There are no direct flights from any foreign countries to either Montana or Wyoming. Travelers have to go through one of the hub cities. However, several major U.S. airlines with international connections serve the states.
International travelers heading for Montana and Wyoming will likely be flying through Seattle, Denver, or Salt Lake City. One of the charms of Montana and Wyoming is that they are remote, but this remoteness means that it takes longer to reach them.
The major airports in Montana are Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula; and in Wyoming the major airports are in Casper and Jackson. Delta and Northwest serve most of these cities, and United and United Express also provide some service.
Airline Discounts -- Smart travelers can reduce the price of a plane ticket by shopping around. Overseas visitors, for example, can take advantage of the APEX (Advance Purchase Excursion) reductions offered by all major U.S. and European carriers. For more money-saving airline advice, see "Getting There," in chapter 2. For the best rates, compare fares and be flexible with the dates and times of travel.
Immigration & Customs Clearance -- Visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. Getting through immigration control may take as long as 2 hours on some days, so be sure to have this guidebook or something else to read. This is especially true in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when U.S. airports have considerably beefed up security clearances. People traveling by air from Canada, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries can sometimes clear Customs and Immigration at the point of departure, which is much faster.
In contrast, for the traveler arriving by car or rail from Canada, the border-crossing formalities have been streamlined to the vanishing point. People traveling by air from Canada, Bermuda, and some places in the Caribbean can sometimes clear Customs and Immigration at the point of departure, which is much quicker.
