LAN Tickets. Big difference in US and Chile prices
Dec 2, 2014, 7:58 pm
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
To revive this old thread --
What is the current situation regarding foreigners buying domestic Chilean flights: is it still cheaper to buy them "inside" Chile and, if so, where?
I'm at the early stages of planning a trip to Chile for next year, and I want to compare the cost of buying a domestic ticket vs. an Avios redemption.
Thanks.
What is the current situation regarding foreigners buying domestic Chilean flights: is it still cheaper to buy them "inside" Chile and, if so, where?
I'm at the early stages of planning a trip to Chile for next year, and I want to compare the cost of buying a domestic ticket vs. an Avios redemption.
Thanks.
Jan 4, 2015, 3:57 pm
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
I'm tinkering with an itinerary where I'm confronted by 3 domestic Chile flight options: 1) include them in an AAdvantage award ticket from (where inventory is restricted, and no stopovers are allowed); 2) use Avios points for domestic Chile travel (but some of the longer flights are fairly expensive in points); or 3) just buy the tickets on the lan.cl site (the USA site prices are ridiculous).
Jan 4, 2015, 5:41 pm
#64
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVP Gold, BA Silver, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,619
If you can find Avios redemption availability, then I suggest calling AA and book it with AAdvantage miles (the one-way redemption rate for domestic Chile travel is 6k miles). Our upcoming SCL - PUQ flight cost 6k AA miles + $11.60 USD taxes per person.
Jan 4, 2015, 6:52 pm
#65
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Did you book the one-way award in the same rez as your USA-Chile trip? Otherwise, did they want to charge you the $35 ticket agent fee?
Jan 4, 2015, 9:34 pm
#66
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVP Gold, BA Silver, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,619
My notes indicate that we paid a $25 telephone service charge. Did they raise that now to $35? I don't know anyway to avoid the fee....but tbh, it doesn't upset me very much given that they still permit date/time changes for free. And unlike BAEC, AA is open 24/7 in case we need to make such changes.
Last edited by jbalmuth; Jan 4, 2015 at 9:46 pm
Jan 5, 2015, 7:01 am
#67
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: US expat somewhere south of Valpo, Chilezuela
Programs: On the way to lowly LATAM Gold, AA, MiClub Lider
Posts: 853
No, in fact recent reports indicate they no longer seem to be blocking or redirecting access from North America.
Jan 5, 2015, 7:47 am
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
My notes indicate that we paid a $25 telephone service charge. Did they raise that now to $35? I don't know anyway to avoid the fee....but tbh, it doesn't upset me very much given that they still permit date/time changes for free. And unlike BAEC, AA is open 24/7 in case we need to make such changes.
There are some very cheap Chile domestic LAN fares (if you buy them in Chilean pesos, of course). But they seem to all require roundtrip purchase, which is less advantageous if you have an award ticket to Chile and just want to create a stopover by purchasing a one-way domestic ticket. Has anyone recently bought a ticket with their competitor, Sky? I haven't flown them in years, but I'm guessing their ticketing rules are less restrictive.
Jan 5, 2015, 11:13 am
#69
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MEX
Programs: LATAMPASS, Copa ConnectMiles Gold
Posts: 266
There are some very cheap Chile domestic LAN fares (if you buy them in Chilean pesos, of course). But they seem to all require roundtrip purchase, which is less advantageous if you have an award ticket to Chile and just want to create a stopover by purchasing a one-way domestic ticket. Has anyone recently bought a ticket with their competitor, Sky? I haven't flown them in years, but I'm guessing their ticketing rules are less restrictive.
Jan 5, 2015, 2:30 pm
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
I just so happen to have been checking on Sky fares this morning, for a friend who wants to fly SCL-Valdivia. Turns out Sky seems to adopt LAN's policy of charging a premium for one-way travel. Round-trip ticket March 11-18 can be purchased for USD$138, whereas a one-way (Mar 11) would cost $132.
For me, though, I think I'm just going to give AA an extra 12000 miles for 2 Chilean stopovers. Using the BA website, I was able to find LAN flights that work for me. And by adding it to my USA-Chile award rez, there's no additional $35 ticketing fee. Seems easy and cheap, and I can even change my travel dates if I want to without additional fees.
But it's sure nice to have various good travel options! With the end of the Chile visa fee for Americans, and a favorable exchange rate, Chile seems like a good, easy and affordable travel destination for Americans right now. That said, doing things like finding LAN award flights to book with AA isn't a rookie travel move.
Jan 10, 2015, 4:12 am
#72
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 151
After getting your PNR, did you use a canadian VPN in conjunction with the canadian Lan site?
Last edited by bg26892; Jan 10, 2015 at 4:26 am
Jan 10, 2015, 6:12 am
#73
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: US expat somewhere south of Valpo, Chilezuela
Programs: On the way to lowly LATAM Gold, AA, MiClub Lider
Posts: 853
No need for VPN. Remember Chile is a Spanish speaking country, the menus are in Spanish, choose "Estados Unidos".
Jan 10, 2015, 3:58 pm
#74
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 151
Finally got it done. Oddly on my PC, "USA" does not show up for a credit card issuing country. On a MAC it showed up between two random countries in the middle of the long list...somehow it wasn't in alpha order.
Thanks!
Last edited by bg26892; Jan 11, 2015 at 1:28 am Reason: changes