May 24, 2015, 12:43 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
AA Awards to / from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Link to Wikipedia article about the Galápagos Islands.
The Galápagos Islands are a province of Ecuador, comprised of an island group just south of and extending north past the equator, approximately 600 miles from the coast of Ecuador. The area is a defined National Park and World Heritage. All visitors are required to abide by Park regulations. Link to regulations for visitors.
AAdvantage awards are theoretically available on XL / LAN Ecuador, but very few FT AAdvantage members has reported success other than securing award flights to gateway Ecuadorian cities highland capital Quito / UIO or coastal Guayaquil / GYE. Most of us have purchased UIO / GYE flights to GPS, often through the boat company we are cruising with; visitors can expect no fare discounts, which are reserved for Galápagos residents. You'll also find little or no difference in fares, as they are controlled.
- Low season generally May 01 - June 14 / Sep 15 - Oct 31
- High season generally Jan 01 - Apr 30 / Jun 15 - Sep 14 / Nov 01 - Dec 31
Be absolutely sure which airport you need to use; most tours define that clearly and may include specific flight information and even tickets, so passengers can be met. Neither airport is equipped with extensive facilities, and they are open part time for daytime flights.
There are no international airport flights to the Galápagos airports, only domestic intra-Ecuadorian flights from both Baltra and San Cristóbal as shown below.
While there are no immigration and customs formalities, one must have a permit to visit the Galápagos islands, and there is a mandatory agricultural inspection required of passengers departing to the islands. Your permit is usually arranged by your tour company.
- Baltra: GPS (SEGS, South Seymour airport), (built during WW II by the U.S. Army, arguably the largest airport and used by the majority of Galápagos cruises).
- G2 / Avianca Ecuador (previously AeroGal - Star Alliance Affiliate) - Guayaquil, Quito
- XL / LAN Ecuador (oneworld)- Guayaquil, Quito
- EQ / TAME (previously Transportes Aéreos Militares Ecuatorianos - Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, now just TAME, government owned) San Cristóbal, Guayaquil, Quito
- San Cristobal: SCY (SEST) airport, more remote with fewer cruise departures.
- G2 / Avianca Ecuador (previously AeroGal - Star Alliance Affiliate) - Guayaquil, Quito
- XL / LAN Ecuador (oneworld)- Guayaquil, Quito
- EQ / TAME (previously Transportes Aéreos Militares Ecuatorianos - Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, now merely TAME, government owned) - Baltra, Guayaquil, Quito
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AA Award to / from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (master thread)
May 24, 2015, 1:02 pm
#16
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
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Posts: 62,948
Can anyone update this? AA and BA don't show any award availability for any day over the next 10 months for UIO or GYE to GPS or SCY. LANpass (one world) does show award availability. I'd like to book 4x tickets from MIA-SCY / GPS-MIA with AA miles but can't figure out how to find availability. Cruise folks are quoting me $540 for our RT tickets to fly with the group, but we'd like to spend some time on land at either end. Besides, I'd rather use my points.
For time on your own, I hope you've done your research and chosen arrangements. The principal island for stays is Santa Cruz, the administrative center of the Galápagos, and they connect to GPS / Baltra via bus and ferry from Puerto Ayora the south end of Santa Cruz, home of the Charles Darwin Research Centre and most of the visitor lodging and services. You also should be sure your hosts in the Galápagos have proper permits - Park regs visitors be accompanied by Park licensed guides during many activities
Last edited by JDiver; May 24, 2015 at 1:25 pm
May 24, 2015, 1:15 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Posts: 5,931
You probably won't find any awards available through AA, much less for four. Supply is exceeded by demand on many Galápagos flights, and you'll pay the same visitor rate whether you buy from your tour group or on your own. (See the wiki.) Tgere are discounted fares for Galápagos residents, but those are not available to visitors.
For time on your own, I hope you've done your research and chosen arrangements. The principal island for stays is Santa Cruz, the administrative center of the Galápagos, and they connect to GPS / Baltra via bus and ferry from Puerto Ayora the south end of Santa Cruz, home of the Charles Darwin Research Centre and most of the visitor lodging and services. You also should be sure your hosts in the Galápagos have proper permits - Park regs visitors be accompanied by Park licensed guides during many activities.
For time on your own, I hope you've done your research and chosen arrangements. The principal island for stays is Santa Cruz, the administrative center of the Galápagos, and they connect to GPS / Baltra via bus and ferry from Puerto Ayora the south end of Santa Cruz, home of the Charles Darwin Research Centre and most of the visitor lodging and services. You also should be sure your hosts in the Galápagos have proper permits - Park regs visitors be accompanied by Park licensed guides during many activities.
We plan to stay a few nights in San Cristobal, where the cruise begins, and a few on Santa Cruz, where our cruise ends (Baltra). I did know about the multiple legs of journey between port/airport and town center on Santa Cruz, but I'm sure some folks are surprised and so it's good to remind! I don't know what the policies are for permits, but I will be sure to include all our days for permit app.
I'm planning WAY ahead and doing a lot of research now for a trip in 12-14 months. I find that if I allow myself that much time, I discover a lot of tricks and tips and warnings that I wouldn't otherwise have known about. Part of the reason I'm working on award flights now with hypothetical dates is so that I know what the challenges will be when it comes time to ticket. It always amazes me what I find out by just digging on the internet. Last year we went on safari in Africa and to Paris w/ 5x Business Class and I only knew how to work the system by hours of reading and clicking!
Last edited by JDiver; May 24, 2015 at 1:25 pm Reason: Wrong post!
May 24, 2015, 1:39 pm
#18
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Thanks, JDiver. Good points. The visitor rate is about $100 cheaper than the rate quoted by tour group. Reports on Tripadvisor suggest that some folks are able to get visitor rates of $270 or so. I have repeatedly found award space 4x w/ United, so I'll use those if I must, though the rate is 40k rather than 30k points.
We plan to stay a few nights in San Cristobal, where the cruise begins, and a few on Santa Cruz, where our cruise ends (Baltra). I did know about the multiple legs of journey between port/airport and town center on Santa Cruz, but I'm sure some folks are surprised and so it's good to remind! I don't know what the policies are for permits, but I will be sure to include all our days for permit app.
I'm planning WAY ahead and doing a lot of research now for a trip in 12-14 months. I find that if I allow myself that much time, I discover a lot of tricks and tips and warnings that I wouldn't otherwise have known about. Part of the reason I'm working on award flights now with hypothetical dates is so that I know what the challenges will be when it comes time to ticket. It always amazes me what I find out by just digging on the internet. Last year we went on safari in Africa and to Paris w/ 5x Business Class and I only knew how to work the system by hours of reading and clicking!
We plan to stay a few nights in San Cristobal, where the cruise begins, and a few on Santa Cruz, where our cruise ends (Baltra). I did know about the multiple legs of journey between port/airport and town center on Santa Cruz, but I'm sure some folks are surprised and so it's good to remind! I don't know what the policies are for permits, but I will be sure to include all our days for permit app.
I'm planning WAY ahead and doing a lot of research now for a trip in 12-14 months. I find that if I allow myself that much time, I discover a lot of tricks and tips and warnings that I wouldn't otherwise have known about. Part of the reason I'm working on award flights now with hypothetical dates is so that I know what the challenges will be when it comes time to ticket. It always amazes me what I find out by just digging on the internet. Last year we went on safari in Africa and to Paris w/ 5x Business Class and I only knew how to work the system by hours of reading and clicking!
I've visited over the years, and it's truly an amazing place! But the last time, I was on a live-aboard dive boat and aside from brilliant and occasionally challenging dives on, among others, Darwin and Wolf with a number of varieties of sharks - hundreds in a couple of instances - we revisited some favourite islands.
Now, they permit dive boats to dive, not land, and other boats to land and hike, but no dives. That was after temporarily banning the boats they had sold permits to.
Do check weather as well. The "garua" season with lots of fog and mists has its own interesting ambiance, but be aware of it. And if you can go shoulder rather than high season, I recommend it.
If snorkeling, most boats provide gear, but some can be dodgy, or at best a mask or snorkel might leak and fog up, and fins could not fit or be cheap, clapped out fins. Durable Tevas or the like for wet landings and sharp lava walks, tons of sun protection - hat, SPF 50, the works (virtually at the equator, you can burn even in garua season) and a waterproof bag for your camera (and, like Africa, twice as much memory for the camera as you think and smaller, cheap 16 GB cards for those companions who don't bring sufficient memory for their cameras).
And if you can, some days in the highlands in and out of Quito can be special.
May 24, 2015, 2:01 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,931
Now, they permit dive boats to dive, not land, and other boats to land and hike, but no dives. That was after temporarily banning the boats they had sold permits to.
Do check weather as well. The "garua" season with lots of fog and mists has its own interesting ambiance, but be aware of it. And if you can go shoulder rather than high season, I recommend it.
If snorkeling, most boats provide gear, but some can be dodgy, or at best a mask or snorkel might leak and fog up, and fins could not fit or be cheap, clapped out fins. Durable Tevas or the like for wet landings and sharp lava walks, tons of sun protection - hat, SPF 50, the works (virtually at the equator, you can burn even in garua season) and a waterproof bag for your camera (and, like Africa, twice as much memory for the camera as you think and smaller, cheap 16 GB cards for those companions who don't bring sufficient memory for their cameras).
And if you can, some days in the highlands in and out of Quito can be special.
May 24, 2015, 2:49 pm
#20
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
These are great tips! I was considering getting snorkel gear for this summer's trip to Caribbean, so I will go ahead and do it w/ Galapagos in mind later. : ) We don't dive, so snorkel will be our main water activity. I did know that July was one of the wetter months. I've got time in either very late May/early June or July. If I can make it work for 1st week of June, I'll do that. Otherwise we will have to brave the mist! Early June would also mean lower costs in some ways.
If you're in Quito Libri Mundi on Juan León Mera is a great place to browse - books in several languages, a decent selection of Galápagos material that may not be available elsewhere, like older Paul Humann and Angermeyer table top books.
Jan 20, 2016, 4:49 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Posts: 5,931
Jan 20, 2016, 5:56 pm
#24
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
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Oct 4, 2016, 7:45 am
#26
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Oct 4, 2016, 6:45 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum
Posts: 1,893
I do see something in the Wiki that is no longer true:
EQ / TAME (Transportes Aéreos Militares Ecuatorianos - Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana) - Baltra, Guayaquil, Quito
Oct 4, 2016, 9:45 pm
#29
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I think that's a smart move. Like the yeti, like the Loch Ness monster, award inventory to the Galapagos may not exist.
I do see something in the Wiki that is no longer true:
Ecuador's air force has no involvement in the operations of TAME as of 2011. It's still a state-owned airline, but there is no more military connection. While the initials originally stood for "Transportes Aéreos Militares Ecuatorianos," it is simply "TAME" these days, pronounced tah-may.
I do see something in the Wiki that is no longer true:
Ecuador's air force has no involvement in the operations of TAME as of 2011. It's still a state-owned airline, but there is no more military connection. While the initials originally stood for "Transportes Aéreos Militares Ecuatorianos," it is simply "TAME" these days, pronounced tah-may.
