Last Updated on March 24, 2026
Originally founded as Vuelo Airlines in 2005, Volaris Airlines is one of two ultra low cost carriers (ULCC) based in Mexico, the other being Viva airlines. You can think of them like Frontier and Spirit airlines of Mexico. In fact, Volaris and Frontier have a code share agreement. Volaris is the largest airline in Mexico by passengers and operates routes in Mexico, the United States, Central America, and South America. In late 2025, it was announced that Volaris and Viva will be merging, and will eventually form one airline group.
Like many ULCCs there is skepticism when considering booking a flight with Volaris. ULCCs don’t have the best reputation, travelers often complan about poor customer service and patchy on time perfomance. The trade off for this is lower price compared to legacy carriers.
The low price usually is enough to have travelers consider flying an ULCC like Volaris, but understandably there is concern of the low price is worth the hassle. I had the same thought and I recently flew Volaris to Mexico in an attempt to answer this question. I had previously flown with Mexico’s other ULCC, Viva Airlines, and was pleasantly surprised with the experience (Check out my review of Viva Airlines). I wanted to see how Volaris measured up to its in country rival and traditional legacy carriers. In this Volaris Review I’ll detail my experience from booking to arrival.
Volaris Airlines Booking Process
The booking process was relatively straightforward. Like with any ULCC there are many points in the booking process where there is an attempted upsell or add ons that can be purchased. It can be a bit annoying but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Like all budget airlines you are only allowed a personal item for free, as a carry on or checked bag is an extra fee.
Like with Viva Airlines, there will be a point when you need to select if you are a Mexican citizen or resident. If you are not, there is a ~$45 fee that will be added to your ticket cost. This fee is for the FMM (forma migratory múltiple) that is required when entering Mexico by nonresidents. This is required by the Mexican government and is not an airline fee.
This fee noticeably increases the once low fare you saw when searching for your flight. What I did appreciate was a pop up message informing me of the added fee, instead of it just appearing with no explanation. All airlines apply this fee but legacy carriers typically include it the advertised price. So it’s something to keep in mind, that the advertised price you see for Volaris is likely ~$45 more than what you are seeing.
Check In and Boarding for Volaris Airlines
Check is was quite easy and I was able to check in on the app and get my mobile boarding pass.
At Houston (IAH), Volaris flys out of D terminal and has gates right next to Viva. Our flight was slightly delayed (10 minutes or so) but otherwise check in was fine. There are six boarding groups and there are lines for boarding groups that made things go smoothly.
Boarding of the aircraft itself went smoothly and was surprisingly quick.
Cabin Experience
If you read my review of Viva Airlines, you know I was pleased with the clean and updated cabin. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Volaris Airlines. The cabin seemed dirty but I couldn’t tell if it actually was dirty or it was the carpeting. The carpeting was the kind of pattern you would expect to see in a mid 2000’s laser tag arena and it looked worn. The pattern did no favors to the dirty appearance.
The seats were disappointing as well. They were bare bones, which is to be expected for an ultra low cost carrier, but they had visible damage and multiple seat backs had cracks. The entire inside of the cabin seemed very dated. I can deal with bare bones, and even dated, but the cracked seats were something I thought was unacceptable.
It was such a stark difference from the new cabin interiors on my Viva Airlines flight. It definitely bummed me out a bit but I carried on, excited to arrive in Guadalajara and grab a cocktail at El Gallo Altanero.
There was a refreshment cart that came around with snacks and drinks for purchase. It was a short flight so I didn’t get anything but the prices didn’t seem crazy. The Volaris Airlines cabin crew was very polite and helpful, but unfortunately they couldn’t make up for the state of the cabin.
Would I Fly Volaris Airlines Again?
That’s ultimately the most important takeaway of this Volaris review. Short answer, yes, I would. Longer answer, yes, but only if they were significantly cheaper and/or the flight time was significantly better than other options. I’m not an airline snob by any means, and I have no problem with budget carriers and I think they serve an important purpose. I usually say ultra low cost carriers are fine just know you get what you pay for. In this case I think the product quality was still lower than the price point. Now this is overwhelmingly due to the cabin. I got there on essentially on time with no issues, but the cabin is where you have to spend your flight.
Overall, it’s always good to have another datapoint when it comes to flying different airlines. Based on my experience, Volaris will get you to your destination on time, so if that’s all you need and you pack light it may be a good option for you. That being said I think if you are flying to Mexico and have the option, Viva Airlines is better for the same price point.
