Finding Airline Bargains Across the Border

Tijuana airport attracting penny pinching travelers

When Dave Moon flies to La Paz, his first stop is to Tijuana.

"It's cheaper," said Moon, "I'm getting it for probably a third of the cost of what I would have out of Los Angeles."

Dave is not alone.  More and more California tourists are crossing the border to fly out of the Tijuana International Airport to save money.

"It's definitely cheaper on the Mexican side," said airline passenger Rodrigo Santacruz. Travelers will tell you about saving one third to half of what they'd pay in San Diego or Los Angeles. A quick check of flights and you can see savings of $74 to Puerto Vallarta and $53 to Cabo San Lucas.

"Volaris is a low cost airline in Mexico so it's easy to find good prices," said Tijuana travel agent Jonathan Soria.

Volaris seems to be the Southwest Airlines of Mexico, offering no frills trips across the country.

"It's like if you took a bus compared to taking a plane, that kind of price difference," said Rodrigo Santacruz.

Tijuana Airport just went through a major renovation.  Signs are in Spanish and English and a taxi ride from the U.S. border is around $10 and less than 15 minutes.  There is obvious security inside and outside the terminal.  Finding a cheapest flight with Volaris, Internet or AeroMexico is like any airline, surfing the web or calling the airline direct.

Prices change just like American airline companies so the person looking for a bargain needs to shop around.
 

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