Travel to AC

[SEVADiver]

Planning our first trip to AC for this summer. Have a couple travel related questions.

How much time should I plan between my arriving international flight into BZE and my local connection to San Pedro (planning Sat-Sat travel)? Likewise, how much time on the return leg? Last summer it took us 3 hours to connect in Grand Cayman returning from Little Cayman. Almost missed our flight. What a zoo! Is BZE usually a mob scene on Saturdays?

Also any preference/advantages between Tropic Air and Maya Island Air?

 

[peterbj7]

Maya is generally cheaper than Tropic, as much as 30%. Tropic flies on time, Maya often doesn't. Tropic doesn't cancel flight because there are too few passengers to make them economic, Maya often does. Yer pays yer money.....

I would allow a clear hour between the scheduled time of landing and your departing local flight. I would most certainly use Tropic and I would book in advance - tell them which flight you're coming in on. If your incoming flight is delayed Tropic will do their best to ensure you still get on a flight for AC, even to the extent of putting on a special flight just for you and flying well after dark. They've done it for me and lots of others.

For the return journey, make sure you will be at Belize International Airport a clear two hours ahead of the scheduled departure of your international flight. Anything less and you may be bumped off that flight. It's happened to lots of people, and if that's the last flight of the day that's just even more tough. If you arrive late for no very good reason and you have a non-transferable/non-refundable ticket you stand a risk of it being cancelled, with no compensation. All this is the airlines, not the Belizean authorities.

BZE is generally pretty well run, and not the zoo I've seen at many American airports. There aren't enough international flights to make it a zoo. Obviously when you're checking in everyone else on your flight will be as well, which is still quite a few people.

 

[Gaz]

Double post

 

[Gaz]

It is a good idea to pre book as if your international flight is delayed into Belize and you have a pre booked ongoing ticket the airline is responsible for your Hotel accomodation that night due to there late arrival.

Happened to me multiple times and each time I was put up in a Hotel for the night however if I did not show them an ongoing ticket they did not provide the Hotel accomodation as they had got you to your final destination.

As far as Peters depiction of Maya and Tropic I will say Tropic is a little better organized but in 10 years of travelling with Maya and booking my hundreds and hundreds of guests not once have any of my guests been left high and dry by Maya.

The key is to be pre booked most problems with waiting are due to people buying tickets on arrival.

The savings are considerable with Maya island Air and currently they are 25% less to fly to Ambergris Caye than Tropic thats a huge difference and a massive savings even if you have to wait an extra 30 minutes or so especially if your travelling with a familly of 4 or more.

Each has there favorite local airline but there really is not much between them

Theres a link on my new website where you can get the 25% Discount for Maya if you decide to use them. Its AmbergrisCayeDiscounts | AmbergrisCayeDiscounts.com Saving you $$$$ when you visit Belize If you prefer Tropic you can still get 10% off there rates by visiting Tacogirl Belize Deals | tacogirl.com and contacting her she can book tropic for you

Have a great trip

Gaz Cooper

 

[reefduffer]

I've only been there once, two years ago: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/belize/226065-trip-report-san-pedro-belize-2-25-3-1-08-a.html

I'm speaking up to mention a couple of things: We flew Tropic Air BZE -> San Pedro. Our AA flight from Dallas was three hours late because of an equipment problem. Tropic "kept the lights on for us", got us and four other people to San Pedro way after dark instead of overnighting in Belize City. I'd echo Peter's plug for them on that basis.

The other thing: consider the water taxi back to Belize City at the end of your trip. The extra time before flying may let you get an extra dive or two in on the last day. Description in my trip report.

 

[peterbj7]

As far as Peters depiction of Maya and Tropic I will say Tropic is a little better organized but in 10 years of travelling with Maya and booking my hundreds and hundreds of guests not once have any of my guests been left high and dry by Maya

I can give you countless instances of Maya not running flights when they deemed them uneconomic. A friend who flies frequently around Belize (several times a week, to all destinations) and had an account with Maya closed it a few months ago after he was twice in a row left standing at the Belize City municipal airstrip. The first time he was due to meet a boat at Dangriga to get out to an island to do some work there, the second he was coming to San Pedro to work here. He now uses Tropic exclusively and passes on the extra cost to his customers.

I have several times been left standing by Maya, most blatantly when I had booked and paid in advance from Dangriga to San Pedro. They chose not to run the flight from Dangriga - the plane was sitting right there and was used for another trip, so there was nothing wrong with it - so the trip that should have taken me just under an hour actually took five. On that occasion I had only booked Maya because their schedule worked much better than Tropic's, though in the event I would have been home hours earlier with Tropic.

As to getting the international airline to pay for your hotel if they deposit you late, I'm afraid I can't believe this would happen nowadays. I have missed aircraft in the US because my incoming flight on the same airline and the same ticket was late, and I have NEVER been given a hotel room or even a meal. I suspect your experiences are years out of date.

 

[Gaz]

Well Peter all I can go on, is MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES and the hundreds of guests that I have booked with Maya. In the YEARs of dealing with Maya NOT ONCE have i been left anywhere when using Maya, NOT once have ANY of my guests been left by Maya. NOT Once has a flight been cancelled and any guest of mine been left high and dry.

NOT ONCE

It seems you are reffering to Municipal Airstrip and local travel between the island and the littel airstrip in Bze city and other destinations that locals use which does NOT affect Tourists visiting via the International Airport.

If what you say is true with regards to International Passengers, the Internet should be plastered with damning reports of Maya Island air leaving passengers high and dry and cancelling flights, leaving 3 hours late etc

Well Peter I challenge you to post International travellers experiences of cancelled flights, being left stranded and all the other accusations you throw at Maya, and back up your claims.

You can post personal experiences but it has to be put in perspective what should of been made clear is International passengers get priority Peter may very well be right with regards to interior travel on a local scale to little airstrips around the country, however this has nothing to do with the ferrying of International passengers arriving Internationally and making there way to the islands.

Look forward to seeing all the damning International passenger reports Peter can come up with

Gaz Cooper

 

[peterbj7]

Gaz, your experiences are all some years ago. Mine are current. I can't give you instances of people not getting on a Maya flight after arriving from abroad, simply because I don't know of any. I have been with people at the San Pedro airstrip when the Maya flight they were waiting for to take them to the International left 40 minutes late. Those people had built in a large time margin and they made their flights, but 40 minutes is a lot to take out of a safety margin.

On that day when I was massively delayed trying to get from Dangriga to San Pedro there were five people trying to get to the International. They were also delayed almost an hour, and were fuming. I have no idea whether they made their flights or not.

Things change, and whatever Maya were like in times past they're not very good now. I can cope (unwillingly) with delays on internal flights. I don't need that hassle when I'm trying to catch an international flight, or to get to San Pedro at the end of a long and tiring journey. I know that with Tropic I'll get there on time. With Maya there's a big question mark based on their recent track record.

 

[peterbj7]

I just saw some friends off at the San Pedro airstrip. They were booked on the Maya flight to the International at 2pm, but when they arrived at 1:40 the 1pm flight had not left yet so they got on that. Pity the poor s**s who should have left at 1pm!

 

[Gaz]

Gaz, your experiences are all some years ago. Mine are current. I can't give you instances of people not getting on a Maya flight after arriving from abroad, simply because I don't know of any. I have been with people at the San Pedro airstrip when the Maya flight they were waiting for to take them to the International left 40 minutes late. Those people had built in a large time margin and they made their flights, but 40 minutes is a lot to take out of a safety margin.

On that day when I was massively delayed trying to get from Dangriga to San Pedro there were five people trying to get to the International. They were also delayed almost an hour, and were fuming. I have no idea whether they made their flights or not.

Things change, and whatever Maya were like in times past they're not very good now. I can cope (unwillingly) with delays on internal flights. I don't need that hassle when I'm trying to catch an international flight, or to get to San Pedro at the end of a long and tiring journey. I know that with Tropic I'll get there on time. With Maya there's a big question mark based on their recent track record.

Thats exactly what I thought and knew you could not win my challenge simply because you cannot find any bad experieices with Maya posted on the internet because they dont exist.

We all know when people are mad they make themselves heard and if as you say many many people have been stranded as you say then surely there would be some angry posters as there would be for any business that is providing bad service these days.

Things can change over time but on my searches all i find are reccomendtions for Maya or there is no difference between the two, I even found a very long time travel agent that still reccomends Maya over tropic and she is using and has been using them longer than I and is still doing to this day. Katy Valk

I also found a recent posting by Lan Sluder who I am sure is the most published author on reccomendations to travel in belize and published author of multiple books on travelling Belize, he is notorious for tellin you like it is, and guess what he said about Maya

Here is a direct quote from him after someone asked the same question as this board started out asking.

They're fine. I've flown them dozens of times. In Belize, like Tropic Air they fly the small Cessna Caravans, but on the CUN-BZE flight they use turboprop ATR 72s seating 68.

--Lan Sluder
Belize First Magazine, the # 1 magazine on travel, life and retirement in Belize.

The only posts I could find slagging Maya was. you guessed it, it was you Peter

It seems to me to be a case of sour grapes you got left one time and now your posting all over the net that Maya is terrible and thats your perogative.

I do not wish to get into back and forth arguments with you Peter such as you have with people on other message boards.

As to others reading this, on the island you have die hard Tropic fans and you have the same with Maya, Tropic is more popular and probably do have a better time keeping record, Maya do offer a substancial discount which is well worth the savings if your travelling with a familly or even just 2 persons the savings are $66.00. If you are a stickler for being on time and on a tight schedule use Tropic If however your chilled out easy going use Maya they are not that bad else you would hear it from more people than just Peter.

Dive Safe

Gaz