Flights to Roatan: others than through Houston and Atlanta?

[CODMAN]

Hi all, I'm still daydreaming about being able to convince my girlfriend about a dive trip to Utila...:shakehead And being able to use my airmiles for 2 tickets halfway there (from Canada to anywhere there is a connecting flight) would reduce the cost and certainly play in my favor to convince her!!! The plan would be to get to Roatan and then take an island hopper to Utila.

So basically, I can't use my airmiles to get to Atlanta or Houston (2 cities I know have flights to Roatan). But I can get to: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa or West Palm Beach.

Does anybody know if there are flights to Roatan leaving from any of these destinations? If so, what carriers?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[itsjustme0770]

Fly to Lauderdale, cab it to Miami International, fly into SPS from Miami and take the puddle jumper to Utila from SPS. Problem solved.

 

[Sloeber]

I believe Spirit Air flies from Ft Lauderdale to Pedro San Sula

 

[Sloeber]

Yep.

FLL to SAP and decent pricing.

www.spiritair.com

HTH

 

[HowardE]

We flew on TACA direct from Miami to Roatan.

 

[CODMAN]

That's great guys! Keep the info coming! I was hoping for a non-TACA flight (like American), but sometimes you just can't be picky!

Thanks!

 

[Doc]

That's great guys! Keep the info coming! I was hoping for a non-TACA flight (like American), but sometimes you just can't be picky!

Thanks!

TACA has really come around with their ground/counter/gate service after sensing the competition. I have never, ever had a complaint with their in-flight service, it has always been quite European and above our US norms. Their first class bump is often quite reasonable and always well worth it- putting our standard US First Cabin to shame. As I always joked, once they get the cabin door closed- everything's gonna be alright!

They all still suffer the vagaries of Central American ground crews if you wander in via the mainland (Honduras, El Sal, Belize). Go direct, and it's not an issue.

 

[growtogether]

During the high season (I believe Dec-Feb), Continental flies direct from Newark to Roatan (EWR to RTB).

You get there early in the day. Like before 12 noon!

 

[CODMAN]

Guys, when taking a puddle jumper (sorry, I never have), would TACA be transfering my luggage for me? Or would I claim my luggage then check it myself back on to the puddle jumper? I'm mainly worried about lost luggage that takes 5 days to arrive. Although delayed/canceled flights can be bad too...

Thanks again!

 

[Doc]

Guys, when taking a puddle jumper (sorry, I never have), would TACA be transfering my luggage for me? Or would I claim my luggage then check it myself back on to the puddle jumper? I'm mainly worried about lost luggage that takes 5 days to arrive.

It isn't TACA per se, it is a shared ground operations service. They don't wear the TACA emblem, or maybe they do, it's irrelevant. These airports are so small that one ground operation does it all.

So, if you deplane or transfer while in any Central American mainland airport, you may well have issues. Or not. Do you feel lucky? It's not an issue of theft. Your used SCUBA gear is worth zip in the US, it's worth less in a poor foreign country. It's more an issue of a non-mechanized baggage system. They sometimes lag and misplace stuff. Then there's the issue of remembering to get it onto the "next" flight. In the US when something gets lost, it pretty well vaporizes. In Central America, it will catch up to you someday, eventually, if you give it a little help- read on...

You're not in Kansas, anymore. Tag your bags with three extra and heavy duty tags that show your route, flights, dates, as well as address and phone number of where (resort) you will be staying. We xerox them and laminate them at Kinkos- then secure them to our bags with waxed string. Three seperate yet identical routing tags. Make it easy for them to send your bag along if it gets waylaid. It is cheap insurance.