Getting from Utila to San Pedro Sula on a Friday

[Hintermann]

I have a reservation at Deep Blue resort in Utila for April 2016 for a week of diving. My original plan was to make it a Saturday to Saturday week, flying in from Miami on American Airlines to Roatan and connecting to the Island Air flights from Roatan to Utila. The return route was to be the same the following Saturday but a change in the next part of my holiday has meant that I have to leave Utila a day earlier than planned, ie Friday 15th April 2016 and return to Miami. As there are no Friday flights from Roatan to Miami, I have to go via San Pedro Sula.

My problem therefore is that on Friday 15th April 2016, I have to get from Utila to San Pedro Sula so that I arrive at San Pedro Sula airport no later than noon. I have thought of a few options.

• A direct charter from Utila to San Perdro Sula on Island Air. Is this possible and if so, any ideas of cost?
• An early morning flight from Utila to La Ceiba (on Island Air) and connecting to the 09:00 hours Lanhsa Airlines flight to San Pedro Sula. This is cutting it very fine.
• Catch the 06:00 ferry out of Utila to La Ceiba and connect to the same Lanhsa Airlines flight to San Pedro Sula. Also rather risky.

Please advice on the feasibility of this and suggest any other options that you might know. Thanks.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If you can get to Roatan, consider checking into the flight schedule for Tropic Air into belize International. If Tropic's schedule works for you, should be able to get a flight to Miami from BZE.

 

[diversteve]

A direct charter from Utila to San Perdro Sula on Island Air. Is this possible and if so, any ideas of cost?

We provide safe, easy and convenient access to and from all three Bay Islands of Honduras. Fly ISLAND AIR to all the mainland cities as well. Our flights connect with all arriving and departing international flights on Roatan, Le Ceiba and San Pedro Sula.
Prices are as follows:
RTB-UTI $125 on Saturdays... other days $500 for up to 4 passengers in your party. Additional passengers at the rate of $125 each
UTI-LCE $495 up to 5 passengers/$650 more than 5 passengers
SAP-UTI $1,495
RTB-SAP $1,695

Roatan Flights | Island Air, Bay Islands Flights

As there are no Friday flights from Roatan to Miami,

Travelocity shows this on Fridays in March 2015 (as far as they currently list), maybe it will exist in April 2016 also.

Dep. 10:58a RTB
Arr. 4:40p MIA
Avianca Flight 729
3h 42m, 1 stop
connect to American 1504 in SAP

Contact Alice at Worldwide Travel and someone at Morgan's and see what they suggest. Also Shirley at Deep Blue, she handles arrangements for their guests.
https://www.facebook.com/wwtutila
Morgan's Travel - About Us

Dennny Bush might be able to get you over to Roatan also. But it's about $350 on a private charter. https://www.facebook.com/BushsBayIslandCharters

Is the Princess Ferry back in service? Someone posted it was in dry-dock last year. I thought the only way over from RTB now was via local flight.

 

[Hintermann]

I checked and as far as I can make out, the Tropic Air connections are too tight. On Friday morning I will still be in Utila and the only way to get to Roatan would be the ferry since Island Air do not normally do that flight on Fridays. Even if they did, to get from Utila to Roatan, catch the Trpic Air flight to Belize and still arrive on time to connect to the Belize City to Miami flight seems a tight and very expensive squeese, assuming those connections are possible.

Island Air quoted $750 for a direct charter from Utila to San Pedro Sula and while I have not ruled this out, I want to look at cheaper options. I have looked again at my own 3rd option and want to know what people think.

If I catch the 06:20 Utila Princess Ferry out of Utila that Friday, it should arrive in La Ceiba by 07:20 hours. Allowing for a 15 minute delay etc, can I get a taxi at the ferry terminal and reach Goloson airport by 08:00 hours?

There is a scheduled daily Lanhsa Airlines flight from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula that departs at 09:00 hours and arrives in SAP with plenty of time to catch the AA flight to Miami. But I know nothing about Lanhsa Airlines. Are they safe and relaible?

PS: I missed your post while typing mine, Diversteve. Thanks. Will check those out

 

[diversteve]

Did you read the last two lines of my post? I wouldn't rely on the Ferry. If in fact it is still running. Don't rely on Deep Blue's website or AboutUtila as accurate ferry information either since neither has changed in a while.

If it still exists - it may actually take them 15mins. or more to get your luggage off the ferry - they load it below decks and one guy brings it up through the hatch. Yours and the 100 backpackers on the boat. They also move boxes of cargo at the same time. We stood around a while waiting for our bags talking to Shirley. I don't remember how long exactly. And we were some of the last to board.

Good luck...

 

[Hintermann]

As I said diversteve, I was typing my last post when yours came in and so I initially missed it. After reading your post, I have decided to forget the ferry option even if it running.

There is a chance that in 2 years' time there may be a few more flights in that sector and so I'll wait and see.

 

[laurenceh]

alice hill at world wide travel on utila can get you on a sosa or cm flight leaving utila early a.m., direct to san pedro sula

or take the 6.20 am ferry (1 hr) and then a taxi to san pedro sula airport (3 hrs), get you there by around 10.30am

no worries

 

[Hintermann]

alice hill at world wide travel on utila can get you on a sosa or cm flight leaving utila early a.m., direct to san pedro sula

or take the 6.20 am ferry (1 hr) and then a taxi to san pedro sula airport (3 hrs), get you there by around 10.30am

no worries

Thanks. But I thought that Sosa and CM Air flights do NOT fly out of Utila on Fridays? I checked their websites and there were no Friday flights to anywhere out of Utila. That is my problem.

But your ferry to La Ceiba (it seems to be operating again) and a taxi ride to San Pedro Sula airport seems an option to consider. I did not think of that. The ferry lands in La Ceiba at 07:20 and hopefully, I should have my luggage out by 08:00 hours. If a pre-booked taxi is standing by, it still gives me 4 hours to reach San Pedro Sula Airport and from what you say, it should be possible.

Also, the ferry/taxi option might will surely work out cheaper than the US$700, the present cheapest rate (probably Captain Celine's 3-seater) charter flight from Utila to San Pedro Sula.

Are there any reliable taxi operators in or around La Ceiba?

This taxi idea tells me that if I am very lucky, there might be a practical and good value solution to my problem.

On certain Fridays (I guess depending on interest), Capt Angelo of Island Air does scheduled flights from Utila to La Ceiba, currently at $65 a head. IF this flight is operating on Friday 15th April 2016 (a strong possibility in that High Season period) and IF it lands in La Ceiba no later than 09:00 hours, I can take that taxi to SAP airport and be on time to catch the AA flight to Miami.

 

[laurenceh]

i have traveled from utila to san pedro sula 50-60 times in the last 9 years both by air and ferry/taxi and/or bus.
i always check with alice first, especially in april which is the busiest month of the year on utila. often extra flights are scheduled and additional days added. at the moment a one way air ticket from utila to san pedro sula on cm or sosa is $110, i prefer cm airlines, better planes, better service and alice is their official agent and she can get on her phone and make things happen fast (find luggage, connect you fast if your schedule is tight etc. etc.).
the only time i have had ferries cancel has been during stormy weather (usually oct-jan, rarely if ever in april). however if you're there in april and its easter (semana santa) i advise buying your ticket the day before as the crowds can be large.
a taxi from the ferry terminal to san pedro sula will cost about $120 but i always ask around on the ferry to see if someone wants to split the fare, generally one or two people will jump at the chance. there are always lots of taxi's at the ferry, just make sure you negotiate the price first.
getting your luggage off of the ferry will take 10 mins MAX, its a small ferry.
the most cancellations and/or delays i have ever had have been flights on sosa from la ceiba to san pedro sula. the la ceiba airport is at the base of the mountains/cloud forest and the weather there can be totally different than the islands, i.e.. a lot more rain and cancelled flights than those leaving the islands.

 

[Hintermann]

I have made a change in my plans and decided to do the Caribbean Explorer liveaboard before going to Utila. By this revised plan, I'll go on the Saba/St.Kitts cruise in the week between Saturdays 2nd & 9th April 2016; that terminates at St Kitts and I'll arrange to catch the earlier AA flight out of SKB to Miami. That flight arrives too late (as flight times now stand) for me to connect to the AA Saturday flight from Miami to Roatan but I should easily catch the afternoon Avianca flight to San Pedro Sula, that lands around 16:30 hours. I could then catch a pre-arranged Celine charter flight to pick me up and take me to Utila that same evening; being a Saturday in the peak April season, I might even get lucky and find another delayed passenger from Miami going to Utila on that Avianca flight who might be willing to split the charter costs.