LatinPass: Who's Really Going?
Apr 13, 2000 | 4:48 pm
#361
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Canada
Programs: UA, AC, DL, WS, AS, Hotels
Posts: 2,595
Uh Oh! Connections seem to be rearing their ugly head again.
I knew BOG was going to be the worst transit point, but the OAG (Overseas Airlines Guide) does list the connex of 1hr15 from AV to CM as 'legal'. Going by the horror stories of having to clear immigration, and being forced to wait in giganteum queues ('lines' if I'm to be Transatlantic), well - it doesn't sound to good!
The difficulty (challenge?) of the mileage run for those of us with limited time and money is that getting schedules to dovetail together is very difficult indeed.
I have heard from several sources that the Aviateca / Taca / Lacsa connections are not so much of a problem, as the airports at SJO and SAL are easy to make quick connections in. Further, I understand that the Aviateca flight from SAL - GUA relies on the inbound SJO - SAL flight (TACA) for a sizeable chunk of its' passenger load who are all connecting on to GUA.
That said, I will review my itinerary again. The difficulty is that with time running out, I have already had to commit to my transatlantic flights now (my travel agent couldn't hold on to the last 'cheapy' seats any longer without a def. booking) and so now I really am restricted!
Thanks for all the tips everyone - will keep you posted (excuse the pun). And for those of you doing the mileage trip soon - good luck!
Samuel!
I knew BOG was going to be the worst transit point, but the OAG (Overseas Airlines Guide) does list the connex of 1hr15 from AV to CM as 'legal'. Going by the horror stories of having to clear immigration, and being forced to wait in giganteum queues ('lines' if I'm to be Transatlantic), well - it doesn't sound to good!
The difficulty (challenge?) of the mileage run for those of us with limited time and money is that getting schedules to dovetail together is very difficult indeed.
I have heard from several sources that the Aviateca / Taca / Lacsa connections are not so much of a problem, as the airports at SJO and SAL are easy to make quick connections in. Further, I understand that the Aviateca flight from SAL - GUA relies on the inbound SJO - SAL flight (TACA) for a sizeable chunk of its' passenger load who are all connecting on to GUA.
That said, I will review my itinerary again. The difficulty is that with time running out, I have already had to commit to my transatlantic flights now (my travel agent couldn't hold on to the last 'cheapy' seats any longer without a def. booking) and so now I really am restricted!
Thanks for all the tips everyone - will keep you posted (excuse the pun). And for those of you doing the mileage trip soon - good luck!
Samuel!
Apr 13, 2000 | 7:21 pm
#362
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Canada
Programs: UA, AC, DL, WS, AS, Hotels
Posts: 2,595
After the advice about the connection at Bogota, and the warnings about the possibility of weather disruption, I have amended my itinerary somewhat. Basically, it follows a similar routing, but I now leave Miami for CCS in the morning, with a 4 hour layover in CCS before connecting with AV to BOG. By overnighting in BOG, I can be sure to catch the COPA flight the next day to Panama.
26/MAY/00
VH501 MIA/CCS 1150/1500
AV81 CCS/BOG 1925/2015
27/MAY/00
CM100 BOG/PTY 0820/0940
LR652 PTY/SJO 1605/1615
TA560 SJO/SAL 1650/1809
GU960 SAL/GUA 1825/1910
28/MAY/00
GU961 GUA/SAL 0725/0810
TA515 SAL/MGA 0831/0920
TA515 MGA/MIA 0955/1425
Although the 'legal' connection in SAL to the Aviateca flight to GUA is admittedly tight, at least if I do miss it, there is a Taca flight 30 mins later, and I have another Aviateca flight the following morning which will net me my miles as a contingency. Also, there is a later Lacsa flight from MGA to MIA if it all hits the fan on the last day, and I miss my TA flight.
I intend to return on June 28th to do the relatively simple BOG - UIO - LIM - CUZ flights on Aces, (Saeta) and Taca Int'l. Hopefully I'll be a "Mile-ionnaire" like Pudding Guy yet!
I'm not at all keen to be staying in BOG - but there is not really any option if I want to avoid tight daytime connections there.
Total cost is around 900 not including hotels (around $1430!)
If I am missing something really obvious here - please let me know! Otherwise I hope to see some of you around on my travels!
Samuel
[This message has been edited by SamuelS (edited 04-15-2000).]
26/MAY/00
VH501 MIA/CCS 1150/1500
AV81 CCS/BOG 1925/2015
27/MAY/00
CM100 BOG/PTY 0820/0940
LR652 PTY/SJO 1605/1615
TA560 SJO/SAL 1650/1809
GU960 SAL/GUA 1825/1910
28/MAY/00
GU961 GUA/SAL 0725/0810
TA515 SAL/MGA 0831/0920
TA515 MGA/MIA 0955/1425
Although the 'legal' connection in SAL to the Aviateca flight to GUA is admittedly tight, at least if I do miss it, there is a Taca flight 30 mins later, and I have another Aviateca flight the following morning which will net me my miles as a contingency. Also, there is a later Lacsa flight from MGA to MIA if it all hits the fan on the last day, and I miss my TA flight.
I intend to return on June 28th to do the relatively simple BOG - UIO - LIM - CUZ flights on Aces, (Saeta) and Taca Int'l. Hopefully I'll be a "Mile-ionnaire" like Pudding Guy yet!
I'm not at all keen to be staying in BOG - but there is not really any option if I want to avoid tight daytime connections there.
Total cost is around 900 not including hotels (around $1430!)
If I am missing something really obvious here - please let me know! Otherwise I hope to see some of you around on my travels!
Samuel
[This message has been edited by SamuelS (edited 04-15-2000).]
Apr 14, 2000 | 2:10 am
#363
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Seattle, Cagayan de Oro
Programs: CebGo 5J, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Alaska Titanium
Posts: 4,778
Does anybody know anything about Iquitos? I have heard a lot about Cuzco and I was wondering about Iquitos. Is it worth an overnighter?
Any suggestions on Hotels etc.
Any suggestions on Hotels etc.
Apr 14, 2000 | 7:53 am
#364
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Monterey, California
Programs: Affiliated with all, participate in some
Posts: 2,194
I am planning on Iquitos for my Taca Peru flight. I like the time much better to fly at 10:30 am rather than 6:00 am. I am not planning on staying overnight though. Since my schedule will be tight I thought I would rather fly over the Amazon rainforest than fly to Cuzco and be so close to Machu Piccu and pass it up. I did read about a hotel around Iquitos. I did a web search a couple of weeks ago and saw some options. Sorry I don't recall the name right now.
Apr 14, 2000 | 9:59 am
#365
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,062
Tango, thanks for the advice. I was planning on doing the helicopter option because of my short time there. I realize it's expensive, but it would be a shame to make it all the way to Cuzco and not make a quick trip to MP. Of course I'd like to make it a much longer, in-depth visit, but I'm limited in the time I can take from work.
As far as altitude sickness goes, this is something to consider. I understand the Hotel Monestario has in-room oxygen bottles to stave off the effects.
Not too many people have had nice things to say about an overnight in CCS. Unfortunately I don't have much choice in the matter due to the restrictive time frame. However, I've been looking into the possibility of overnighting in Maracaibo (MAR) as opposed to CCS. This would only involve one more connecting flight from CCS after arriving from LIM/BOG on Avianca. There is an Intercon there. Aeropostal has a non-stop to Miami early in the morning. If I do this, I'll be overnighting there on the evening of May 29th. Has anyone looked into this possibility? Is Maracaibo safer/more pleasant than Caracas? Is the airport convenient to town?
As far as altitude sickness goes, this is something to consider. I understand the Hotel Monestario has in-room oxygen bottles to stave off the effects.
Not too many people have had nice things to say about an overnight in CCS. Unfortunately I don't have much choice in the matter due to the restrictive time frame. However, I've been looking into the possibility of overnighting in Maracaibo (MAR) as opposed to CCS. This would only involve one more connecting flight from CCS after arriving from LIM/BOG on Avianca. There is an Intercon there. Aeropostal has a non-stop to Miami early in the morning. If I do this, I'll be overnighting there on the evening of May 29th. Has anyone looked into this possibility? Is Maracaibo safer/more pleasant than Caracas? Is the airport convenient to town?
Apr 14, 2000 | 10:29 am
#366
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA
Programs: Marriott Gold, Hilton G, Delta G, UA 1k, AA G
Posts: 239
satori I would be carefull trying to do a turn around in Iquitos. When I did my run I picked this flight because of the 10:30 time the flight down was great they I was palced in Business class. But they would not check me in for the return in Lima when I tried to check in they told me the flight was closed and I could not get on the plane. After much negotiaiton I was able to board the plane since my flight home left at 6:00 am the next morning this was quite hectic. Their are other airlines that do the return later so you may want to do a one way and the return on a local carrier.
Apr 14, 2000 | 2:40 pm
#367
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Third planet from the Sun
Posts: 7,024
If you plan on spending any time in Iquitos, check health department regulations---some countries require proof of a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from an infected area--I think Iquitos is one of these areas.
Apr 14, 2000 | 5:13 pm
#368
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,882
Samuel
Presumably you mean MIA-CCS and CCS-BOG in the first two lines of your itinerary (for 26th May)
Just one remark on SAL-GUA: any particular reason why you want to fly on GU rather than TA (since you have a GU flight the next morning anyway)? As I recall, the TA flight is in fact the same as the flight on which you arrive from SJO (TA560), so you would not have to leave the plane if you were on that one. On tightness of connection, it would be unwise for you to count on GU960 waiting for passengers from TA560, since most TA560 passengers going to GUA wil in fact stay on TA560. There was a suggestion earlier in the thread that GU960 might wait for connecting passengers (although, presumably, not from TA560). However, at the time, GU960 was the later flight out of SAL. Now the later flight is the TA flight. This being said, if the flights are on time, 15 minutes should be OK for a connection if you go straight to the gate without lingering on (when you get off the plane, there will be a TA agent as you walk off the airbridge into the terminal who can tell you which gate to go to). If you are unlucky enough for the gate to be at the other end of the terminal, this should mean approx. a five minutes walk.
If you want to avoid overnighting in BOG and do the trip in two days (28 hours, in fact) instead of three, look at my itinerary on p. 7 of this thread (one overnight in GUA only). The cost in business class (except for MGA-MIA on TA, which is in coach) is about GBP900. This would also give you a full day and half (27/5 afternoon and 28/5 all day) between finishing your Latin trip and your return transatlantic journey, either for contingencies or, if everything goes well, for relaxing in Miami Beach.. which you could surely do with, with all the flights before and after...
Compared to your itinerary, you only do 6 airlines instead of 7 (no Aeropostal flight), so you'd have to fit a VH flight in your late June schedule if you want to get the 1M (well, you'll have to get to UIO/LIM in some way or other in any event, unless you intend to fly direct to BOG on AV ex-LON for that second trip?)
Presumably you mean MIA-CCS and CCS-BOG in the first two lines of your itinerary (for 26th May)
Just one remark on SAL-GUA: any particular reason why you want to fly on GU rather than TA (since you have a GU flight the next morning anyway)? As I recall, the TA flight is in fact the same as the flight on which you arrive from SJO (TA560), so you would not have to leave the plane if you were on that one. On tightness of connection, it would be unwise for you to count on GU960 waiting for passengers from TA560, since most TA560 passengers going to GUA wil in fact stay on TA560. There was a suggestion earlier in the thread that GU960 might wait for connecting passengers (although, presumably, not from TA560). However, at the time, GU960 was the later flight out of SAL. Now the later flight is the TA flight. This being said, if the flights are on time, 15 minutes should be OK for a connection if you go straight to the gate without lingering on (when you get off the plane, there will be a TA agent as you walk off the airbridge into the terminal who can tell you which gate to go to). If you are unlucky enough for the gate to be at the other end of the terminal, this should mean approx. a five minutes walk.
If you want to avoid overnighting in BOG and do the trip in two days (28 hours, in fact) instead of three, look at my itinerary on p. 7 of this thread (one overnight in GUA only). The cost in business class (except for MGA-MIA on TA, which is in coach) is about GBP900. This would also give you a full day and half (27/5 afternoon and 28/5 all day) between finishing your Latin trip and your return transatlantic journey, either for contingencies or, if everything goes well, for relaxing in Miami Beach.. which you could surely do with, with all the flights before and after...
Compared to your itinerary, you only do 6 airlines instead of 7 (no Aeropostal flight), so you'd have to fit a VH flight in your late June schedule if you want to get the 1M (well, you'll have to get to UIO/LIM in some way or other in any event, unless you intend to fly direct to BOG on AV ex-LON for that second trip?)
Apr 14, 2000 | 7:09 pm
#369
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 101
Samuel:
Make sure you don't delay too long in booking your flights and purchasing your tickets for the Taca-Peru and SAETA (Aces) segments. You need to have them booked before Taca-Peru begins international service and before SAETA starts up its LIM-UIO service. At least the SAETA service from UIO-LIM was rumored to start sometime in May. Therefore, right before you book your flights, confirm with both SAETA and TACA-Peru that they haven't started service on these routes, or you could be one unhappy camper when you get back home.
Happy Travels!
Rhinochaser
Make sure you don't delay too long in booking your flights and purchasing your tickets for the Taca-Peru and SAETA (Aces) segments. You need to have them booked before Taca-Peru begins international service and before SAETA starts up its LIM-UIO service. At least the SAETA service from UIO-LIM was rumored to start sometime in May. Therefore, right before you book your flights, confirm with both SAETA and TACA-Peru that they haven't started service on these routes, or you could be one unhappy camper when you get back home.
Happy Travels!
Rhinochaser
Apr 14, 2000 | 8:13 pm
#370
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,743
Thanks to ejulber for the trip report -- top notch.
Re: CUZ roundtrip. Since the TACA-Peru requirement doesn't require roundtrip on them, I'm planning to fly LIM-CUZ on TA at 6am-ish, then return the following day on one of the other carriers at noon. Something to consider for people doing a same day return to CUZ (or Iquitos).
Re: CUZ roundtrip. Since the TACA-Peru requirement doesn't require roundtrip on them, I'm planning to fly LIM-CUZ on TA at 6am-ish, then return the following day on one of the other carriers at noon. Something to consider for people doing a same day return to CUZ (or Iquitos).
Apr 14, 2000 | 9:02 pm
#373
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Third planet from the Sun
Posts: 7,024
For the LIM==>CUZ==>LIM legs, Taca Peru is the only airline in this market that has an interline ticketing agreement with the other LatinPass carriers. If you return on another airline, it will require a different ticket and will drive up the total cost.
Apr 15, 2000 | 4:50 am
#374
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Canada
Programs: UA, AC, DL, WS, AS, Hotels
Posts: 2,595
Actually, I found it to be CHEAPER to travel back on another airline from CUZ or IQT.
I costed up TA out and back to CUZ and it came out at around 217 full fare return.
Substituting a return flight with Lan Peru or I think the other airline code is for Aerocontinente, takes the overall cost to around 172.
This was on published fare tariffs however, so if you have based your TA flights on discounted tariffs then they may well be cheaper.
Regards
Samuel
I costed up TA out and back to CUZ and it came out at around 217 full fare return.
Substituting a return flight with Lan Peru or I think the other airline code is for Aerocontinente, takes the overall cost to around 172.
This was on published fare tariffs however, so if you have based your TA flights on discounted tariffs then they may well be cheaper.
Regards
Samuel
Apr 15, 2000 | 5:05 am
#375
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Canada
Programs: UA, AC, DL, WS, AS, Hotels
Posts: 2,595
Thanks Nick and Rhinochaser for the tips!
There are two reasons I've included Aeropostal (and pushed up the cost and time factor for the trip).
Firstly - it will only cost me 400 to do Aces, Saeta and Taca Peru in June, as I intend to use Worldperk or Flying Dutchman points to 'position' out there.
Secondly, I was worried that the 'Nica' qualifying flight MGA - MIA was only being considered for the 1 million mile bonus, and not for the 100k or 500k. This was raised earlier in the thread, and there was no definitive answer as to whether LatinPass would accept this flight. It does state in the rules that MGA - MIA would qualify Nica for the 1 MILLION mile bonus which some have interpreted to mean not for the 500k.
In the event that I wasn't able to go back to go for the million, it would be devestating to know that I had invested so much time, effort and money only to find that I didn't qualify for the 500k!
In relation to Saeta and Aces - I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on the board to see if Saeta does indeed resume operation.
Samuel
There are two reasons I've included Aeropostal (and pushed up the cost and time factor for the trip).
Firstly - it will only cost me 400 to do Aces, Saeta and Taca Peru in June, as I intend to use Worldperk or Flying Dutchman points to 'position' out there.
Secondly, I was worried that the 'Nica' qualifying flight MGA - MIA was only being considered for the 1 million mile bonus, and not for the 100k or 500k. This was raised earlier in the thread, and there was no definitive answer as to whether LatinPass would accept this flight. It does state in the rules that MGA - MIA would qualify Nica for the 1 MILLION mile bonus which some have interpreted to mean not for the 500k.
In the event that I wasn't able to go back to go for the million, it would be devestating to know that I had invested so much time, effort and money only to find that I didn't qualify for the 500k!
In relation to Saeta and Aces - I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on the board to see if Saeta does indeed resume operation.
Samuel