#cheap air travel #

Air Travel To Belize

Flying to Belize is quick and easy but not cheap. Here we review your options when flying here and possible ways of nailing those sometimes elusive cheap flights. Five international airlines fly into Belize: TACA, Continental, American, Delta, and US Air. The gateway cities from the U.S. are Miami, Houston, Dallas, Newark, Charlotte and Atlanta. TACA is very popular with Belizeans and also has service direct into the other countries in Central America via El Salvador.

Commuter Belize airline

The airlines flying here deploy smaller jets such as the Boeing 737 or 767 or similar with the usual compact seating. Prices tend to be high for the more comfortable first class. Flights from Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Charlotte and Houston take two to two and a half hours.

Regional airlines such as Maya Island Air have daily service between Belize City and Cancun, Guatemala City and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Tropic Air has daily service between Belize City and Flores-Santa Elena, Guatemala.

Travelers to our country frequently complain about the artificially high cost of airfare that is a reflection of high government taxes. Tickets from the U.S. to Cancun or Cozumel are approximately half the cost of tickets to Belize City due to the high volume of subsidized travel from North America into Mexico. From the chief North American gateways you can expect to pay US$450 to $750 or more for a round trip to Belize.

Airfare tends to be cheapest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Avoid weekends if you are on a budget. Mondays are popular with business travelers and weekends are key dates for holiday makers wanting the longest trips possible thus these dates are best avoided if you want to save cash. The most expensive air tickets to Belize are found during peak holiday travel times, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. Thus avoid these seasons if you are looking for cheap flights to Belize.

Travelers on a budget should also consider flights into Flores, Guatemala. To get to Belize, you can grab a spot on a bus to the western with Guatemala border, or a cheap flight from Flores to Belize City. Although it will take longer to reach your destination, a bus ride as part of your journey can save you enough money to make it worth your while.

Airlines flying to here occasionally have Internet specials with prices as low as US$250. but you have to act fast as the windows for purchase and travel are small and few.

Most travel experts advise that you sign up for Internet fare specials alerts. Keep tabs on on-line reservation sites. It is useful to have a friendly travel agent do this for you as travel agents have access to hourly flight fare fluctuations on systems such as Amadeus that are not available to the public.

Domestic Air Travel Within The Country

Some believe that the most time-efficient option for travel within Belize is by air. Regularly scheduled flights cover the country and and also provide regional service to nearby areas in Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. that leaves many wishing that the flights were longer.

Scheduled Belize Flights Charters

In Belize: Tel: 501-225-2336 (Int lAirport-PGIA) Tel: 501-223-1140

In Belize: Tel: 501-225-2302 (Int l Airport PGIA) Tel: 501–226-2012

Belize Helicopter Services

Astrum Helicopter Service www.astrumhelicopters.com Tel: 501-222-5100

Flight information for Belize

There are 19 airports in Belize. Apart from the international airport at Laydville near Belize city, all other facilities are small airports with limited facilities. The 6 busiest airports in Belize are:

Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (Ladyville, airport code MZBZ, 10 miles from Belize City, Belize)

Right now, 11 airlines operate out of the Philip S.W. Goldson Intl Airport international code MZBZ.

Philip S.W. Goldson Intl Airport offers nonstop flights to 18 cities.

Every week, at least 490 domestic flights and 147 international flights depart from Philip S.W. Goldson Intl Airport.

Dangriga Municipal Airport (Dangriga, Belize)

Two airlines operate out of Dangriga Airport.

Dangriga Airport offers nonstop flights to 4 cities.

Every week, at least 273 domestic flights and 0 international flights depart from Dangriga Airport.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Airport (San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize)

Two airlines operate out of San Pedro Airport.

Placencia Airport offers nonstop flights to 4 cities.

Every week, at least 203 domestic flights and 0 international flights depart from Placencia Airport.

Belize City Municipal Airport (Belize City, Belize)

Two airlines operate out of Belize City Municipal Airport.

Belize City Municipal Airport offers nonstop flights to 5 cities.

Every week, at least 273 domestic flights and 0 international flights depart from Belize City Municipal Airport.

City Of Belmopan Municipal Airport (City of Belmopan, Belize)

Two airlines operate out the City of Belmopan Airport

City of Belmopan Airport offers non-stop service to 5 cities.

Every week at least 174 domestic flights and 0 international flights depart from the City of Belmopan Municipal Airport.

City of Belmopan Municipal Airport offers the second longest runway after PGIA to facilitate cargo aircraft in times of natural disasters such a hurricanes.

Most Direct And Cheapest Travel To Belize

From a question on the Belize Forums asking about travel from Florida to Belize:

Most direct and most economical are usually different.

Most direct is likely American Airlines nonstop from Miami (MIA) to Belize International (BZE) and then either Tropic Air or Maya Island Air from BZE nonstop to San Pedro (SPR).

Most economical would vary depending on when you are going and probably how far ahead you are buying your international ticket. Some people find that the cheapest route is flying to Cancun, Mexico (CUN) and taking an ADO bus to Chetumal, Mexico, and then either a water taxi direct to San Pedro, or alternatively a bus from Chetumal to Belize City and then a water taxi to San Pedro. That or an overnight ADO bus from Cancun to Belize City and then a water taxi to San Pedro. But this would vary a lot depending on when you go.

Kayak.com or one of the other metasites that compare airfares on major airlines are usually a good way to find the best deals.

It might even be that a Greyhound bus from Miami to the Mexico border at Brownsville, Texas, and then a bus through Mexico to Belize would be cheapest, at least if you didn t eat much and slept on the bus, but it would be a long (like 4 days ) and hard, but undoubtedly a memorable trip!