Fly the Drake Passage FAQ

For more than 55 years, Lindblad Expeditions has been bringing travelers to Antarctica, exploring its icy wilds on immersive small-ship expeditions that have traditionally required a round-trip Drake Passage sailing transit. Now, our guests have a new option for traveling to and from Antarctica with the introduction of our flyover itineraries. These expeditions include two-hour charter flights between Puerto Natales, Chile, and King George Island, allowing you to bypass sailing the Drake Passage for one or both legs of the journey.

Our 8-Day, 9-Day, and 10-Day Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage itineraries—our most time-efficient options—will take you to and from Antarctica by air. For guests who want to expedite their travel, but still want to check off the expedition milestone of crossing the Drake Passage by sea, we also offer a 10-Day Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage itinerary. On this option, guests will sail to the continent from Ushuaia, Argentina, and return to Puerto Natales by air

Our flyover itineraries are for travelers who may not have the extra time—or vacation days—to make the round-trip sea journey, which takes two days at each end of the voyage (four days total). These expeditions may also be a good fit for guests who are prone to seasickness and would like to limit their chances of encountering the turbulent waters that can occur in the Drake Passage by flying one or both legs of the journey to and from Antarctica.

On our 8-Day Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage itinerary:

• One-night pre-cruise and one-night post-cruise hotel stays in Puerto Natales
• Five nights aboard National Geographic Explorer or National Geographic Orion in Antarctica

On our 9-Day Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage itinerary:

• One night pre-cruise and one-night post-cruise hotel stays in Puerto Natales
• Six nights aboard National Geographic Orion in Antarctica

On our 10-Day Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage itinerary:

• One night pre-cruise and one-night post-cruise hotel stays in Puerto Natales
• Seven nights aboard National Geographic Orion in Antarctica

On our 10-Day Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage itinerary:

• One-night pre-cruise hotel stay in Ushuaia, Argentina and one-night post-cruise hotel stay in Puerto Natales, Chile
• Seven nights aboard National Geographic Explorer (two nights for the one-way Drake Passage transit, plus five nights in Antarctica)

On all of our Antarctica Direct itineraries:

• In accordance with our contingency plan (see below,) an additional hotel night in Puerto Natales in the event of flight delays
• Complimentary parka and reusable water bottle
• Welcome dinner and/or bon voyage dinner
• Select pre- and post-cruise meals on the days of the included hotel nights, dependent on flight changes
• Transfers between airport and hotel as noted in the itinerary
• National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions' standard expedition inclusions, such as water and shore excursions, the guidance of our expedition staff, onboard snacks and meals, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages (premium brands available for purchase), ship amenities, onboard presentations and much more

*NOTE: Mandatory private charter flights to/from Puerto Natales, Chile, and King George Island in Antarctica will be provided at an additional cost.

We partner with DAP Antarctica Airways, a highly experienced Antarctic logistics company that has more than 30 years of aviation expertise in Antarctica, with planes piloted by some of the world’s most qualified polar captains. Each of their four-engine jets (BAE 146 / 200) accommodates 74 passengers and is specially adapted to land on gravel runways. The flight takes approximately two hours each way, and guests will have assigned seats between two aircraft, all in the same class of service. For this reason, we need to know when any guests are traveling together.

Guests traveling on our Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage itineraries will receive their complimentary parkas at the hotel in Puerto Natales along with any Ship to Shore gear they have rented (i.e., waterproof boots, waterproof pants, etc.). On the plane, guests should be dressed in their parkas, waterproof hiking pants, and waterproof boots so they are prepared to board the Zodiacs shortly after arrival to King George Island. For guests on the Sail-Fly program, parkas are provided at embarkation.

Guests will fly into the Chilean Base of Presidente Frey on King George Island, landing on one of the gravel runways in Antarctica, generally used by scientists heading to stations farther south. King George is the largest of the South Shetland Islands, and the Chilean base is the largest of the scientific bases found on its western tip (Fildes Peninsula).

You will deplane using stairs onto the gravel tarmac and walk to the bus for a one-mile bus ride to the shoreline, where you will navigate a rocky beach to board a Zodiac for the ride to embark the National Geographic Explorer or National Geographic Orion.

Note: Luggage will be handled separately and could arrive after you embark the ship. Staff will ensure you are safely on board before loading luggage. Guests should not expect to have their luggage in their cabins upon boarding.

Each guest is allowed: 

One Carry-on bag per person: 

• 5KG (11LBS) Maximum Weight: ONE BAG ONLY
• No larger than 43x41x21 cm (17x16x8.25 inches)
• Please refrain from using hard-sided luggage as a carry-on.

One personal item per person:

• 2.25KG (5LBS) Maximum Weight: ONE PERSONAL ITEM ONLY
• A personal item should be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, like a purse, briefcase, laptop bag, or small backpack, and must not exceed 43x41x21 cm (17x16x8 inches)

One checked bag per person:

• 19.9 KG (44 LBS) Maximum Weight: ONE BAG ONLY
• Checked Baggage size must not exceed 158 cm (62 inches) when LENGTH, WIDTH, and HEIGHT are totaled

All bags will be weighed before loading the aircraft. All oversize/excess luggage will be left behind. 

• Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage: luggage storage is available in Puerto Natales (PNT)
• Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage: NO luggage storage is available in Ushuaia (USH)
• Guests cannot pay for additional baggage or additional seats on the flight to/from Puerto Natales (PNT)/King George Island (KGI)

Like any flight, delays or early departures can happen when traveling to and from Antarctica. However, the weather is far more unpredictable in the Antarctic than most destinations and air-cruise operations are highly weather-dependent. Due to the unpredictability, we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for your journey.

While the odds of a delay or early arrival are low, travelers must be flexible and prepare for the possibility. Low clouds, fog, and heavy wind conditions at King George Island in Antarctica can cause delays. This rule applies both to flights to Antarctica and flights back to South America.

Safety is the airline’s primary priority, and airline officials continuously monitor weather conditions and adjust travel plans if needed.

A contingency plan is in place for cases when weather conditions require modifying the flight date from the itinerary between Puerto Natales and Antarctica. 

Contingency Plan for Antarctica Flights

Arrival to Puerto Natales: On Day 1, guests should arrive at the hotel in Puerto Natales no later than 3 p.m. local time in the event the charter flight to Antarctica needs to be moved to your day of arrival due to inclement weather. Our staff and DAP Airlines continuously monitor weather conditions, and they may move the outbound flight to Day 1 to mitigate delays on your expedition. A refund will not be issued to guests who miss the charter flight due to an arrival into Puerto Natales after 3 p.m. We strongly recommend avoiding tight flight connections. We also recommend booking a flexible airfare.

Contingency plan for Antarctic flights from Puerto Natales to King George Island

Outbound flights to Antarctica: Between Day 2 of the itinerary and until 2 p.m. on Day 3, every effort will be made to safely transport passengers to Antarctica. In cases where such measures are not successful, the daily program described below will be applied:

Day 2: We provide guided tours of Puerto Natales, where guests can learn about the culture and history of the Indigenous people or, alternatively, enjoy opportunities to watch for Andean condors, or hike the region’s stunning terrain. We will include breakfast and lunch dependent on the time of the flight departure, as well as accommodation at the same hotel included on Day 1 of the itinerary. 

Day 3: If Lindblad Expeditions is unable to transport passengers to Antarctica by 2 p.m., the trip will be interrupted. The traveler’s booking agent will refund the passenger 100% of the cruise fare paid for the expedition. No other services or meals are included. 

Contingency plan for Antarctic flights from King George Island to Puerto Natales

If there is a delay on the flight from Antarctica to Puerto Natales within the scheduled day of disembarkation, passengers on board the ship will continue cruising to nearby places until the return flight to Puerto Natales is authorized. All standard onboard inclusions and shore excursions will apply. The Puerto Natales arrangements (hotel, farewell dinner) will still apply. 

If your flight from Antarctica back to Puerto Natales is delayed overnight, your tour in Antarctica will be extended, with onboard activities, excursions, and meals included. Guests must depart Puerto Natales on arrival, which will necessitate changing their onward flights, unless they have made their own accommodations in Puerto Natales. 

Outbound flights from Puerto Natales onward should be scheduled to depart no earlier than 1 p.m. (or as late in the day as possible) on the final day of the trip. Guests may also wish to book an additional hotel night on their own in Puerto Natales (following the included night) to allow for increased flexibility. We encourage guests not to plan any independent extensions or tours for the day after the trip in case of delay. 

In cases where the flight from Antarctica is delayed overnight, the trip will end at the Puerto Natales airport. No refund will be extended for any reason whatsoever, and no hotel accommodation nor airport transfers will be provided.

While rare, in some cases, it may be necessary to depart Antarctica early if poor conditions are forecast. In this situation, we will provide hotel accommodations and meals in Puerto Natales. No compensation will be provided for the shortened time in Antarctica.

Although extremely uncommon, if the poor weather prevents flights for more than two days, there is a possibility we will need to sail to Ushuaia for disembarkation. No refund will be extended for any reason whatsoever, and no hotel accommodations will be provided. Flights homeward will need to be rebooked. This is an expedition in the truest sense—flexibility is key. Our primary goal with the contingency plan is to provide an engaging and comfortable travel experience while adapting to the weather.