Exito Travel Official Blog !

After the Tragic accident on May 30, 2008 at Toncontín International Airport (MHTG) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, TACA has reestablished flight service to/from Tegucigalpa trough San Pedro Sula, Honduras with 42-seat ATR type aircraft, The ATR 42 is a twin-turboprop short-haul regional airline built in France and Italy by the company known as ATR. The name “42″ comes from the aircraft’s seating, which varies from 40 to 50

All tickets purchased after June 1st for travel to/from Tegucigalpa on TACA will fly via San Pedro Sula, Honduras on TACA’s ATR service.

Beginning this July 22nd, LAN Airlines (Formerly known as LAN Chile) will begin offering service from Buenos Aires, Argentina to the city of Neuquén, Argentina. The service will be offered twice daily Monday through Friday and one flight per day on weekends.

Neuquén is the capital city of the Argentine Province of Neuquén. It is located on the eastern side of the province, at the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén rivers. The city has a population of more than 265,000, making it the largest city in Patagonia. This will be LAN’s 11th domestic destination served in Argentina.

LAN now serves the following cities in Argentina:

• Salta
• Iguazu
• Cordoba
• Mendoza
• Bariloche
• Neuquen
• Comodoro Rivadavia
• Puerto Madryn
• Calafate
• Ushuaia

It’s no secret that airlines are scrambling to cover costs this year. One of the most noticeable tactics to that end is the addition, and continual increase, of fuel surcharges. What may be less obvious is that airlines are also reducing the the number of low-fare seats available on any given flight. The result: Low fares still exist but are generally not as low as before, and, will be sold on a limited, first-come, first purchase basis.

What does this mean for your group? It might take some specific strategies to obtain the best group airfare deal. Here are some tips:

• Reserve in advance, up to 9 months in advance, and be ready to pay a deposit for every seat. Most airlines expect groups to be organized and confirmed to travel at least 3 months prior to departure. Anything later is considered “last minute”, and can result in fewer options, higher fares, and expedited payment deadlines.

• Simplify. With a limited supply of cheap seats, airlines will not double book, or otherwise offer multiple quotes for the same group. Focus your search by designating one group leader to work with one Latin America group specialist, who will negotiate the best group fare with each airline

• Consider paying in full, way ahead of time. Although the base fare on most group bookings is locked in with a deposit, fuel surcharges and taxes typically continue to rise, and will be calculated on the final purchase date. With rare exception, only paying in full will guarantee the total price.

• Reserve only the number of seats needed, ideally within at 10% margin. If an airline has, say, 20 seats available at the lowest fare, requesting 30 seats can result in a higher quote for everyone in the group.

• Be flexible. Consider traveling during off-peak travel dates, or be ready to pay a premium.

• For larger groups, consider spreading the group onto separate flights on the same dates, when a reasonable option is available.

For more details about group airfare visit http://www.exitotravel.com/flights/group_flights.htm or contact an Exito Travel Group Specialist at 800 655 4054.

One of the most exciting things about contemplating a trip to Latin America is discovering the diversity of sustainable travel options. Staying in a remote “ecolodge” in Costa Rica or Ecuador, joining a cultural heritage tour in Peru, or enrolling in a Spanish immersion course in Guatemala are popular travel options that ideally benefit the local community and conserve its resources. There are ever increasing ways to enjoy connecting with a new culture, while striving to minimize the negative impacts of tourism.

Some people go a leap further by having a true “hands on” approach, choosing to focus firmly on service over sightseeing. Participants travel as a group to volunteer their skills for projects aimed at directly improving the lives of others, a.k.a. “mission trips”. Some example of groups recently booked with Exito include:

Burners Without Borders: Aiding in reconstruction efforts in Peru, after last year’s 8.0 earthquake.

Centura Medical Missions : Medical teams aiding health care facilities in Peru and Nepal

Nova University : Dentistry mission to northeastern Brazil

And, there is everything in between. A whole branch of the travel industry, aptly named “VolunTourism“, serves the increasing number of people who want to combine travel with some amount of volunteer or research work. A variety of travel companies and non-profit organizations endeavor to play the role of matchmaker, carefully putting well-intentioned people together with current projects. A couple of interesting examples:

Earthwatch puts volunteers to work “in the field”, collecting data for ongoing conservation studies focusing on anything from climate change to loss of habitat to lost civilizations. Volunteers who might find the idea of viewing wildlife “up close” in a place like Brazil exciting already, are invited through participation to gain a deeper understanding of the subject at hand, and about key conservations issues. Programs are designed to encourage researchers to apply what they learn back home.

Cultural Embrace provides guidance and placement services for groups and individuals engaging in a variety of volunteer activities, in and beyond Latin America. Volunteers choose from working in an orphanage or school, to taking part in wildlife conservation or construction projects. In many cases language immersion courses and a bit of sightseeing are either already included or can be added to the itinerary as a way of rounding out the ideal volunteer-travel “package”.

A recent Careerbuilder.com survey found that 25% of Americans plan to do some amount of work while on vacation, implying an expectation to stay connected to the job at home. Choosing to dedicate time and energy to a local project could result in a refreshing change of habit, a way to stay engaged with the “here and now” of the destination; ideally leaving the place, and the traveler, in better condition than they were before.