Need advice- one way from South America

[Juliadlf]

Which is best airline to fly on coming back to the US (Northeast)from South America? Will time of the year be a big factor in ticket pricing? What should we anticipate paying for a one way fare?

 

No definite plans made yet but would anticipate either flying out of Buenos Aires, Santiago or possibly Lima.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Thanks

Julia

[greatam]

Which is best airline to fly on coming back to the US (Northeast)from South America? Will time of the year be a big factor in ticket pricing? What should we anticipate paying for a one way fare?

 

No definite plans made yet but would anticipate either flying out of Buenos Aires, Santiago or possibly Lima.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Thanks

Julia

 

LAN is the best but usually the most expensive, AA has the best schedule. Delta is often the cheapest, but you have to stop in Atlanta and clear customs. AA clears customs in MIA, LAN clears customs in NYC.

 

December through mid March is "high season" in South America, so ticket prices are quite a bit higher.

 

Buenos Aires and Santiago have the most flights on the largest planes. If you fly LAN out of Lima, try to pick the flight that starts in Santiago. 767-better plane and lands at JFK. AA out of Lima flies first to MIA, then on to Dallas and uses a 757.

 

Sign up for LAN email alerts. Every once in a while, LAN runs great fares to South America.

 

And to get a decent price, you most likely will have to do a "throw away" ticket. One ways from South America independently booked raise lots of flags (can you say drug runners) and are prohibitively expensive.

 

Are you looking at one of the repo cruises??? We did the Infinity from FLL to Valparaiso in 2006. I had to be in South America for business on Dec. 6, the ship arrived Dec. 3. Worked out really well. Third South America cruise we have been on-all on X. I loved the Panama Canal. If you have never been and can spare the time, a trip to Machu Pichu is pretty easy from Santiago or especially Lima.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Copa airlines is pretty cheap sometimes. You can fly (but not limited to) Orlando or Miami.

 

But dont let the initial price they show you on the screen fool you. Once you go into the booking process thats when they hit you with the taxes and other charges which might seem a little high at times. It will add up quickly, but sometimes they are still cheaper.

[Juliadlf]

Does COPA have sales like the other airlines? I see it's part of Continental or just appears to be?

 

Yes, looking at a cruises from Florida to South America or possibly doing BA to Chile. Not sure yet and just trying to get a feel for SA flights, cruises and costs.

 

Thanks again for the help.

Julia

[greatam]

Does COPA have sales like the other airlines? I see it's part of Continental or just appears to be?

 

Yes, looking at a cruises from Florida to South America or possibly doing BA to Chile. Not sure yet and just trying to get a feel for SA flights, cruises and costs.

 

Thanks again for the help.

Julia

 

Copa is the Panamanian airline. And they ONLY fly 737 (and jungle jets). Narrow body planes-not nearly as nice as LAN or AA's 767. Copa is partnered with Continental through their FF/OnePass program and codeshare some flights. Most flights from South America stop in Panama City Panama before continuing on to the US.

 

If you choose to do BA/Santiago or vice versa, you can always buy a RT ticket from USA/BA or USA/Santiago. A one way ticket intra South America is usually pretty inexpensive.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

I am not sure what is wrong with flying in a 737. And yes Copa stops in Panama City. Most airlines have a hub right? Atlanta, Chicago, DFW. Just to name a few.

 

Is there more leg room on a 767 as opposed to a 737? Seats bigger? What makes it better? :confused:

 

OP asked about prices so it may be a factor for them. There are other options out there other than AA and LAN. And dont think I am bashing AA, I am a FF with AA, but I dont limit myself either.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Just a follow up. I searched airlinequality DOT com. AA, COPA and LAN are all given 3 stars over all. If you look more closely you can see what they do well and not so well under different catagories.

 

AA does have a little bit more leg room, 33-36 inches. COPA and LAN 32. LAN flies A340's and 767's.

 

LAN is also a member of One World Alliance.

 

So decide what is more of a factor for you and make your choice based on that. IE model of aircraft, price etc.

[greatam]

I am not sure what is wrong with flying in a 737. And yes Copa stops in Panama City. Most airlines have a hub right? Atlanta' date=' Chicago, DFW. Just to name a few.

 

Is there more leg room on a 767 as opposed to a 737? Seats bigger? What makes it better? :confused:

 

OP asked about prices so it may be a factor for them. There are other options out there other than AA and LAN. And dont think I am bashing AA, I am a FF with AA, but I dont limit myself either.[/quote']

 

Why would you want to make an extra stop just to get to the USA??? Most of the carriers fly nonstop Santiago/Mia/DFW or JFK, Buenos Aires/MIA/DFW/ATL/JFK.

 

737, even 737-8

 

Narrow body, small plane, feels very cramped.

 

767-wide body-two aisles, more spacious, more airy

 

There are NOT a lot of options other than LAN, AA and Delta. LAN is one of the BEST airlines in the world.

 

I don't need to look at airline quality. I speak from personal experience. I make 4 RT to South America every year. Have tried them all. I will stick with LAN or AA.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Why would you want to make an extra stop just to get to the USA??? Most of the carriers fly nonstop Santiago/Mia/DFW or JFK, Buenos Aires/MIA/DFW/ATL/JFK.

 

737, even 737-8

 

Narrow body, small plane, feels very cramped.

 

767-wide body-two aisles, more spacious, more airy

 

There are NOT a lot of options other than LAN, AA and Delta. LAN is one of the BEST airlines in the world.

 

I don't need to look at airline quality. I speak from personal experience. I make 4 RT to South America every year. Have tried them all. I will stick with LAN or AA.

 

Sometimes one stop might save a little money if cost is a factor.

 

You may not need to look at the quality of airlines but others might, just sharing that information.

 

I didnt say there were A LOT of other options, I was pointing out that there ARE other options.

 

You have your favorite, its obvious and thats ok. But I dont think the OP asked for just one opinion. I guess some people dont like to limit themselves.

 

I too fly to South America, mostly to Costa Rica and Panama. What one person considers cramped and stuffy may not seem that way to others. I couldnt care less if a plane has 5 isles as long as I get to where I am going. ;)

[greatam]

OP's question-"Which is best airline to fly on coming back to the US (Northeast)from South America?"

 

I pointed out to the OP the BEST options-LAN/AA/Delta. And stated that LAN was the best but usually expensive. AA had the best schedule. I didn't bring up Copa, as the stop in Panama is a real drag. IMHO, you would have to save a lot of money to spend about 3 hours EACH WAY in the Panama City airport and still have a stop in MIA before you get to JFK. The Copa/Continental codeshares are usually priced almost double what LAN is.

 

You also could fly TACA, but to get to Santiago, you have to make TWO stops AFTER you leave the USA. Makes for a looooong flight in a cigar tube.

 

Other than those I have posted, sure, you could fly Mexicana, LASCA, and a whole host of South American carriers. Not much fun on a long flight watching the movie if you don't speak Spanish. And I certainly wouldn't consider them BEST taking into consideration plane, schedule, service, price.

[FlyerTalker]

Some other options and considerations: United flies from Buenos Aires (EZE), while Continental flies both from EZE and Lima. Neither has service from Santiago (SCL).

 

The OP clarified by writing: "Not sure yet and just trying to get a feel for SA flights, cruises and costs." So to get into great detail seems WAY premature at this time. We don't know what cities, what possible dates, what considerations are prime.....

 

So, to summarize, you have AA, UA, DL, CO as United States carriers serving your possible cities. Other "possibles" include LAN, Copa, and TACA, along with other South American carriers that would involve several stops and plane changes. (You could even fly Air France via Paris, though the fare would be a "wee bit high". But think of the FF miles you'd get!) :D

 

Play around with Orbitz and the various airline websites to get a feel for pricing and services. Come on back when you need more specifics on some particular choices.

[kylea_s]

We did X last year out of Sanitago and disembarking in Buenos Aires. When we booked, air was included in the price. Even looking at a slightly later cruise at the same cabin category and no air, it was considerably cheaper. I usually do my own air to get a flight that pleases mel However flying overnight is a reality for this cruise so figured it didnt much matter.

 

One cavaet. Flying into Santiago, we had to stop in a very long line to pay a country enterance fee. After the long flight, this was probably the worst part of that and many other trips. Leaving from Buenos Aires, the lines for check in at the airport dont open as early as you might like so you cant get to the boarding areas to at least sit down. Doing a post cruise exursion for the day of departure was a great idea. We didnt get there til right before the check in lines opened. Some people had been there since morning and the checkins didnt open til about dinner time.

[FlyerTalker]

One cavaet. Flying into Santiago, we had to stop in a very long line to pay a country enterance fee. After the long flight, this was probably the worst part of that and many other trips.

The $100 entrance fee is only if you fly into SCL. If you arrive by ship and fly out, you have no such fee.

Leaving from Buenos Aires, the lines for check in at the airport dont open as early as you might like so you cant get to the boarding areas to at least sit down. Doing a post cruise exursion for the day of departure was a great idea. We didnt get there til right before the check in lines opened. Some people had been there since morning and the checkins didnt open til about dinner time.

This is also the case at SCL - check-in doesn't start until 4 hours before departure, so you have to wait in the few (and they are few compared to the number of people who want to sit) seats in the landside portion of the terminal. This is fairly common around the world - you can always find out when the check-in for your flight begins and time your day accordingly. The good news at SCL is that there is a decent restaurant with free wi-fi on the landside.

[Juliadlf]

Thanks for all the great information. I am still doing research but now have a much clearer picture of the "key" airlines to look at.

 

The "consolidator" sites don't always give you all the airline options available so you have to keep checking different ones. I've not seen COPA come up so far so was surprised to find another option.

 

Thanks again and if you think of anything else which would help, please post.

 

Julia

[Juliadlf]

We would be sailing from FLL to Callao/Lima. When we get off the ship we may either stay 1 day in Lima and then next day fly to Cuzco and spend a couple days touring Cuzco and MP and then head back to the states. Haven't gotten all the logistics worked out yet but when we depart Peru, will there be a departure tax?

 

Given how much luggage we would typically be bringing on a cruise, does airport in Lima have luggage storage? We don't want to take all the bags to Cuzco so thinking of storing somewhere safe (notice I put in "safe"). Or any other ideas besides packing less :p .

 

Thanks again.

 

Julia

[greatam]

We would be sailing from FLL to Callao/Lima. When we get off the ship we may either stay 1 day in Lima and then next day fly to Cuzco and spend a couple days touring Cuzco and MP and then head back to the states. Haven't gotten all the logistics worked out yet but when we depart Peru, will there be a departure tax?

 

Given how much luggage we would typically be bringing on a cruise, does airport in Lima have luggage storage? We don't want to take all the bags to Cuzco so thinking of storing somewhere safe (notice I put in "safe"). Or any other ideas besides packing less :p .

 

Thanks again.

 

Julia

 

Ah, a lady after my own heart. I spend a lot of time in Lima and Cuzco.

 

My advice-go to my favorite little hotel for the day in Lima. There is quite a lot to see for a day. Ask for the first floor room with all the wood and little patio out the back. Email or phone Luis.

 

http://www.hotelsanantonioabad.com/

 

They will keep your luggage while you go to Cusco and the homemade breakfast is VERY good. They will pick you up at the port, although there may be an additional charge. Airport pickup (but not drop off) is offered with the room rate and breakfast ($55.00), so you may be able to pay for the port pick up and swap a ride TO the airport in exchange for free airport pickup.

 

This is a small, boutique hotel-used to be an old mansion. The first floor is really neat-lots of wood, antiques. The service is to die for-$3.00 for beer delivered to your room 24/7-DH really likes that. If you can believe it, they even have delivery from Mickey D's. $1.00 per day for internet-2 or 3 computers to use at your leisure. Don't book a room on the second floor. If the first floor rooms are not available, stay someplace else (i can recommend). I don't like the second floor rooms, but if you request early enough, you should have no problem getting the first floor room with all the wood. It does have twin beds.

 

Take the EARLY morning flight the next day to Cusco. The earlier the flight, the better your chances of making it into and out of Cusco. Don't try flights after 111:00AM. I have flown to Cusco and flown back to Lima, I don't know how many times. Can't land due to the fog/clouds that come into Cusco.

 

When you return from Cusco/MP, you will have to take a taxi to get your luggage, unless you want to stay another night in Lima. But Luis will make arrangements to get you to the hotel. The cost is $20.00. DO NOT wander around the Lima airport or just get in any taxi. Lots of cokeheads drive cab and quite a few are interested in more than your cab fare.

 

Most flights to the US do not leave until late evenings. And if you book an afternoon flight from Cusco, you are taking a big chance that the fog has come in and you cannot get out of Cusco. So book an early morning flight from Cusco, have Luis arrange transport to San Antonio Abad, then go to the Indian Market for the day and wander around Lima (Miraflores). The LarcoMar shopping center is a great place to waste a few hours-and not shopping, just looking and people watching.

 

There is luggage storage at the Lima airport, but the hours are sometimes sporadic (as is everything in Peru).

 

If you need further help planning your trip, feel free to ask. I have probably done Lima/Cusco/MP every way you can think of. And you DON'T need a tour, so save yourself the money. EVERYTHING is easily bookable independently.

[paul929207]

You may want to check the price of round trip tickets, planning to discard the return. They are usually cheaper than one-way. (Yeah, go figure).

 

Just be sure the legs you will "miss" are at the end of your ticket. When you are not on a flight, all subsequent legs on that ticket are cancelled.

[FlyerTalker]

You may want to check the price of round trip tickets, planning to discard the return. They are usually cheaper than one-way. (Yeah, go figure).

Remember that "throwaway" ticketing is a violation of the airline's CoC. There have been reports of charge-backs for the difference to a one-way ticket as well as cancellation of FF accounts. Do a search for "throwaway ticketing" and the like to get more info. This is not to say that you may be able to do it without penalty. However, be aware of the realities if the airline choses to come looking for you.

[greatam]

Remember that "throwaway" ticketing is a violation of the airline's CoC. There have been reports of charge-backs for the difference to a one-way ticket as well as cancellation of FF accounts. Do a search for "throwaway ticketing" and the like to get more info. This is not to say that you may be able to do it without penalty. However, be aware of the realities if the airline choses to come looking for you.

 

Come on!!! We all know the rules, but on this one I will disagree with you.

 

I sure wouldn't do it with an airline I had a FF account or a lot of miles, but once in a great while-???? The chance is very slim that the airline will come back to you if you just miss the flight and don't make a stink about miles. For an infrequent flyer, this really is a valid option. One ways from South America are prohibitively expensive, other than on Copa. And who wants to spend half the day in Panama City???? Just MHO.

[Juliadlf]

Thanks everyone for the very valuable input and the hotel suggestion. Is Luis the owner of the hotel?

 

One of our considerations is that when we have to disembark the ship (we have an overnight in Lima) we would go straight to Cuzco instead of staying in Lima first, hence the question about the luggage storage. Would spend time in Lima after Cuzco. Wasn't sure since the airport website doesn't give out much information on exactly how long you can leave luggage there, costs, operating hours, etc.

 

One of the questions I'm still not sure about is the air departure tax in Peru. When we fly from Lima to Cuzco we pay a departure tax? And when we fly back from Cuzco we pay another departure tax? And when we fly out of Lima back to the states, we pay another departure tax? I can't really understand the Lima airport website about when you do or don't pay this tax so if anyone has the answer if would be a big help in planning.

 

Saw that Air Canada offers flights back from Lima. Anyone have personal experience with this airline?

 

Last but not the end of the questions, does anyone know of a single website (Lima airport doesn't show it or I just am missing it when I looked) which airlines offer a club lounge?

 

Thanks again for all the help.

Julia

[greatam]

Thanks everyone for the very valuable input and the hotel suggestion. Is Luis the owner of the hotel?

Not the owner-I would call him the general manager. He is somehow related to the family that actually owns the place. But he is there almost all the time, so he appears to own the place.

 

One of our considerations is that when we have to disembark the ship (we have an overnight in Lima) we would go straight to Cuzco instead of staying in Lima first, hence the question about the luggage storage. Would spend time in Lima after Cuzco. Wasn't sure since the airport website doesn't give out much information on exactly how long you can leave luggage there, costs, operating hours, etc. /QUOTE]

 

Luggage storage is in the domestic arrivals area. The last time I left luggage (I usually go to the hotel I posted) was two years ago. IIRC, the luggage storage closed at 10:00PM and was $6.00 per day per suitcase.

 

When the cab from the ship drops you off, the domestic arrivals is to the far right as you face the building. You could always email the airport to find out the hours and prices for luggage storage.

 

One of the questions I'm still not sure about is the air departure tax in Peru. When we fly from Lima to Cuzco we pay a departure tax? And when we fly back from Cuzco we pay another departure tax? And when we fly out of Lima back to the states, we pay another departure tax? I can't really understand the Lima airport website about when you do or don't pay this tax so if anyone has the answer if would be a big help in planning.

 

You will pay domestic departure tax both ways to Cusco-about $6.00 each way. After you check in, you go to a separate area (on the way to Security), get in line, pay the fee. The guard will check your tax paid stamp, then let you in for Security. Same thing in Cusco, but the airport is MUCH smaller. There is a booth just inside the front door to pay the departure tax.

 

Same thing for international departures except it's about $30.00 (these figures were from last business season.) I leave a week from this coming Monday for the first of my four yearly business trips. I will post if the price has gone up.

 

 

 

Last but not the end of the questions, does anyone know of a single website (Lima airport doesn't show it or I just am missing it when I looked) which airlines offer a club lounge?

 

Thanks again for all the help.

Julia

 

There is a very nice LAN lounge that is used by a few of the airlines. This is also the VIP lounge-Priority Pass affiliation open to anyone with a membership card. I think there is also a TACA lounge, but I have never been there

[Juliadlf]

greatam:Thanks for the additional info. Too bad they just don't include the departure tax in the tickets. Less hassle but thanks for the info. We will be prepared.

Contacted the Baggage company at the airport via email and got some answers.

Have a great/safe business trip.

 

Julia