Points Miles & Martinis contributor Nicky shares his thoughts on the Aeromexico Premier Business Class from New York (JFK) to Mexico City (MEX) on a recent visit.

Aeromexico has been only around for 30 years and remains the only full service national airline of Mexico.  Recently, they took delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, both 787-8 and 787-9, which introduced new business class seats.  This report will cover the first flight from New York-JFK to Mexico City in Clase Premier (Business Class) on a Boeing 787-9.

At JFK, Aeromexico uses Terminal 4 along with their partner, Delta.  Check-in was quick and smooth – all premium class passengers get dedicated check-in desk with Sky Priority benefits.  Aeromexico takes part in TSA Pre-Check so members can use the TSA Pre-Check lanes

Another plus for Aeromexico Clase Premier passengers is that guests get access to the Delta Sky Club prior to the flight.  On the day I went, the Sky Deck opened up for the first day of the season. It was fantastic as the weather in NYC was warm and sunny and passengers took advantage of the area.  The lounge was quite busy but I was able to find a seat and grab some food and drinks.

After spending some time in the lounge, it was time to board.  Luckily the gate was just around the corner from the gate and boarding started on time.  I noticed that the 787-9 that would take us to Mexico City was in a special livery – the Quetzalcoatl livery, which was also the first 787-9 delivered to them.  However, once onboard, I seemed to surprise the flight attendants. They were a putting on their hats and jackets and getting prepared while greeting passengers.  However, they were friendly and the flight attendants directed me to my seat 3J.

The flight I was on was operated with a Boeing 787-9, which is just two years old.  The Clase Premier cabin is split into two cabins which majority of the seats are in the forward cabin and six seats after the main cabin door.  Between the cabins is a walk-up bar/lounge area, which on long haul flights is setup with snacks and drinks.

The seats are configured in a reverse herringbone layout and gives everyone aisle access along with a fully flat bed.  At the seat there was a pillow, blanket, and headphones. The blanket felt very cheap and felt like it belonged in economy.  There was a large 18in touch screen TV that had great resolution and a good amount of choices. There was a remote but I did not use it much since the TV was touchscreen.  In addition, there was a lot of storage space – one held the remote and another had a personal mirror. Since this was a short flight, no amenity kit was offered.

Before leaving the gate, a flight attendant came around offering a welcome drink, champagne, water, or orange juice.  Another one came around distributing menus.

Once in the air, flight attendants passed landing cards and hot towels.  Then a full bar service on a cart was offered with an appetizer of two types of cheeses, crackers, and grapes.  The cheese was pretty strong but was tasty. The main dish was served on a tray. Choices were pasta in a marinara sauce or a hamburger patty.  Both came with a side salad, bread, and white asparagus.

I chose the pasta, which was very basic and simple and did not have much flavor. There was a small dish of extra marinara sauce, which was needed.  

Dessert was offered – either ice cream or cheesecake. I chose the cheesecake, which was a bit sweet, especially with the fruit sauce. Tea and coffee were offered but I declined. Also, flight attendants came around offering small bottles of water.  After the meal service, I watched and played around with the entertainment system. Also, the flight attendants dimmed the cabin for those who wanted to rest.

I also took sometime to explore the cabin, especially the bar area.  The bar area was not fully setup like long haul flights however there were bottles of water, cans of soda for passengers and snacks (nuts and pastries) to take.  There was also a coffee/tea and espresso machine for passengers to use. There was a flight attendant who offered to help with the beverages, especially the coffee and espresso machines.  I just wished there were more snacks on offer.

After five hours, it was time to land.  I was disappointed as flight attendants did not offer a pre-arrival beverage or snack.  Clase Premier passengers were first to depart upon arrival at the gate.

Overall, Aeromexico has a great hard business class product but substandard hard product. With the soft product, I was disappointed that the meal service did not offer Mexican cuisine. You think a national airline would want to emphasise their food but Aeromexico definitely missed the mark on catering.  One big plus flying with Aeromexico, Delta SkyMiles members earn MQM and MQD on eligble fares. In all, Aeromexico has room for improvement.

If you’re looking to redeem your credit card points or airline miles for Aeromexico Premier Business Class, we recommend using the Juicy Miles award booking service, who can help you redeem for the lowest amount of miles.

Have you flown Aeromexico Premier Business Class before? Feel free to share your thoughts below!