Should you take Tag Airlines in Guatemala? [A Complete and Honest Review]

Tag Airlines is a Guatemalan airline headquartered at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. Tag has direct flights to major destinations in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and Belize. It is a small airline in comparison to other Latin American airlines. But, if you’re planning to travel to Guatemala, and want to take a flight from Guatemala City to Flores, Tag Airlines is likely your only option.

When I was researching for my Guatemala trip, I found very few resources online about Tag. While there were some horror-story reviews on a handful of travel sites, there was no comprehensive review about the experience. So, I thought about writing this post to help you out if you are contemplating taking a flight within Guatemala.

Planning your travel to the beautiful Central American country of Guatemala? Be sure to read this post on a complete one-week itinerary to Guatemala covering all the spots you must visit!

Why we booked Tag Airlines

As mentioned above, while looking at flights between Guatemala City and Flores, I found that Tag Airlines was the only option. My husband and I briefly considered taking a private car from our hotel to Tikal. However, we were quoted an exorbitant amount (over $1000 USD) by our hotel. In addition, it would have taken between 12 to 14 hours for the drive. So, we thought it would be more cost-effective and time-efficient to take a flight instead.

Now, if you have read the stories on Tripadvisor about Tag, you may also be in the same boat as we were. The reviews there are quite unflattering, so we were naturally cautious.

But, now that I have experienced it for myself, I wanted to put together an honest and hopefully helpful review of flying with Tag Airlines. This post details our entire experience of booking and taking the flights, and important tips and hacks to know.

Tag Airlines Reservations Process

The process of making a reservation with Tag Airlines is fairly simple. You can go to their website and book a flight. You will also be able to book with Tag from third-party websites like kayak.com.

They have different types of tickets including Light, Flexi, and Plus. The Light fare allows you to carry a carry-on bag only. The Flexi and Plus fares get you an additional 1 and 2 pieces of check-in luggage, respectively. Sometimes, they also have a Promo type of ticket, which is a discounted version of the “Light” ticket, making them super affordable.

Now, before you go book, note that their carry-on bags have a stricter dimension requirement as compared to most airlines. See more details on that are below.

Booking a flight from Guatemala City to Flores

At the time of booking with Tag, they were offering a Promo ticket which was quite cheap. The higher-tier tickets for the same flights or other airlines running the same route were a lot more expensive. So, Tag seemed to be the most economical option.

However, we also noted that if we wanted to take check-in luggage, the higher tiers were the only options as the Promo and Light Fares did not include check-in luggage. Now, we were carrying a small suitcase each as a carry-on on our other international flights in addition to a backpack. So, we knew that we needed to get check-in luggage on Tag.

That’s when we noticed that according to the website, you can pay for luggage at the airport counter. However, there is no guarantee that they will be able to accommodate your luggage as it is based on availability. If they do not have availability on your flight, they send your luggage on the next available flight.

We debated whether to book a higher-tier ticket or take our chances at the counter. The price difference between a Promo ticket and a check-in bag was significantly lower than the price of a higher-tier ticket which included a check-in bag.

Therefore, we decided to contact the airline’s Customer Service (tagsa@tag.com.gt) to request to purchase check-in luggage ahead of time with Promo tickets. We each purchased a 20lb check-in luggage. We found the Customer Service rep to be super responsive and helpful. They answered all our questions and forwarded our tickets within 2 hours!

Booking a flight from Flores to Belize

We booked a domestic and an international flight with Tag Airlines for our Guatemala trip. The first booking was the international flight from Flores to Belize. However, only after completing the purchase we realized that the tickets did not include a check-in bag. Therefore, we decided to buy the baggage fare at the airport as that was the only option for us.

For our domestic flight from Guatemala City to Flores, we wanted to cover our bases, and so, we contacted the airline prior to purchasing the ticket. That’s how we ended up with buying baggage fare over email as mentioned above.

When the time came to take the international flight from Flores to Belize, we went to the check-in counter to inquire about luggage. The airline ground staff allowed us to purchase check-in luggage for an additional fee of 30 USD per bag without an issue.

Everything went smoothly for our international flight, because there was enough luggage room available. But it was a gamble for sure. If you would not like to take risks with your luggage, you should contact the Customer Service email to purchase a ticket.

Taking a Tag Airlines flight

Our tickets noted that we had to arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead of time. While we thought that this was a bit excessive, we complied with this requirement. In particular, we noticed in some reviews that if you arrive within less than 45 minutes of your flight, you will be denied boarding. So, since we had built plenty of buffer on our itinerary from Antigua to Flores, we arrived about 3 hours before our scheduled time of departure at La Aurora International Airport.

So, for our Guatemala City to Flores flight, we had one piece of luggage that weighed 20.5 lb, and the other weighed 21.7 lb. The airline ground staff measured the bags and let us proceed without an issue (even though 20 lb is the limit). That makes me think they are not too strict about a pound or two here and there.

On the other hand, our backpacks were not weighed. The staff only looked at the shape/size. I noticed that they paid extra attention to my husband’s backpack. It is possible that this was due to his check-in bag being 21.7 lb (higher than 20 lb).

Once we finished the security check, we went to the gate. The La Aurora International Airport has a dedicated boarding area for Tag on Level 1 downstairs. There, they provided free wifi that was quite strong. In fact, it was way stronger than the airport wifi. I saw someone working on their laptop in the area using the Tag wifi. There were also a few electrical outlets there.

In-flight Experience of Tag Airlines

Finally, it was time to board. Our flight was small with 18 rows of 4 seats on each row (2 on each side, and an aisle in the middle). Much to our surprise, the plane started earlier than stated! We were about 12 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time.

There were no power outlets or media on the plane. Considering how tiny it was, we expected as much. There were restrooms available (one of their flights reportedly does not have a restroom on board). It was a fairly comfortable flight with adequate legroom, not unlike other airlines.

The flight stewardesses served us drinks midway through the flight. To be honest, we were not expecting this as it was a one-hour flight only, and it was a pleasant surprise! I got a 355 ml bottle of lime soda which was quite refreshing on a hot day!

Also, there was no wifi on board the flight.

Tag Airlines Baggage Policy

Before you book with Tag, make sure to review the following baggage policy and ensure your luggage is within the dimensions and weight. You will need to pay for check-in luggage on both domestic and international flights.

Baggage Type

Domestic Flight

International Flight

Carry-on luggage

Maximum weight 10 pounds (4 kg). 16* 9* 9 inch

Check-in luggage

Maximum weight 20 pounds (9kg) 22*12*12 inch

($3 USD per additional pound will be charged)

Maximum weight 35 pounds (15 kg) 22*12*12 inch

($3 USD per additional pound will be charged)

Tips and tricks for booking with Tag Airlines

Book ahead of time as the price gets higher over time.
Try to book on the website, if you think that you may need to change flights. This is because you will generally incur fewer fees for changing flights if you book with them directly as opposed to via a third-party site.
Contact Customer Service via email if you have any questions. I found them to be super helpful and quick.

Arrive at least 1 hour ahead of your flight time, preferably 2 hours ahead.
On a related note, Tag Airlines is strict about showing up less than 45 mins before departure. If you arrive less than 45 minutes ahead of departure, they will not let you check in for your flight, even if the flight is empty.
Be prepared with no more than 20 lb in your check-in luggage. Put heavier items in your handbag, if needed. The staff will check your check-in luggage weight.

You will need to pay for check-in luggage unless you travel with one small backpack only (which most travelers won’t). Therefore, be ready to pay $20 for a luggage bag. We calculated the total amount of money we spent in total including this extra $20 baggage fee, and found this option to be cheaper than the prices from other airlines.
It is more economical to get the “Promo” or “Light” ticket with an additional $20 check-in bag. However, you will need to contact the airline over email to do this.
Your backpack can be slightly larger than the dimensions on the website. But you could be inspected based on the airport check-in staff, so use this tip at your discretion.

There may be no restroom in the plane (if your plane happens to be the “small” one of the lot), so plan ahead.
We noticed that they mention in their ticket that “Additional penalty in case of no-show 100 USD”. While we did not have an issue with being “no-shows”, this is something to consider if you are not 100% sure you will catch the flight. We have also never seen this type of additional penalty charged by other airlines, so it was definitely interesting. However, we don’t know if they actually charge the additional $100 to no-show passengers.

So, should you take Tag Airlines in Guatemala?

So, with all of this being said, now comes the big question. Should you take Tag Airlines in Guatemala? The answer depends on your circumstances.

Take Tag Airlines if you

Are short on time and want to cover maximum ground in a short time.
Budget is not a constraint and you intend to travel via private or shared small shuttles anyway.
Can travel with luggage bags of dimensions not exceeding 22*12*12 inch.

We saw someone board with a bag bigger than these dimensions. But know that you may not be allowed depending on the attendant. The enforcement of rules is highly variable from person to person based on our experience.

Do not take Tag Airlines if you

Have a long time in Guatemala. You can see more of the country from the road.
Are budget conscious and will be taking the bus or other public transit.

Don’t want to deal with the hassle of contacting Tag for extra luggage and going through airports during your stay.

Have you read this one-week itinerary to Guatemala covering all the spots you must visit yet? Trust me, it will help you a lot in prepping for your epic trip!

Tag Airlines FAQs

Is Tag Airlines safe?

Tag Airlines is safe. We took two flights with Tag: one from Guatemala City to Flores, and another from Flores to Belize City. At no point in time did we feel unsafe, during pre-boarding or airborne on the flight. Tag is a super economical and fast way of getting around Guatemala. Just don’t expect any fancy bells and whistles for your flight experience.

Is there a Tag Airlines United States phone number?

There does not appear to be a Tag Airlines United States phone number. There are, however, other phones numbers of Tag Airlines in the following countries:

Guatemala: (+502) 2380-9400

Mexico: (+52) 55 95968465

El Salvador: (+503) 77525604

Is there a Tag Airlines email address?

The email address for Tag Airlines Customer Service is tagsa@tag.com.gt. I have contacted them and found them to be responsive, helpful, and easy to work with.