2 questions about Santiago arrival 1/30/2010 HAL

[Relaxationspecialist]

Hello all,

Very excited about this cruise, needless to say. Here are two questions to help me get my bearings as I get ready to look for airfares:

 

1. If we are embarking from Valparaiso and disembarking in Buenos Aires (around the horn cruise) is there a way to find a reasonable airfare to one place and from the other? The idea of travelling on land to return to Santiago, or of taking a short flight on a small plane, is not appealing.

 

2. Is it true that, as HAL states, taking their transport from Santiago to the port in Valparaiso is the best way to go? I have searched on this here and some people seem to be talking about a huge, long trip, but that isn't what HAL says.

 

Thanks!

[greatam]

Hello all,

Very excited about this cruise, needless to say. Here are two questions to help me get my bearings as I get ready to look for airfares:

 

1. If we are embarking from Valparaiso and disembarking in Buenos Aires (around the horn cruise) is there a way to find a reasonable airfare to one place and from the other? The idea of travelling on land to return to Santiago, or of taking a short flight on a small plane, is not appealing.

 

2. Is it true that, as HAL states, taking their transport from Santiago to the port in Valparaiso is the best way to go? I have searched on this here and some people seem to be talking about a huge, long trip, but that isn't what HAL says.

 

Thanks!

 

1. You need to use the "multi city" option when looking for airfare. Into Santiago (SCL), out of Buenos Aires (EZE). To save money on airfare, you may also want to look at the option of flying a cheapie (JetBlue/AA/sometimes even SW) out of JFK/LGA to Miami/Fort Lauderdale and then flying COPA, LASCA/TACA/TAM, AeroMexico into and out of SA. Someone got a heck of a fare on TAM directly from JFK. Post your dates and I will try to help with air (I do international logistics for a living)

 

2. Taking the cruise line transfer may or may not be the best way. Really depends on when you arrive SCL. If you arrive morning of the cruise, it really will not matter. Just find the cheapest best way. It is a 2+ hour drive from SCL to the port. If you are arriving early for a pre cruise stay in SCL, find a private transfer. HAL's transfers leave from the airport, so you will have to get back there to meet the transfer. You can get a short tour if you book a private transfer, although on cruise day, most tours leave between 9-10AM, two hour drive, so you really don't have much time to look around.

 

Don't forget-you MUST pay the reciprocity fee (now $131) for Americans BEFORE you can get to your luggage and go through Chilean customs. The fee is good for the life of your passport, so you can visit Chile as many times as you want until your passport expires.

[smeyer418]

Hello all,

Very excited about this cruise, needless to say. Here are two questions to help me get my bearings as I get ready to look for airfares:

 

1. If we are embarking from Valparaiso and disembarking in Buenos Aires (around the horn cruise) is there a way to find a reasonable airfare to one place and from the other? The idea of travelling on land to return to Santiago, or of taking a short flight on a small plane, is not appealing.

 

2. Is it true that, as HAL states, taking their transport from Santiago to the port in Valparaiso is the best way to go? I have searched on this here and some people seem to be talking about a huge, long trip, but that isn't what HAL says.

 

Thanks!

 

I am taking the trip the otherway. I purchased 10 days ago JFK EZE/SCI JFK for $608 pp all taxes included on TAM....its gone now...they come they go etc. I have arranged for private transport between VAL and SCI its not cheap but its not that outrageous either....

[Relaxationspecialist]

Wow, greatam, $608 is a great fare! Must start stalking Sidestep. ;-)

 

Smeyer, we are leaving New York on January 30, returning from BA on Feb 11. I guess there's a good chance we would want to travel on the 29th and the 13th.

 

I am doing my best to build up Continental OnePass miles but fare would trump that...

 

Thanks!

[greatam]

The cheapest as of today is Avianca ($938.00pp taxes fees included) BUT there is an 8 hour layover in Bogota Columbia.

 

Next cheapest is COPA at $970.00 with short layovers in Panama City both ways. BUT the flight leaves from JFK at 5:15AM, so an early morning start is needed.

 

AA flies nonstop into/out of JFK for $1135-1190 (the difference being whether you leave on Thursday, the 28th or Friday, the 29th).

 

Flying out of Miami, I can see fares as low as $680 on both AeroMexico and Mexicana with stops in Mexico City both ways. Can you get to MIA RT for less than $300??? Should be able to. Just allow enough time for a missed connection/glitch from JFK to MIA. And you will most likely have to recheck your luggage if you fly one of the LCC's to MIA.

 

AeroMexico is a SkyTeam partner (Delta/NW/Air France) and Mexicana is a OneWorld partner (AA, Cathay, LAN), so you get full miles. The flight experience on a foreign airline is generally FAR superior to a US carrier. IF you can get a cheapie JFK/MIA flight on AA, AA will check your luggage through onto Mexicana. Free booze on Mexicana and the food is not bad.

[Relaxationspecialist]

Thanks, greatam. I did find $760 on LAN, including that huge Chilean tax. LAN is good? I know what you're saying about foreign airlines, although I am a big fan of Continental....

[greatam]

Thanks, greatam. I did find $760 on LAN, including that huge Chilean tax. LAN is good? I know what you're saying about foreign airlines, although I am a big fan of Continental....

 

Two things-the LAN sale price out of NYC ENDS on Dec. 30. After the first of the year is high season and the price goes up considerably (I travel to SA at least 4 times per year for business, always during the spring/summer time frame-I have already booked tickets through March, as the price is now going up a lot).

 

Second, what do you mean the "huge Chilean tax"? Tax for LAN flights to SA runs between $70-100, depending on whether you stop or not (it is cheaper to stop in Lima or Guayaquil).

$760 most likely DOES NOT include the Chilean reciprocity fee-that is payable to the airport, NOT the airline. If you truly found a $760 tax included price for LAN on your dates for an open jaw flight and it WAS NOT a consolidator fare, BOOK IT NOW!!! LAN is one of the best airlines in the world, right up there with Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Singapore.

[Relaxationspecialist]

Sadly, the LAN flight I found was not a nonstop from NY. Actually, it seems like pretty much nobody flies nonstop. So I guess I have to forget about nonstop! Which means I can stop in Houston with Continental. Not crazy re stopping in Mexico City right now...Could also stop in Atlanta with Delta or in Miami with I-forget-whom.

 

Yes, I meant the airport tax. Thanks for the helpful comments re LAN.

[awayatsea]

AA flies nonstop into/out of JFK for $1135-1190 (the difference being whether you leave on Thursday, the 28th or Friday, the 29th).

 

Flying out of Miami, I can see fares as low as $680 on both AeroMexico and Mexicana with stops in Mexico City both ways. Can you get to MIA RT for less than $300??? Should be able to. Just allow enough time for a missed connection/glitch from JFK to MIA. And you will most likely have to recheck your luggage if you fly one of the LCC's to MIA.

 

AeroMexico is a SkyTeam partner (Delta/NW/Air France) and Mexicana is a OneWorld partner (AA, Cathay, LAN), so you get full miles. The flight experience on a foreign airline is generally FAR superior to a US carrier. IF you can get a cheapie JFK/MIA flight on AA, AA will check your luggage through onto Mexicana. Free booze on Mexicana and the food is not bad.

For Greatham. 2 questions:

1: We land by COPA in EZE at 5am. what do we do until our same day 5pm embarkation? And back in Valparaiso, we dock 7am on a Sun. and have until a 4am Mon. morning COPA dep. from SCL. We need to sleep probably on this 2nd one. By the way this multi-city round trip from Orlando was $980pp.

[awayatsea]

For Greatam. 2 questions:

1: We land by COPA in EZE at 5am. what do we do until our same day 5pm embarkation? And back in Valparaiso, we dock 7am on a Sun. and have until a 4am Mon. morning COPA dep. from SCL. We need to sleep probably on this 2nd one. By the way this multi-city round trip from Orlando was $980pp.

[rwalls]

If you are booked on this cruise, please join our Roll Call thread at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1043506

 

There are only 5 of us so far in the roll call. Surely many more Cruise Critic participants will be on this cruise, but few have found our thread. We welcome your participation. It's a great place to ask questions and share information.:)

 

Marlin [rwalls]