Chicago-San Pedro, Belize. United (Business Class) and Maya Island Air.

Idries J. Abdur-Rahman, MD, FACOG Obstetrician/Gynecologist TwinDoctorsTV

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It was January (well technically the end of December, New Year’s Eve to be specific) in the midwest so it stands to reason that I was in desperate need of flying south for at least a week of the winter. So, a week off during the first week of January meant it was time to find a hot spot to sun my buns. This time around the wife and I decided that we wanted to avoid jetlag since we would only be traveling for a week. After exploring options within five hours of Chicago, we decided upon Belize. So come along with me and let’s jet off to Belize.

FYI, links for the flight videos will follow at the end.

CHICAGO (ORD)- BELIZE (BZE):

**AIRLINE:** United Airlines
**AIRCRAFT:** Boeing 737-800
**REGISTRATION:** N76254
**FLIGHT DISTANCE:** 1,740 miles
**FLIGHT DURATION:** 3 Hours and 37 Minutes
**CLASS AND SEAT:** Business Class, Seat 2A
**741st flight overall**.
**166th Boeing 737 flight.**
**261st flight on United Airlines.**

Thankfully our flight departed out of gate B12 which meant a quick walk from security.

The Boeing 737 that was going to wisk us from the frigid, snowy cold of Chicago to the warm skies and blue waters of Belize.

Based upon the seat map the load for the flight appeared to be 85%. Boarding started a bit early and soon…

I find the new United livery to be an improvement but I was really hoping for something a bit more drastic.

You can check-out the flight video including take-off here! A link will follow again at the end of the report.

A powerful take-off had us rocketing into the soupy skies over the midwest.

The in-flight service started with hot towels.

It’s a simple thing but I do love a nice hot towel. Helps to wipe off some of that travel grime!

Beverages followed the hot towels. O.J. is always my drink of choice in the morning and the extra vitamin C helps to fight off some of those airplane cooties 😝.

I guess I like the Star Wars co-branding, livens up otherwise dull everyday things like a Napkin. I’m probably going to get skewered here but not a fan of the new Star Wars franchise although to be fair it’s probably just to much for my ADD personality.

Breakfast choices were either pancakes or this egg dish. While airplane eggs are usually a no-no, this mix of eggs with cornbread and salsa was actually pretty darn good👍🏾.

By the time the meal service was completed, we were flying over NOLA preparing to cross the Gulf of Mexico.

When it comes to most mentally relaxing moments, for me it’s a tie between just chilling at 35,000 feet or burying my sand on a warm beach while the sun beats down on me.

The fluffy white clouds and the multiple shades of blue made it a beautiful day for flying and…

things got even better as we started our descent into Belize.

The skies got a bit cloudier on final approach but damn look at that lush green vegetation!

Landing was smooth and we were soon deplaning (by my favorite airstairs, yayyy) and in the terminal waiting in a monstrous immigration line.

Flight Review:

Experience/Total stars: 4.25 of 5 stars. Really good flight, would be better with an updated cabin product.
Check-in: 5/5- Checkin online was quick and easy.
Lounge: I didn’t visit the United Club this time around..
Boarding: 5 out of 5- Routine boarding process with priority boarding for First Class.
Seat: 3 out of 5- The old 737-800 first class seat is comfortable but it’s time for a cabin update including new seats.
In-Flight Entertainment: 4 out of 5- The seatback direct TV is a nice option but is limited to the continental US. Having streaming personal device entertainment is a nice secondary option though.
Meals: 5 of 5- The meal was actually pretty quite good and I always love that morning bread basket.
Cabin Crew: 5 of 5- The crew were kind and engaged.
Cabin ambiance: 3 of 5- The cabin is pretty bland and in need of refurbishment.
Cabin cleanliness: 4 of 5- The cabin was clean, but the need for a refresh means that surfaces looked a bit worn.
Price paid and value for money: 5 of 5- The roundtrip ticket costs $451 and the upgrade was free.
Thumbs up: The flight was on-time and the meal was actually pretty solid.
Thumbs down: The First Class product on the 737-800 really needs an update and refresh.

BELIZE (BZE)-SAN PEDRO (SPR):

After clearing immigration, we checked in for our Maya Island Air flight to San Pedro and waited until the flight was called.

**AIRLINE:** Maya Island Air
**AIRCRAFT:** Cessna 208B Caravan
**REGISTRATION:** V3-HGW
**FLIGHT DISTANCE:** 35 miles
**FLIGHT DURATION:** 13 Minutes
**CLASS AND SEAT:** Economy Class, Row 3
**742nd flight overall**.
**3rd flight on a Cessna 208B Caravan.**
**1st flight on Maya Island Air.**

Impromptu photoshoot on a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B. Yup, those are my kids.

I love the heavy metal of a wide-body jet, but there are nothing like the views you get flying the tiny single engine planes like a Cessna Grand Caravan.

The taxi to the runway was quick and thanks to the small size of the plane….

we had a short take-off using the last quarter of the runway.

Check out the take-off and flight video here. FYI, the video link will follow again at the end of this trip report.

Proof of life. Flying a Maya Island Air Cessna grand Caravan 208B!

One more proof of life shot. Yours truly looking a bit rough in the tiny Cessna cabin.

The views were phenomenal unfortunately the flight was a short 13 minutes.

Soon we were descending into San Pedro and….

our vacation officially began. Welcome to San Pedro, Belize!

Flight Review:

Experience/Total stars: 3.33 of 5 stars. Average by the numbers but the experience of flying a Grand Caravan at 5,000 feet over beautiful blue waters can’t be beaten.
Check-in: 4/5- The check-in process was quick and the lines were short.
Lounge: N/A.
Boarding: 2 out of 5- This part was a bit chaotic. While we had reservations for a specific flight, Maya seems to operate multiple flights around the same time, and passengers are randomly allocated to one of the flights leaving within an hour of your scheduled time.
Seat: 3 out of 5- Hey, it’s a Cessna Grand Caravan. Not built for comfort but the views are phenomenal!
In-Flight Entertainment: 4 out of 5- They actually had an in-flight magazine but the best entertainment can be found looking out of the large windows..
Meals: N/A.
Cabin Crew: N/A.
Cabin ambiance: 4 of 5- The cabin is plain but again, the views from the windows could not be better!
Cabin cleanliness: 3 of 5- The cabin was clean enough.
Price paid and value for money: 3 of 5- The flights are pretty expensive for the distance but the convenience beats taking a taxi from the airport to the ferry dock in the city followed by taking the hour-plus long ferry ride to San Pedro.
Thumbs up: Convenient with great views!
Thumbs down: A bit expensive.

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