Hi Folks,
I'm currently planning mi first trip to the American continent (I'm from Europe and I travelled a lot to Asia and Australia/NZ).
I'm booked with KLM on INN-AMS-MEX and plan to self connect to PXM the same day. My flight to MEX is scheduled to arrive at 19:25 local, while my connection MEX-PXM will be at 20:45. As far as I can see, they will both arrive/leave at T1 in MEX, but I have to go through immigration in MEX after I arrive.
Does anybody have the experience to tell me if this seems possible? I'll only have hand luggage with me and will be able to check in online for my connecting flight with Viva Aerobus. I'm traveling with an Austrian Passport (no Visa required in Mexico) and I'm 3-Times Vaccinated.
Any help or tipps are appreciated.
Thank you
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Re: Immigration and Self-Connect MEX
Ups!!! I believe your connecting time in MEX won´t allow you to clear inmigation and customs and then reach your Viva PXM gate, even with hand luggage. We have seen very long waiting lines at MEX for both inmigration, customs and security control to gain access to boarding gates. Maybe you´ll be lucky enough to find your MEX-PXM flight delayed for whatever circunstances or your transatlantic AMS-MEX landing ahead of schedule, otherwise I think you should re-schedule if that´s possible for you to do. Enjoy Puerto Escondido. I will be there Feb 12th.
Re: Immigration and Self-Connect MEX
Not a chance you will make that. As CMA727 says, the lines at MEX are bad at the best of times.
-
- PSAatSAN4Ever
- Posts: 1818
- Joined:
Re: Immigration and Self-Connect MEX
Self-connecting (meaning two separate tickets) means you are completely out of luck if anything goes wrong with the first trip. Neither airline will lift a finger to help you if something goes wrong - and to echo what others have said, ANYTHING to do with entering a country, no matter how efficient it may be - can go wrong, and you'll miss your onward flight.
My husband and I had an hour at Frankfurt airport to go through customs to get to the train tracks. Several large Asian families prevented that from happening, because no matter how many times they were informed that "the father can NOT hold everyone's passport", they refused to follow instructions. Ninety minutes later, and we were through. Since our train was a "Lufthansa train" with a Lufthansa flight number and all on one ticket, they rebooked us. You won't have that luxury.
My husband and I had an hour at Frankfurt airport to go through customs to get to the train tracks. Several large Asian families prevented that from happening, because no matter how many times they were informed that "the father can NOT hold everyone's passport", they refused to follow instructions. Ninety minutes later, and we were through. Since our train was a "Lufthansa train" with a Lufthansa flight number and all on one ticket, they rebooked us. You won't have that luxury.
-
- PatrickZ80
- Posts: 5801
- Joined:
Re: Immigration and Self-Connect MEX
As a rule of thumb, for self-connecting you need to count at least 4 hours if you need to clear immigration. That's still no guarantee that you'll make it but if everything goes according to plan, most of the time you will.
Now you got only 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is tight even if you don't need to clear immigration. Having to clear immigration will turn it into a guaranteed miss. I self-connect as well, but always take plenty of time in between the flights.
The MEX - PXM sector is also being flown by AeroMexico. Since KLM and AeroMexico are both in SkyTeam, maybe it's possible to book it all on one ticket. That way, if you miss your connection, you just get rebooked on the next flight. Otherwise, maybe it's best to spend the night in MEX and fly to PXM the next day.
Now you got only 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is tight even if you don't need to clear immigration. Having to clear immigration will turn it into a guaranteed miss. I self-connect as well, but always take plenty of time in between the flights.
The MEX - PXM sector is also being flown by AeroMexico. Since KLM and AeroMexico are both in SkyTeam, maybe it's possible to book it all on one ticket. That way, if you miss your connection, you just get rebooked on the next flight. Otherwise, maybe it's best to spend the night in MEX and fly to PXM the next day.
Re: Immigration and Self-Connect MEX
Make it a day time flight next day to PXM. Get a window seat A (left facing forward) and enjoy the volcanoes southeast of MEX while climbing to cruise level and then once the airplane flies over PXM VOR enjoy de view of Puerto Escondido during approach.