(Post 257 of 263)

I flew to Canada carry-on only primarily because I did not trust Canadian airlines with my luggage. I think that was a smart move. Air Canada could have probably gotten my suitcase from Regina to Montreal, but with Westjet having fallen into absolute chaos and rerouting me through Edmonton, I bet I would have arrived in Regina to find my suitcase had been forwarded to Halifax. But I wanted to come home to Mexico with a checked bag so I could do some shopping in Canada. So I only considered Aeroméxico to come home, finding a great flight that needed me at YUL at 7AM to walk in the door at home by 7PM, so a 15-hour day door-to-door counting the time change, and that included a nearly 2-hour layover in CDMX, but with no terminal change, like last time. I did some math and discovered it was barely more expensive to upgrade my economy ticket to business class than it was to add a couple of checked bags!

Come from a country where I’ve always had to live frugally, the idea of one day flying better than economy just wasn’t on my radar. So this was quite a surprise, and I jumped on the opportunity! I did some research about the expected perks and they included lounge access at both YUL and CDMX, priority boarding, larger seats, and a meal on the longer leg. Lounge access! I was finally going to see how the other half travel! But I was disappointed to learn that the Air France lounge at YUL has a history of not honouring a lounge reciprocity agreement with Aeroméxico, turning away travellers with a right to use the lounge. So I prepared myself to be denied entry. Bit disappointing, but I was glad to know this ahead of time.

My mother and I left for Dorval at 6AM on July 2nd, getting me to YUL by 7AM in plenty of time for my 10:15M flight. I was able to go to the head of the check-in line to drop my bags. All my interactions at baggage drop-off were made with the assumption I’d want to do them in Spanish, and that did not change when my accent was revealed. I was pleased to learn that my bags would go to Mérida on there own, no need to recheck them in CDMX. The final thing I was told was that I could have access to the “VIP room” at Gate 57 and that the Air France nonsense had been “dealt with.” Ooh!

Security was mad with wait times estimated at 20 minutes. I was again able to skip the queue and be processed immediately and without fuss. My ticket was already feeling like a huge bargain.

I schlepped to Gate 57 and stepped into the entrance for the Air France lounge. The attendant scanned my ticket saying only “Aeroméxico.” Was that a tone of disdain? LOL Who cares? I headed upstairs to find a beautiful quiet space with comfy chairs by huge windows to watch planes take off and land. I was promptly greeted and walked through the buffet options and how to make coffee.

There was going to be another meal on the plane, so I only made a small plate and a delicious Americano, then sat down to brag about my situation on Facebook. I then made a second coffee and couldn’t resist another small apple Danish to go with it, before moving to a lounge chair. What luxury to wait a few hours for your flight in a quiet place where you can leave your bags while you use the washroom! They all have a huge shower in them. Imagine if Westjet had given travellers access to a space like this to spend the night in Edmonton…

I headed down to my gate at about 9:30. Boarding started quickly, and I was one of the first on the plane, with my seat being in the very front row and by TWO windows. There was nowhere to stow my backpack and I was never asked to put it in a bin, so I was able to have access to the contents for the whole flight. With the seat came a blanket and pillow, both of which came in handy. A flight attendant promptly offered me a juice or water before takeoff.

Once in the air, I was brought my in-flight meal. I’d been offered a few days before by email a choice of frittata, bagel with smoked salmon, or waffles. Since I’d already had smoked salmon in the previous week, I chose waffles. I couldn’t believe how good the meal was, everything cooked to perfection, with some lovely fresh fruit as well. The coffee was served in a real cup as well.

I fell asleep after breakfast, but woke up for the second beverage service. They they did not have apple soda, my usual go-to on Mexican flights, so I had regular apple juice, also in a real glass. The “Ciel” is my neighbour’s mineral water.

Arrival in CDMX was a bit confusing as I’d been given the impression I would not have to go through security again, so I kept thinking I was going to the wrong place. But everyone I asked told me I was going the correct way for a transfer to Mérida, so I just followed the indications. First stop was, of course, border control. Like last time, I was directed to take the much shorter citizens’ line rather than the very long queue for tourists. I forgot to mention that when I left Cancún, all I needed to exit was a stamp in my passport, unlike last time when I had to fill out a form to hang on to and return at entry. To reenter, I just got a reentry stamp. It’s fantastic to see such processes being streamlined! Entry was just like last time, a stamp and a welcome home.

Security at CDMX was intense. You couldn’t take anything through in your hands, not even your passport, and they made me put my phone and Watch out in the open in a tray, where I’d been able to leave my phone in my purse and my Watch on my wrist through all the other security checks of my trip. There was then a delay to get through the scanner, so I was worried about having items stolen, relaxing when I saw how tightly controlled the process was and that they were only passing items through the x-ray once the owner had gone through the scanner.

Once through security, I was let into the main part of terminal 2 and started to look at my lunch options when I realised that I probably had access to a lounge there as well! Sure enough, I found the Aeroméxico lounge upstairs, and it was very busy. I didn’t feel comfortable taking any photos. There were some modest food offerings, but lots of drinks, including nearly any kind of beer you could want. I put together a plate that included a surprisingly good cold pesto pasta and was happy to add a cold beer. Since this lounge was so busy, I didn’t mind as much that I had to leave quickly. It was still a better place to spend an hour than by my gate.

I was in the second row for my next flight, so I got a footrest instead of a wall. The footrest was a bit better than the wall, but too high to be really comfortable. First row passengers were required to put away their bags, but I was able to get my backpack tucked away enough that I could keep it. I did not find the second row nearly as roomy as the first.

This flight was very quick. I just had a water for my beverage while the guy next to me put away a couple of beers. I noticed several business class flyers taking multiple snacks from the offered basket and repeatedly ordering beverages. I didn’t feel that was necessary, but I’ll keep it in mind for any future longer flights.

Like at CDMX, I was one of the first off the plane, so luxurious! However, I had quite a long wait for my bags. I’d grabbed a luggage attendant upon arrival at the luggage retrieval hall, so he was standing by ready with a trolley.

A taxi to get home is now a whopping 400 pesos. I don’t care what a great job the driver does, I don’t tip. This is extortion. A friend recently landed in Helsinki and couldn’t believe it cost her 30 euro to do the 20KM trip from the airport, then calmed down when she learned I spend 20 euro to do the 10KM trip home. I couldn’t believe the water on the streets as we pushed north from the airport. There’s been unprecedented flooding.

I got in just past 7:00 pm, and my sitters were waiting with a really good lasagna, a perfect end to a very special and nearly perfect travel day. Gracias, Aeroméxico!