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 travellers 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
Maya Island Air 1-800-521-1247 Email: mayair@btl.net www.mayaislandair.com
In Belize: Tel: 501-225-2336 (Int’lAirport-PGIA) Tel: 501-223-1140
Tropic Air 1-800-422-3435 Email: tropicair@btl.net www.tropicair.com
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