Our Review of Guadalajara Airport (GDL)

Table of contents: Our Review of Guadalajara Airport (GDL) Pros and Cons of Guadalajara Airport (GDL) Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of Guadalajara Airport (GDL)

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Guadalajara Airport (GDL)

PROS

Location: The Guadalajara Airport is easily accessible, located in Tiajomulco de Zuñiga, Jalisco, 17 kilometers south of the city center. It acts as a main entry point for Mexico’s western region.

Modern Facilities: The airport features modern and well-maintained facilities, including a variety of dining options, shops, and lounges. It provides amenities for both domestic and international travelers.

Efficient Operations: In general, especially outside of peak hours, the airport is known for its effective operations with comparatively fast wait times at security and check-in.

Flight Connectivity: Guadalajara International Airport is a hub for Volaris and Aeroméxico, and a focus city for VivaAerobus. GDL offers a range of domestic flights across Mexico and international connections. It also operates wide range of cargo flights.

Accessible Transportation: A variety of modes of transportation are available, such as rental cars, shuttle services, and taxis. There are other possibilities for public transportation.

CONS

Capacity Issues: Similar to a lot of other busy airports, GDL is congested during rush hour, which can result in longer waiting time and more frustrating experience.

Traffic Congestion Near the Airport: Travel times to and from the airport may occasionally be impacted by traffic congestion in the area around the airport, especially during rush hour.

Occasional Service Disruptions: There may occasionally be delays or interruptions due to bad weather or operational problems, which might have an impact on flight schedules and passenger comfort.

Security Check Delays: During peak travel periods, security checks can become congested, leading to longer wait times.

Limited Seating: During peak hours, there isn’t enough space for comfortable seating, especially in some areas of the terminal.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Terminals: There is just one terminal at Guadalajara Airport, which handles both local and international travelers. Even though the terminal is well-organized, you must know which gate your flight departs from, for smoother navigation.

Transport to and from Guadalajara: There are several ways to go from the airport to the city center. This includes, car rentals, shuttle services, and taxis. Additionally, public buses run to different areas of the city. If you’re coming late at night or early in the morning, taxis are a dependable and handy choice. If you want to drive, you can rent a car.

Check-in areas: Check-in counters are located in the main terminal levels. Domestic check-in section is located in the ground level of the terminal, and the upper floor features security checkpoints for international travelers.

Dining and Shopping: The terminal offers a range of dining establishments, including cafes and restaurants, as well as a selection of retail stores. These are accessible before and after security, so you can shop or have a snack while you’re waiting for your flight.

Family-Friendly Features: The Guadalajara Airport has family-friendly features, such as spaces and amenities designed with kids in mind. Families traveling with kids will find the airport to be a nice place.

Lounges: There are a number of lounges in the airport with cozy chairs, food, and drinks. Certain ticket classes or memberships may grant access to these lounges.

Additional Services: The airport provides various services such as currency exchange, baggage storage, and assistance for passengers with reduced mobility.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation