Flying within Brazil - pricing depends on where ticket issued?
Apr 4, 2005, 6:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Flying within Brazil - pricing depends on where ticket issued?
I'm looking at buying a round trip from GIG to IGU over the summer (my travel to Brazil will be on an award ticket from BRU). I've noticed a significant difference between pricing dependiong on where the ticket is issued. This confuses me, because IATA recently removed the distinction between tickets issued inside and outside the country where travel begins (SITI/SOTO etc).
I have been looking at the Varig website, and notice that it allows me to select a country of origin (i.e. I can choose "Brazil" even if booking on the UK website). If I give my Brazilian colleague's address as a contact point (which is a genuine contact point), are RG likely to object to me buying at Brazilian prices over their website? I would guess not, but am interested to check.
My alternative is to buy a Brazil Air Pass for the trip, and maybe use the extra sectors to go somewhere else. Does anyone know which booking class this is issued in (I have seen some sites saying it is booked in Q, and others in L). This makes a real difference in the miles earned in my mileage programmes (LH and BD) for any flights taken.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
I have been looking at the Varig website, and notice that it allows me to select a country of origin (i.e. I can choose "Brazil" even if booking on the UK website). If I give my Brazilian colleague's address as a contact point (which is a genuine contact point), are RG likely to object to me buying at Brazilian prices over their website? I would guess not, but am interested to check.
My alternative is to buy a Brazil Air Pass for the trip, and maybe use the extra sectors to go somewhere else. Does anyone know which booking class this is issued in (I have seen some sites saying it is booked in Q, and others in L). This makes a real difference in the miles earned in my mileage programmes (LH and BD) for any flights taken.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Apr 4, 2005, 11:27 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York
Programs: AA Plat, CO Gold
Posts: 1,598
Originally Posted by House
I'm looking at buying a round trip from GIG to IGU over the summer (my travel to Brazil will be on an award ticket from BRU). I've noticed a significant difference between pricing dependiong on where the ticket is issued. This confuses me, because IATA recently removed the distinction between tickets issued inside and outside the country where travel begins (SITI/SOTO etc).
I have been looking at the Varig website, and notice that it allows me to select a country of origin (i.e. I can choose "Brazil" even if booking on the UK website). If I give my Brazilian colleague's address as a contact point (which is a genuine contact point), are RG likely to object to me buying at Brazilian prices over their website? I would guess not, but am interested to check.
I have been looking at the Varig website, and notice that it allows me to select a country of origin (i.e. I can choose "Brazil" even if booking on the UK website). If I give my Brazilian colleague's address as a contact point (which is a genuine contact point), are RG likely to object to me buying at Brazilian prices over their website? I would guess not, but am interested to check.
If you buy through a Brazilian travel agent, you're probably OK with Varig tickets. There have been some reports of people being caught at the airport and having to pay the fare difference. If your Brazilian friend wants to buy the ticket for you, that's probably OK too. I'm guessing if you use your friend's address and your credit card, that won't fly since you won't have a Brazil credit card.
Apr 5, 2005, 10:39 pm
#5
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I just spent two months in Brazil and used my UA MP miles to book business class open jaw Rio-Fortaleza and Salvador-Rio for only 30K miles. Cheapest economy ticket would have cost around $600.
So if you have miles why not use them?
So if you have miles why not use them?
Apr 6, 2005, 7:15 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2004
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brazil options
i've been to brazil 6 times in the last 4 years, and start trip #7 on friday night.
On my first trip i used miles from iad to rio, then bought an air pass to see the rest of the country
i got smarter on trip 2
i flew from iad to salvador
took a $35 Gol flight to recife
then came back to iad from recife with a 3 day stop over in sao paulo
there are now at least 3 discount airlines, although Gol is the only one I have flown, The others don't offer daily service to a wide number of cities, so i havent tried them.
up until recently, you could not order Gol tickets outside of Bazil
but now they have added that option for amex card holders
i did notice that there is a significant price difference between Varig and Gol, so much so that, at least for me, the value of the FFM was much less than the price difference
if you can preplan, and your award travel is on an airline with a brazilian partner, you can cut your costs by using an open jaw with a stop over, that allows you to visit 3 cities and then you must pay for one connection between 2 of those cities
if you are a spur of the moment traveler, if you start in rio or sp, you can have access to the cities served by 3 of the brazilian low cost carriers.
for instance i will be in rio for at least 2 days, but the flights to curbita are $65 one way on Gol, so i may visit there for a few days
On my first trip i used miles from iad to rio, then bought an air pass to see the rest of the country
i got smarter on trip 2
i flew from iad to salvador
took a $35 Gol flight to recife
then came back to iad from recife with a 3 day stop over in sao paulo
there are now at least 3 discount airlines, although Gol is the only one I have flown, The others don't offer daily service to a wide number of cities, so i havent tried them.
up until recently, you could not order Gol tickets outside of Bazil
but now they have added that option for amex card holders
i did notice that there is a significant price difference between Varig and Gol, so much so that, at least for me, the value of the FFM was much less than the price difference
if you can preplan, and your award travel is on an airline with a brazilian partner, you can cut your costs by using an open jaw with a stop over, that allows you to visit 3 cities and then you must pay for one connection between 2 of those cities
if you are a spur of the moment traveler, if you start in rio or sp, you can have access to the cities served by 3 of the brazilian low cost carriers.
for instance i will be in rio for at least 2 days, but the flights to curbita are $65 one way on Gol, so i may visit there for a few days