Aeroméxico’s New Salones Premier Reflect a More Considered Vision of Contemporary Mexico

Airline lounges have increasingly become the place where brands experiment with identity. Freed from the engineering constraints of the cabin, they allow airlines to express atmosphere, emotion and culture in ways that are often difficult at 35,000 feet. Aeroméxico’s newly renovated Salones Premier at Mexico City International Airport feel very much part of that movement.

Designed by global architecture firm Gensler, the airline’s new Domestic and International lounges represent a noticeable shift in how Aeroméxico is framing itself visually. Rather than leaning into overt clichés or generic luxury cues, the spaces attempt to interpret contemporary Mexico through texture, materiality, colour and art, creating lounges that feel more rooted in place than many of their global counterparts.

And in many ways, they feel spiritually aligned with what airlines like LATAM Airlines have already been doing recently across South America. Both brands appear increasingly interested in creating premium spaces that draw from their landscapes, crafts and urban identities in a more contemporary and abstracted way, rather than relying on obvious national stereotypes. It is less about “theme” and more about atmosphere.

The International Salón Premier takes inspiration from Xochimilco, aiming to create what Aeroméxico describes as “an oasis for rest and disconnection”, while the Domestic lounge draws from the lights of Mexico City itself. Throughout both spaces, warm woods, earthy tones, sculptural lighting and layered textures help create a residential softness that feels intentionally distanced from the harsher visual language often associated with airports.

“We are very excited to open the doors to our new International Salón Premier, an oasis for rest and disconnection, which combines modernity with the hospitality that so strongly characterises our country.”

Andrés Castañeda, Executive Vice President of Digital and Customer Experience

There is also a strong focus on art and cultural storytelling. Curated by José Esparza Chong Cuy, the lounges feature works from artists and artisans including Graciela Iturbide, Miguel Fernández de Castro and Abraham González Pacheco, helping position the space not simply as somewhere to wait for a flight, but as what the curator describes as a place of “reflection and cultural diplomacy.”

“With these spaces, we seek to share a message of what Mexico represents through art, creating an environment that not only serves as a transit point, but also as a place for reflection and cultural diplomacy.”

Esparza Chong Cuy

Operationally, the lounges tick the expected premium boxes. The International lounge accommodates 206 passengers across more than 1,230 square metres, while both spaces feature work areas, private booths, ergonomic relaxation zones, upgraded dining and extensive mixology offerings. The airline has also introduced “La mesa del chef”, a rotating chef’s table concept featuring menus from internationally renowned chefs.

Yet perhaps the most interesting part of the project is the visual language itself. Across the lounges, fragmented and almost pixelated motifs appear repeatedly throughout the interiors, echoing the increasingly contemporary digital graphic design language Aeroméxico has been introducing across parts of its wider brand ecosystem. It creates a subtle sense of cohesion that feels modern without becoming cold, helping bridge physical and digital touchpoints in a way many airlines still struggle to achieve.

The challenge, however, is that very little of this design thinking currently carries through to the onboard experience itself.

While the lounges feel thoughtful, contemporary and culturally rooted, the cabins still operate within a noticeably different visual world. There is currently little connective tissue between the atmosphere of these spaces and the onboard materials, graphics or passenger touchpoints found in-flight. And that leaves the lounges feeling almost like a glimpse into a future version of Aeroméxico that has not fully arrived yet.

But perhaps that is precisely the point. Increasingly, airlines are beginning to understand that premium passenger experience is no longer defined purely by the seat. The future belongs to brands capable of creating coherent ecosystems where architecture, digital, onboard service, graphics, food, lounges and storytelling all speak the same language.

Aeroméxico’s new Salones Premier suggest an airline beginning to move in that direction. And if this more considered approach to contemporary Mexican identity eventually finds its way onboard as well, the airline could quietly become one of the more design-aware premium brands in the Americas.

As I do every year, I ask on your kind support to keep things going. If you are able to donate – whatever amount – it all gets funnelled back in to the site, to keep the site full of content. And I thank you personally for your kind support.