Safe, cheap flights and low airfares are available on Mexico's low-cost budget airlines Interjet, Volaris, VivaAerobus, Alma, Click, Avolar, and Aero California.

Mexico’s new low-cost airlines introduced cheap, low airfares and competition to established airlines such as Mexicana and Aeromexico. Many new domestic routes were opened in recent years with low airfares aimed at competing with long-distance buses.

Safety is not a major concern when using Mexican low-cost airlines. Most budget airlines in Mexico use modern, new planes and the Mexican authorities have been quick to suspend and revoke licenses where safety standards were not met.

All Mexican low-cost airlines allow reservations through their websites or via telephone. Some also allow reservations through travel agents and other online reservation services.

• It is worth using a major online reservation service to establish which flights are available on full-service airlines before comparing prices on the individual low-cost airline websites.

Interjet & Volaris

Two of the most respected new low-cost airlines in Mexico are Interjet and Volaris. There is little to distinguish between the two. Both Interjet and Volaris are based at Toluca Airport (TLC) near Mexico City. Volaris uses new Airbus A319 planes while Interjet uses Airbus A320 planes. Free drinks are routinely served on most flights and luggage allowances are generous.

Both Interjet and Volaris have excellent reputations for safety and on-time arrivals. Volaris frequently offers arrival guarantees with 100% ticket refunds for delays.

Volaris allows for some guaranteed connecting flights through its hub at Toluca Airport (TLC). Interjet, however, is a strict point-to-point airline with no connection guarantees or compensation for missed flights.

Interjet passengers may use a reasonably priced shuttle service from Toluca Airport to various points in Mexico City.

Volaris passengers may use a free shuttle bus from Toluca Airport to Santa Fe – an upmarket suburb in the west of Mexico City. Volaris also has a reasonably priced shuttle service from Tijuana Airport to downtown San Diego.

VivaAerobus

Monterrey-based VivaAerobus similarly has an excellent reputation. It has connections to Irish low-cost airline Ryanair and operates on a similar no-thrills basis. Therefore, do not expect any free drinks on VivaAerobus and some inconvenient airports are sometimes used: Monterrey (MTY) to Mexico City (via Cuernavaca Airport) involves a 90-minute bus ride in addition to the VivaAerobus flight.

VivaAerobus uses only new Boeing 737 planes. It has obtained permission and plans to initiate flights during 2008 from Austin-Bergstrom Airport in the USA to Monterrey and other Mexican destinations.

Alma de Mexico

Guadalajara-based (GDL) Alma de Mexico uses 50-seater, Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-200 planes with leather seats. Alma de Mexico allows for guaranteed connection as well as multimode travel – i.e. flights plus connecting bus services – on some routes.

Click Mexicana

Click Mexicana is a low-cost airline belonging to full-service airline Mexicana. Reservations can often be made through Mexicana and points accumulated on Mexicana’s Frecuenta frequent flyer program. Click Mexicana allows for guaranteed connections and seamless integration with normal Mexicana flights.

Click Mexicana uses Fokker 100 planes and in contrast to other low-cost airlines has landing slots at its base at Mexico City Airport (MEX).

Avolar & Aero California

Avolar and Aero California are both based at Tijuana Airport (TIJ). Both Avolar and Aero California have somewhat complicated timetables that are best double-checked prior to making reservations. Flights are often not non-stop and sometimes in a triangular or circular route. Flights may therefore be non-stop in one direction but not necessarily non-stop on the return. Sometimes direct return flights are not even available.

Avolar uses Boeing 737 aircraft while Aero California uses mostly DC-9 planes.

Aero California flights were suspended for 90 days in 2006 due to safety concerns but returned to the skies after acquiring new aircraft.

• Azteca Airlines and Republicair flights are still listed on some schedules but both were suspended for safety concerns and are generally not expected to return to the skies.

Low-cost airlines are expected to increase dramatically the number of flights and routes to Mexican domestic destinations. Mexico’s full-service carriers have responded with lower fares on slow selling flights, especially on routes with competition from low-cost airlines, making price comparisons prior to reserving worth the effort.

Mexican low-cost airlines generally use the convenient main airport at all destinations except at overcrowded Mexico City Airport. Here, low-cost airlines often have to use alternative airports such as Toluca, Cuernavaca, and Puebla.