Sat., Oct 16 we arrived at Belize City International airport at approx. 2:30. From the message board, for a flight to Ambergris Caye, we were told to go to the airline with the shortest line of people. This was Maya Island Air. After we had paid our round-trip fare we were told that our flight would leave at 4:00. That's a long wait, but we were told that there wouldn't be a chance to leave earlier.

4:00 came and went and no plane. 4:30 came and went and no plane. I then asked the supervisor, a Diaz Ruperto, when our plane would be arriving. He said that it was getting gas in Belize City and would be there at 4:40. He then disapperared. The man at the counter said it would be 4:50.

Another couple was waiting, also. When it got to be 5:00 and no plane, we were becoming very concerned. Also, the waiting room was empty and the workers were sweeping the floors.

Finally at 5:40 we had our plane trip. The pilot from Ambergris Caye, flew the plane there to leave it overnight.

A warning to all. If you arrive at the international airport in the later afternoon, check to see how many others are flying Maya Island Air. If it isn't a full plane, you will be looked in the eye by the supervisor and lied to about when your flight will be leaving. Then when the pilot is scheduled to return the plane and only then, will you get to fly. We had to wait over 3 hours!

Before we could return on Sat., Oct. 23, we had to go to the Ambergris Caye airport, and change our departure time for one hour earlier (8:00 AM) because we were worried that a plane wouldn't be there to take us to the mainland. We were told, by the man behind the counter, that it has happened before and people have missed their international flight back home.

What a way to start a vacation!

I leave it up to you message board readers, but we would NOT recommend Maya Island Air to anyone and neither would the other couple that had over a three hour wait and not know if we would even have a flight over to Ambergris Caye.

Make reservations in advance.

Even if we had reservations in advance it wouldn't haver made a difference. There were no more flights!!

Maybe they didn't schedule a flight because they didn't have any reservations?

What the heck, you made it all in the same day.

We had reservations for the 1600 flight when we went. My wife and I were the only 2 on the plane. I flew in the co-pilot seat. It was great!

My question and complaint is, why did they lie to us? Maya Island Air. I had asked the question, on this message board, if I needed reservations, and I was told NO - just show up. Now I'm just trying to help out anyone who might have the same problem. Should I have not spoken up and let anyone else have the same problem??

I'm certain that you, CrackerLarry, would have been totally p---ed if this happened to you.

My friend from Canada had exactly the same problem when he came in last April. He too had been told what Ariel was. NEVER AGAIN. However, he still showed up last week without a reservation. He was astonded when he got here that he got right on Tropic - what he didn't know was that I made a reservation for him.

I arrived without a reservation at the Belize Municipal Airstrip to catch the last flight of the day to San Pedro. It was full, and one other person had been similarly disappointed. Tropic put on a second plane for us.

And I was astonished once when I turned up at Tropic with a bicycle that I wanted to get back to SP at the treatment I received. At the minimum I expected a lot of hassle, being told to dismantle it and having to wait until a quiet flight, etc. Instead, they took the wheels off and put me and bike on the first flight to leave.

I don't have anything against Maya but don't fly with them because I have an account with Tropic, and with this sort of service I don't feel inclined to look further.

I'm certain that you, CrackerLarry, would have been totally p---ed if this happened to you.

No, I wouldn't. You must be new to travel in developing countries. You show up for the last flight without reservations, you take your chances. They accomodated you. Like I said, what the heck, you made it in the same day. You waited what, from 1430 until 1730. 3 hours. Gee, what an inconvenience. You need to loosen up, drink some rum and get on island time.

I've waited days for flights and been lied to much worse by Delta, United and American and didn't make it in the same day.

Aeriel, I am not a world traveler but you were correct in speaking up and maybe avoiding someone else the same problems. Who wants to sit in the BC airport when you can be on AC? I have been to AC quite a few times and have never had a problem with Tropic. However, I have always had reservations. Maybe you got bad advice on reservations......You will know next time.......

Old Chinese proverb:
Lack of planning on your part does not create an emergency on my part.

On our trips to AC we've always had reservations on Tropic. I don't believe we've ever made it on the flight we had reservations for. It seems to me that the flights are filled by whoever makes it to the counter first, first come, first served. If walk-ins get there first, they get the seat. If your flight is filled, you get in line with everyone else. No problem, they make sure everyone gets there. The first time it happened on the first trip, we were a little peeved (wanted to get to AC in daylight) but the view when we did lift off made up for everything. I still get a little antsy when this happens, my first Belikin should be out of a bottle, not a plastic cup. But then, the other option as we're sitting there is still being in Minneapolis in Feb. No contest, island time is a part of the package. Enjoy it.

I agree... first of all, even if I was told no reservation is neccessary... why would you even consider going ANYWHERE without a reservation?

For me, the only times I have arrived without a previous reservation was when my trip was very last minute, and I do mean last minute. Even then, there is ALWAYS a way to contact people.

I agree with Bobber.... the minute you land in Belize, you are on island time... personally, I think it's all part of the adventure.

I have to second Cracker Larry and Bobber. Last summer 6 of us(with reservations) arrived in San Pedro on 3 different flights, with luggage on 4. It's a little disconcerting to first-time visitors, but I firmly believe they-whether Tropic or Maya- will bend over to get you where you need to be. I've never been on the flight I booked, but always get there w/o worries but always a little sense of amazement

If you want advice about reservations on an airline, probably ask the airline itself, not a message board.

About "lying" and airlines ......American Airlines, Continental and the rest of those first-world airlines can sell you a full-fare ticket and then tell you they have no seat for you. You have connections to make, and would not have bought a ticket for that particular flight if you really wanted to fly another time or another day. Your trip is all messed up, you are not to blame, but - if you express anger you run the risk of being detained as a possible terrorist.

NOt long ago I bought a ticket on Continental flying to Paris De Gaulle - I had a connection with another flight in DeGaulle. Continental adn another airline combined a couple of flights and landed instead at Orly. NOT a good thing, and not disclosed when we boarded the plane.

A little wait in Belize City (frustrting as it may be)pales in comparison with these events.

While we were awaiting our Tropic flight (end of Jan), we saw something a bit out of the ordinary. Maya had been paging a passenger for a flight south, and the passenger didn't answer. He showed up just after the flight left. He was a German kid, maybe late teens early 20's, and had been on the phone to his sister at the destination and didn't hear the page. His flight was the last of the day, he had packed all of his money in his checked luggage (which was on the flight)and was quite at a loss as to what to do. Maya OFFERED to cab him into town, put him up for a night, and get him on the first flight in the morning. I was quite impressed with their handling of the situation.

WE took the water taxi - great ride - a whole hour in the sun out on the beautiful sea, a great chat with several locals and considerably cheaper. Left right when they said it would!

Make reservations........ It's the luck of the draw if you don't.

Only time I had no reservations was going to New Orleans one time, didn't have reservations for hotel. Went to Royal Sonesta around 4 pm, said they were booked but to wait till 5. So we moseyed into the bar for a cocktail, at 5 we checked with the desk. Wait till 6. Moseyed, cocktailed. At 6:10 we were shown to the Presidential Suite, I believe it was the Presidential suite. We payed $79 for a $900 room! Greatest room I ever stayed in!!! Now that payed off!!!

OOPS, sorry hijacked.... Fingers go away from me...

I forgot to mention that the other couple that was with us HAD reservations for the plane trip to AC. This was their 7th trip, but always used Tropic. They said that they wouldn't use Maya again! They didn't like being lied to, either.

We couldn't eat or have a drink while waiting because everything was closed. That was a very creepy time. We didn't know if we would be stranded w/o a flight to AC because we kept being told different things.

We didn't know that 2:30 was the last flight into Belize City airport. How would we know that?

I have worked in a customer service job for years. I don't expect to be lied to by anyone. I'm more trusting, because I wouln't lie to a customer.

We have traveled to many 3rd world countries and had only 1 bad experience with an airline.

My husband has been to AC 3 times and I have been there 2 times. We have always used Tropic air. If we come again, guess which airlines we'll use????

WEll, stuff happens i'll say. But I've flown Maya Island about a bazillion times, and they have given me overall tremendous service...

I was in the restaurant business for many years, and every meal wasn't perfect. but i appreciated folks giving me the opportunity to make things better when they didn't go right. and we always strive to do our best. i guarantee Maya Island is an excellent airline.

This is exactly what one should expect...and we have seen it happen many times....that's why we love Jets...all in good time...

We just got back. We made reservations via Tropic 3 months in advance to/from International to San Pedro. Both reservations were honored. In fact, on the way back, our flight was booked to International, so Tropic sent another plane and picked up 3 add'l people.

IF we should ever return to AC we will definately NOT be flying Maya Air! What a nightmare! Because of them it took us THREE days to get back home to Little Rock! We were to arrive back here in the States last Monday (11/15)and FINALLY got home Wednesday! Maya was 25 minutes late (our flight was to leave at 2pm and we HAD reservations) when we arrived in Belize City the Continental counter had a sign up "Flight Closed" and 3 other people were ahead of us trying to get on the plane as well, all to no avail. Because of Maya being late, the 4 of us (in our party) had to stay over in Belize City (at an expense of nearly 300.00 US!, hotel rooms, food and taxi fares) The Contenintal agent booked us for the next day, BUT because of this we were on "standby" when we got to Houston. OF course once in Houston there were no seats available on the flight to Little Rock, we were told the next flight we could get that had available seats would be 2 days LATER! The wonderful girl at the boarding counter worked her hiney off finding us a flight to Dallas that night (Tuesday) which would put us a bit closer to home, but the only flight to LR was the next day. After spending 2 days in airports with little food and no sleep, we finally got home on Wednesday.

It was a horrible ending, that over shadowed our otherwise fantastic time in AC. The sad thing about it, while waiting for nearly an hour and a half at the Maya terminal(?) We watched several Tropic air flights come and go, and only ONE Maya plane left in all that time!

A bad experience to be sure. Who made the res? A 25 minute delay should not have made you miss your flight unless you were cutting it real close to begin with.

my thoughts exactly.

Something doesn't add up.

L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, said, "be able to experience anything". live by this and life will be an adventure. What a boring life if everything is on time and as expected. (just back from a week in Belize. ah life is great.

I'm with you Aerial, there is no excuse for the BS you were given. Life may be full of inconveniences but that doesn't mean we should roll over and accommadate the inept or dishonest by keeping our feelings pent up. The right thing would have been for Maya to say, "sorry we won't have a plane for three hours for (whatever) reason. I could handle that (the truth) and make the best of it. But to be jerked around is unacceptable ..... in any country.

Arial must not travel much... those workers were not LIEING to you!! THEY WERE JUST 'DELIVERING THE MESSAGES THEY HEARD OR NEWS THEY EXPECTED!!!" This happens daily in the US!!! haven't you ever been told the same thing on continental or american or delta? It happens all the time... in fact it happens for much longer than 3 hours! When planes have issues, mechanicals, etc.. would you rather fly on them anyways to get there faster or avoid a potential large problem and have the plane go down? Be thankful they cared enough about passangers to not fly you there until a plane that was safe got there!!! geez... you must not travel much.

"arial must not travel much... those workers were not LIEING to you!! THEY WERE JUST 'DELIVERING THE MESSAGES THEY HEARD OR NEWS THEY EXPECTED!!!"

Naive: deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment.

We flew three times to Belize with Continental and got stuck twice spending the night in Houston on the return flight because Continental didn't get us there in time for our connection. In my opinion, Maya and Tropic are both run better than the major airlines. We no longer fly with Continental simply because they schedule too little time between connecting flights on the return trip.
The point is, be glad that you have a choice, and use the alternative until you have a problem with them. For my part, I have flown both every time we have been to Belize and haven't seen any difference in either one.

Had the Maya flight arrived on time we would have had a good hour plus before we were to board the Contentinal flight. By the time Maya landed and we got our luggage (which sat on the runway for a good 10 minutes! after it had been unloaded, putting us now 35 minutes late!)by the time we gathered up our luggage and made it to the Contenintal gate the sign was up, something to the effect "boarding closed", and we were STUCK.

The reservations were made through Expedia, who said the time of departure was given to them by Maya (when I made the reservations this was the only time offered for a return flight to Belize City).

We were advised to book our return Maya flight to arrive 2 hours prior to our Continental departure. It was a long wait - passed time shopping - but we didn't miss our flight home.
It's always better to be a little early, than sorry. Live and Learn.

M2B: The problem is that you didn't have "a good hour plus", even if the trains ran on time. Baggage is closing 30 minutes before scheduled departure. You had at most a "good" 30 minutes of leeway and that's not enough anywhere. Ask me about my overnite in Miami b/c I had only a good 1.5 hrs.

Maya was fine by me and I didn't have a reservation: couldn't get through to either airline on line and didn't want to pay the service fee through an agency and didn't want to spend the long dollar for a phone call. I'd read the cautions about reservations, but figured que sera and it worked out fine. I got the co-pilot's seat, too.

hmm - I didn't know it was possible to book BZE to SPR through ANY of the online engines.

Klcman, yes it is. I used Travelocity and booked all the flights at one time, all the way to San Pedro.

cool - try to learn something new every day....12/2 checked off

CL, is the rate from BZE to SPR the same as booking directly with Maya?

Seems like it was a little less, about $90 US RT. I like the convenience of one stop shopping. Book the whole trip online and the tickets, complete with boarding passes show up the next day on the Fed Ex truck.

how much did you have to pay to go from belize air port to san padro in us dollars. how far is it to the banna beach resort from there and what should i expect to spend.

BB is a 5 min taxi ride away, $5 US. Fares (either Tropic or Maya) are slightly under $100 US r/t

If you're staying at BB they'll pay the fare.

ah, klc dude, taxi fares went up - mostly $6BZE (not $5US - that would be $10bze!) due to increased fuel costs.

you can check off 12/3 as well, klc.

actually - I just paid $5 BZE so there pllllllllllt

Ohhhhh....you must've done something special for the taxi driver. :p

yup - gave them the videotapes