Destination Guatemala With Help From Skyscanner

After learning about Skyscanner’s Everywhere function, I had to give it a try. So I typed in FROM Orlando and then in the TO field pressed the left mouse button. A blue box came up saying:

Can’t decide where? Click here to search Everywhere

I clicked it. Then to the right I ticked Search Flights.

A list of destinations came up, by price, starting from the most inexpensive. High up on the list was a midday nonstop flight to Guatemala City for $91.79. The fare required flexibility. I had to choose a day that was three days later than the one I had typed in. Fortunately, I was flexible, so I bought the ticket.

In a previous post, I mentioned finding a cheap flight to Cancun; but I didn’t buy it right then and there, so it evaporated.

BUDGET TIP: If you come across a bargain fare like this, it typically won't last long. If you are sure you want it, buy it immediately. There's a great chance it won't be there when you go back, even just seconds later. 

That said, the cost wasn’t under $100. With Spirit Airlines flights, like most bargain carriers worldwide, a check-in bag is not included. At the time of writing, costs are as follows:

I paid for my check-in bag online within 24 hours of departure. In hindsight, I would have paid $6 less had I paid 24 hours prior. It’s only a $6 difference, but I don’t want to pay more than I have to. I would have rather spent $6 less that day.

As in my case, if you don’t purchase the $59 bag check-in when you pay for the flight, Spirit will send you an email reminder about your bag options and the three different prices. If you’re sure you’ll reach your flight, purchase your check-in bag more than 24 hours before and pay the least possible amount of $59.

The flight was listed to take three hours and 10 minutes, but it only took two hours and 40 minutes. The plane was full, except for a few rows in the back that were completely empty.

FLIGHT HACK: Keep an eye out for empty rows of seats.  I have managed this enhanced passenger value integrity on all five flights since la pandemia.  It's not uncommon to be exhausted before taking a flight. Getting three seats to oneself can be a soothing boon.  Having a whole row of three seats allows me to get into a fetal position for meditation and ideally dozing.  What a self upgrade.  

Shout out to the pleasantly helpful and accommodating flight attendants on that Spirit flight to Guatemala City!

I was happy to have gotten a great price on airfare. However, along with the baggage cost mentioned, this was not the final price. To enter Guatemala and many countries on a one-way ticket, you must provide the airline with proof of a future ticket that will fly you out of the country.

Many nationalities get an automatic 90 days in country when entering Guatemala. So they need to have an onward ticket dated up to 90 days from the arrival date. This needs to be shown to the airline at check-in.

At onwardticket.com, I was able to purchase a temporary ticket out of Guatemala. I bought it about 24 hours before the flight. It gets canceled in 48 hours and costs $14. Thanks to Tony’s Travels for turning me on to that useful travel hack.

HEALTH IS WEALTH: Shell out $3 on a bottle of water or two during the flight, or pick up an overpriced H2O at the airport before boarding. Becoming dehydrated to save a few bucks is not logical. Health helps create wealth. Don't put your immune system in extra jeopardy.

While checking in, the Spirit Air ticket agent checked my onward ticket in the system. I could have showed it to her on my phone, but it was easier to hand her a print out. She took it and kept it for a few minutes while checking the validity.

This onward ticket was not checked when going through ultra-fast customs at the airport in Guatemala City. Typically the responsibility is placed on the airline, while only random checks could be done while clearing customs. If a customs agent were to check and a person didn’t have an onward ticket, that government can fine the airline with a hefty sum.

This was an airfare victory, especially in August of 2022 when cheap tickets are seemingly not as easy to acquire compared to several months ago.

Have you had any great experiences using Skyscanner? Let us know in the comments below.