Volaris Airlines Review [2024]: Will It Get You to Mexico?

The main options were the usual bunch: United, Alaska, Delta, and AeroMexico. As you're probably aware, they're usually the most frequent and reliable but usually expensive.

I've recently heard of flights with a Mexican low-cost airline called Volaris, so I decided to do a little research. While they're no AeroMexico, they seem like a legit and cheap airline on paper. So what's the catch?

We've covered a fair number of airlines already, like TAP Air, Wingo, and Volotea, but today I'll focus on covering Volaris Airlines!

If you're flying from the States, especially somewhere along the south and eastern states, you can probably book a relatively cheap flight from Volaris to major Mexican destinations like Cancún, Guadalajara, Mexico City, or Tijuana.

But should you? What's the difference between Volaris and Viva Aerobus, another low-cost Mexican carrier?

Let's find out, shall we? First, a little on what Volaris is.

What Is Volaris Airline?

Founded in 2005, Volaris is a low-cost Mexican airline flying primarily between Mexico and the United States.

Its headquarters are located in Mexico City, Mexico, and they pride itself on being THE "ultra-low-cost" airline carrier in Mexico, the US, and Central America. They're also the second-largest airline in Mexico, next to AeroMexico.

In addition to the Benito Juarez Intl Airport (MEX), they also have hubs in Guadalajara's Don Migual Hidalgo y Costilla Intl Airport (GDL), Tijuana's G. Abelardo L. Rodriguez Intl Airport (TIJ), and Monterrey's G. Mariano Escobedo Intl. Airport (MTY).

Being a low-cost carrier, Volaris has earned its local and international popularity as a cheaper alternative to Mexico's flagship Airlines.

By the way, If you're considering visiting Mexico City, I would recommend checking out the cool hostels to stay in Mexico City!

Volaris Airline fleets

Volaris rocks an entirely exclusive Airbus fleet most suitable for medium to short-distance flights, as the routes between U.S. and Mexico would indicate.

Volaris nowadays primarily uses A320 and A321 aircraft, which carry around 174 to 230 passengers, depending on internal configurations. Speaking of internal seating options, Volaris is a low-cost carrier, so they only have Economy class seatings.

I was actually impressed to read that Volaris has A321 fleets, since they're relatively new and are a big upgrade, in my opinion, in the seating experience.

They unfortunately have no wifi onboard, which was sad but expected from a low-cost carrier.

Volaris accommodates pets as carry-on luggage, provided the animal and their cage weigh less than 22 lbs. Before boarding the plane, you'll also need their vaccination records and health certificates.

Where Does Volaris Fly?

Unlike larger airlines (In this case AeroMexico), Volaris has only a handful of destinations where they fly.

These are restricted to Mexico, the US, and Central America. In the Americas, Volaris flies to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. They have the most destinations in Mexico.

Volaris also flies in and out of several cities in the US. If you're looking to find the best fare deals out of a city near you, I'd use this tool on Volaris' website! It will quickly show you all the cities in the US where Volaris operates and where you can travel to at the best rates. But, be sure to check flight details closely, as most of the flight fares advertised on their website are one-way!

If you're unsure how to get to your hotel from the airport after your flight with Volaris, you can book an airport transfer through their website.

This page is only available in Spanish, so if that's not a language you feel comfortable with, you might want to check with individual airports for their recommendations.

TIP: When you book your online reservation, make sure to check if the pricing is set to Mexican Pesos (MXN) or United States Dollars (USD). You'd be surprised how often people had issues with this in the reviews!

How Much Does Volaris Charge for Baggage?

Much to my dismay, but similar to many low-cost airlines, how much baggage you're allowed on Volaris flights will depend on the class of ticket you have purchased.

Volaris has three fares: Zero, Basic, and Plus. They switched away from their original Vuela Plus, Vuela Classic, and Vuela Basic, which was confusing, to say the least. What you're allowed will depend on where you're flying.

Domestic Flights

Within Mexico, you have the option of Zero, Basic, and Plus.

Zero is what most budget airlines give you: 1 personal item that must fit under the seat in front of you. Examples given were laptop bags, briefcases, or purses.

Basic is an upgrade from Zero, which gets you one personal item and one carry-on bag in total. The carry-on should be no bigger than 22 x 16 x 10 inches in dimension, and both bags should not exceed 44 lbs.

Plus gets you one personal item, two carry-on bags, and one checked bag. Personal items and carry-on bags follow the same rules as the Basic tier: all three bags should not exceed 44 lbs. The checked luggage can go up to 55 lbs and 62 inches total in dimension maximum (length + width + height).

Oh, you also get priority boarding with Plus.

International Flights

On international flights, it's basically the same as Domestic flights, except you can only bring one total carry-on for both Basic and Plus tiers.

The same dimension and weight rules apply the same to all tiers. Zero gets you one personal item only, Basic gets you one personal item + one carry-on, and the Plus gets you one personal item, one carry-on, and one checked luggage + priority boarding.

Volaris Customer Service

I always try to research an airline's customer service reputation. Sometimes things happen, and if you have a question or need to speak directly with someone about your booking, you must know how to contact Volaris.

I'm sad to say it's not ideal. There are a few options, but many of them don't involve speaking with a human. If you need to review what you've purchased or make any changes to your booking, you can log into "My Trips" on Volaris' website or download their app.

You can also visit their content pages for answers to frequently asked questions.

Other than that, the most likely option is to send a message to a chatbot. You can use Facebook Messenger or contact them through Whatsapp at +52 55 5898 8599.

They state that the chatbot can help with most things but that if you'd like to speak with a human representative, I can tell you the wait time can be up to two hours.

Volaris Refunds: Red Flag

This might be a dealbreaker for many travelers, but I feel this must be addressed.

Unfortunately, Volaris Airlines is a Mexican airline, which means they're not required to abide by U.S. Department of Transportation rules and regulations when it comes to flight delay and cancellation procedures.

However, under Volaris Scheduled International Air Passenger Service Terms and Services, if your flight departs from the States, you should still be compensated or accommodated by US DOT rules.

In the case of international flights not originating from the States or other reasons for cancellation, the terms of service get even more vague.

This is unfortunate since many reviews I've been reading involve Volaris staff not handing out refunds or compensation for delayed or canceled flights.

As for personal cancellations, Volaris official statement is that you're always to cancel your domestic flights and be entitled to a refund if you notify them 24 hours after tickets are purchased and you've not checked into your flight.

If you book your flight within 24 hours of departure, you must call in at least 3 hours before your scheduled departure and have not checked in.

I've gotta say, I was super disappointed by its vague language and its lack of a direct method of contact for flight inquiries.

Check-in Procedures

If you've opted to fly with Volaris, you can check in on their website or via their app.you  I highly recommend downloading the app before you arrive at the airport. It'll save you a lot of time should schedule changes at the airport.

You can also check in at the counter, which will cost you an additional fee. Again, make sure to ask if the payment is in Pesos or Dollars!

On domestic flights, you can check in between 72 hours and 1 hour before departure. On international flights, check-in is open between 24 hours and 1 hour before departure.

What Are People Saying About Volaris?

Before trying out a new airline, you'll want to know what other travelers say!

I mean, that's why you're here, right?

Volaris online reviews are what I expected - they currently hold an average rating of 2.5/5 stars from 6000 reviews.

The biggest complaint from former passengers is Volaris' lack of customer service support and how hard it is to speak to someone rather than just the bot. Many reviews talk about never being able to speak to an actual agent, which makes resolving any difficulties or cancellations difficult. Personally, I'm almost always waiting for the human.

Many comments also speak to hidden fees or paying for things like a new flight when your original one was canceled. I haven't experienced this, but it would disappoint me.

Overall, many travelers speak to getting what they paid for in terms of service quality and the overall experience. Personally, I was very disappointed at their unclear refund policy, but then again, all budget airlines are more or less the same.

Is Volaris Worth It?

Volaris, in short, is a low-cost airlines that provides users with low-cost fares to fly to various destinations all around Mexico. It gets the job done and has earned a market share of being the second-largest airline in Mexico.

I would generally veer away from this airline unless their flights were considerably cheaper than the alternatives AND if I'm booking during off-peak seasons. That's my preference though!

If you're looking for the cheapest price and have no preference for quality or service and theres no other budget flights to the destination of your choice, Volaris is an okay choice.

However, if you have other options, I'd strongly recommend you to weigh your options. Expect frequent delays, lack of customer service, minimal inflight service, and just overall what you'd expect from another budget airlines that works on volume over quality.

My review: 2.2/5

Pros:

• Direct Flights to Mexican Destinations
• Cheap Base Fares
• They have A321 fleets

Cons:

• Few destinations outside Mexico & US
• Hard to reach customer support
• Poor customer service
• ​Ambiguous refund policy

Fly High With Pilot!

Whether you decide to book your next adventure to Mexico with Volaris, or you decide to shop around for different airlines, I want to help make your next trip the best it can be. 

As you lock down different details, be sure to log them with Pilot to keep your itinerary in one place!