Connecting in TGU or SAL or MGA
 

In looking at award flights from IAH-PTY, I'm seeing all kinds of options to connect in places like TGU, SAL, MGA, etc....since I wouldn't be in a hurry, I thought it might be fun to connect in one of these cities, particularly TGU with it's well-known "exciting" landing patterns. I'm also assuming a CPU would be MUCH easier from IAH-TGU than the direct IAH-PTY flight.

Has anyone had any experience connecting in these smaller Central American cities? For TGU, are transit passengers allowed to stay in the terminal and avoid customs or is everyone sent directly to customs first since I can't imagine there are many people connecting.

I've connected through SAL several times and I enjoy passing through there. Its a small easy airport. The TACA lounge is nothing special but has a decent bar with great service. However, there's a bar called "The Bar" that serves ice cold Salvadoran beer and pretty decent pupusas. It may be for sentimental reasons, but I always tend to have fun whenever I get to spend an hour or two at SAL.

If you have a layover, you can rent a car and be on a beautiful deserted beach in about 30 minutes. It makes for a great side trip.

Interesting about SAL...thanks for the tip...I might have to check that out!

I have connected in SAL many times on TA. OK airport and as prior person said Lounge not so great. SAL can be rather hectic if you are arriving/departing during on of TA's banks of flights to North/South America.
I fly into and out of MGA all the time. I don't believe you can transfer airside and have to go thru customs. Presidente Ortega extorts $10.00 from you for his Ice Rink. Airport is nice enough with a Pay for Lounge there and lots of Duty Free shopping. Tona beer and Flor de Cana Rum are great buys.

I'm in the SAL Taca lounge as I write this. Very easy airport to transfer through. Lounge is as described above, with free booze and WiFi. I have transferred through both MGA and TGU without having to go through customs. MGA will require a escort through security/carry-on bag scanner back into terminal. You cannot follow the sheeple exiting the airplane in either, you will have to tell the agents/officials that you are transferring, and maybe wait to be escorted back to the secure airside in both.

If you have never landed in TGU, I would choose that for the experience. There is a lounge there, but I think it is only for Credomatic Credit Card holders like San Pedro Sula. You can try with the Amex Plat, but YLMV.

Thanks for the info on this. I have often wondered how it would be done. Seems like the only way out, that I can recall, is downstairs thru immigration. I know CM has flight's coming and going thru MGA to other destinations and would have some connecting traffic. I would advise whomever tries this to speak Spanish.

Thanks for the helpful information...I thought I heard somewhere that if you let the gate agent in TGU know you are a transit passenger, they literally just have to open a door and let you back in the main part of the terminal.

Not to get too far OT, but if there is a choice between Copa or TACA (in Y), what would be your first choice? They are both bookable as award trips on ual.com now...I did hear that TACA has AVOD in Y but it's unclear if this is fleetwide or limited to a certain type of aircraft.

doing PTY-SAL-YYZ on Copa/LACSA, in a couple months, so this is very helpful, thank you all. ^

SAL is the easiest to transit and has a lounge. Of the three airports, it is the one that regularly sees connecting passengers.

MGA and TGU are nothing to write home about. Both are quite small, even relative to SAL, though both are more than adequate for a short layover.

As for TGU, it's more common to fly a straight-in approach to RWY 20 than to do the "YouTube landing." So if you choose TGU strictly for the approach, you could be disappointed. It is also the most prone to weather cancellations.

I didn't realize that about the TGU approach...so it must just depend on winds patterns I take it.

I would do Copa before TACA.

For the sake of simplicity I would say SAL. All flights are international, so there is no need to transit through any part of the airport to get to your next gate. It's all in the same terminal.

If you do want to head out to the beach keep in mind there's a fee ($10 cash as best as I can remember) for US citizens to enter the country. Also, security wait times are very short to get back into the terminal, so there's little risk of being stuck waiting, especially if you already have your BP. There are multiple car rental agencies on site.

If you buy duty free at SAL I would make sure that you actually get it delivered to you before you board. The FAs suggested we board and they would bring it to us before they closed the flight, but that didn't happen and after speaking with an FA they found it and ended up handing our rum through the cockpit window.