LatinPass - Who's Really Going? (replacement)
 

The original topic still seems broken (i.e. pages 15-17 don't show, new posts aren't reliable...). SO... I thought it would help to start a replacement topic. If everyone agrees, let's use this (or someother topic) for new posts OK?

If you're looking for the original topic, it's here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/002229.html

The missing pages (Pages 15 to 17) (as of 5/2/00), can be reached via page15:
page 15 -> http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...002229-15.html


[This message has been edited by billhallNY (edited 05-02-2000).]

excellent idea !

I'm in LIMA on my 1,000,000 mile run. It has been HELL so far. I started out of Miami, and my Aeropostal flight to CCS was delayed by about 18 hours, causing a chain reaction. Pushed everything back, then got delayed in CCS on my Avianca flight to BOG and then to LIM! I also had to push back my LIM-CUZ segment. I seem to be back on track, and was put up in the LIMA Sheraton and another extremely nice hotel in BOG by Avianca! I've heard from by travel agent in Lima that ACES has been cancelling its flights between LIM and BOG via UIO the last two days due to labor strikes. Anyone else planning to fly this route should check this closely. I'm flying this route on my "lynch pin" day that takes me all the way to Guatemala City. Last thing I need is to have another problem there!

Happy Travels!

Rhinochaser

Whatch this guys from LP I dont trust them and most are 3rd. class arlines
Cheap goes expensive when you finish the trips

I'm back. Took a 500K run in 2 1/2 days. Unlike Rinochaser, had very few problems. Areopostal to CCS on time.
Avianca to BOG about 60 min. late, but I had a 100 min. stopover planned (my shortest) and went directly to other plane.
Avianca to UIO about 15 min late.
Aces to BOG (4/29) on time - I saw no signs of labor strife and other FlyerTalkers I saw in Quito had been ok with Aces.
Lacsa to SJO on time.
Taca to PTY about 20 min. late.
Copa to MIA on time.

PS. I only paid airport tax at PTY.

I will post a detailed note on my trip and the "key" things to watch for either later tonight or tomorrow.

Short and sweet. Try to have at least 2 hours for most connections. If you can get boarding passes in advance of a connection, a big help (I did twice). Plan, if possible, an extra day as a cushion, although I did not need it. Take some of the new gold dollar coins for tips - a big hit. More later.

I have the same itinerary as Sapman, coming up in June. Today I called Latin Pass to check whether a E-30 fare is valid on Copa (PTY to MIA). They said to call Copa. I did, and Copa said " All our published fares are valid for ff miles... but only on Onepass, not on Latin Pass. We haven't had anything to do with Latin Pass since last year." I pressed this and couldn't get any different answer. Called Latin Pass back and they said, "WE are the ones giving the credit, and we are crediting Copa flights that qualify for their own ff miles. You will just have to send us all the documentation."

I'm pretty well commited to the itinerary, starting 12 June. Has anybody had any Copa miles actually post with Latin Pass ?

Yes, miles flown on Copa have been credited to my LP account, and fairly quickly to boot. It was an unrestricted business class fare (plain C class), though.

Thanks. I'm breathing again.

For those of you that have for booked Aeropostal, have you used Expedia? I've tried multiple dates in June, CCS - MIA or MIA - CCS and cannot see any Aeropostal flights. Any suggestions?

Expedia doesn't list Aeropostal. Try one of the others ( Atevo.com ITN.com Travelocity.com , etc) where Aeropostal is listed as "VH Numeric"

AeroPostal...I booked it from Travelocity/Sabre.

I always assumed that Expedia had the airline name wrong since they show "Air Burkina" with all the same flight numbers and times. With paranoia about LP credit I used Travelocity.

I think the schedules are:
CCS - MIA AeroPostal
VH 500 7:00 - 10:30 except: Thurs/Sun
VH 502 16:00-19:10 except: Tues

MIA - CCS
VH 501 11:50-15:00 except Thurs/Sun
VH 502 20:10-23:10 except Tues

BTW...you can see all AeroPostal schedules
and/or download an Excel spreadsheet
at:
http://www.aeropostal.com/ingles/itinerarios.htm

[This message has been edited by billhallNY (edited 05-02-2000).]

Got back last night from my million miler trip. Generally a pleasant but a bit tiring trip doing 14 flights (including connections to / from MIA) in 3 1/2 days.

First of all thanks to all of you who shared their planning and travel experiences with the board. I hope I can help some who are still due to go with a couple of comments.

I was lucky to meet JayJ in Lima who fortunately had posted his itinerary. We were able to travel together the LIM-SJO and GUA - MGA - MIA legs and enjoyed a few beers together the evening in GUA.


1. Flights

All flights connected, no serious delays.

1.1. Flight VX 521 on 4-29 BOG - UIO - LIM. Did not hear or notice anything about strikes. Flight was actually operating with a load of 20% at the most.
I had a full fare Y ticket showing 2 separate segments for BOG - UIO and UIO - LIM. I called Aces U.S. reservation last week to check and was told it was impossible to get 2 boarding passes; the agent said it was "illegal". Calling back before my trip I requested 2 separate seat assignments for the 2 segments which I was given. In BOG the Aces check-in agent entered my flight and the system printed out 2 boarding passes which she handed over to me - no questions asked. On the BOG - UIO boarding pass (airline section) she wrote in black ink " *LIM* ", on the UIO - LIM she had written "no sin cupon". Bothe ticket segments were retained at check-in.

I also checked with LP who told me: as long as there are 2 separate ticket segments it counts as 2 flight segments on Aces. So it should also work this way, but you might have to call/write in because the flights might only post as one flight if you only get issued one boarding pass.

1.2. Flight TA 515 SAL - MGA - MIA, booked in business class. Getting 2 boarding passes issued was no problem at all.

2. Hotels, ground transportation etc.

2.1. CCS: stayed at the Intercontinental at the rate of $ 125.
Taxis: It is important that you negotiate the price before entering the cab.
The company Teletaxi - ph# (02) 753 9122 - offers the ride between airport and city for a fixed rate of $ 20 (12'000 Bov./local currency). For the ride to the airport it is fairly easy: call them before you check out and the driver will be waiting in his car outside the lobby. Depending on the time of your arrival you may also call them on the same phone number form the airport (they have a base nearby) and they will pick you up. The location is on the upper level road, not the road at the arrival/departure level (here are only the "airport mafia cabs"). You reach the upper level by going up the escalators inside from the arrival level, then walk across a passway outside to the upper street. You need to speak some Spanish when you call, since the dispatchers typically do not speak English.
The "mafia" fare from the airport are min. $ 30 (or 20'000 local money). At the hotel the fare was $ 40 (posted as "weekend rate").


2.2. LIM: If you have only a few hours layover and want to get out of the airport without your bags you might put them away at the "lockers". You find them (sign) on the very left side as you enter the check-in hall. You hand it over to an attendant who issues you a clain check and locks it up in a separate room. You may want to lock your bag and/or have the plastic-shrink wrapped in the hall beforehand for additional security.
People everywhere were very helpful, honest and friendly. I felt very safe there.

2.3. GUA: All hotels (Radisson, Holiday Inn, Westin, Marriott) are within a couple of small blocks from each other, about a 5 - 10 min. drive from the airport. Pick-up with the shuttle was fine after calling them from the airport as indicated on earlier post. The Radisson morning shuttle left too late for me but thanks to JajJ I was able to ride along with him from the Holiday Inn next door.

Now, lets hope all those flights post correctly and in time.

[This message has been edited by cesco.g (edited 05-02-2000).]

I called Taca Peru the other day about changing my LIM-CUZ V-Fare (since I booked mine directly with the airline) to one of the classes that their website advises counts for mileage. They told me again that the V fare for sure counts for Latin Pass credit. Unsatisfied with just talking to the agent, I requested to speak with a manager, he was not available, so I left a message. He called me back and again, he assured me that this is the only Taca Peru flight where a V fare accrues mileage and that this is a published fare, and does count for the Latin Pass promotion. I then called Latin Pass and spoke with the same lady I always talk to when I call, she seems to be very knowledgeable about the program and has assited me with other things. I was told by her that the LIM-CUZ V-fare does count for Taca Peru and some people have already had it post to their account. She said if for some reason mine didn't post all I would need to do would be to send her the ticket stubs and boarding passes and I would be credited. I don't know if this helps anyone or not, but just thought I would pass what I was told along. This information is consistent with three or four other phone calls that I have made to Taca about this flight. I had also emailed the itinerary which includes the LIM-CUZ V fare to Latin Pass and they emailed me back and said that everything looks good for credit. If I had initially been offered anything in coach other than V, I definately would have booked it that way to avoid all of the hassles (as I did all of my other flights which are in full fare coach or first class), but at this point after speaking with Taca and Latin Pass as many times as I have about this, I am going to take a chance on it and see what happens. Who knows, maybe I'll like Cuzco so much that I will want to return in a few weeks. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

With regard to someone that was asking about Copa flights posting. As of today, mine which was a Y class fare, still hasn't--the flight was taken on 3/18/00. Aeropostal and the hotels and cars still aren't showing up yet either.

I was on the same Copa flight as NickB and mine hasn't posted yet. The same guy checked us in 2 minutes apart. I wonder what's going on?
The only other flight I need to post is Avianca.
I am going to have to send in all of my information on my USAir flights as I'm sure they will never post.

Received this email from Distancia today:

Dear Mr. Van Dyke:

Your flight 514 from MIA to MGA in class D apply for the LATINPASS
promotions.

If you have any questions please contact me.
Sincerely.

Juan Carlos Marcia
DISTANCIA