Direct Flight Options from the US to Guatemala 2023

After three trips to Casa Vieja Lodge, with another one rapidly approaching, it’s the sailfish, sun and service that keep us coming back, but we also like the fact that travel there is easy. From our home near Washington, DC, there are many different airline options, including two offering direct routes, along with other options through hubs like Miami and Atlanta. As with Panama, no matter which airline alliance you prefer, from most places in the US you can get to Guatemala on the same day in two flights.

Despite that fact, before I start my search each year I don’t presume that the options are as plentiful as those to Panama. I think that’s precisely because they don’t have a dominant flag carrier such as Copa, which dominates travel to and within Panama. In reality, though, the options from North America are nearly as good – while you can fly directly to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City from 13 US cities and two in Canada, you can fly to La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City directly from 11 US cities (sadly, none in Canada). From six of those cities, you have your choice of multiple airlines, including a remarkable four from Los Angeles (LAX).

The chart below breaks down the direct route options:

Other Direct Routes to Guatemala City

If you are not traveling to or from the United States, there are surprisingly limited numbers of direct flights to La Aurora. There are several options directly from Mexico, from within Guatemala, and from other Central American countries, plus Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, but the choices are limited from other continents: Avianca flies directly from Bogota, Colombia, and Iberia flies directly from Madrid.

Direct Not Always Most Convenient

Dulles Airport is the closest departure point from our home, and both Avianca and United fly directly to Guatemala City from there – albeit at odd times. The Avianca flight leaves at around 2am, and the United flight leaves after 5pm (arriving after 9pm). Those options may be great for some of you, but they’re not ideal for us (there’s also the matter of the return flights). We have taken the United route once, but since it puts as at the lodge close to midnight, it’s not ideal for fishing the next day. There’s always the chance that the flight will be delayed or canceled and you’ll miss the day entirely, but even if it's on time you’ll likely be exhausted. The one time (in three) that we took the United flight we built in an extra day of relaxation before starting to fish. It was glorious. Of course, you’ll have to check with the lodge on pricing and availability.

The other two times we’ve visited Casa Vieja we’ve gone on Delta (through Atlanta) and on United (through Houston). Both were trouble-free and arrived in country around noon, with plenty of time to get settled in and sit by the pool with a Gallo Cerveza.

Travel To and From La Aurora International Airport

One advantage of our very late arrival on United was that it made the ride to the airport much shorter than usual – about an hour and 15 minutes. When we’ve arrived mid-day it has taken closer to two hours. That’s largely because of the traffic in and around the city, which can be awful. Once you’re outside of the city proper it tends to move pretty quickly. No matter what, you’re riding in a comfortable Mercedes Sprinter van (the nicest transport vehicle of any lodge we’ve visited) with a full cooler of beverages. There is a restroom stop about halfway to the lodge.

Be sure to factor in that Guatemala City traffic when you plan your return flight. Last year we had a mid-morning flight and we were shocked at how early they wanted us to leave for the airport. It turned out that the rush hour traffic headed into the city was awful as expected, and we needed all of the time they’d allotted to be two hours early for our flight.

If you’re truly a baller, Casa Vieja can arrange for small plane or helicopter transportation to and from the lodge. We’re guessing that is out of our budget, so we haven’t inquired, especially because the all-highway trip in the Sprinter is quite comfortable even in heavy traffic.

Notes

• While La Aurora isn’t as big or as updated as Tocumen, it’s still a modern international airport. There are plenty of shops and duty-free stores if you want to buy something other than CVL swag to bring home. The Zacapa Rum will earn you brownie points.

• There is no dedicated American Express lounge in La Aurora, but our Priority Pass Membership gets us access to the Casa Del Ron Aeropuerto, which offers restaurant-style service and meals.

• Our first trip to Casa Vieja Lodge was just weeks before the onset of the COVID pandemic, but on subsequent trips we were required to provide proof of testing and wear masks. Every aspect of the country’s customs, immigration and health processes has been efficient. I don’t believe we’ve ever waited more than 10 minutes to complete the process.

• This year, we are fulfilling a longtime goal of visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site of Antigua for 36 hours before we get to the lodge. A full report should follow the trip.