AbacoAirlines.com
Updated March 1, 2010

Air Carriers to the Abacos, Bahamas
From Sandy Estabrook's Guide to the Abacos, Bahamas

Connecting to the Cays? Don't forget to check: Abaco Ferry Services

A Bit of History

"In the Beginning......." there was Mackey then came Outisland Airways then Aero Coach, Air Sunshine & Florida Coastal....


Mackey 1973


That's me on Outisland Airways 1977

It used to be that flying to the Abacos on the small 9 seat Cessna 402 commuter is half the fun of a quick fly over from south Florida. It's just an hour flight. The small plains fly at lower altitudes so you can almost see the fish in the turquoise waters near the islands. I think of them as sport cars as compared to a bus. They zip in and out of clouds easily bypassing any thunderheads. Oh, that 9th seat, actually a copilot's seat, was generally filled by a passenger as chosen by the pilot and usually blonde and female.

The only negative is, the longevity of these small carriers. All five of the aforementioned have come and gone. New carriers arrived to fill the void and like their predecessors disappeared. 2007 & 2008, Chalk's International Airlines, a name synonymous with out island air service, had been resurrected and started flying to the Abacos and a new fleet of leased aircraft including 50 seater jets was promised. Then by the end of the summer they ceased flying due to the loss of it's federal operating license. Island Express Airline closed their hanger doors and no longer flying. Subsequent to that we hear they only had a single leased aircraft. No wonder. Then sadly on top of that, mid July 2008, saw the long time and pretty much reliable carrier of 16 years, Vintage Props & Jets filling for bankruptcy.

As for the Vintage routing (NE & Central Fla) or loss thereof, the slack was picked up by, Island Pass, Craig Air and Air Gate. All of which were not mentioned on this page last year! And within 8 months one of those was gone - Island Pass. And about the time of their demise another carrier came on the scene with direct flights promised to the west coast of Florida.

Tales of Flight

A couple of our remembrances. Back in the 70's, A friend on a late arriving private aircraft touched down just after the airport closed (the airport runways are not lit and they close at sunset). He and and his wife not finding anybody of authority, hailed a cab to the ferry dock where I was waiting. Both worried about having not clearing customs, stated that to the driver. He said not to worry and drove them back to the airport. Asked for their passports, took them inside and stamped them. He later informed them, his brother was the customs man and he has a key to the office. - No Problem Mon!

Back in the 80's. Once during a take off at the Treasure Cay Airport, the pilot abruptly aborted takeoff of the Cessna, turned around, headed back to the other end of the runway and repositioned himself for another try. Since I was sitting right behind him, I asked what happened? He simply replied, he didn't like the sound of the right engines and proceeded to take off again.

A month after 911, We flew over for a week taking advantage of the discounted rates. While at the Green Turtle Club, we befriended a Canadian couple who happened to be on our return flight. He nodded to the pilot and asked, "Aren't you the pilot that flew us over last week?" The pilot remembered him and their conversation and the fact that the Canadian fellow was also a pilot. The pilot invited him to the copilot's seat and asked if he'd like to take the stick after take off. "Absolutely he'd be happy to" was the reply.

2005 saw this one: My sister and her husband were returning on Continental which took them from Marsh Harbour to Ft. Lauderdale connecting to Phila. As it were, there was a delay of another Continental flight to Palm Beach which was supposed to arrive and depart prior to theirs. Well, theirs being the only Continental plane, ground crew loaded both the Lauderdale and Palm Beach baggage in the same plane. Shortly after take off, this mistake was realized and my sisters flight was called back to Marsh Harbour for the unloading of the misplaced baggage. They took off again, luckily in time to make her connection.

Also in '05 (Florida Coastal Airlines was our carrier of choice because of Sarasota being part of their route. Little did we know they wouldn't be in business the following year). On our return leg, We disembarked in Sarasota. And while I was waiting for the "one man office manager, counter clerk and porter" to cary in my bag which took all of five minutes, I realized I left my camera aboard the plane. Well in the five minutes it took to get us our bags, and because the pilot had no pickup passengers, he was already heading down the runway and back to Ft. Lauderdale. What to do? John, the one man Jack of all trades for FCA called the tower who called Norm our pilot who confirmed it was there. He left it on the seat to return to me the following day but dispatch switched planes on him and my camera took off for Stuart. Woe is me. But John tracked it down and I finally got it that evening. Imagine that kind of service from a major carrier. It's just a darn shame they are no longer in business.





Abaco, so close yet so far. The superlatives to describe Abaco abound but getting there can often be arduous. It seems its the dream of many a retired pilot with a few bucks and backers to start up a Òlittle out island airlineÓ. Some manage to stick it out for a decade, many just a couple years and in 2009, one for only months. The reason is quite simple. How to keep the seats full during off peak periods and still run an credible scheduled air carrier on a shoe string. Add to this, downturns in the economy. Eventually many switch to becoming air charters. Now chartering sounds like itÕs only for the rich and famous which isnÕt necessarily so. For just two folks maybe yes, bit a family of five or 2-3 couples some with kids, not so. Despite what you are about to read don't be discouraged. Abaco is worth it and as the saying goes....... "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.Ê I travel for travel's sake.Ê The great affair is to move".Ê ~Robert Louis Stevenson

The only negative is, the longevity of these small "scheduled" carriers. At least a dozen have come and gone since we've been going to Abaco ('73). And the bulk of those just since 2000. New carriers arrived to fill the void and like their predecessors disappeared. Just since 2007, I can count five!

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As of spring '09, "SHARED CHARTER" became the new catchword. Yellow Air Taxi, for instance, did away with scheduling and chose to "sell their seats" to South Eastern Travel & Tours, linked below. Island Pass was not a carrier but a booking agent for other regional charters and was OOB a/o July 25, 2009 - only 8 months. Within weeks Baer Air Charter filled the void. Shortly their after appeared LOCAIR offering the only Nonstop Scheduled service (a/o 11/18/09) between Florida's west coast St. Pete / Clearwater (PIE) and Abaco. They also fly from Lauderdale. LOCAIR fills the void in passenger service as a freight carrier using the same planes. Depending on booking, the plane might have 9 or 19 seats. This arrangement makes for their pet friendly policies. Fido will be only steps away! And ask about their kids policy as well.

A company that deserves honorable mention, one that has been in business for 24 years, thorough all the comings and goings, is Air Flight Charters based in Lauderdale and run by David and Lisa Donovan. They are listed below.

As for a typical charter price in a Cessna 402 that seats 8, Lauderdale to Marsh round trip on your own schedule, we had a price quote of $3251 in January of 2010. No lines , no lost luggage, no hassle and on your own schedule, it might be worth it. But if you cant afford or fill a charter airline with a group of friends or a couple families, then we strongly recommend you stick to the two major US carriers, American Eagle and Continental/Gulfstream especially when booking months in advance. You'll want your airline to still be there. American/American Eagle has one daily flight from Miami to Marsh Harbour and commencing in November '09, will resume its Treasure Cay flight four days a week. Continental/Gulfstream also flies to both Treasure Cay & Marsh Harbour but from FLL and has Marsh Harbour from West Palm. You can add to that, Bahamas Air, it too has a single non stop five days a week from PBI to Marsh Harbour. The two US carriers can of course also provide "same carrier" connections to many other US cities. Things could always change so check their links below.

Finally as an alternative - to connecting flights in Florida, you might try connecting via Freeport, Grand Bahama. Quite a few larger US cities have nonstop flights to Freeport where you can hop aboard a flight by "Regional Air". They fly to both Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay. They have 3 flights a day. Their link is posted below. Regional has had favorable comments posted on the Abaco FORUM both in 2008 & 2009.

You will often see on the two Abaco sounding boards, The Abaco Forum and the Abaco Board, many reports of missed connections and lost luggage and the number one culprit seems to be Bahamas Air (a USAir partner) with connections through Nassau. All carriers have calamities posted as we can attest to. Any questions? Head to one of the aforementioned or E-mail us.



Marsh Harbour, (MHH) Abaco, Bahamas, Air Carriers and Charters, as of November 23, 2009. Check carrier schedule for flights to Treasure Cay (TCB) for Green Turtle Cay. Many carriers also fly to other Bahamian Out Islands via state side cities, some even from Marsh Harbour often with a Nassau connection. Bahamian local and US phone numbers are listed. The area code for the Bahamas is 242 if calling from the U.S.


Abaco Air Charters - Via MHH - Nassau, N. Eleuthera, Moores Is. 367-2266
Air Flight Charters - Via Ft. Lauderdale. 954-359-0320
Air Gate - Via Orlando, Melbourne. 407-585-3545 Local 367-3636
American Eagle -Via Miami 800-433-7300 / Local 367-2231
Baer Air Charter -Via Melbourne & Treasure Cay 321-956-8695
Bahamasair - Via W. Palm Beach & Nassau. US# 800-222-4262 / Local 377-8451
Bimini Island Air Charters - Via Ft. Lauderdale 954-938-8991
LOCAIR - Via Ft. Lauderdale, St. Petersburg / Clearwater 877-359-4160
Cherokee Air Charters - Via MHH Local 367-3450 - US# 866-920-9971
Continental Gulfstream - via Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm 800-525-0280 / Local 367-3415
Craig Air - via Jacksonville (NE Fla) 904-641-0300
Island Air Charters - via Ft. Lauderdale. 954-359-9942
Lynx Air International Charters -Via Ft. Lauderdale / Hollywood. 888-596-9247 or 954-990-1700
Regional Air via -Freeport. Local 351-5614, Treasure Cay 367-0446, Marsh Harbour 353-1225
Sky Bahamas -Scheduled Nassau flights & Out Islands 242-377-8993
Southern Air Charters -Stateside Via Nassau & Out Islands Local 367-2498, 323-7217
Twin Air Calypso- Via Ft. Lauderdale. 954-359-8266
Western Air - Nassau, Marsh Harbour and other islands. No US connection - Local 242-367-3722
Wings Air (Atlanta Based) - Via Ft. Lauderdale 877-359-2285
Yellow Air Taxi / South Eastern Travel - Via Ft. Lauderdale 888-935-5694 / Local 367-0032

Some guidelines to consider when planning your trip.

1) If you are considering going in May, June, July or around Christmas and especially on weekends during those periods, you'll need to book 5 - 6 months in advance. This particularly applies to airlines and boat and to a lesser degree, golf cart rentals.
2) Reconfirm your flight a couple times before departure to avoid any surprises.
3) Use carry on luggage if you can, in case you have to change flights in a hurry. But remember, security might remove any sun screen you'll be carrying.
4) Try not to arrive too late in the Abacos, as late arrivals can cause conflicts if trying to catch the water taxi to the Cays resulting in an expensive charter.
5) When departing Marsh Harbour, get there early as the little terminal can be hectic. If you have an early AM flight, and you might want to consider a day in Marsh before your leave - Rent a car and do a little exploring. The Lofty Fig and Conch Inn allow one night booking. Also; The reason they want you to check in so early before departure is not to deal with lines, but to allow time for your passport number to clear with Homeland Security. ItÕs not uncommon to hear of a passenger arriving 15 minutes before departure and not be allowed to board even on a half empty plane.
6) If you have a choice when changing planes in south east Florida, try to use West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami in that order. Our 2006 trip had us connecting through West Palm Beach. Including baggage pickup, customs and immigration, we were at the departure gate for Tampa in about 15 minutes!
7) Since USAir's commuter service pulled out of Abaco, they've teamed up with Bahamas Air via poorly timed Nassau connections which rates high for connection & luggage problems. (AKA "Bahama Time" complications mon). Any carrier booking you through Nassau, increase your odds of lost or late arriving "checked" luggage.
8) One last consideration if you find yourself aboard a small 8-9 seater; Weight is more critical and all passengers luggage will be weighed and checked. If the combined weight is too much, it could be possible that your bags might follow on another plane. It's happened to us.
9) NEWS FLASH - New Credit card development March 2010.

                     

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