Sweating in Southern Baja Part II: Enter the Dragon- TJ's airport

When you hear that somebody is flying out of the Tijuana's international airport you usually think one of two things: 1. "Dude, are you crazy? TJ's insanely dangerous, if the cartel doesn't cut your head off than you'll probably crash on take off 'cause those dudes don't know how to fly" or 2. "Oh, so you know about Volaris, eh? Nice work." 

Response 2 shows you're a savvy traveler. Response 1 indicates you don't get away from surfing South Garbage very much, do you? Flying out of TJ's airport is a piece of cake, as long as you approach the process with the right frame of mind and a couple of strategies to help you through it all. Mainly, be flexible- be sure to smile a lot and most importantly get there early. Also, you'll find that the Mexican government is doing its best to attract foreign travel so there will be helpers around to assist you in the sometimes chaotic airport. Do what I do and when you're confused, just look kind of spacey and lost; before you know it someone will come along to help you out. 

Yeah, it looks crazy with lines snaking all over the place but, in reality, it's no worse than a crowded day at LAX- it's just all in Spanish. The airport was undergoing renovations while I was there so it was even more confusing than usual- I'm told there will soon be a pedestrian bridge over the border with secure parking on the US side and a walkway directly to the airport. Even amidst the confusion and chaos- the locals were super helpful and polite- good people.

There's a few good reasons to fly Volaris out of TJ. First of all, the fares can be ridiculously low. I paid $130 round trip with taxes to get down to La Paz- that's a great deal and it can't be matched by any US carriers. Second, the Volaris jets are brand new, the pilots highly skilled and the beer and tequila is free. Really. And finally, the help is easy on the eyes- and they have the coolest uniforms around. I present to you, the women of Volaris. Yummy.