Exito Travel Official Blog !

Whether you are an experienced world traveler or the ink is barely dry on your passport, there are a few things that are well worth remembering when planning, and taking, your next international flight.

Plan ahead
Airlines have reduced the frequency of many domestic flights, making many of the remaining flights fill up faster. This capacity-crunch, combined with the fact that availability of “cheap seats” is already limited on any given flight, means waiting too long to book could result in less desirable flight connections, while bringing on a classic case of fare “sticker shock” from missing out on the lower-tiered fares. As always, being flexible about travel dates and departure cities can sometimes yield surprisingly good savings. Booking online is fine, but don’t be afraid to check with a travel agent for creative ideas and hidden deals.

Are Your Papers in Order?
Having a passport is (hopefully) an obvious first step to traveling abroad, but it’s important ascertain if there any additional entry and/or documentation requirements for your destination(s). Is your passport valid for several months beyond the foreseen end of your trip? Stopping in Costa Rica on the way back from South America? You’ll need proof of Yellow fever vaccination. Flying to Argentina? Chile? An entry tax of over $100 may be collected, in cash, upon arrival. Heading to Brazil? US citizens must obtain a visa, in advance, and it could take weeks. For details, US citizens can start here: http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html or or otherwise review the information on each destination’s consulate website.

Get Seat Assignments
Not only will this give a better chance of sitting where and possibly with whom you prefer, it can also reduce the chances of getting “bumped” when the airline has overbooked the flight. Some airlines or flights restrict the ability to assign seats at time of purchase. Check with your agent, or the airline, to verify that you have seats, whenever possible.

Checking Bags?
While most major carriers still do not charge for the first checked bag for passengers traveling on international itineraries, many do charge for the second bag. Weight and dimension limits apply, depending on the airline and the specific route. Avoid having to pay unexpected baggage fees or otherwise be faced with re-distributing or even (yes, we’ve seen it) ditching personal items at the check in counter, by consulting with your travel agent, or the airline’s website for details.

Get Travel Insurance
Why? Refundable tickets are practically a thing of the past. Most likely, your medical insurance doesn’t cover you when you are outside of your home country. Unexpected trip delays, cancellations, and medical issues can equate to a baffling amount of expenses and logistical hassles. These days, travel suppliers are less willing to bend rules or waive fees for canceling part or all of a prepaid trip. Travel insurance can protect you from absorbing the cost of many kinds of travel-related surprises, from lost baggage to . Most policies automatically cover emergency medical care, medical evacuation and a list of extra services related to handling the unexpected.

Confirm, then Reconfirm
Don’t be the last one to know if the flight you booked 5 months or even 5 days ago is suddenly leaving an hour earlier than originally scheduled. Although airlines and travel agents make an effort to notify passengers of major changes, it’s ultimately up to the passenger to verify the flight details, and arrive at the airport with plenty of time to check in. Confirm flights by viewing the itinerary online at the airline’s website, on another website provided by your agent, or by simply contacting the airline by phone.

Ready for more tips? For more details, including tips for a diverse set of circumstances and situations, check out some of the links below. Last but not least, don’t forget to leave home without even amounts of scruples, and excitement.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html

http://www.exitotravel.com/resources/helpful_links.htm

Now, more than ever, you can’t take it with you - or if you do, it’s going to cost you.

In their constant quest to reduce costs, most airlines have severely restricted luggage allowances for trips to Latin America. Most airlines now only allow one piece of luggage to be checked for free. That piece must weigh no more than 50 pounds, and must be no larger than 62 linear inches in size (if you add up the length, the width, and the height the total is the size in linear inches)

The silver lining is that this brings US baggage allowances more in line with the baggage allowances for flights within South America. For years, the standard allowance there has been 20 kilograms, which is approximately 44 pounds. So if, for example, you are flying from the US to Lima on American Airlines, then continuing to Cuzco on Lan Peru, you can check one bag up to 50 pounds for your American flight, and one bag up to 44 pounds for the Lima-Cuzco flight. With the new, lower allowances from the US, passengers are less likely to suddenly be hit with excess baggage fees for their flights within Latin America.

There are still a few carriers that do allow 2 checked bags - if baggage is important, be sure to check an airline’s baggage restrictions before you purchase a ticket. Your Exito travel agent will be happy to advise you on current baggage restrictions.

New!   Fortaleza • Manaus • Recife • Salvador • Belo Horizonte

More direct flights from the US to Brazil is especially good news for groups

Cities in Northeastern Brazil are best known as the gateways to beautiful beaches, treasured World Heritage sites, and the lush expanse of the Amazon rainforest. Delta and American Airlines are adding direct service from their respective hubs in Atlanta and Miami to these diverse destinations, making them easier to reach, and harder to resist.

Previously, flying from North America to Northern Brazil involved at least 2 airlines and multiple plane changes. Most routings required flying to a southern city like Rio or Sao Paolo before changing to a local airline going north. Itineraries involving two airlines can obviously add travel time and inconvenience to anyone’s trip. For groups of 10 or more people, working with two airlines to make one trip requires double the number of bookings, deposits and payments, while doubling the potential pitfalls.

Direct flight options will now make arranging a group as simple as booking a flight across the nearest border.

Benefits for groups traveling on a single-airline:

• Fare: One fare from home to your destination, guaranteed in advance
• Routing: One connection, even no connection when traveling via Hubs in Atlanta or Miami
• Deposit: One deposit per person cuts the initial outlay in half
• Reservation: One booking keeps schedules and reservations synchronized
• Ticket: One ticket minimizes service fees and effort related changes or cancellation
• Baggage: One international ticket minimizes baggage fees, as well as avoids confusion if a bag is lost
• Service: One airline, one network means simpler solutions to unexpected delays or cancellations

Whether it’s for recreation or research, now is the time to make plans for your group to travel to Brazil.

CALL NOW FOR YOUR GROUP AIRFARE QUOTE:

1-800-655-4054

or CLICK HERE to submit your request online

For a limited time, DOUBLE mileage credit is available for travel on American Airlines, when traveling on the new, direct flights between Miami and:

Belo Horizonte (BHZ)

Salvador da Bahia (SSA) or

Recife (REC)

Fly between November 2, 2008 and February 15, 2009

Advance registration is required. Contact an Exito Travel agent for details and flight reservations.

Phone:  800 655 4053                        Email: info@exitotravel.com

Any family getaway can have its benefits. A week at the beach allows for some relaxation, and a dose of ever-elusive “quality time”.  An extended trip should at least expand the options of family touring activities, and ideally widen everyone’s horizons. So how about setting off on a path through multiple countries, choosing to count the trip in terms of multiple weeks or months? With the typical US family vacation barely lasting 2 weeks, a longer trip may sound rather ambitious, but every year thousands of people are finding ways to slip away from their daily routines and fulfill their own vision of a family sabbatical.

Besides giving families a chance to spend more time together and stay connected, a well-planned journey can offer other “wordly” benefits that a shorter trip may only give a small taste of. Consider how speaking Spanish or Portuguese several levels higher than before, and gaining an inkling of what it is like to truly live, and even work, in a different culture can boost confidence and competence when encountering future challenges.

An important part of planning, and yes, justifying, and extended trip abroad is staying aware of the needs and interests of each family member, ensuring there are enough fun activities that are also truly educational, and/or resume-building. Enrichment could start with something as basic as a child mastering the local metro system, or be as thrilling as learning about environmental sustainability while hiking through a remote Andean community, in the valley of a majestic volcano. The last book report may begin to pale in comparison.

It doesn’t hurt that daily living expenses in Latin America can often be lower than what a family might spend by staying at home. Those who may choose to avoid traveling to Europe, Hawaii or the Caribbean islands due to unfavorable exchange rates and higher travel costs, may still have the option go to Latin America, where the diversity and quality of cultural and outdoor activities continue to offer incredible value.

With some inspiration and preparation, what might start as a short trip to a popular beach town in Costa Rica could lead to a plan to skip bunking in a hotel, and instead settle in for a few weeks to live with a host family and take Spanish immersion courses. With a bit more time, it might be easier than expected to continue on to explore some of Ecuador or Peru, balancing time for sightseeing as well as making a contribution to a local volunteer project.

Where to start?  Learn a few things from those who have already done it. Check out how one family chose to take their plans for quality time on the road  in a book called “BYOC: South America! A Family Sabbatical Handbook” - where BYOC stands for “Bring Your Own Children”. Information is available online at:  http://www.rumskytravelworks.com.  There are also a myriad of websites that offer tips and directories of resources related to traveling abroad as a family. Try starting with Transitions Abroad or idealist.com.

While airfares are rising in several markets, there are still some great discount deals that are perfect for an extended getaway. For example: Round-trip travel from from New York to Ecuador, with stopovers in both Costa Rica and Peru for under $650 including tax, per person. There are hundreds of similar combinations available, traveling from various US cities into Central and South America.

These special airfare deals are only available through a specialist like Exito Travel. A Latin America Travel Specialist at Exito has years of experience in digging out discounted fares in order to create an itinerary that matches both the vision, and the budget of the trip. For details on how to afford a family trip of a lifetime, contact Exito by phone at 800 655 4053 , or fill in an extended stay, or  multi-stop flight request form online.

It’s the same challenge for most groups: How to find a group airfare option that fits the total budget, without having to pay in full right away, or otherwise risk paying more later, as the fare, taxes and/or fuel charges continue to skyrocket?

In the current airfare market, there is an inherent risk of paying more tomorrow for what was quoted today. Even when a “guaranteed” group rate is available, this guarantee typically applies only the base fare, and not to taxes, or the ever-increasing fuel surcharges, which can be as much as $300 per ticket. A group fare booked today can end up being hundreds higher by the time the group is ready to issue tickets.

There is a refreshing exception. Exito group specialists can now offer a guaranteed rate on select group fares INCLUDING taxes and fees. Book today with a deposit, and lock in todays total price, even if the final purchase is months away. While other group bookings fluctuate from rising fuel costs and annual tax adjustments, Exito’s qualifying group rates stay put, allowing groups the chance of actually staying within a set budget.

Here’s how it works:

1. Contact an Exito Group Specialist and request a quote for a group flight, specifying an interest in a guaranteed total rate. Phone: 800 655 4054 . *Minimum group size is 10 people, traveling on an identical itinerary*

2. Once a suitable itinerary is confirmed for the group, pay a standard group deposit, up to $100 per seat, to lock in the space and the price for the group. Deposits are either refunded or applied to the purchase price, provided the group abides by the airlines stated cancellation and minimum utilization policy. Note: Flights departing within 90 days may have special deposit and payment requirements.

3. Provide all passenger names and payment by the airline’s quoted deadline; typically 30-60 days prior to departure. *No surprise fees or extra taxes will be charged on qualifying fares, according to the initial quote*

This option is available to groups of at least 10 people traveling together, on select airlines, subject to availability of group space and according to specific airline policies, which are subject to change. Round trip travel must originate in the US, and include select destinations in:

Mexico - Guatemala - Costa Rica- Honduras - Belize - El Salvador
Nicaragua - Ecuador - Peru- Venezuela - Chile - Argentina - Brazil - Colombia

Contact an Exito Group Airfare Specialist for further details and to find your guaranteed group fare, now.

Phone: 800 655 4054

Email: groups@exitotravel.com

Beginning July 1^st, 2008, TACA Airlines will begin offering daily flights between it’s hub in San Salvador, El Salvador and Panama City, Panama. This flight makes it possible for passengers from a variety of cities throughout North America to travel to Panama City, Panama with a seamless connection at TACA’s hub in San Salvador, El Salvador. TACA offers nonstop service to San Salvador, El Salvador from New York-JFK, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Oakland, Miami and Chicago which now allows a quick connection to Panama City via San Salvador International Airport.

TACA continues to offer service to Panama City, Panama via it’s hub at Juan Santamaría airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. Previously many passengers needed to make a double connection in El Salvador as well as San Jose in order to reach Panama City. This new flight makes it possible to reach Panama City with a single connection from virtually any city served by TACA in North America.

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.