Going to the movies will typically set you back 8 dollars. That's assuming that you don't have a family—in which case, multiply accordingly—or that you can withstand the gravitational pull of the concession; expect to spend about 5 dollars for a trough-sized popcorn and 4 dollars for a bucket of carbonated sugar-water. Yum. Inflation is never fun. That's why when an airliner offers 10 dollar one-way plane tickets to Cancun, your ears should perk up. Of course, after fees and taxes that number becomes something like $55 each way; but still, $110 for round-trip? No one else can come close to matching that.
I was a little jumbled in approaching the planning aspect of my vacation. Instead of making arrangements in a methodical and logical order, I just went with a pick-and-choose course of action; like a kid with a dismal allowance, left in high-priced candy store. I wanted to swim with the dolphins, so I made reservations at the Xcaret Eco-Park. But where would I sleep at night? I did my research and squandered the last of my budget on my
Cancun hotel. How was I going to get there? And that's how the 10 dollar airfare at Viva Aerobus save a vacation that had seemed predestined for disaster.
Let me just say that my round-trip ticket was not 110 dollars; instead, I was able to find a package for $160. The second cheapest alternative was a little over $400 with Orbitz.
So what's the catch? Your parents always told you there'd be one. "Remember, there's no such thing as a free meal," they'd say, and they were right (in more ways than one, but I'll touch on that later). Well here it is. Are you ready for it? Viva Aerobus' low rates, at present, only service to Austin, Texas with flights beginning in May. It's either Austin to Cancun, Cancun to Austin, or Nowhere to Nowhere. So imagine my delight when, only hours prior to making cancellation calls to Mexico, I read about the Viva Aerobus offer.
If you still manage to fit the demographic—within a reasonable distance from Austin and planning a vacation for sometime after April 30—you should be aware of the compromises that come with flying at these rates. The airline doesn't use jet bridges, meaning that passengers climb stairs from the tarmac to the plane. Only one bag can be checked, per passenger, with additional bags at additional cost. Finally, there are no free food or drinks on the flights; laughable, since they've only offered peanuts and soft drinks on most bargain-flights for the last decade.
It is unknown just how many 10 dollar plan tickets will be sold, or how one will go about obtaining the rate. But one thing is for sure; a lower airfare equates to more change in your pocket and more to do while you're in Cancun.
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Enid Glasgow is a travel writer who enjoys traveling in the Americas and Caribbean. When visiting Cancun, she stays at luxury
Cancun resorts like Gran Melia Cancun.
