Belize flight connection through Houston

[pelan-pelan]

Have had a look around the websites but can't find what I need. Can anyone tell me how the connection through Houston to Belize works? Last time we flew through Houston it was to Roatan and the Roatan flight used a different terminal to the UK flight.

We will overnight in Houston in-bound from UK but out-bound the travel agent is proposing only one hour between the Belize/Houston flight and the Houston/UK flight. This doesn't sound enough.

So - which terminals? How far apart are they and how do you get between them? Will we have to go through immigration at Houston on the way back? Does anyone know if you can check bags all the way through from Belize to the UK?

Would be grateful for any answers - or suggestions of who might know - either a good web-site or information office we could phone.

 

[peterbj7]

Don't know about terminals at Houston (surely the travel agent will tell you?) but I can confirm that 1 hour is not long enough for a connection. Every time you enter the US in either direction you'll have to go through immigration, collect all your baggage, then go through customs. Then check your baggage back in and scoot off to your departure gate for another enjoyable game of "security checks". The US doesn't understand the concept of "transit". I've even been asked repeatedly by an immigration officer what my address in the US would be, when I was transiting from Belize to the UK. He wouldn't accept that for an answer, so eventually I just invented an address and he was happy.

Anything less than 3 hours is likely to be too short. My record is 7 hours at Miami when trying to go from Belize to UK. Not only did I miss my onward flight, but every flight to London that day, and had to overnight. In the morning I had a battle getting American Airlines to give me a seat - they said I had simply missed my flight, the ticket wasn't transferable, and that was that. I eventually got on the last flight out that day, and had to route via New York. A nightmare, offset by a sympathetic flight attendant who upgraded me to business class.

Beware - if you miss your onward flight neither the airline nor the airport will accept any responsibility. At Miami I had to find my own hotel for the night (not only wouldn't the airline help, but they wouldn't even let me use their phone, knowing that I had no US cash). And my own taxis each way. Absolutely no assistance or compensation from anyone.

On that occasion I had booked direct with American and they had produced my flight schedule allowing 2 1/2 hour connection. Despite that they accepted no responsibility at all - said I should have told them if I didn't think it was long enough.

I have many friends in America, though I haven't visited them recently. I find the airline/airport nonsense a real disincentive to going to visit. I don't have a problem with necessary security, but that has an air of headless chickens about it, and the airlines have taken the opportunity to become very greedy and unpleasant to their customers. To be fair, not just in the US, though the lack of transit facilities and the unending "security" checks that are often deeply flawed make the US perhaps the most unpleasant country there is to fly into.

Ever since then I've flown to Cancun and bussed down to Belize. Way, way cheaper and despite the road journey far more civilised. And you're "on holiday" far sooner.

 

[Scared Silly]

The above is spot on. We just flew through Houston from Belize this past Monday. In the US a legal international connection is 2 hours or more. If you have at least that the airlines have no liability. Once when Delta let us book a ticket on their website that did not have this amount of time they paid for our dinner and hotel after we missed our flight. Tell your travel agent you will be happy to let them book your ticket if he/she will pay for your dinner and hotel when you miss your flight (as well as any additional fees for the new flight ;-). I bet at this point they will find you different flights.

Also I have also heard that flying to Cancun is much cheaper than flying to the USA. The problem is getting from Cancun to Belize as their are no flights so taking the bus might not be so bad.

 

[pelan-pelan]

Many thanks for this. That matches what I saw last time we went through Houston. The airline web-site was allowing booking with only an hour between flights.
Peter - it's too late for us to organise the Cancun then bus option - but could you tell more - think it sounds a very useful option.

Where do you get the bus? Do you book it - if so, where, how? How long does the journey take? What are bus facilities like? What sort of stops does it make? Any comments about passport requirements?

Already starting to think two centre Mexico (we've never been) and Belize for another time.

Do the busses go from Cancun to anywhere else diving-useful?

 

[peterbj7]

I can give all the gory details separately, but this is the overall shape. Fly into Cancun airport. After clearing formalities exit the building, turn right and walk down past the end of the building to an area where buses park. You'll run the gamut of lots of people trying to sell you cab rides - be pleasant, firm and negative. Once at the buses look helpless and a bus company (ADO) official will approach you and will speak in English. Say you want a bus to Playa del Carmen. The service is fast and efficient, in a heavily air conditioned very modern luxury coach, and from memory costs about US$7.

You arrive at one of the two bus stations in Playa, the one right by the sea and next to the ferry terminal for Cozumel. Before you do anything else, go to the booking office and buy a ticket for Chetumal (the main town near the Belizean border). You'll need to specify which bus, and bearing in mind the journey takes 5 hours (and costs US$18) decide whether to stay overnight in Playa. I always do, as there's lots to do there (zilch in Chetumal). The bus I book is the 9:30am one, which works well at the other end. I'm assuming you'll be coming from the UK and will be thoroughly jetlagged and very tired, and also that it will be too late to complete your journey to Ambergris Caye that day.

I can suggest hotels to you. Next morning you need to get to the other bus station, which is four roads in from the sea and 5 or 6 northwards. Be there 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Buses leave approximately on time, and like the previous bus are heavily air conditioned - you'll actually need something to keep you warm. There are several stops where if you're quick you can hop off and buy refreshments - make sure the driver (who will speak no English) understands what you're doing so he won't leave without you.

In Chetumal you arrive at the terminus. Here you will be met by the Belizean taxi company you will have pre-booked (one of the details I referred to - I can advise). He will drive you to the border, will help so far as he can with formalities (that help can be invaluable) and will wait while you clear formalities. He will then drive you to the Corozal airstrip in time for a departure direct to San Pedro. Taxi costs around US$20, air fare around US$25. You will also need to have booked your flight with one of the two airlines that make the trip. At San Pedro airstrip ask a taxi for your hotel.. And that's that!

A nice thing about spending a few hours in Playa is that you can buy very cheaply things like tee shirts and cotton shorts (so no point in bringing them from England) and there is a superb Italian ice cream shop near the first bus station. You can walk everywhere - I always stay at an hotel between the bus stations, and the total walk between bus stations is no longer than 20 minutes. A pleasant place to unwind from the transatlantic flight. If Americans are reading this, they may well find their flight arrival time permits them to make the bus journey and catch the last flight to San Pedro, thereby making the entire journey in one day. Europeans should remember that flying via the US they also have to overnight - the journey can't be done in one day. Doing that in Playa is much more pleasant and cheaper than going to an hotel near a main US airport hub.

Something you could probably do, but I haven't any experience of it. If you find somewhere in Tulum to stay, you could get there directly after arrival. It's on the route to Belize and not too far from Playa. There you can look at Mayan ruins and dive with a variety of dive shops - maybe take a few days before continuing to Belize. If you stay in Playa there are countless dive shops, with the main attraction being the inland cenotes.

 

[Footslogger]

Have had a look around the websites but can't find what I need. Can anyone tell me how the connection through Houston to Belize works?

=============================================

Have made that connection twice now enroute to Belize for a Nekton liveaboard. If at all possible stick with Continental unless you have a long layover. Last time we did Denver to Houston with United and connected with Continental to Belize City. Darn near missed the flight.

Anymore we just book the whole thing via Continental so that the connection is in the same terminal and there's no need to catch the inter-terminal shuttle.

 

[samnewsom]

flew into george bush international in houston and then from there to belize international then flew from there to belize international took maya air to ambergis caye was great

 

[pelan-pelan]

Thanks for advice. We are flying with Continental UK through to Belize. It's details like this that make a huge difference. You've got a long journey, time differences and a heavy dive bag to deal with - the last thing you need is hassle over connections.

(Off topic - have flown into Caribbean destinations several times with KLM (Dutch airline) - Kases Lost Manytimes is what it stands for.)

Interested in the bus connection. Mexico is on our list of places to visit. That looks like an interesting itinerary for a longer trip taking in inland sites as well as diving.

 

[peterbj7]

There are lots of website about buses in Mexico. Remember that the line you want is ADO and your two journeys are Cancun Airport - Playa del Carmen, and Playa del Carmen - Chetumal. Write here or PM me if you want help with a taxi from Chetumal across the border to the airstrip at Corozal (for direct flight to San Pedro, the prime diving destination in Belize).

One good site I'm currently looking at is http://www.travelyucatan.com/trans-4.htm. Another is http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/rferguson/rfbus.html. But there are lots of them.

 

[scubapro50]

WEAR YOUR RUNNING SHOES ......... the "travel gods" like to book connecting flights close together (time wise) but place the terminals miles apart in Houston. There is a free tram at the airport to help you get around but "god help you" if you past up your stop and have to double back.