Low-cost carrier now flying from Houston to Mexico
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- School's out for the summer, and Mexico is a popular destination for Houstonians heading on vacation.
There's a new low-cost carrier in town offering nonstop flights from George Bush International Airport to several Mexican airports.
Viva Aerobus is taking passengers to Cancun, Guadalajara, and Monterrey for as little as $55 each way.
"It can go as low as $110 round trip - that's pretty good," said Juan Velas, adviser to the Mexican Tourism Board and owner of Velas Resorts. http://www.grandvelas.com/
The airline is much like Southwest, where there are no seat assignments, but you can pay extra to board the flight first. However, bags do not fly free on Viva Aerobus.
"If you want to have some luggage, you have to pay some extra," Velas said.
The airline also recommends showing up to the airport sooner than you normally would.
"They ask you to be three hours before. That's because there's only one or two attendants. The labor cost is very low," Velas said.
Eyewitness News went online to book a week-long from Houston to Cancun in mid-July. We booked the trip over two weeks out with an itinerary flying out and returning on Wednesdays.
A nonstop trip on United was $503. Southwest required us to stop once each way for $455. On Viva Aerobus, the roundtrip ticket was $201 for nonstop travel.
Velas expects the new cost-saving airline to drive down the price of its competitors.
"Now you have a very wide variety of low cost carriers, and that helps a lot because the regular carriers, they will lower the cost," Velas said.
Another low-cost Mexican Carrier with stops in Houston is called Volaris. They also operate out of the big airport with service to Guadalajara on select days of the week.
Once you choose Mexico as your vacation destination, Velas has several tips for making the trip fun and affordable for everyone.
Juan Velas' 6 Tips on Traveling to Mexico
