Need ideas for my 2019 summer trip - depending on LATAM award availability

[bayguy]

Thanks to this wonderful community, I am able to take my family for summer trips last 5 years. I generally try to book as far out as possible as I need 4 seats(Business). I am trying to decide my next trip and I want it to be in South America. Last year, we went to Peru and Bolivia and now want to see Chile/Argentina/Easter Island(if we can squeeze all).

I am trying to get some trends for award tickets but looks like LTAM is not releasing any awards at all. For inter SA trips, I will use Avios or transfer my MR to Delta for Aerolineas Argentina flights. I searched LAX-SCL mainly and not even a single seat in economy is available even 330 days out.

Does anyone have any insights on what locations will be good based on LAN availability?

 

[Suzie]

Have you tried MIA? We flew LAN J using American saver booked 330 in March. PHL-MIA-SCL-EZE. I believe there is direct MIA-EZE, but I could never scare up that award.

EDIT - sorry that wasn't clear - we went March 2018 - booked 330 prior.

 

[heavenlyjane]

We had to reposition ourselves in MIA to fly to SCL on LATAM using Avios.

Curious if you mean austral or nordic summer?

 

[bayguy]

US summer, June 2019

 

[heavenlyjane]

US summer, June 2019

If you have flexibility, I'd lock in the Easter Island flights before all other flights.

In terms of booking LATAM flights to/from SCL, your options for departure airports are listed below. You need to be open to any of this departure airports and reposition yourself with a different airline if need be.

• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York–JFK
• Mexico City, in a pinch

Our one-way LATAM flight (SCL-MIA) for next February were a fantastic value (worth $2,028 for each ticket but cost only 25K avios + $45), so my advice to you is to check daily and persevere.

 

[bayguy]

I have some UA miles also, I am getting SFO-PTY-SCL/EZE on Copa(I know it's not a good airline). I will see if I can get 23-hour stopover at Panama City so we can knock off Panama canal off our bucket list. The issue with AA is only MIA-SCL/EZE are available in Business, SFO-MIA/DFW is in economy.

 

[Suzie]

We did 57,500 AA J PHL-EZE. We did voluntary downgrade for PHL-MIA portion to book and were able to move to F a couple of months out (I checked each am). Might be an option, but less likely for 4, I guess.

 

[bayguy]

If I book SFO-MIA-SCL/EZE, I will try to book same 23-hour stopover so I can show kids Key West(I love the drive)

 

[Suzie]

That's a great idea!

 

[bayguy]

Question for people who went to Easter Island: We are vegetarians(egg is ok), can we survive 3/4 days on the Island(eating veg Empanadas or something similar, Bakery items etc)? When I look up all I am seeing are the seafood places only.

 

[heavenlyjane]

Question for people who went to Easter Island: We are vegetarians(egg is ok), can we survive 3/4 days on the Island(eating veg Empanadas or something similar, Bakery items etc)? When I look up all I am seeing are the seafood places only.

I remember someone else asking this question on a different forum, possibly Thorntree. I believe it’s tough if you don’t at least eat fish. I wouldnt trust the empanadas to not be fried in lard. You probably should augment with your own food.

=update= https://veganfrequentflyer.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/on-the-road-in-easter-island/amp/

 

[knick1959]

If you have flexibility, I'd lock in the Easter Island flights before all other flights.

Argh. I'm shopping for a single flight from IPC to SCL myself. Had enough LAN miles/points for coach for both my wife and myself. Managed to fiddle through the LAN->Multiplus conversion process and apparently secure a ticket for myself. Tried a day or 2 later for my wife and I cannot register her LAN account with Multiplus (the process had changed substantially). All the ways I've tried have failed. A phone call? Well, it's again my wife's account and she hates when I put her on the phone. Will try more over the next few days.

Cash cost for a OW back from Easter Island is around $560 coach. Yikes!

Outgoing flights were secured with BA Avios. The only option offered was J for 37.5k each. Went for this as soon as they were schedulable and again apparently have seats.

My other options for coming back to SCL was to again use BA Avios. I have 38k left, so would need to transfer 37k from UR or MR for 2. With the trouble I'm having with LAN, I thought maybe I'd ship just my wife back in J and not need a transfer (I'd keep my coach seat and rough it for 4.5 hours ). Check this morning ...

I can't find ANY IPC->SCL availability via BA.com where last week is was easy and you couldn't miss. In fact, most days at the end of the schedule would show 7 Biz seats each way. Poking around across many weeks today - nadda. Nothing. Zilch. Either way.

Temporary network issue? Or is this a LAN->Multiplus glitch, or another devaluation step in the change-over? Could be bad news for those of us still scheduling or just planning trips. I'm hoping it all clears up in the next couple of days.

 

[heavenlyjane]

I remember someone else asking this question on a different forum, possibly Thorntree. I believe it’s tough if you don’t at least eat fish. I wouldnt trust the empanadas to not be fried in lard. You probably should augment with your own food.

My husband prefers to not talk on phones either but he's slowing coming around to the perspective that he needs to meet my efforts with at least 10% of his own, if he wants to enjoy these lavish trips. He usually starts the calls by asking if he can authorize me to speak on his behalf. That usually works.

Accessing SCL with Avios was nerve-wracking and I started on the day the schedule opened. Stick with it and you will get your flights.

Re: Easter Island, yeah, award flights are the only way to make a trip their happen. If its important you just have to keep your itinerary loose with no non-refundable lodging reservations and check the flight options daily. There are very few award seats on each flight.

 

[knick1959]

I can't find ANY IPC->SCL availability via BA.com where last week is was easy and you couldn't miss. In fact, most days at the end of the schedule would show 7 Biz seats each way. Poking around across many weeks today - nadda. Nothing. Zilch. Either way.

This is still the case this morning. In fact, in light poking around, I can find any LAN availability via BA.com, checking specifically for flights I've actually taken before and that were common and easy to book (LIM<->CUZ, LIM->UIO, CUS<->PEM). That's bad news overall, but I've fixed it so I don't need anything else as far as LAN goes for the time being.

Because ... I managed to get my wife's LAN account linked to Multiplus. I simply said she had forgotten her password at the Multiplus prompt. It sent a "reset password" email that allowed me to skip the 6 pages of yada-yada and book the last IPC->SCL flight I needed. We are back to the mainland AND our LAN balances are low enough to let the 1k remaining in each expire at the end of the year.

 

[bayguy]

I tried to create LAN account(Multiplus) and it was a disaster. Tried twice but final step failed. I will try using the app one more time to see if i can get lucky.

 

[knick1959]

I tried to create LAN account(Multiplus) and it was a disaster. Tried twice but final step failed. I will try using the app one more time to see if i can get lucky.

Yah, they have screwed this up royally. If you need access now, you can try what I did above ... sign onto LAN, search for a flight using miles/points and when it asks you to log into MP or register, click "forgot my password" on the MP login side and wait for the email.

I WILL try to login to MP later and make sure my wife's profile is complete, but for now I have the award ticket I needed with locator and it's in her name and seats are assigned. Even better, I can still find her flight by locator via LAN's site.

 

[FlyerDad]

Question for people who went to Easter Island: We are vegetarians(egg is ok), can we survive 3/4 days on the Island(eating veg Empanadas or something similar, Bakery items etc)? When I look up all I am seeing are the seafood places only.

Sounds kind of tough. We are hoping to plan a trip as well and here's an interesting link I found (although this person was a vegan): http://kindvagabond.com/vegan-easter-island/. Great point by another poster about being careful what the food (empanadas, french fries, etc.) are fried in . . .

 

[bayguy]

Picking up where I left off and need your valuable inputs: I have flights booked for SFO-LAX-MIA-GIG, GIG-IGU, IGR-AEP, AEP-SCL & SCL-PTY-SFO. I need practical suggestions on what to see/where to stay etc. We are a family of 4(2 Kids aged 12 & 14) and vegetarians. Kids can speak decent Spanish and we can manage Brazil with Google Translate(I hope).

We are staying 3 days in Rio, 3 days in Iguazu(both sides as we land on Brazil side and leave from Argentina side), Want to include Itapu dam tour also, 5 days in Buenos Aires(planning to see Montevideo for a day) and 3 days in Santiago, 10 hours in Panama City for Canal tour. . I couldn't make Easter Island work on this trip.

I used AA miles(57.5k) for Rio, United(60k) for return and Delta for Rio-IGU, IGR-AEP(2 tickets using my Merill 50k points), Avios for EZE-SCL.

I really need advice on hotel stays, trying for awards to cut down costs(all I need is a clean room, safe location, and free breakfast).

 

[kristian]

If you can use Chase UR with uplift, I'd go that route. Not sure about Brazil, but Chile and Arg are going to be hard to find Hotel points options that allow 4 in a room.

 

[kristian]

Don't know if you'll have trouble with 4pax but the Hyatt in Colonia Uruguya looks cool!

 

[bayguy]

I am booking 2 rooms as kids are older and need their own space. Also, it helps in getting ready faster. Unfortunately, i don't have any Chase points at all.

 

[heavenlyjane]

Picking up where I left off and need your valuable inputs: I have flights booked for SFO-LAX-MIA-GIG, GIG-IGU, IGR-AEP, AEP-SCL & SCL-PTY-SFO. I need practical suggestions on what to see/where to stay etc. We are a family of 4(2 Kids aged 12 & 14) and vegetarians. Kids can speak decent Spanish and we can manage Brazil with Google Translate(I hope).

We are staying 3 days in Rio, 3 days in Iguazu(both sides as we land on Brazil side and leave from Argentina side), Want to include Itapu dam tour also, 5 days in Buenos Aires(planning to see Montevideo for a day) and 3 days in Santiago, 10 hours in Panama City for Canal tour. . I couldn't make Easter Island work on this trip.

I used AA miles(57.5k) for Rio, United(60k) for return and Delta for Rio-IGU, IGR-AEP(2 tickets using my Merill 50k points), Avios for EZE-SCL.

I really need advice on hotel stays, trying for awards to cut down costs(all I need is a clean room, safe location, and free breakfast).

We just spent one night in Buenos Aires last week and found that many restaurants clearly notate their vegetarian and vegan dishes on their menus.

 

[Dante]

I just booked a good deal in an aparthotel in Leblon, the best and safest neighborhood in Rio. I have stayed there before when it was an Accor Mercure Hotel.

Apart With View, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Located 0.7 miles from Post 11 - Leblon in Rio de Janeiro, Apart With View offers accommodations with a kitchen. This apartment is 0.

www.booking.com

My vegetarian son likes the nearby Celeiro restaurant, another excellent option is CT Boucherie, and Bibi Sucos for the best fruit juices and a crazy good vegetarian pastry (pastel).

 

[bayguy]

I booked Sheraton near Leblon after reading a lot of reviews.

 

[bayguy]

Update: Just need to book Iguazu falls hotels(Brazilian and Argentina sides), anyone has recommendations?