Other North & South America Frequent Flyer Programs - London to Montevideo via Rio de Janeiro

Can anyone tell me which is the most cost effective (yet with no more than 3 hour stopovers as passengers are elderly and child)) to fly from London to Montevideo via Rio de Janeiro for approx 7 nights ( hotel recommendations welcome) before returning to Montevideo for a 14 nights stay then returning to London? Let's see who is most worthy of the challenge?!

Probably LON-GIG via your favorite carrier, then point-to-point with Pluna between GIG and MVD. They've morphed into a low fare carrier, so IDK if they interline etc. If you were going full-fare, you could stop over in GIG on a LON-MVD ticket (and perhaps also in POA, EZE, ...)...

The best plan would be to fly with BA LHR-GIG-LHR nonstop (or TAM via GRU); then Pluna GIG-MVD-GIG nonstop (TAM and GOL fly the route via GRU).

Perhaps the cheapest ticket could be a combination ticket with TAM encompassing all the flights since the airline flies to both destinations.

As per hotel, you should have a look at the South American forum -

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south-america-483/

Rgs,

it´s pretty difficult via gig to have a stay over of no more than 3 hours. the pluna direct flight goes at 15:30 so BA misses as does TAM.

I have just completed the trip on AF but thats a long stay in Rio - though I left the airport and went for a few beers.

Hotels in MVD -depends on what you wnat to pay. The Radission isnt in the best part of town but you can get good deals, the sheraton is good as is the tyrp -for something a bit different belmont house can be good but taxi to get about.

Enjoy MVD!

I don't understand why you are going via GIG. I think GRU would offer better connections to MVD. Any, what sort of hotel are you looking for in MVD?? I have stayed at the Balmoral Palace. First class by SA standards and nice staff. And very reasonable prices.

Pluna does codeshares with IB and AA, even TAM i think. But they don't have mile program arrangements.

They're mostly flying small canadair jets, which they purchased recently.

Depending on when you're going, and why you're coming to MVD, you can fly directly to Punta del Este PDP from Sao Paulo / Rio in the summer (dec - feb).

In terms of hotels, most are either downtown (historic, poor, pretty) or in Pocitos / Punta Carretas (newer, beaches, rambla, less historic and more tall buildings). I quite like the downtown areas, but somehow ended up living in Pocitos / Punta Carretas. Downtown to Pocitos is about a $5 USD cab ride.

In terms of when to visit, Feb is more interesting than January, because in January the city is empty, everybody goes to the coast, you need to reserve something in the beach towns now if you want to get a place. But in February the weather is very nice and you get Carnival events which happen all month. And if you want to head up the coast, then you don't need reservations months in advance.