz ferry landing. I know I can add another $50-$55 RT due to ferry/bus/porter costs.

 

[azscubadude]

From what I heard and read AA was the last of the larger (and many smaller) airline companies that hadn't filed for BK in recent history. They did so purely to shed people and reorganize (with hopes of a possible merger with U.S. Airways).

The financial guys were adamant that AA's only reason was to shed people, flights and expensive leases on older planes (they have huge orders for new planes) as well as dump pension plan costs they were looking at paying in the future.

When they filed for BK they had 4.1 billion dollars in cash in the bank (google it). There was a term the financial guys used to describe these funds but basically the 4.1 billion was not encumbered in any way, it was cold hard cash.

So in a few years, when they emerge from BK they will be a totally different airline, the pension plan will have been dumped on the U.S. Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp where the pensions will be cut to a fraction of what was promised to the people that worked there all through the years.

There was an interview of one employee that had worked for one of the other big airlines for 35 years and after the BK courts got done his pension was cut (after 35 years of service) to around $200.00 per month.

It's basically using the BK laws as legal thievery. They have already announced in the last couple days they are laying off 13,000 employees just to start with. They aren't going anywhere unless they get taken over in a merger or hostile takeover.

 

[Ron Lee]

Blue Steal, look at the link in Post #11. Check the ADO site for current times along with ferry crossing times to know your options.

ADO buses at 510 PM, 615 PM, 650 PM, 730 PM, 840 PM and 1000 PM

PDC departure ferries at 700 PM, 800 PM, 1000 PM

 

[cvchief]

Another little tid-bit of trivia, if you have a couple people for the Mayair run from CUN to CZM, you may be able to negotiate on the chat function of their page. Now given I had 5 adults and 2 kids, but they gave me tickets at 43ish rather than 52. not a bad little discount.

 

[njones259]

ITA is showing some tuesdays and wednesdays at $395 in june,last night was in the $500 range.yesterday was able to nab a bwi to vegas for $153 dollars,today is $390.

 

[1erCRU]

My recent AA travel strategy (for the last fews years) is to take the Non-Stop or best direct from LAX to CUN then the ferry, since it is currently difficult/expensive/impossible to get to CZM from SoCal in a same day. I book my return CZM-SNA (I live in OC) or LAX, no ferry, no bus, easy connection in DFW with lots of west coast flight options (SAN ONT LGB LAX BUR SNA) if there is a problem. With the time change working for me I can spend the whole morning relaxing then leave CZM at 14:00 and be home at 20:30.