To get to all these places we have been, we have had the opportunity to travel on many different airlines.  I bring this up – as one of the more frustrating carriers we have taken was Air Suriname.

Our original plan was to catch the last leg of the Air Suriname flight from Miami with a stop in Georgetown and continue on to Parimaribo.  Then, two days later – take the Air Suriname flight from Parimaribo to Miami.  Turns out, Air Suriname operates three airplanes.  One ferries the Dutch from Amsterdam to this vacation paradise, another the Miami flight, and the third is in receivership.  Our Miami flight had some issue, so it never got to Georgetown.

Eventually, we went back to the tiny local airport and caught an eight passenger plane to the old Parimaribo airport in the center of town.  They weren’t expecting foreigners, so we waited for a customs agent.  After that wait – we discovered there was no taxi service at the airport – so the customs officer nicely offered us a ride to the hotel (ours was the only flight in that day).

Then we waited.  And listened to maddeningly rapid Dutch recordings apparently telling us that there was no replacement flight (we did this for two days).  Finally, Air Suriname rented an airplane to take us back to Miami.  It was larger than our original plane (so they could combine it with other missed flights).  Remember the old seat assignment process with the stickers on your boarding pass – well it isn’t yet officially retired.

Needless to say, we did make it home, after two additional days in Parimaribo.

Here is the list of 74 air carriers we have used so far (not necessarily together).  Eric thinks some of the early ones I took may have even been bi-planes.