MilesBuzz! - 500,000 Latinpass done cheaply

Hi all

I have been working on a suitable round trip to get the Latinpass 500,000 miles. This only concerns the six Latinpass airlines.

Here's a suggested itinerary

1. MIA - CCS (Aeropostal)
2. CCS - SJO (Copa)
3. SJO - MGA (Lacsa)
4. MGA - GUA (Taca)
5. GUA - MGA (Aviateca)
6. MGA - MIA Nica (Grupo Taca codeshare)

As was suggested by another reader, this route avoids both Colombia and Peru.

Costings - well Travelocity made the total of this about $A2100 - that's about US$1400-1500. But I suspect that with a bit of hunting around various legs of the above journey can be done a bit cheaper.

I'm not quite aure about the aviateca leg though. I can't find a fare for sjo - mga even though I know they fly this route from their route map. Perhaps this is a codeshare?

Given that I've now mapped out my likely route plan could readers please chip in with any information they have about cheap qualifying fares for the above legs?

Thanking you

cheers Peter

Fly Aviateca from GUA-SAL and that is pricing in the US at $102 one way. SAL-MGA prices at about $165 on Taca. MGA-SJO prices about $125 on Lacsa. By having just the Aviateca segment on a ticket by itself without any codeshare to MGA you will avoid what seems to be a confusing issue on using multiple carriers on a ticket and perhaps finding it invalidated by Latinpass.

It is good to see an itinerary that avoids Columbia and Peru. How safe is Nicaragua at the current time (for a US citizen)?

I don't understand about the codeshare rule and how it applies to Aviateca?

Whose metal actually flies the MGA to SJO route? The route map of Aviateca shows that they fly this way - in fact they continue on to Panama City. Can I buy a qualifying ticket PTY - SJO or SJO -MGA on Aviateca?

This is seriously confusing.

Also the three most expensive legs I have found are as follows


MIA-CCS Aeropostal $259.40 (Travelocity)
CCS-SJO Copa $299 (Travelocity)
MGA-MIA Nica $362.40 (Travelocity)

I checked Expedia as well but the prices there are more expensive. Same with ITN.

Anybody got any better prices?

cheers Peter



[This message has been edited by ffhound (edited 02-04-2000).]

I am booked on MM # 6691 from SJO-BOG this is a SAM flight counted as Aviateca credit but opperated by Lacsa .My ticket clearly reads MM #6691 not LR 691. By law they would have to count this as Avianca flight as it is designated MM.?!

[This message has been edited by Sydneyjb (edited 02-04-2000).]

BEWARE:

From the promotion terms and conditions on the Latin Pass web-site:

"Most code-share flights are excluded from earning mileage credit."

I'm not going to be taking any chances.

------------------
Cheers.

Leo.

The Latinpass web site lists these airlines as qualifying for mileage...

ACES
AEROPOSTAL
AVIANCA
COPA
GRUPO TACA
SAETA
KLM
TWA
US AIRWAYS
NATIONAL AIRLINES

However, I've seen Lacsa, Aviateca and Nica mentioned in posts as flights that will count towards the 500K bonus. Is this correct? These airlines aren't mentioned on the Latinpass website...

Evan

Lacsa, Aviateca, Taca and Nica (not flying)
are members of Grupo Taca

That raises a very good point.

Does Sam have any flights from or north of Panama city

eg pty - sjo
or sjo-mga etc

If so you could pick up the 4 Grupo Taca airlines plus Sam and Copa quite easily without proceeding further south than Panama City.

cheers Peter