On Monday, December 5th and 6th, Simple Flying had the opportunity to travel internationally
on a relatively new startup airline.
First departing from Mexico City’s new Felipe Ángeles International Airport, we were onboard
Arajet’s flight to Santo Domingo Las Américas International in the Dominican Republic.
In today’s video, we look at the experience of going through this relatively new Mexican
airport, as well as what it’s like to fly with a brand-new start-up airline - less than
three months old!
So if you’re ready - let’s get started!
First off, lets go over the experience of Felipe Ángeles Airport.
To get right to the flight review - skip over to this time in the video.
The Felipe Ángeles Airport is quite lovely.
It is a small hub –there were only 21 scheduled flights to leave on Monday operated by five
carriers– which makes it easier to navigate through.
Our flight left at 10:55, so we arrived three hours earlier, not because we needed to, but
because we wanted to tour the airport again.
The lack of ground connectivity continues to be Felipe Angeles’ primary area of concern.
Unfortunately, getting to the new airport is almost impossible if it is not done by
car, which reflects the costly taxi and Uber fares.
Nonetheless, the Mexican government is working on adding more connectivity that will allow
passengers to get to NLU easier, faster, and cheaper.
We departed from Mexico City (from a place near the Mexico City International Airport),
and it took us 45 minutes to get to the Felipe Ángeles.
Not bad!
The last time our traveler was at the Felipe Ángeles, the airport had just opened three
days earlier.
At that time, they had flown with Mexican low cost carrier Volaris on a domestic service
to Tijuana International.
In the first three months, the new airport only had 12 daily flights: six departures,
and six arrivals, and had a shockingly early closing time of 15:00!
Now in December, at the time of putting this review together, the airport has 214 weekly
flights scheduled, according to data by Cirium.
It’s come a long way but it’s not a 24-hour airport just yet, as the last flight departs
at around 20:00.
Nonetheless, the airport is busier now.
More restaurants and shops have opened their doors, including two Priority Pass lounges
for passengers interested in having a more VIP experience.
Fortunately, the queues for boarding and security remain short and easy to navigate, which boosts
the passenger experience.
The one major downside of this airport continues to be the lack of ground connectivity.
That’s something that needs to be addressed for the airport to become a genuine option
for Mexican travelers.
Another thing that needs to be addressed is the lack of travel options:
As of December 2022, 18 cities (including four outside of Mexico) have direct connectivity
from the airport.
Only eleven have daily connectivity, with Cancún, Guadalajara, and Monterrey being
the most-served destinations.
Inside the airport, there’s a lack of commercial diversity.
There aren’t many food options and fewer retail stores.
But what surprised us the most was the almost complete lack of currency exchange outlets.
In fact, there was only one -and it was closed when our flight reviewer was passing through.
While there are only a handful of international destinations, that’s no excuse not to have
currency exchange services for international travelers.
Hopefully, as the airport grows and secures more airlines and services, these deficiencies
will be addressed!
Moving on to the flight portion of our video, Arajet is a low-cost carrier based in Santo
Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in the Dominican Republic.
On Monday, December 5th, Simple Flying had the opportunity to travel with Arajet onboard
its flight DM4341 from Mexico City to Santo Domingo.
We traveled onboard the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered HI1026.
The Dominican low-cost carrier is looking to create a hub in Santo Domingo.
Arajet launched operations in September 2022.
Similar to what Viva did at Medellín International Airport, Arajet is opening many international
routes with low fares, employing Santo Domingo advantageous geographic position as a north-south
connector.
Arajet’s Boeing 737 MAX 8s have the capacity to carry 185 passengers in a two-class configuration.
The first two rows have a 2-2 configuration.
From row three and beyond, the layout is 3-3.
We traveled on seat 3A, and it was fabulous.
The seat pitch on the third row is enormous, and we would highly recommend it.
However, the seat pitch in the other rows is nothing out of the ordinary.
The airline has an order for up to 35 Boeing 737 MAX 8s (employing Ryanair’s 8-200 variant).
Once these planes arrive, we can expect a higher seat density, maybe impacting our beloved
row three seat pitch!
Onboard, we find a standard service by a low-cost carrier with snacks and beverages for purchase,
including an interesting alcohol menu.
Arajet receives payments with cash (US dollars or Dominican pesos), as well as credit card
payments.
Nonetheless, the credit card service was unavailable during our flight.
The boarding process was fast and easy, mainly because the flight had a load factor of around
30%.
Arajet opened its flights to Mexico City in September and is still struggling to become
a known brand among Mexican travelers.
The service from Santo Domingo to Mexico City is far busier than the service from Mexico
City to Santo Domingo.
The overall service of Arajet’s crew was flawless.
They were kind, warm, and friendly to everyone onboard.
The pilots had constant communication with the passengers reminding us about the possibility
of acquiring snacks and beverages.
The flight departed on time, lasting around four hours and five minutes.
We had a remote stand - we’re not complaining.
As journalists and avgeeks, having the possibility of getting off an aircraft remotely, instead
of using a jet bridge, is always exciting because it creates the opportunity to take
great close-up photos of the aircraft’s exterior!
The main point of complaint of this flight, however, would be that it was impossible to
acquire snacks and beverages onboard if you don’t carry US dollars or Dominican pesos,
which is something passengers are unaware of.
This could be somewhat of an issue for those flying from Mexico - with wallets full of
mexican pesos…
Apart from that, the service was excellent in both airports and onboard.
Disembarking at Santo Domingo’s airport, and going through passport control and customs
was a seamless experience.
We were out of the airport in ten minutes, which is remarkable.
Then, on Tuesday, December 6th, Arajet launched its 18th route connecting Santo Domingo’s
Las Américas International Airport in the Dominican Republic with Bogota’s El Dorado
International Airport in Colombia.
Simple Flying was invited onboard this inaugural flight, DM3120.
In a packed flight onboard one of the company’s currently active four 737 MAX planes, a team
member of Simple Flying was again present to report on the flight and what the airline
had to offer.
Stepping onboard the aircraft registered HI1081, our flight reviewer and fellow passengers
were joined by Arajet’s CEO and founder, Víctor Pacheco.
Mr. Pacheco, a 40-year-old Dominican, greeted the passengers, welcoming them to Arajet’s
final route to be opened in 2022.
Arajet’s service to Bogota departed at 15:24 local time, which meant it was an on time
departure.
As it was an inaugural flight filled with passengers, local media, and airline members,
the load factor was perhaps artificially high.
Just like our flight from Mexico, the aircraft’s first two rows have business seats in a 2-2
configuration.
From row three, the configuration switches to 3-3 for economy.
The first three rows have an excellent pitch, while the remainder has an average pitch and
width.
Nonetheless, with the average Arajet flight distance being 1,067 miles, the seat’s pitch
and width do not become bothersome for those of average height.
This seat configuration is temporary and will change in the future to accommodate 189 passengers
in a single-cabin environment, Mr. Pacheco told our Simple Flying team member.
Again, Arajet’s cabin crew offered snacks and beverages for purchase onboard the aircraft
from prices ranging between US$2 and $7.
Being a low-cost carrier, there’s not much more that can be said about the flight.
It went smoothly and the cabin crew were courteous and professional.
In this case, we could probably employ that old saying that “no news is good news:”
Our traveler and everyone else onboard arrived at their destination in one piece and the
flight was pleasantly uneventful.
But perhaps we can take this opportunity to talk a little more about Arajet:
The CEO describes Arajet as a ‘low-price’ company, not a low-cost or ultra-low-cost
airline.
He said the difference between both business models lies in the connectivity hub.
Unlike some of its low-cost peers in Latin America such as Volaris and JetSMART, Arajet
is looking to create a hub in Santo Domingo.
And the foundations are already there.
The airline currently serves destinations across Latin America (in addition to its home
base at Santo Domingo).
These include destinations in Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, and more.
The airline still expects to launch flights to Canada (Toronto and Montreal) shortly.
Beyond its own routes, the carrier plans to sign new interline and codeshare agreements
with other carriers, which could allow its passengers to connect further and beyond,
including possible destinations in Europe.
The Dominican diaspora living abroad are a key market for Arajet.
In speaking with the carrier’s CEO, he believes that once they know about the brand, word
of mouth will spread, and more travelers will come.
But, in the end, if Arajet truly wants to garner the diaspora segment, there’s one
market that must be addressed above all of the rest… the United States.
The airline knows this, and they are getting ready.
What’s the youngest airline you’ve ever flown with?
And do you think Arajet has what it takes to thrive as a low-cost carrier serving Latin
America?
Let us know by leaving a comment.