milesrus

i live in Dallas and the only LPass carrier out of here is one flight from DFW-Sjose arriving at 8:30 PM on Taca, can I get to Cancun or is that impossible on Taca. I think they code share with Mexicana but doubt we can use LP points on a codeshare.

Bobby

Djlawman

Bobby--when I first looked at this question about 6 months ago, I think TACA ran a flight out of the El Salvador to Cancun at that time. I distinctly recall both checking the flights on the TACA web site and checking the GlobalPass award website, and it showing the necessary mileage. Now, however, TACA shows no flights from either NY or Miami to Cancun. Checked next winter too, in case it was just seasonal. Looks like they do not offer any service to Cancun any more.

Looks like this is no longer a possible option for awards.

Djlawman

milesrus

Well, options keep narrowing. As the only LP flight from DFW goes to San Jose, and all connections leave the next day, and in the afternoon to S America I guess I have only 1 place to use LP miles and that's Costa Rica the Marriott Beach Resort, unless KLM is still an option from Houston. I was looking forward to going to Cayman on Cayman airlines from Houston, but guess that's dead.

cygone

I did go to Cancun via SAL a couple of years ago. Funny thing is it was not a direct flight. I believe it stopped in Flores (Tikal) on the way but it may have stopped in Beilze. Can not remember exactly.

cygone

Just checked Taca website you can still go from San Salvadore to Cancun on TACA. Only service however is Mondays and Fridays. Another interesting option might be Roatan, I know they only have service to Roatan on Saturdays and return flights on Sundays. My wife and spent time in Roatan in February and loved it, much cheaper than the Caymans.

Djlawman

good investigative work cygone. Wonder why it won't price out as a combined ticket from NY or Miami?

Djlawman

milesrus

I called SorryPass, they said call Taca, I did they said they have availibility, it's just I must overnight in San Jose, then fly to Guatemala and overnight in Guatemala City on the deprture and return flight. That's four extra nights forget that.
You can leave from Houston get to GUA and then overnight, leave for Cancun and return the same way. Called SorryPass back and they said stopovers are allowed if it's the only routing.
Now I hear I need passport's for three little kids, as I will be overnighting, does that sound right?
Flights to Cancun leave from GUA on Tues,Thurs,Sat and return the same days morning flights leave GUA at 9:40 arrive 1:30 leave Cancun 2:30 arrive GUA 4:20

[This message has been edited by milesrus (edited 07-15-2003).]

[This message has been edited by milesrus (edited 07-15-2003).]

stephlac

Thanks cygone for posting your discovery. That might come in handy one of these days. Our options seem to be shrinking and it's good to know all the tricks.

And milesrus, even though I'm a little more positive on GP than you apparently are, your comments about SorryPass gave me a chuckle.

milesrus

I am just curious, with USAR gone and TWA gone and National, how many people live close to an airport that one of the remaining ailines fly out of. I know of some folks in Colorado and New Mexico. If you live on the left coast aren't you toast? I'm in Dallas so I only have Taca and their flighs go only to San Jose then any connecting is the next afternoon. I can drive to Houston for KLM. I hear of very few people securing reservations on them, is it any better?

Bobby

cesco.g

Taca serves LAX.
(.. SFO?)

dhacker

I don't suppose GP would allow IAD-LAX via SAL for the price of a domestic U.S. award? Not that I would actually book such a trip unless it was a mileage run.

cygone

MilesRus,
A search of the Taca site indicates in addition to the direct flight to Costa Rica from Dallas you mantioned there is also a direct flight to San Salvador from Dallas as well. From Houston a direct flight can be made to Belize on Taca each day, connections to other cities in Central America can be made from both of these transfer points without an overnight stay. Costa Rica is not your only option!

You will have to get passports for your kids if you take them to any of these destinations but if you get a flight on KLM to Europe you will also need passports. Passports for the kids are less expensive but only good for five years. By the way Aeropostal and Avianca are still partners in GP so you may be able to get to Europe using LP carriers because the partners both still have service to Spain.

Just as a side note after having been to Cancun, I would never go back especially with children. My thoughts on Cancun: Shuttle service from airport to Hotel maybe 10 miles away $80.00 (total rip-off) Stayed at JW Marriott (Award stay) nice hotel, very ritzy and all options pricey. Sixty-five dollars for breakfast one morning for the four of us, not exactly family friendly. Restaurants throughout Cancun very expensive; (by now you can tell I am a little cheap) Beach is lined with high-rise hotels and is reminiscent of Miami. The McDonalds on Cancun had prices exceeding those in Paris. The ocean (a beautiful aqua blue) was so rough my kids could not swim in it the week we were there.

About one hundred miles south of Cancun you could go to Belize. Swim with the Sharks and Rays for about eight bucks in a protected coral reef. Buy breakfast for the family for about ten dollars total. Cheap Lobster and seafood dinners; they speak English unlike Cancun and seem to like Americans. Belize was part of the former British Empire until about ten years ago. I have been to Cancun, Costa Rica and Belize, and the only place I would never consider visiting again is Cancun, don’t waste your time and a lot of your money trying to get there.

I found this map of Taca routes it might be helpful in making plans. Kind of difficult to tell all destinations, looks like the heartland of America is without any service: http://www.taca.com/images/lyf/lyf-routemap-eng.gif

milesrus

Cygone great post, couple of problems, thanks for the route map. The flight from Dallas to San Jose arrives at 8:30PM, there are no evening flights that late, so I'm not sure how you found something without a layover. The Guatemala flight arrives at 730PM 28 hours after you leave. From Houston a direct flight can be made to Belize on Taca each day, connections to other cities in Central America can be made from both of these transfer points without an overnight stay. Costa Rica is not your only option! Sorry but please give me flight details I can't find these. I am interested in your Belize idea just though about a place where I could use hotel points and Cancun is one of them, last time I was there was ten years agon ot a huge fan.
By the way Aeropostal and Avianca are still partners in GP so you may be able to get to Europe using LP carriers because the partners both still have service to Spain. Yhis won't work because they don't fly to DFW, SorryPass will not let you go on Taca, then off to Caracas then off to Europe will they? Tried Port of Spain, madrid and Aruba either way go to San Jose leave next day go to Caracas then off to those place will they let us do that much interchanging?

cygone

MilesRus:

Obviously you have done very little homework. TA524 is a direct flight between Dallas and San Salvador, it departs Dallas at 1400 and arrives in San Salvador on the same day at 1630. TA flight525 is a direct flight from San Salvador to Dallas as well. Certainly neither of these flights takes 28 hours as you stated. Arriving in San Salvador at 1630 there are a host of connections you can make to other cities, but I doubt you will be able to go to Paris, London, or Rome from there.

As for your assertion “Sorrypass” will not allow travel to Europe with two carriers you are incorrect. The award chart shows mileage requirements to Europe from the US using a combination of LP carriers. This will be a very long journey however: you will have to first travel to either Bogota or Caracas, on Taca flights and as you noted this will require an overnight somewhere. From Bogota or Caracas you will be able to fly onward to Europe using either Avianca or Aeropostal. You can book this yourself by calling Taca and then Aeropostal or Avianca. One caution do not book a stopover of more than 24 hours in any city on this routing; this causes GP (or as you say “SorryPass”) to issue two awards and mileage requirements change. I know this can be done and have friend who traveled routing LAX-SJO-BOG-MAD. In other words he went from Los Angeles to San Jose to Bogota to Madrid. I honestly do not think I would want to drag young kids on that routing but it is not impossible as you believe. You could probably go to Aruba this way as well.

milesrus

Cygone, you just joined flyertalk and are already swinging with your statement I obviously didn't do my homework. The TACA web site is poor, it will not show a flight if they don't operate that day, the least they could do is give options. I did not know that San Salvador was an option, but regardless, it is still a major project to get to Cancun as the subject of this posting subject. I would still have to go to San Salvador per your suggestion, then wait 2.5 hours and fly to Guatemala City then fly the following day to Cancun. It appears all flights depart from Guatemala to Cancun so it's still 24 hours.
I am looking for a family place to go if I arrive at 4:20 in El Salvador where else could I go that evening? Flights to South America leave around noon. I tried Belize, Quayiquil, Caracas so I could go off to Aruba and Curacao and those were all impossible.