10 Day Roatan trip means flying TACA. Would you / Have you ??

I'd like to do a 10 day dive get-away in March 2014 to Roatan.
From what I can see, the major US airlines only fly in/out on Saturdays.
If I want to extend beyond 7 days that seems to necessitate flying at least one-way with TACA via San Salvador, and this makes me a little nervous.

Anyone want to comment on recent experiences flying TACA to/from Roatan, or have alternative suggestion for someone wanting to make a 10 day trip a reality?

Thanks,
C.

C.

Just the sound of San Salvador conjures up images from the '80s for me...I would squeak the trip out to 14 days if at all possible.

Been to Roatan & Utila, can't really comment on SS.

Good luck,

~Oldbear~

Oldbear:

C.

Just the sound of San Salvador conjures up images from the '80s for me...I would squeak the trip out to 14 days if at all possible.

Been to Roatan & Utila, can't really comment on SS.

Good luck,

~Oldbear~

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I have not used them since Delta came on board and that is just because we have not paid for a ticked in that same time, 3-4 trips a years for 2 or three people on points with delta and upgraded about 8 percent of the time. That said, If I were paying I would fly Taca in a new York minute , Flew them before delta when it was direct from Miami, Only had issue with luggage one time in probably 25 flights and that was a flight through San Pedro Sla. Anyone with concerns about San Salvador because of its history certainly does not need to fly through there but from a crime safety standpoint they probably don't want to go to anyplace in Honduras either. Taca is cheaper, has food and drink sevice, what is the problem?

I'm with RTBDiver. TACA has sharpened it's game and it is as good as most of the old school international carriers, not the current "bus route" attitude from UAL and Delta. They have shed their reputation for lost luggage long ago.

Through San Salvador? I'm thinking the airport just might be safe Schlepping into the city for an overnight is a major trek, so I would arrange your connections to be timed for an hour or so in the airport. Like RTB infers, I wouldn't leave any airport in that region, but that's just me, and I just want to get to the diving asap.

If memory serves, your TACA Roatan departure is a continuation of the Northbound orgination in Salvador on weekdays. Southbound runs you through San Salvador first. It may have changed.

Been a long time, but future wife (at the time)and I took them down to Posada Del Sol on Guanaja for Christmas vacation. From LAX, getting there was certainly the experience complete with dogs on runways, chickens in the aisle on an old Russian twin turboprop, and classic big ex-pat in a Panama Jack hat allowing touristas to board (straight from the casting department). Dive gear got lost going down and showed up the day before we left! Hopefully they have made some improvements since then.

Going south to Roatan would be all on United. Coming home the schedule would be:
Roatan (RTB) to San Salvador (SAL)
TACA Airlines 485 operated by /AVIATECA FOR TACA
Economy / Coach Class ( Y), ATR 42
Depart 11:40am Arrive 1:10pm
Duration: 1h 30m


Layover: San Salvador (SAL) 5h 57m


San Salvador (SAL) to San Francisco (SFO)
UNITED 7433 operated by /TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES - TACA
Economy / Coach Class ( S), Airbus A320
Depart 7:07pm Arrive 11:12pm
Duration: 6h 5m


Layover: San Francisco (SFO) 11h 48m

Would have to kill time (6 hrs) in San Salvador airport, and overnight in a hotel in San Francisco. I think I'm watching too many episodes of "air crash investigation" (aka "mayday") to be really comfortable flying on any airline other than a US flagged carrier coming back out of Roatan. I've read in places on the 'net that TACA International is a respectable carrier, but the TACA regional carrier (Aviateca) is not as reliable (and if I read it on-line it must be true, right?).

I can't stretch the time to 14 days. Maybe 7 days back at Reef House would be enough. Everyone here asks me if I won't be bored diving the same reefs for more than a week. Most of the people asking that question don't dive, so their perspective lacks credibility right off the bat.

C.

Or you could just fly to SAP and grab a flight to Roatan from there.

I'm also in Victoria, and the routing I take is Victoria->Seattle->Houston-> San Pedro Sula->Utila.

It's about $1300-$1400 all tolled and 22 hours from the time I leave my house until I'm cracking a Port Royal on the dock.

No overnights, 4 hour wait in Seattle, 4 hour wait in Houston, and, in theory, a 3 hour wait in SAP but, you know...island time.

Coming back is even faster, only an hour and a half in Houston and 3 hours in Seattle with the plane landing in Victoria around midnight.

You won't find this routing anywhere online, apparently it's a collection of discount fares that can only be sourced through travel agents and you'll need to book the SAP to Roatan leg yourself, easily done by phone or through a Roatan travel agent.

Stout:

Or you could just fly to SAP and grab a flight to Roatan from there.

I'm also in Victoria, and the routing I take is Victoria->Seattle->Houston-> San Pedro Sula->Utila.

It's about $1300-$1400 all tolled and 22 hours from the time I leave my house until I'm cracking a Port Royal on the dock.

No overnights, 4 hour wait in Seattle, 4 hour wait in Houston, and, in theory, a 3 hour wait in SAP but, you know...island time.

Coming back is even faster, only an hour and a half in Houston and 3 hours in Seattle with the plane landing in Victoria around midnight.

You won't find this routing anywhere online, apparently it's a collection of discount fares that can only be sourced through travel agents and you'll need to book the SAP to Roatan leg yourself, easily done by phone or through a Roatan travel agent.

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Thanks!! I'll take a look at that option. Never thought about flying into mainland Honduras (SAP) and then connecting over to Roatan. Would worry a little about only 1.5 hours connecting in Houston from Roatan. What travel agency / agent have you used to find the discount fares from Victoria to SAP (and back)? I saw flights as low as $75 one way SAP > RTB, but experience says you often get what you pay for.

---------- Post added May 11th, 2013 at 01:36 PM ----------

Stout:

I'm also in Victoria, and the routing I take is Victoria->Seattle->Houston-> San Pedro Sula->Utila.

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You meant ROATAN, right?

C.

I went with a guy at the flight center downtown on Broughton street, His name was christian IIRC. You can find the routing for SEA to SAP ( via Houston ) over on United Airline's website. The YYJ-> SEA leg is Air Canada or Alaska Air and I suppose you could put the flights together yourself, but I was lazy and figured it was worth the effort to hand my credit card to the travel agent and have everything done for me. Online research showed no savings if I booked the flights myself through the carriers and as I said, this routing didn't show up on Expedia, Travelocity etc.

What we have is a 6:30 pm departure from YYJ, an 11:30pm departure from SEA, a 9:30 am departure from Houston and a 3:30 pm departure from SAP.

It was the fastest, easiest way to get down there that I could find, dunno if it was the cheapest, that Victoria to Seattle flight can be stupidly expensive at times but when held up against an overnight stay I felt it was worth it in both time and hassle. The Clipper, a hundred bucks each way, bus to Seattle, Yikes !! and I couldn't find a way through Vancouver that didn't entail an overnight in Houston.

The hour and a half in Houston on the return leg could be a problem given US immigration cutbacks. I made it with time to spare even though there was a long line up however had they decided to give me the once over with the rubber glove, I'd have missed my flight.

I don't Know about flights SAP-> RTB, but I paid a $107 each way SAP-> UTI , direct flight , no stopover in LaCeiba but that's a once a week flight CM airlines on Saturdays.

United have a Wednesday flight from Roatan to Houston....at least they do on May 22 because we're on it.