This is the fourth part (actually it’s the fifth leg of the trip) of the reports from my trip to Mexico on May/June this year. In the ending I’ll post some pictures of Mexico City as well.
The date of the flight I got to the airport 3 hours and a half on an Uber. I left my hotel quite early because I’ve heard a lot about Mexico City’s traffic issues. But in the end I arrived quite early with plenty of extra time. I asked the driver to leave me on the International departures area in Terminal 1, which is at the ending of the building.
Then I went to LATAM’s counters. There wasn’t anyone there yet. In a couple of hours they had a flight departing to LIM.
You’ll notice that my boarding pass has de KSML code. I asked for a kosher meal after the awful meal I had on the GRU-MEX flight.
After leaving my luggage I walked through the pre departure area because I had a lot of time to spend. I found there is a food court similar to the one there is on the air side of the building. So cool! The Mexican people really know how to eat well! There were many places and different budget options.
Then I went back to the international area and went through security. I asked the agent if there as any migrations control but she said no. When you arrive the country they give you a small paper you have to keep until you depart and hand it to the airline staff. When I checked in, the agent on the LATAM desk attached this paper to my boarding pass. And then the airline hands in these papers to the migrations office.
Then I continued walking on the air side, I went back to my favorite part of the airport. The 7 eleven store. I bought a little sandwich just in case the meal was bad again haha.
At 16 I saw on the screen my departure gate was assigned. But I still had one hour and a half left.
So I kept walking and I got to gate 14. This gate has no Jetway. It’s just a glass door. I sit by these doors because it’s the only “window” to see what’s going on on the platform and runways. As I mentioned on the other reports, MEX is not a spotter friendly airport at all. So while I was sitting there I could spot LATAM Peru Boeing 767 departing to LIM. Also, I saw many aircraft from Interjet, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, and the landing of an Alitalia Boeing 777 coming from FCO, among others.
There was less time left for my flight and I went closer to the gate. There was the LATAM Brazil Boeing 767, PT-MOB (still with the TAM livery). Luckily it’s much younger than the plane on the other flight. You see what I mean with this spotter unfriendliness? :-(
At 17.25 the boarding process had started. First, passengers on Bussiness class and status, then passengers with special needs and with small children, and finally the rest.
When I boarded I noticed this aircraft had a renewed interior, and the IFE screens were newer than the ones on the other flight. The flight was almost full, at least in Economy cabin. Most passengers were Brazilian, and some Mexicans too. There was a big group of a Brazilian triathlon team.
As soon as I sat, I started investigating the IFE system. It was really amazing! They had many of my favorite TV series from last year (Big Little Lies, Westworld, The Handmaid’s Tale, and others). Besides from premier films, and various genres, they had some documentaries on LGTB issues for the pride month. I couldn’t decide what to watch!
Leg room
Please don’t steal me
My view: Alitalia Boeing 777, Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 and Air France Airbus 380
Reading material
At 18.45 we took off. We headed towards east and then south.
Later the FA’s handed the menus. I regretted about ordering a kosher meal haha. I told them I had this special order and they say they were aware.
Before they started serving the meals they came to ask me if it was ok to heat my meal and I said yes. Before serving the rest they handed me my meal and drinks. The meal came on a box with the label of kosher certification under Mexico City’s Rabbinate supervision. The hot tray contained: rice, vegetables and fried fish balls. It was ok. Inside the box there were: corn toasts (amazing), two honey buns, bread, marmalade and a cold fish salad which was ok too. When I saw what they served to my seat mate I notice how less abundant it was. After the dinner service the chief FA came to ask me if everything on my meal was ok.
After dinner I continued watching a film I started before “Todo sobre mi madre”, a Pedro Almodovar film. After that, as I wasn’t sleepy yet, I re watched Big Little Lies season finale chapter. When it ended we were passed over all Central America.
When we were flying over Cali I tried to sleep. I still had 5 more hours of flight.
An hour before landing I woke up, and immediately the FAs came serving the breakfast. Again, mine was served first. On the hot box there was an omelet with vegetables that I didn’t touch. On the box was exactly the same as in the dinner box. Except there was a fruit salad instead of the fish salad. For me it was quite heavy for a breakfast.
At 5.30 the captain announced we were descending and 25 minutes later we landed. We headed to the remote positions near Terminal 3, and we parked near another LATAM 767. Then I saw the landing of Aeromexico Boeing 787 that departed behind us!
We disembarked trough stairs and we were driven by bus to Terminal 3 main building. Most passengers were continuing their way to migrations. I went to security control and they were moving very slow. I had just one hour before my flight to ROS. I asked one of the agents if I could make it and she said yes. The agents were very nice and chatty. After this I went to the departures upper floor to find the gate for my next flight.
Now the Bonus from Mexico City!
El Angel de la Independencia
Churros and hot chocolate
Bellas Artes Museum
Teotihuacan Pyramids
Virgin of Guadalupe complex
Frida Kahlo Museum
Chapultepec Palace
Soumaya Museum
Museum of Anthropology
See more
Verdict
LATAM
8.4/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi10.0
Meal/catering6.5
Mexico City - MEX
8.3/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness8.0
Sao Paulo - GRU
6.5/10
Efficiency6.5
Access5.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.5
Conclusion
The flight was ok. Kosher meal is much more abundant than the small portions of the regular economy meal. The FAs were very nice and accommodating. If I had to fly again a long haul flight I would consider LATAM, but I’ll order a special meal again.
8 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Nice report as always! I´m amazed that Latam now uses Terminal 1 in DF instead of Terminal 2. Back in 2011 I took a Lan flight LIM-MEX, ant the aircraft arrived in Terminal 2 the same building that Aeromexico uses
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Lan and Aeromexico used to have some kind of alliance. I remember Aeromexico flights used to accumulate km in LANPASS frequent flyer programe
Thanks for this FR. MEX is definitely more of a shopping mall than a place where you see planes before boarding. Kosher meals are indeed more abundant but also not always fresh and diverse. Nice bonus of Mexico City.
I find MEX to be a ghastly place, lets hope AMLO doesn't shut the new airport project and it is a far better place than the one it will replace. LA on the other hand seemed to to better than they do in their domestic flights.
Hola! When i flew from MEX to CUN I spotted the construction site for the new airport. I looks pretty nice from the sky. Lets see how it gets. I posted a pic of it in my MEX-CUN report. Saludos!
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6 Comments
MEX is definitely more of a shopping mall than a place where you see planes before boarding.
Kosher meals are indeed more abundant but also not always fresh and diverse.
Nice bonus of Mexico City.
My meal was fresh, but it was a little boring to have the almost the same thing for dinner and for breakfast.
Cheers!
LA on the other hand seemed to to better than they do in their domestic flights.
Saludos!
Saludos!
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