You should never, EVER book a flight with Volaris Airlines. Here’s why.
Why You Should Never Ever Book A Flight With Volaris
Let me start by saying I am a premium status type flier. Why then, you may ask, would I book a budget airline? Well, here’s the sitch. First off, it was recommended by the bride as a cheap and easy way to get to Mexico. Second, they were the only airline offering a direct flight and the flight times were more convenient than any other airline. However, had I known then what I know now, I would much rather have a long layover with a legitimate airline than deal with this unprofessional and fraudulent company.
My one tip for you if you do choose to take a chance on a budget airline is this: pay for the option to cancel. I mean, I clearly had no idea what happened would happen. However, knowing this is not a major airline, I should have really thought through the possibilities.
What I Was Charged To Book A Flight With Volaris
My original flight was to Guadalajara and honestly, booking with Volaris did not save me one penny. In fact, I paid MORE than I would have paid with Delta, my airline of choice. But again, I thought it was “worth it” for the route and flight times. In my original booking, I paid a basic fare ($154.06), which includes a checked bag ($44) and other fare benefits and VAT. The total for all of that was $342.23. I also pre-paid the TUA (airport usage tax) of $73.37. That makes a grand total of $415.60.
A week before I was set to fly, I decided to pay the upgrade for a premium plus seat to board early and also allow me to bring a carryon – as I was afraid I would not be able to get everything into the 33lb allowed check back. That charge totaled $102.60. So, now I’m in for a grand total of $518.02.
The week of the wedding, a cartel boss was killed in the Jalisco area of Mexico, causing civil unrest. This caused concern for everyone traveling for the wedding and the bride and groom ultimately canceled the wedding. I spent two days contacting the airline. While I would prefer a flight credit, the only option the airline gave was to change my flight at no additional cost. When I was finally able to get their antiquated website to work correctly, I was able to change the dates and city of my original flight to book a new trip for later in the year.
Why Volaris is Fraudulent
But here’s the deal. The original flight invoice and payment was erased from the system. While my credit card was not charged again, the new flight invoice shows a completely different amount and does not include what I originally paid for. In fact, the invoice includes a flight change fee (which was supposed to be waived) and my original TUA payment is gone. The new invoice is for $500.92. You may recall that what was charged to my credit card was $518.02.
Once I finally got a response regarding this issue, I was told that the original TUA payment was applied to the cost of the new flight. However, if you recall, the amount for the new flight is LESS that the original flight. I will not be getting a refund for the over payment. No surprise here. And I now have to pay a new TUA fee of $65.41 in order to check in for the flight.
As if the money isn’t enough, I was forced to communicate with the airline (via X, btw, because you cannot call or email) for five days. FIVE DAYS! After all of the back and forth, a reminder that they publicly stated change fees would be waived and my explanation of why it’s fraudulent to charge a customer more than the total on the invoice, I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I must pay another TUA fee. That makes my grand total for a “cheap trip” $583.43.
And that is why you should never EVER book a flight with Volaris Airlines.
Featured photo: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International.
