ESSENTIALS - Guatemala - page 654

ala. The new airline retains the United name and maintains Continental's flight schedules
(via Houston and Newark).
As for airfares, the price of an average plane ticket from the United States to Guatemala
varies widely depending on route and season, but ranges from about $350 to $750 round-
trip. Still, deals can be had if you know where to look and are willing to give up comforts
like advance seat selection and ticket changeability. Internet sites offer discounted tickets
and air ticket consolidators are worth checking out; a particularly useful tool for comparis-
on shopping is www.kayak.com .
Guatemala hasanopen-skiesagreement withtheUnitedStates, meaning thatanycarrier
from either country can fly to any point in the other. Guatemala once had an official flag-
carrier, Aviateca, but Salvadoran-owned TACA has since absorbed it. Domestic flights
between Flores and Guatemala City are officially operated by Aviateca, but this appears to
be a mere formality, as the aircraft livery, ticket jackets, and related travel documents all
clearly make it known that you are flying TACA. TACA operates the majority of flights
into and out of Guatemala, flying nonstop from a handful of gateway cities in the United
States as well as via its hubs in San Salvador and San José, Costa Rica. The U.S. carri-
ers also have a strong presence here. Several Latin American carriers, some of them note-
worthy, operate here as well. The only European airline serving Guatemala at this time is
Iberia, the Spanish flag-carrier.
When departing on a flight from either of Guatemala's international airports, you will
paya$2.75security feeincashpriortopassing throughthesecurity checkpoint. A$30de-
parture tax is also collected, but is included in the taxes paid at the time of ticket purchase.
Airports
Most international travelers flying to Guatemala arrive via Guatemala City's La Aurora
International Airport (GUA) . La Aurora could not be more conveniently located for
Guatemala City residents, lying in the heart of the city just minutes from the business and
hotel district. A recent renovation and expansion brought the once-obsolete La Aurora into
the 21st century, though the transition to a new government in early 2008 delayed the pro-
ject's completion and put planned future phases in limbo. Regardless, the new glass-and-
steel north and central terminals are vast improvements over La Aurora's former facilities
and feature a number of good restaurants and duty-free shops. The check-in lounge, with
a high, angular ceiling somewhat resembling an egg carton, is actually part of the origin-
al construction dating back to the 1960s. It was given an updated look and restored to full
functionality.
It can be a bit chaotic when exiting La Aurora, as families of arriving Guatemalans tend
toloadupcars(andsometimesentirebuses)towelcomeareturninglovedone.Thesameis
true for departing family members. Making your way out of the terminal (before merging
with the crowds outside), you'll see an INGUAT tourist information kiosk. The English-