I Flew Volaris Internationally. Here’s What It’s Really Like.

I have flown Volaris internationally from San Salvador to Newark and on a domestic flight in Mexico.

If you’ve searched flights for either of these two situations, you’ve seen Volaris pop up, usually with a price that makes you stop and look twice. They even market themselves as an “ultra-low cost airline,” as if the adjective “ultra” is necessary.

I’ve flown a lot of budget airlines over the years. Some have been surprisingly good. Some have felt like the plane equivalent of an old school bus.

I’ve learned that when it comes to ultra-low-cost carriers, the difference between a good experience and a stressful one usually comes down to knowing what to expect before you step into the airport.

That’s why I’m writing this.

You’re probably wondering if Volaris is safe, if its cheap fare is worth it, and how strict they are about their baggage rules. I’ll share all of that here from my experience flying them.

I’ll walk through what surprised me, what felt very “budget airline,” and what I’d do differently next time, plus some tips so you can avoid unnecessary stress or extra fees.

My Quick Summary of Volaris (TL;DR)

If you just want the short version before getting into all the details, here it is.

The Good

Volaris was better than I expected in a few key ways.

• Those low fares are real, and a lot of them are for direct routes that are hard to find otherwise.
• The upsells didn’t feel predatory for a budget airline. A full-size carry-on on my international Volaris flight cost extra, but not a lot extra. (It varies by flight, but mine was $12.) Given how aggressive some budget airlines are with baggage, this is good.
• They seemed pretty relaxed about baggage enforcement. If a bag looked reasonable, they weren’t pulling out scales or asking people to remove their extra pair of shoes to get the weight down.
• The app was simple and easy, which made checking in and managing everything straightforward.
• Even in basic economy, the legroom was decent, and the seats were wider than I expected for an ultra-low-cost carrier.
• Staff both at the airport and on the plane came across as professional and attentive. No complaints.

Overall, there were several moments where I thought, okay, this is actually pretty solid for a budget airline.

The Not-So-Good

That said, you still feel the budget airline trade-offs.

• As expected on a budget airline, everything is extra.
• The seats are extremely minimal. They have no real headrest and only a small storage pouch in front, which makes the cabin feel stripped down.
• Even the “Premium” seats look minimal, but with more legroom.

None of this shocked me. It’s just part of the model. You have to go into a Volaris flight with the right expectations.

Who Should Fly Volaris

You’ll probably like Volaris if you:

• Travel light or know how to pack efficiently
• Are flexible and not expecting luxury
• Care more about price and direct routes than bells and whistles

Who Might Not Love It

You may want to look elsewhere if you:

• Want padded seats, TV screens, wifi, or a more traditional full-service experience
• Prefer airlines where comfort is built into the base fare
• Tend to travel with lots of luggage.

Is Volaris Safe to Fly?

Yes, it is safe.

Some airlines may feel sketchy to people because cheap gets conflated with cutting corners. But in aviation, that’s simply not how safety works.

Airlines don’t get to decide how safe they want to be.

Flying is one of the most tightly regulated activities on Earth, even across continents. All of the countries that Volaris operates in abide by international guidelines and laws that strictly regulate safety.

Why Are Volaris Flights So Cheap? The Budget Airline Model

Volaris keeps fares low by stripping the base ticket down to the essentials, which is common for budget airlines, as I discuss more in-depth in this article. You’re paying for transportation from point A to point B. Everything else becomes a decision you make along the way.

Base Fare + Upsells

You start with a base fare, and then they try to get you to buy the add-ons.

That means a full-size carry-on, seat selection, and any food or drink is extra.

If you travel light and don’t care where you sit, you can keep the total cost very low. If you start adding comfort upgrades, the price climbs.

This is the same model used by most budget airlines, but I found the pricing here more reasonable than some that aggressively upsell every step of the way.

Minimal Experience

They also keep costs down by not paying for things like TVs for every seat. You feel this in small ways, like minimal seats, limited storage, and fewer extras, but that’s part of how the fares stay affordable.

This is increasingly true of the legacy carriers too.

A Few Tips to Get the Cheapest Volaris Flights

So how can you keep the best deal and pay close to the price that you see when you’re searching? Here are my tips, a few unique to Volaris.

1) Travel Light

Only good things come from packing light. This is so important that in my guide on how to save hundreds on flights, I dedicate two chapters to the benefits and the art of packing light.

If you need a full-size carry-on, it’s not a bad deal on Volaris. On Volaris El Salvador flight, it’s only an extra $12.

2) Compare the Price Between the Zero, Basic, and Plus vs Adding Luggage Separately

Volaris seems kind of sneaky with this.

When you go to the flight, you’ll see the options between the three tiers. You’ll see that even the “basic,” although it includes a checked bag, does not include a full-size carry-on.

Meanwhile, if you select “Zero,” you’ll see that the carry-on has a different price. I’ve done a few searches, and sometimes it’s cheaper to get the higher tier, and sometimes it’s cheaper to get the bag separately. Check both for your specific flight.

3) Say No to Other Extras

Priority boarding, insurance add-ons, and yes, even the seat. If you’re traveling with somebody, they’ll seat you together.

Unless you want to guarantee you don’t want a middle seat (I bring a travel pillow, eye plugs, and eye mask and I’m fine), then don’t spend on this.

4) Consider Airport Transportation

Okay, I’m giving away some tips from my aforementioned guide on how to save hundreds on flights. But in Newark, where my Volaris flight landed, you can save even more money by avoiding a taxi, and even avoiding the expensive AirTrain fee. Check out my article on how to get to and from NYC and Newark Airport car-free.

5) Book In Lighter Travel Times, See Their Full Month View

There are direct flights from Newark to El Salvador for less than $100. Yes, that’s real. But not at the busiest travel times. Look, I don’t know your schedule, but Volaris has the monthly view feature now so you can see the cheapest dates to fly.

Volaris doesn’t have daily flights for a lot of its routes.

So you may have a limited choice of which day to leave. If you want to get the best deals, it helps to have some flexibility in your travel schedule.

Volaris Baggage Rules (And My Personal Strategy)

If you’ve flown low-cost carriers before, you may have been borderline harassed at an airport counter measuring the size and weight of your backpack.

The good news is that, in my experience, Volaris felt more reasonable than many competitors and they won’t strictly measure the weight or size of your backpack.

My Personal Strategy: Backpack + Small Handbag

I almost never pay for overhead space.

My usual setup is simple:

• one regular backpack
• one smaller handbag or personal item

I know I can fit everything under the seat if I have to. That’s the rule I follow, no matter what airline I’m on. If you can confidently do that, you remove a lot of stress and avoid baggage fees entirely with Volaris.

On My Flight, They Let us Put Backpacks in the Overhead Space

After everyone finished boarding, there was extra overhead bin space. The flight attendants started letting people place backpacks up top, even if they hadn’t paid for overhead space.

So yes, sometimes you’ll end up with extra room anyway.

But this is a gamble. It depends entirely on how full the flight is and how much luggage other people bring. I also don’t know if that’s policy or if the flight attendants were being nice. If overhead space matters to you, purchase it ahead of time.

How Strict Is Volaris About Bag Size?

Unlike some budget airlines that aggressively measure and weigh everything, Volaris felt pretty relaxed about it. At check-in, staff mostly just glanced at bags rather than pulling out measuring tools or forcing people into sizing boxes.

If your bag looks reasonable, you’re probably fine.

That said, I wouldn’t push it. If you show up with an oversized wheeled carry-on that’s clearly beyond the limits, they may weigh it. And they should.

Check-In and Airport Experience: Completely Fine

The Mexico City airport sucks. That’s a shock to nobody. But I had no issues with the Volaris gate itself. It was completely unremarkable.

In El Salvador, the airport staff was professional, polite, and efficient.

It moved like the line of any legacy carrier would, and I have no complaints.

Check-In is Very Easy On Their App

For a budget airline, Volaris has one of the better airline apps. Checking in was easy, and when I got to the airport, it took less than two minutes to do my passport check (which you have to do for all international flights).

The Volaris In-Flight Experience

All right, now let’s get into the flight itself. It was no-frills for sure.

Seats & Legroom

The legroom is pretty good, but the seats themselves kinda suck.

Even in economy, I was happy both with how much legroom I had and with how wide the seats were on my Volaris El Salvador flight.

But the seats were not good at all.

• No headrest at all. This is why I always bring a travel pillow.
• The tray table is tiny.
• The front pouch is also very small.
• They don’t recline that much, so it wasn’t the easiest flight to sleep on.

This shouldn’t be surprising, but now you know. That is a trade-off of a budget airline.

Food & Drinks

They have some snacks for sale, but on both of my flights, you couldn’t get substantial meals. The best way around this is to bring your own food or eat ahead of time.

Entertainment

Again, like a lot of budget airlines, instead of a screen on the seat, they let you connect your phone to their entertainment suite.

They have some movies and shows. Not the biggest selection, but at least there’s something.

Unfortunately there’s nowhere to put your phone without holding it.

Wifi & Charging: None

No outlets. I repeat: no outlets. Charge your phone ahead of time.

There’s also no wifi. The wifi is only to access their entertainment.

Friendly Flight Attendants

I don’t have anything bad to say about the flight attendants. On my Volaris flights, they’ve all been friendly and attentive.

Things I Wish I Knew Before Flying Volaris

And budget airlines in general.

• If you can fit it under the seat, they won’t give you a hard time about luggage
• Bring a neck pillow. Their seats have no headrest.
• Charge your phone beforehand. They don’t have outlets.
• Plan your food beforehand.
• Check-in online. It’s easy on the app.

I Would Fly Volaris Again

It has all the downsides you expect when spending only $150 to get across a continent, yet it still had all of the professionalism and service I’d hoped for.

Volaris vs Avianca

I often fly Avianca, and you can read my review of Avianca here.

Volaris, I think, has better legroom in the bare-bones economy. Aside from that, Avianca has more comfortable seats and some other niceties like outlets, a phone stand, and more food options for sale.

If both were the same price, I’d probably choose Avianca. But if Volaris is cheaper, I’d choose Volaris.

If the price was similar (within $50), I’d choose the flight that works better for my travel schedule.

If you’ve flown one, you know generally what to expect with the other.

Volaris vs Spirit

I’ve flown Spirit a few times, including from the U.S. all the way to Lima, Peru.

Spirit is the archetype of a budget airline, and its reputation is worse than the actual experience. Like Spirit, Volaris has seats without much padding, less entertainment, and a budget-airline model that means things are extra.

If you’ve flown Spirit before, you can expect something similar with Volaris.

Volaris vs Volaris El Salvador

Volaris has been a Mexican airline for a while. I first flew them on a domestic Mexico flight.

Recently, they expanded to El Salvador. This is technically a separate company, which operates with its own structure and routes connecting San Salvador to major cities in the United States.

I’ve done both, and I think Volaris El Salvador is a half a step up in terms of service, but, it’s at the core, it’s the same budget airline experience. Same crappy seats.

I Like Direct Flights, Even If They’re Less Comfortable

Direct flights often cost less, they’re much more convenient, and as a personal rule, I try to stick to them at all costs as part of my effort to limit the amount I’m flying to due to serious environmental concerns with aviation.

I know I can’t be perfect. I love to travel and visit friends and family. However, choosing direct flights helps me cut back on a lot of the environmental damage of flying, and only going on a few trips per year.

These budget airlines with direct options that the legacy carriers often lack help me do that.

And they help me do that at a great price. So, comfy seats or not, I’ll continue to fly budget airlines like Volaris over the legacy carriers. For more help getting good deals on flights, check out my guide on the best flight search engines for budget travelers.