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Volaris Airlines is a Mexican budget airline that makes it easy to fly on the cheap between the United States and Mexico, within Mexico, and to and from Central America. You can also use this airline to travel to Costa Rica, El Salvador, or Guatemala. As the Mexican airline with the most U.S. and domestic routes, it’s a popular choice among tourists and locals alike.

Should your next flight be with Volaris Airlines? To find out everything there is to know about this airline from baggage policies to how to book, keep reading.

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Is Volaris Airlines Safe?

Volaris is considered to be one of the safest airlines in Latin America according to AirlineRatings.

And if you are considering flying to Mexico later this Fall, you’ll be pleased to know Volaris Airline’s CEO expects the country to recover its category 1 air safety rating before the end of the year after a downgrade by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in early 2021.

Customer Sentiment – What do consumers think of Volaris

An analysis of the 180 reviews left for Volaris Airlines on the BBB show an aggregate rating of 1.05 stars out of 5.0 as of June 2021.

The individual reviews articulate that customers are generally unhappy with their experience and in many cases irate. Many claim the airlines to be the worst in the business and several claim to have been taken advantage of, with one claiming items had even been stolen from his luggage. Of course none of these claims can be definitely verified but they’re certainly worth mentioning.

On Trip Advisor, a better picture is painted with a far greater number of reviewers – (6,291) and an average rating of 3 stars out of 5. Volaris gets their best marks 3.5/5 on cleanliness and 3/5 on value.

Where Can You Fly With Volaris?

Volaris is not a global airline, so you are fairly limited in where you can go when you choose to use this carrier. With that said, you can fly between most major U.S. cities and 36 cities in Mexico including Cancun, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, and Tijuana.

If you’ll be staying in a Mexican resort any time soon, you might want to look into booking with Volaris to spend less money getting there and back.

However, be aware that there are very few nonstop flights available between Mexico and the U.S., and you will more than likely need to touch down in a smaller city of Mexico before making it to your final destination if you’re headed to a more populous area like Cancun or Tijuana.

Volaris also travels to and from San Jose, Costa Rica; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Guatemala City, Guatemala. Visit this page for a complete list of cities.

Volaris Booking and Check-In

You can easily book a flight with Volaris online, through the mobile app, or over the phone.

Baggage must be checked at least two hours prior to your flight’s departure time for domestic flights and three hours prior to your flight’s departure time for international flights (between the United States and Central America).

Passengers on international flights can check in as early as 24 hours before their flight and passengers on domestic flights can check in between 72 hours and one hour before their flight.

You may check in online, through the Volaris mobile app, or at an airport counter. Please note that checking in at the airport counter rather than online or through the mobile app will mean paying a small fee.

Volaris Airlines Baggage Policy & Allowances

There are three fare classes with Volaris:

• Basic
• Classic
• Plus

Basic offers the lowest costs but comes with the fewest baggage allowances, and Plus comes with a higher price tag but allows passengers to bring more baggage with them.

See the baggage allowance for each fare class below. 

Class	Allowance
Basic	One personal item
Classic	One personal item + one carry-on
Plus	One personal item + two carry-ons, and one checked bag

Do not bring any bags containing batteries, gasoline, or other hazardous materials like bleach. And if you’re going to be traveling with firearms, which is only permitted on domestic flights within Mexico, be sure to check in a little earlier so that you can get the weapon fees paid and get through security before it’s time to board. Do not bring smart bags or hoverboards.

Carry-Ons

Personal items may not exceed external dimensions of 14 inches x 18 inches x 8 inches in order to ensure that your item fits under the seat in front of you.

Carry-on bags may not exceed external dimensions of 22 inches x 16 inches x 10 inches

Checked Baggage

Checked baggage, which is only included with Plus tickets but may be added onto any ticket, may not exceed 68 linear inches in size or 55 pounds in weight. This is both slightly larger and slightly heavier than the average airline permits (62 linear inches is a typical size restriction and 50 pounds is a typical weight restriction).

You can expect to pay between roughly $40 and $75 for your first checked bag, depending on where you are flying and whether you are flying during a high or low season. Flights between the U.S. and Central America cost more and fees are lower when you add checked bags while booking versus at the airport or boarding gate.

Additional checked bags after this will cost between $45 and $55 a piece on domestic routes and as high as $140 for international routes (with the highest prices charged when you pay at the gate).

Excess Baggage Fees

If your bags do exceed weight restrictions, the fees are as follows:

• Bags weighing between 55 and 77 pounds: $25 – 90
• Bags weighing between 77 and 99 pounds: $50 – 190

Excess baggage fees are also determined based on the route and what time of year you are flying.

Checked baggage can weigh up to 99 pounds. This includes musical instruments and sports equipment.

Please note that, per TSA guidelines, passengers traveling to and from the United States are permitted to carry only two pieces of baggage with them, meaning that you will not be allowed to fly with more than one personal item and one carry-on per person.

Strollers and mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walkers do not cost extra, but they often need to be checked. Just make sure that if you are flying with an infant or toddler, you purchase the Baby Combo package.

About Volaris Combos

To keep costs low, Volaris requires passengers to purchase combos when they need anything beyond the absolute basics. Here’s what you get with each type of combo.

• Flexibility combo: unlimited changes to your flight at no additional charge
• More baggage combo: one extra carry-on, one extra checked bag, and one piece of sports equipment or musical instrument (all must meet standard size restrictions)
• More speed combo: priority boarding, express security check-ins, and standard seat selection

Some combos can only be added to your flight by calling Volaris.

Volaris Airlines Pet Policy

Volaris allows passengers to fly with their pets as long as their pets—carrier included—do not weigh more than 22 pounds. If your pet and their carrier weigh between 22 and 100 pounds, you will need to check them in when you are checking your luggage.

Pets cost between $58 and $70 when they are checked and between $64 and $85 when they travel with you in your seat.

Your pet’s carrier may not exceed 17.5 inches x 12 inches x 7.5 inches if they are flying with you and 62 linear inches if they are being checked in. 

Both dogs and cats are allowed, with some breed restrictions. Brachycephalic breeds (i.e. Bulldogs, Chow Chows, and Shih Tzus) are not permitted and “dangerous” breeds (i.e. Dobermans and Rottweilers) are permitted only when checked. Pets younger than four months old and pregnant pets are not permitted to fly in the cabin or with luggage.

It’s a good idea to arrive a little earlier than you normally would if you are traveling with a pet. Pets can be added onto a reservation at any time during booking or check in, or over the phone when you call customer service. However, do your best to add your pet to your trip as early as possible. Each Volaris flight travels with up to four checked-in pets and two on-board pets. 

Bring your pet’s up-to-date vaccination card and health certificate to the airport.

Volaris Airlines Customer Service and Contact Info

If you need to get in touch with customer support, here are the numbers you would call from any of the countries that Volaris flies to and from:

Country	Customer Support Number
United States	(55) 1102-8000
Mexico	1-855-865-2747
Costa Rica	+506-4-0000-229
El Salvador	+503-2504-5540
Guatemala	+502-2301-3939

The Volaris website does not list the airline’s call center hours. At this time, Volaris recommends contacting support in a different way due to high call volumes.

Their preferred method would be to get in touch with Volaris customer service by submitting a secure message through their website. You should get a response within 24 hours using this service.

Finally, Volaris representatives can answer your questions and help you with your booking through social media and WhatsApp. If you use Facebook messenger or WhatsApp to send a private message, you will get a response from the chatbot immediately and from a human representative within four hours.

Volaris Airlines Loyalty Program

If you like to shop around for the best deal when flying, you are probably a member of more than one airline loyalty program.

Volaris does not have a loyalty or frequent flyer program in the traditional sense, but there is a subscription that passengers can join to save money on regular flights. This program, called v.pass, guarantees that you will always get the best flight price available (e.g. no upcharges during popular times of year for flying) and lets you take one domestic flight a month at no added cost. For a fixed monthly fee, anyone can become a member.

When you are a member of v.pass, you can fly as much as you want, but one flight a month is included in your monthly subscription rate. This allows frequent flyers with the airline to save money during peak travel times when prices are higher.

Only flights within Mexico are eligible to use as a “free” v.pass flight. You will need to pay for all other flights, but you’ll get whatever the lowest price available is every time. V.pass members are automatically added to v.club, which offers preferential pricing and perks like an additional checked baggage weight allowance of 22 pounds.

Volaris Airlines Inflight Accommodations

Volaris offers a fairly stripped down flying experience when compared to other airlines. For example, Volaris planes do not feature inflight WiFi. Food is available for purchase, but inflight meals are not included in the price of any ticket. Beverages are also available for purchase. For a look at what’s on the menu for Volaris flights, go here.

All Volaris flights include only Economy class, so you can forget about roomier Business or First class seats and extra accommodations. There are also very few options for entertainment.

Hotel and Car Rental Bundles

Like many other airlines, Volaris also offers the option of bundling your travel to save. Go to the Ya Vas site to learn more about resort vacation packages, flight and hotel bundles, and promotional car rental rates.

Fees to Watch Out For

The major fee you’re going to want to know about before flying with this airline is the non-resident fee. This is charged to all passengers that are not residents of Mexico, and it’s about $28 on most flights. This charge is not eligible to be waived.

Avoidable fees to be mindful of include the airport check-in fee and higher prices on baggage not added to your trip until you arrive at the airport. Volaris also charges a small fee when you ask them to print out your boarding pass for you.

And of course, check to make sure that your baggage does not exceed size and weight restrictions to avoid excess baggage fees. Avoid paying for any of your baggage at the airport or at your gate to keep costs low.

Final Thoughts

Volaris is a good option for affordable travel between Mexico and the United States, with passengers that plan ahead standing to benefit the most from this airport’s pricing structure. If you’re okay with a no-frills flying experience that is more economical than luxurious, Volaris might be the way to go.

The sooner you complete your booking and check in, the more you can save when you choose this airline. Pre-paying for baggage is another great way to spend less money and traveling light is always a safe bet when you want to keep your flights cheap. 

And if you are going to fly with Volaris Airlines, you will probably get the best prices by booking directly with Volaris rather than with third-party flight booking sites like Expedia and Travelocity.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022