SnRSeattle

Just in the very, very beginning of planning a trip to SA for 2010, either Peru or Argentina. We live in Seattle and are planning to use FF miles on One World group (we have Alaska Airlines FF miles.) A quick look on the American and Lan sites looks like we have to go via Miami or NYC. Are there any other gateway cities that we can connect with without having to go clear across the country? Lan even has people starting out in LA going via Miami. Doesn't seem right! Any help in getting started would be appreciated. Thanks,
Sally in Seattle

Jeff_Costa_Rica

You get a better sense of this if you look at a globe rather than a flat map, but going via Miami isn't so outrageous. Not only are Peru and Argentina far south, they are quite far east. Lima is about directly south of New York (east of Miami). Buenos Aires is farther east than Bermuda. Instinctively, you'd think that you go directly south along the Pacific coast to get to Peru. It's much more southeast than most people think.

If it's Argentina you're interested in, American does fly once daily from Dallas to Buenos Aires. You could also fly from Dallas to Santiago on American and connect there with a LAN flight to Buenos Aires.

SnRSeattle

Well, Jeff, I am chagrinned (and also can't spell it!) I will get out a globe and also check the flights from Dallas. It is just exhausting to get to Miami from here (no non-stop flights except a red eye)and it just seems wrong to go to New York to go to South America!! Thanks for the help.
Sally in Seattle

drdawggy

On the bright side...American flies 777's from MIA. Seats are more comfortable than on the 767 flights from most gateway citiies, including DFW.

A suggestion: If you fly to Argentina using FF miles...book to Iguazu with a stopover in Buenos Aires. It will not cost you any more miles or dollars and you will get to see one of the most amazing sites on earth....(You will probably fly AA to EZE (the international airport in Buenos Aires) and fly LAN from AEP (the domestic airport in Buenos Aires) to Iguazu. Allow at least an overnight in Buenos Aires going and coming...since same day connections are sometimes tricky in Argentina (traffic jams between airports, late flights, long lines at check in or for immigration/customs...and so forth).

SnRSeattle

Thanks, so much, drdawggy, for that wonderful tip! After our DD and DSIL went to Iguazu Falls and have the video to prove it, we put it on our "must see" list. Thanks also for the BA airport/traffic tip, good to know with one less thing to stress about.
Sally in Seattle

marthag

Hi Sally,

If I remember correctly, Continental flies non stop to Lima from Houston.

We were booked for ten days in Peru for next month, but had to cancel due to my broken knee cap. Ouch! Luckily we hadn't yet purchased the airline tickets. We're hoping to re-schedule for next May.

I enjoy following your travel research and reports for Australia and Mexico. Now I'll look for your plans regarding Peru.

dfr4848

Yes, CO does fly nonstop to Lima from IAH (and is otherwise a good gateway to SA) but the OP is using miles on OneWorld, and CO isn't a member.

Weadles

Just read an article in The Wall Street Journal suggesting that many airlines will be eliminating flights starting in the Fall. One flight that has already been cut is Chicago-Buenos Aires. For that reason alone, I'd definitely try to leave out of New York or Miami. I think it's less likely to be cut than the flight originating out of Dallas.

producerkoof

LAN has a non-stop from LAX to LIM. You can use AA miles to book this flight. Many other flights out of LA stop in Central America first.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

The ORD-EZE service was probably overkill, since AA already had flights to Argentina from MIA, JFK and DFW. Why not just connect those Chicago passengers to one of those flights? It didn't surprise me to see that one eliminated.

But DFW-EZE is being upgraded to 777 aircraft with three classes of service. I realize any flight is fair game to cut, but that sounds like a beefing up of service to me.

Gardyloo

Alaska allows you only to use your miles on one airline partner per trip (including Alaska itself to get to a gateway if needed, e.g. LAX for the LAX-Santiago Lan flights.) You can't, however, use Alaska miles to fly on American to Buenos Aires, then on Lan to Iguazu Falls, for example.

Also note that while Alaska has an excellent business-class award level on Lan to South America for 75,000 miles (vs. 90,000 for American or Delta) availability can be extremely tough. I should also mention that Alaska miles are only good on Lan Chile, and not Lan Argentina, Lan Peru, or Lan Ecuador. So if you want to go to Peru, you'll need to use American, Continental or Delta (unless you manage to connect on Lan Chile through Santiago, but that's unlikely on the availability front.)

AA flies to South America from New York, Dallas, and Miami, with the great majority of flights leaving from Miami. Alaska partners with Delta (Atlanta) and Continental (Houston or Washington Dulles) for their SA operations.

Miami is 1700 miles closer to Buenos Aires than LAX is, and 1500 miles closer to Lima.

Peru is in a different mileage award tier than "deep South America" countries (Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay) so it will require fewer miles. You might look at a Oneworld South America Airpass (see www.oneworld.com) which offers cheap flights within South America if your miles can't get you where you want to go.