Is Viva Aerobus a Good Airline? My Honest Viva Aerobus Review
Viva Aerobus Review: Villahermosa to Cancun
During my December 2021 trip to Mexico, I wanted to visit the town of Villahermosa. Flights from Minneapolis to Villahermosa were fairly expensive, so I chose to fly into Cancun and book a separate ticket to Villahermosa.
For my return flight, I booked a ticket on Viva Aerobus from Villahermosa to Cancun. When I researched Viva Aerobus online before my trip, I did not find many helpful Viva Aerobus reviews, so I decided to write my own review based on my experience.
There were only two direct options to travel from Villahermosa to Cancun. I had already flown the first option on my flight to Villahermosa, which was now defunct low-cost carrier Aeromar. This return flight gave me the perfect opportunity to review one of Mexico’s other low-cost carriers.
Quick verdict:
Based on my flight from Villahermosa to Cancun, I thought Viva Aerobus was a good airline for a short flight within Mexico. The base fare was cheap, but the final price increased after adding bags, seat selection, and an exit-row seat. I would fly Viva Aerobus again, but I would compare the final price carefully before booking.
Is Viva Aerobus a Good Airline? My Honest Viva Aerobus Review - Table of Contents
- Viva Aerobus Review: Villahermosa to Cancun
- Booking My Viva Aerobus Flight
- Checking In at Villahermosa International Airport
- Viva Aerobus Boarding Order and VIP Priority Access
- Viva Aerobus Seats, Legroom, and Priority Seats
- Arriving at Cancun International Airport
- Is Viva Aerobus a Good Airline?
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
Disclaimer: Buzzin’ Around the World strives to provide accurate and up-to-date information based on our research at the time of publication. We respect all applicable laws and fair use principles. If you believe any information is incorrect or violates regulations, please contact us at buzzinaroundtheworld@gmail.com.
Affiliate Links and Reviews: We use affiliate links to generate income and may receive a commission at no additional cost to you when you use our links. We strive for honest and transparent reviews, even for products which we receive compensation.
Content Creation: Our content is based on our own travel experiences. All photos are our own unless otherwise stated. We sometimes utilize AI tools to assist with tasks like generating titles, summarizing content, and improving organization.
For more information: For more information, please click HERE to visit our private policy page. We can be reached at buzzinaroundtheworld@gmail.com.
Booking My Viva Aerobus Flight
The original quoted price of my ticket was just $89. Since Viva Aerobus is a low-cost airline, there were additional charges for things like a carry-on bag, checked bag, and seat selection. At the time of my flight, I upgraded to Smart Class, which added $39 to the cost of my ticket and included several extra benefits compared with the cheapest fare. Since Viva Aerobus fare rules, baggage policies, and included benefits can change, I would check the current fare details directly with Viva Aerobus before booking. The main point from my experience is that the cheapest fare was not the final price once I added the extras I wanted.
When I selected my seat, I also paid an additional $15 for an exit-row seat. This was important because the standard Viva Aerobus seats had limited legroom, and since I am 6 foot 5, I knew a regular seat would be tight. Paying extra for the exit row made the flight much more comfortable. The total price of my flight ended up being around $143, which was almost double the originally quoted fare. That is typical of low-cost airlines, but it is something to keep in mind when comparing Viva Aerobus to other airlines.
This was not first class or business class. It was still an economy flight, but the upgraded fare, priority benefits, and exit-row seat made the experience better than a basic low-cost airline ticket.
Checking In at Villahermosa International Airport
I had already checked in online, but I still had to drop my bag when I arrived at Villahermosa International Airport. With my Smart Class fare, I was able to go directly to the VIP check-in area.
The agent quickly scanned my boarding pass and tagged my bag. The entire check-in process lasted less than five minutes, which was one of the easiest parts of my Viva Aerobus flight.
There were limited options to eat at Villahermosa Airport. The only open restaurant was Subway, which was located before the security checkpoint. Due to COVID-19 and international shortages of certain foods, Subway had a very limited menu. I ended up eating an Italian BMT.
Viva Aerobus Boarding Order and VIP Priority Access
Instead of sitting at the gate, I walked around the airport and watched the destinations of the other flights. Almost all of the planes at Villahermosa Airport were headed to Mexico City.
When I returned to the gate, a long line of passengers had already formed. On my flight, the Viva Aerobus boarding order felt disorganized. It appeared to be VIP Priority Access first, followed by everyone else.
Thankfully, I was able to preboard when they called for VIP Priority Access. This early boarding was included with the Smart Class fare that I had purchased, and I ended up being the first person on the plane. This was one of the biggest benefits of paying for the upgraded fare. Without Viva Aerobus VIP Priority Access, the boarding process would have felt much more chaotic.
Viva Aerobus Seats, Legroom, and Priority Seats
The Viva Aerobus seats were leather and fairly comfortable, especially because I had paid extra for an exit-row seat. I had the entire row to myself, which made the flight much more comfortable. The flight attendants did allow people to move to the empty exit-row seats after takeoff. To keep my fellow passengers from moving into my empty row, I made sure to take up all three seats.
One perk of the exit-row seats on my Viva Aerobus flight was that the tray tables were attached to the back of the seat in front. Some airlines, especially in the United States, have tray tables in the armrests instead of on the seatback. When that happens, it is impossible to lie across the seats.
My Viva Aerobus exit-row seat had extra legroom, and the added space made a huge difference. For me, paying extra for the Viva Aerobus exit-row seat was worth the fee. Since I am 6 foot 5, I would have been very uncomfortable in a standard seat. If you are tall, I highly recommend paying extra for an exit-row seat or another seat with extra legroom.
Arriving at Cancun International Airport
As my Viva Aerobus flight from Villahermosa to Cancun came in to land, we flew over Cancun’s Hotel Zone and the airport before completing a full 360-degree turn to begin our landing approach.
I was able to capture a photo of Cancun’s Hotel Zone out the window using my iPhone. It was a great view and a nice way to end the flight.
Is Viva Aerobus a Good Airline?
I was very impressed with Viva Aerobus and feel that Viva Aerobus is a good airline, especially if you understand that it is a low-cost carrier and pay attention to what is included with your fare. The check-in process, seats, customer service, and flight attendants all exceeded my expectations. I was honestly expecting Viva Aerobus to feel like the Spirit Airlines of Mexico, but my experience was better than expected.
My only real complaint was the disorganized boarding process, which I avoided because I had VIP Priority Access. If I had been boarding with the general group, I may have felt differently about that part of the flight. As disorganized as the boarding process was on my Viva Aerobus flight from Villahermosa to Cancun, the disembarking process was the complete opposite. The flight attendants asked passengers to deplane by row and told everyone to remain seated until the row ahead of them was walking toward the exit.
Every single person followed the request, and the deplaning process was one of the quickest I have ever experienced. I have flown on hundreds of flights and have never seen a plane full of passengers follow flight attendant instructions that carefully. I do not believe those same instructions would have been followed as well by passengers in the United States.
Overall, my Viva Aerobus review is positive. I would fly Viva Aerobus again, but I would carefully compare the final price after bags, seat selection, and other add-ons. For a short flight within Mexico, especially with an upgraded seat or VIP Priority Access, Viva Aerobus can be a good value.
Affiliate Partner of the Month – Fourthwall
Fourthwall powers our brand-new Buzzin’ Around the World Merch Shop. Pick up a tee, hoodie, or sticker. All profits will help me continue to run this site and deliver great content!
Buzzin Around the World's Merch Shop
Want to Launch Your Own Merch Line?
Scroll to the bottom of our Fourthwall page and tap “Start Your Own Store.” That’s a referral link—if you sign up, Fourthwall rewards me with store credit I can use to buy more gear (at no extra cost to you). We only recommend tools we use and love.
Earn $200 in Travel Rewards with the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card is one of the few rewards cards that does not charge an annual fee. Cardholders can earn 1.25 points for every dollar spent while enjoying 0% APR for 15 months.
Currently, Capital One is offering a signup bonus of 20,000 points (worth $200 in travel rewards) when the cardholder spends $500 in the first three months. If you are interested in this card, I would appreciate it if you would sign up with the link below, as I earn a referral bonus of 10,000 points. Those points are worth $100 in travel rewards and will help me continue to bring great content to Buzzin’ Around the World.
Once again, the Capital One VentureOne card is one of the few reward cards without an annual fee and is the perfect card for someone who is just starting to get into the travel points game.