Grupo Mexicana Informs

* Grupo Mexicana suspends flights until further notice
* Current management received the company in a state of technical bankruptcy seven days ago after it filed for protection under Mexico’s insolvency laws
* Financial deterioration and lack of agreements force Grupo Mexicana to stop flying
* Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers

Mexico City, August 27, 2010. Nuevo Grupo Aeronáutico, S.A. de C.V. ("Grupo Mexicana") announced this morning that as a result of the group’s delicate financial situation when it changed owners a week ago, compounded by failure to reach agreements that would allow for the capitalization of its three airlines, Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink flights will suspend operations until further notice as of midday (12:00 p.m.) on Saturday, August 28, 2010.

Among the factors that have contributed to this announcement are:

1. Grupo Mexicana’s fragile financial situation, which has deteriorated further over the last four weeks due to the previous management’s decision to suspend ticket sales, forcing the company to continue operating in the interests of passengers without receiving any revenue.
2. No substantial agreements were reached to give companies in the Group long-term viability.
3. Lack of effectiveness in the insolvency (Concurso Mercantil) process intended to protect additional financial resources available to the company so it could to continue operating.
4. Given the uncertainty of the situation, certain suppliers have begun demanding advanced payment of services that are essential to the airlines’ operations.

Today’s decision is a painful one for the 8,000-strong Grupo Mexicana family, but we will continue seeking out ways of securing the company’s long-term financial viability, so our passengers can once again enjoy the quality services they are accustomed to. We hope to be back in the air soon and would like to thank everyone involved in this process for their support and understanding.

If you have bookings or/and have paid for a Grupo Mexicana flight and have a reservation code, we would like to inform you that:

1. All Mexicana, MexicanaLink and MexicanaClick flights will be suspended until further notice as of midday on Saturday, August 28, 2010. All flights programmed to depart after this hour will be canceled.
2. Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience this decision may cause and will continue to assist passengers to the full extent of its abilities. Passengers who have already flown a leg of their journey and who are scheduled to fly with a Grupo Mexicana airline after Saturday, August 28, 2010 are advised to consult the websites or contact us at the numbers listed below. Priority will be given to minors traveling unaccompanied, passengers traveling with children under age 3 and special needs passengers.
3. If you have not yet begun your journey, we recommend you make alternative travel arrangements.
4. For information on how to apply for a refund, visit mexicanainforms.com (Tickets issued in the United States and Canada; - Tickets issued in Mexico and the Rest of the World), or contact us at any of the numbers listed below:

5448-8634
5998-5998
in Mexico City

01800-837-6150
01800-801-2010
from anywhere in Mexico

1-888-882-9994
1-877-801-2010
from the U.S. or Canada

In other countries please contact the local Mexicana office.

Mexicana Airlines Cancellations, and Travel Options for Getting to Oaxaca

Here are a couple of options for getting to and from Oaxaca, from Mexico City, in light of the August 28, 2010, announcement of Mexicana Airlines that it is suspending all operations, and cancelling even domestic flights (i.e. Click Mexicana). The options are not exhaustive by any stretch, but may be helpful to some:

http://www.suite101.com/content/mexicana-airlines-cancels-domestic-flights-affects-oaxaca-mexico-a279660

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Tattoos in Oaxaca (Oaxaca Tattoo Fest, August, 2010, and More)

Article about the twelfth annual Oaxaca Tattoo Fest held August 21 & 22, 2010, and the industry as represented in Oaxaca more generally, for those interested in getting a tattoo or some body piercing while visiting the city:

http://www.suite101.com/content/tattoo-fest-in-oaxaca-mexico-piercings-tattoos-tip-of-iceberg-a277869

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Drinks in Oaxaca: Learn the Difference between Wiley Coyote and Chilacayota

Brief glossary of drinks one often encouters in Oaxaca (alcoholic and otherwise), at times unfamiliar to the tourist who is not a regular visitor to the city:

http://www.suite101.com/content/drinks-in-oaxaca-alcoholic-fermented-juice-water-soda--more-a276713

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Bars, Cantinas and Clubs in Oaxaca for Travelers in Their Twenties and Thirties

I put together this little article about 12 popular bars, cantinas, clubs, etc, in downtown Oaxaca and in the burbs, for the benefit of those tourists in their twenties and early thirties who are looking for nightlife while visiting (don't worry, my daughter gave me the info, so it's NOT based upon the perspective of someone in his fifties):

http://www.suite101.com/content/twelve-top-bars-in-oaxaca-for-twenty-to-thirty-year-old-tourists-a275463

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Ten Good Eateries and Restaurants in Oaxaca

For those visiting Oaxaca who have done their homework, this listing of restaurants should come as no surprise, and of course it is by no means meant to be exhaustive. However, there may be a couple of sleepers worth considering:

http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-ten-best-eateries-comedors-haut-restaurants-in-oaxaca

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Prehistoric Caves of Yagul & Mitla Named World Heritage Site by UNESCO

Newsworthy for those contemplating a visit to the City of Oaxaca and its central valleys, is the UNESCO announcement on August 1, 2010, that two pre-Hispanic archaeological complexes and a series of pre-historic caves and rock shelters have been designated a World Heritage Site:

"Some of these shelters provide archaeological and rock-art evidence for the progress of nomadic hunter-gatherers to incipient farmers. Ten thousand year old seeds in one cave ... are considered to be the earliest known evidence of domesticated plants in the continent while corn cob fragments from the same cave are said to be the earliest documented evidence for the domestication of maize."

The rock shelters with pictographs at Xaagá, outside of Mitla, are fairly easily accessible, and from the highway one can easily see the painting on the steep rock facing at the entrance to Yagul.

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Hierve el Agua Remains Open

Over the past two or three weeks (July / August 2010), a few travelers to the city have told me that some taxi drivers and tour companies have indicated that "the road to Hierve el Agua is closed" and that accordingly there is no access to the site. That is not the case. The main road to Hierve el Agua via San Lorenzo Albarrada, is closed, but the alternate route up the other side of the mountain, via Xaagá, remains open, albeit not the easiest way to access the attraction.

Some tour buses are going as far as Xaagá, and then having small pick-ups shuttle people to the site, while many private cars, and driver / guide tourist vans are driving all the way up. The ride up that way is not very pleasant for those with weak stomachs, and in particular during or just after heavy rains, but the view going up is spectacular. It's a matter of judgment and interest whether or not to go up while the main road remains closed.

The point is, the site remains open and there is an alternate access route.

For a brief article about the site, go to:

http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hierve_el_agua_oaxaca

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast

Vintage Mustangs, Mezcal and Matatlán, Oaxaca

This article includes information concerning state-of-the-art mezcal production in Matatlán, Oaxaca:

http://liquor.suite101.com/article.cfm/vintage-ford-mustangs-and-mezcal-meet-in-matatln-oaxaca

Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast