Flying to Guadalajara

Yesterday, at 3 in the afternoon, Alejandro called an Uber to take us from his family's house to the airport for our 6 P.M. flight to Guadalajara.  We were flying on Volaris, one of Mexico's budget airlines.  I had never flown Volaris before and was a bit apprehensive.   However, everything went very smoothly when we got to the airport.  Alejandro had already checked us in online and printed off our boarding passes.  All we had to do is have a Volaris employee weigh our suitcases and tag them.  There was no long line to wait in.   It must have been a good hour of the day to fly, because we had no line at security either.

We had plenty of time to have a leisurely meal on the other side of security.  We went to Wings, a chain of restaurants, which, as the name implies, is mainly found at airports.  We had a surprisingly good meal there.

    

The fare that Alejandro paid not only gave the right to check luggage free of charge, but also gave us priority boarding.  So, we were among the first to board.  We had aisle seats across from each other.  The seats were typically cramped, but it was not bad for the short, one hour flight.

 

Our flight pulled away from the gate exactly on time at 5:50 P.M.  We had to wait on the runway for about 15 minutes for our turn to take off.  After only a half hour in the air, the captain announced that we were beginning our descent.  At 6:50 we touched down.

So, in spite of my apprehension, my impression of Volaris from this one flight is positive.  Everything was well organized, and our flight went smoothly.

However, once we landed in Guadalajara, things went downhill.  At luggage claim, we had to wait over a half hour for our luggage.  (I know, for a weekend trip, we should have simply traveled with carry-ons. However, we had gifts to bring for Alejandro's family, and we had the right to check luggage for free, so... )

The real fun began when we left the terminal.  There were more than 100 people lined up for an authorized taxi.  So, we went outside, and Alejandro tried to call an Uber.  The problem is that Ubers are not allowed at the airport; if they are caught, the National Guard will fine them.  So, we had to walk with our luggage outside of airport property.  The traffic outside the airport was absolute chaos.  It made Mexico City look tranquil!  As we (and numerous other people) wheeled our suitcases down the street there were shady characters along the way asking "Taxi? Taxi?"  At best they would have charged us an arm and a leg for a ride.  Finally, after being sufficiently distant from the airport, Alejandro was able to connect with an Uber driver.  

It was a long ride from the airport to the center of the city.  Since our hotel is on a pedestrianized street near the main plaza and cathedral, we had to walk a couple of blocks.  The only other time that I was in Guadalajara was in the 80s. and I was impressed with the attractive city center.  However, last night I was distressed to see dozens of homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks around the main plaza.  There was also a lot of trash on the streets.  

So, although this picture that Alejandro took from our hotel balcony is very pretty, the view from ground level is less picturesque.  My initial impression of Guadalajara in 2024 is not so good.