Narrowbody business class within North America isn't anything to get excited about, and Aeroméxico certainly doesn't offer a revolutionary product. But for the most part it nails the basics: the seat is comfortable and functional, service is polished, and in-flight entertainment is sufficient. The biggest, really the only disappointment on my four-hour flight down to Mexico City was the uninspired meal options and dysfunctional pre-ordering system.

Check-In and Security

Aeroméxico operates out of Terminal 3 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, along with most non-Star Alliance airlines. Check-in desks are scheduled to open three hours before departure, though when I arrived around ten minutes before then agents were already checking in passengers.

As expected business class passengers have access to priority check-in, along with Skyteam elite members. Two desks were allocated to priority check-in, and I was through about five minutes after arriving.

Wade through the throngs of Flair passengers and eventually you'll make it to Aeroméxico's check-in area, tucked away near the C-gates security checkpoint.

Unfortunately Aeroméxico charges a seat selection fee for passengers in its Premier Básica fare category, which is the cheapest business class fare offered. The fee was $50 USD on this route, a ridiculous amount when there are no real “bad” seats to avoid. I was automatically assigned seat 4F for both of my flights at the time of purchase, an interesting deviation from the usual practice of assigning seats at check-in to passengers who do not pay to pre-select them. I would usually have selected a window seat on the side of the plane facing away from the sun (the “F” side on this flight), so while I likely would have chosen 2/3F, I certainly wasn’t coughing up $50 USD to move up a row.

Monetising things that cost the airline nothing, like seat selection, cheapens the premium cabin experience.

There is no priority security lane for Aeroméxico business class passengers in Toronto, and the nearest security checkpoint to the C-gates (the flight usually departs from gate C31) does not have a Nexus lane either. Lines weren’t too long at 08:00 on a weekday, and I finished my role in the security theatre after about five minutes.

Lounge

At check-in the agent politely informed me that the “lounge area” (her exact words) was directly above our gate today, C31. If it was deliberate, I appreciated this wording: while Aeroméxico has an agreement with the Plaza Premium lounge, as a Skyteam carrier business class passengers on Aeroméxico are permitted entry to the KLM Crown Lounge located right next door.

Quiet lounge, no line...surely entry will be a breeze, right?

Unfortunately the lounge attendant did not know this, and was absolutely adamant that Aeroméxico passengers must use the Plaza Premium lounge. To heck with KLM’s lounge access policy, or Skyteam’s own website listing Aeroméxico as a partner airline for the Toronto Crown Lounge. After ten minutes of back-and-forth the station manager was called and corrected his/her poorly-trained employee. Not the most inviting start to this flight, but also not Aeroméxico’s fault…though I suspect Aeroméxico would much prefer its passengers to use the (no doubt cheaper) Plaza Premium lounge.

Maybe they just didn't want to let in the weirdo taking pictures of their little plane. Understandable.

Even if you have to waste ten minutes slaying the lounge dragon, it’s worth it to access what is a much, much better lounge. I have used the T3 Plaza Premium lounge many times before, and it is only a small step above just waiting in the terminal. Perpetually-crowded, usually with a line dozens of passengers deep waiting for entry (though in fairness the line was actually quite short when I passed), weak food and drink offerings…it is a lounge for people who visit lounges just to tell people that they visited the lounge.

A passive aggressive exchange with an uninformed lounge attendant is a small price to pay to enter a space that is actually enjoyable.

The KLM Crown Lounge by contrast was quiet and well-appointed. There were only a handful of other passengers inside when I visited, and it stayed that way until shortly before I left at around 10:00 when Korean Air passengers began arriving. Lunch was being served even at 08:30, geared towards the aforementioned Korean Air departure. Self-serve wine, including sparkling wine, was available, as was a single self-serve espresso coffee machine.

They were empty. I checked.

The lounge offers sweeping ramp views, and I was there for both of Toronto’s two daily A380 arrivals. I also got to see our bird, a 1.5-year-old Boeing 737-Max 8, being towed on stand around two hours before departure.

As if to reinforce that this lounge is indeed meant for Aeroméxico passengers, our bird parked directly beneath the Crown Lounge.

Worth noting: Aeroméxico seriously downgraded its domestic business class value proposition in September, removing lounge access for business class passengers. If you have an international connection (to or from) however, you still get access to the Salon Premier lounges during your transfer in Mexico City plus your airport of departure, if available. I didn’t stay long but the recently-renovated lounges were quite nice, though food options were limited and staff constantly offering to refill your drinks (in exchange for tips) was a bit offputting.

Boarding and Seat

Boarding was scheduled to begin an hour before departure, at 10:01. An hour is far too much time to board a 737, and when I arrived around 10:15 boarding had not yet gotten underway. Boarding began around 10:20 with passengers needing assistance, followed shortly by group one (where business class passengers are placed). Boarding groups were enforced, and there was a separate line for each group. Unlike US carriers Aeroméxico has not gone boarding group crazy, so the process was straightforward and queues were orderly.

All of Aeroméxico’s 737s have four rows of business class in a 2-2 configuration. I was in seat 4F which, thanks to a physical barrier between business and coach, felt private. This bulkhead curved backwards at the top, so recline in the final row is not impeded. I wouldn’t usually choose to sit in the last row, but honestly they’re the best seats on Aeroméxico: full recline with no one behind you tapping their IFE screen or grabbing your seat to get to the aisle. The fourth row seats have two windows, the rearmost of which is perfectly aligned when your seat is fully reclined. It made for a relaxing cruise.

Well designed and comfortable for a four-and-a-bit-hour ride.

The seats are quite well designed. Each seat features an individual air vent and reading light (actually 1.5, you and your neighbour can fight over the middle vent), foot rest that folds up almost completely out of the way when not in use, and a seatback pocket with the usual safety card plus a printed in-flight magazine, airsickness bag, and pamphlet with information on human trafficking (which have been around for years on Latin American carriers). In between the seat pair you’ll find two armrests (no need to fight over this, save that for the third air vent), with a small drinks tray at the front. Another sort of half-tray pops out by pushing directly under this tray. Under each armrest you’ll find a universal plug and USB-A charge port, a remote for the IFE screen, and a storage area suitable for a book, passport, wallet, etc.

Amenities on offer are below what you'd get on major South American carriers, but the blanket and pillow beats most North American ones.

A small pillow and paper-thin blanket was waiting at each seat. No amenity kits were on offer, unlike with Avianca or LATAM on international flights of a similar length but in line with Canadian and U.S. carriers. Aeroméxico plays some pleasant boarding music, sadly complemented by a non-stop ad loop on the seatback screens (with even more ads after takeoff). The larger overhead bins were noticeable, and despite a full business class cabin every passenger had space for his or her carry-on and personal item if so desired, with space left over.

After boarding was complete a pre-departure beverage of mineral or still water was offered, served in proper, Aeroméxico-branded glassware. We pushed back a few minutes early, took off eight minutes early, and would stay ahead of schedule all the way to Mexico.

In-Flight Entertainment

Aeroméxico’s IFE offering is solid, with a good mix of new releases and familiar films. The screen was crisp and responsive. Noise-cancelling headphones were distributed after takeoff; while not as good as what you’d expect on a long-haul service, they were significantly better than the disposable earbuds usually offered on regional business class flights (if anything is offered at all). You can also pair your own Bluetooth headphones.

Aeroméxico isn't buying in to the Gulf of America rebrand.

Free messaging is offered to all passengers after a 15-second ad, which you only have to watch once to stay connected for the whole flight. Full-flight WiFi was $12 USD, which I found reasonable, or $5 USD for one hour. You could also get 15 free minutes after watching another ad. Aeroméxico offers Viasat, not Starlink WiFi so speeds aren’t great, but I was able to send WhatsApp images without much delay.

Food and Service

Meal service (there was no separate drinks service) started around 45 minutes after takeoff. I got an email from Aeroméxico six days before departure inviting me to pre-order. Options on offer were, to say the least, uninspired: for the flag carrier of a country renowned for its flavourful food, lunch choices were generic and cheap.

These are the sort of bland meal options I'd use pre-ordering to avoid.

I pre-selected the mushroom gnocchi, figuring pre-ordering would be a good hedge against sitting in the last row (I was the very last passenger to be served). This wasn’t what I received; instead, I got mushroom ravioli. Close.

Not what I ordered, though I don't think I missed anything exciting.

The meal was, frankly, not very good. Aside from being boring, the food was simply not well prepared: mushrooms were not properly cleaned, and the salad was depressing. The bread was at least not cold as it often is, and the Nanaimo bar was quite good. I paired this with a glass of white wine, which was also mediocre. Meal service was without a doubt the low point of this flight.

Service as a whole was solid though. Crew passed regularly through the aisles offering refills, and trash never lingered.

Arrival and Cost

We touched down around 20 minutes early in Mexico City, and had a surprisingly-short taxi to our gate for Benito Juarez. Customs and immigration was fairly straightforward, with a cursory baggage X-ray followed by automated gate control for e-chip passport holders. I never actually spoke with a border agent. Unfortunately international-to-domestic passengers do need to re-clear security, and there is no separate queue for Aeroméxico business class passengers.

Yep, this looks like the biggest city in North America.

I paid $572.32 CAD one-way, flying from Toronto to Mexico City then on to Guadalajara. Adding on the short flight to GDL saved me about $100 compared to flying YYZ-MEX direct. This itinerary earned me 3,305 Flying Blue miles, and 30 XP.

Final Thoughts

I would rate Aeroméxico comfortably above American, slightly below Air Canada, and around on par with United. The seat was comfortable and functional, service was smooth, and IFE options were sufficient for a mid-haul flight. Given the right price and a convenient itinerary, I would absolutely fly with Aeroméxico again.