Seats don’t recline, fee for carry-on. I should have flown full-service

The airline: Viva Aerobus

• Route Los Angeles to Guadalajara, Mexico. Flight VB519
• Frequency Two-to-three times daily
• Aircraft Airbus 320-232
• Class Economy; seat 26C
• Flight time 3 hours, 15 minutes. The plane landed eight minutes earlier than scheduled.

Viva Aerobus, ‘the Ryanair of Mexico’.Credit: iStock

Checking in

I have given myself ample time to check in at LAX, notorious for its long queues. I arrive just before 9pm for my 12.30am flight. Life at Terminal 1 starkly contrasts with the mass human exodus at Terminal 2. It’s quiet at Mexico’s low-cost airline’s VivaAerobus counters, with only five people ahead of me. I thankfully had the foresight to add carry-on baggage to my booking (for a fee – see below) at the last minute, as I am asked to redistribute the weight from my checked-in luggage, which is two kilograms over. It doesn’t matter in the end; I’m asked to check in my carry-on free of charge – yes, please. Shuffling items between bags and checking in takes 20 minutes.

Baggage

The airline offers various add-on baggage options. I am travelling on a “zero” fare, which includes one personal item up to the size of a small backpack. I have added 22-pounds (10 kilograms) of cabin baggage for $39 and 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of checked baggage for $80.

Beware: a carry-on bag will cost you $39 on Viva Aerobus.Credit: Getty Images

Loyalty scheme

Guests can join the airline’s loyalty program free of charge and earn Doters Points. Points can be exchanged for flights, seat upgrades, priority boarding and, most importantly in my case, extra baggage allowance. The airline isn’t part of any major alliances but does have an interline agreement with Emirates (but you won’t earn any Emirates points with Viva Aerobus).

The seat

I’m seated in an aisle seat on a 3-3 layout. The seats are 18 inches (45cm) wide with a pitch of 29 inches (73cm). Being the Ryanair of Mexico, I’m not surprised the plane’s seats don’t recline and the comfort levels are sub-par. The more expensive seat options (“Priority” and “Space+“) do offer recline.

Standard seats on board Viva Aerobus don’t recline, though “Priority” seats do.

Entertainment + tech

The airline’s eViva magazine is provided at the back of each seat; unfortunately my Spanish is too basic to make much of it. To bid adios to boredom, the airline offers “Viva Play” via Wi-Fi with movies, e-books, games, and podcasts for an additional $5. I opt for BYO entertainment on my own device. Thankfully, my electronics are fully charged as there are no power outlets.

Service

Service is minimal, but is pleasant enough. Announcements are made in Spanish and English, though not all of them are translated. I don’t know what I was missing, but presumably it wasn’t a crucial safety announcement.

Food

An extensive menu available for purchase includes sandwiches, chips, chocolates, nut mixes, cup noodles, beef jerky, and drinks. To spice up your flight, add a complimentary sachet of Salsa La Botanera to your chips, as locals do, for extra zing. I resist the temptation to order a Mexican nightcap with Tequila Siete Leguas and local beers Tecate, Indio, and Sol available.

Sustainability

The airline offers carbon offsets which can be purchased at the time of booking. It also claims to have the lowest emissions-per-passenger rate in Mexico, helped by having the newest (and therefore, most fuel efficient) aircraft fleet in Latin America.*

One more thing

I booked AeroVivabus based on flight timings. After purchasing extra baggage at the last minute, flying the budget airline turned out more expensive than the country’s full-service carrier, Aero Mexico.

The price

About $350 return from Los Angeles.**

The verdict

Given the red-eye timings, the full flight was nothing remarkable. The bumpy landing jolted me awake, as did the upbeat music playing as we landed in the wee hours – a festive hola to Mexico.

Our rating out of five

★★

The writer travelled at her own expense.

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.