Mexico’s largest airline, last year Mexicana transported over 11 million passengers. The airline operated 69 planes under the Mexicana brand and 35 aircraft under MexicanaClick, which it started in 2005. MexicanaLink, a separate unit unveiled last year, had 15 planes.

In court filings, Mexicana said it was badly hit by the swine flu outbreak last year that scared away travelers for months and by the global economic slowdown.  The airline added that high jet fuel prices and labor costs contributed to its financial troubles.

It is unclear whether the shutdown will be permanent.  Company spokesmen have indicated that Mexicana’s new owners (a group of Mexican investors called Tenedora K) intend to restructure and relaunch the company; however, many industry analysts are pessimistic about their chances for success.

While a number of other carriers serve many of Mexicana’s destinations, the sudden loss of that much capacity to Mexico will probably result in rising prices, particularly for holiday travel.  In addition, some routes will now be left underserved.  The London-Mexico City route, for example, is now only served by British Airways.

The Bolivian government and protesters reached a 6-point agreement that includes provisions to improve roads and build a new international airport.

Potosi was once the silver capital of South America.  It was said to rival London or Paris in size and splendor.  But Potosi’s fortunes have waned, and there is widespread feeling there that the central government has failed to invest in the region.

In particular, many protesters believe the government has done an inadequate job of developing alternative industries to mining.  Mines continue to be the major employers in the region, but safety standards are low and there are few alternative options for employment.

A new form of income from mining has developed in recent years – mine tours.  Tourists can pay to tour the mines and view the conditions for themselves.  Whether this is education or exploitation is a interesting question.  For a very thoughtful discussion of this issue, check out the Two Backpackers blog entry:

http://www.twobackpackers.com/3586/south-america/ethics-tourism-mines-potosi-bolivia/

For now, the situation in Potosi appears to be stable.  It is unlikely that a strike of similar magnitude will re-occur any time soon.  While travelers should always check local conditions, it seems reasonable that normal travel can resume to Potosi.

During this period all flights previously scheduled for Aeroparque (AEP) will be routed to the Ezeiza International airport (EZE), located 21 miles south of the city center.

Travelers should allow extra time to travel to the airport, as well as for check-in while hundreds of thousands of local passengers increase traffic to the international terminals.

As consequence, all transfers quoted and booked to Aeroparque within that period will be changed to Ezeiza International Airport.  If you have reservations for domestic flights in Argentina within that time period, please contact your Exito agent for assistance with rebooking.

This means that all changes to Mexicana tickets must, for now, be handled directly by the carrier.  CMA plans to operate MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink (the domestic arms of Mexicana) as a new carrier.  US travel agencies should be able to issue tickets on the new carrier by August 16th.

Mexicana emphasized that ticketed passengers would be accommodated, and that flights would continue to operate with only minor revisions.

As part of the reorganization, Mexicana suspended some flights,  reduced the frequency of a number of others; and made some flights previously nonstop connect through Mexico City.

The company cited their inability to reach an accord with both the flight attendants’ and pilots’ unions as the key issue in bankruptcy.  Some experts say that the airline needed the bankruptcy filing to protect the aircraft from being repossessed by creditors.

Chapter 15 bankruptcy (A new type of Bankruptcy recently added as part of bankruptcy legislation) allows the company to continue operations, but gives it protection against creditors while it reorganizes.

Customers ticketed on Mexicana airlines should contact their agent

The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority, under the IASA program, assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with airlines that operate or have applied to fly to the United States and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations.

A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with international standards, or that its civil aviation authority – which is equivalent to the FAA for aviation-safety matters – is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures.

The FAA says it found that, while Mexico has been responsive to the FAA’s findings and has made significant improvements in recent months, it was unable to fully comply with all of the international safety standards.   The agency says it is committed to working closely with the Mexican government and providing technical assistance to help Mexico regain its Category 1 rating.

While Mexican carriers are allowed to continue normal operations to and from the United States, US carriers must terminate codesharing with Mexico-based carriers.  US carriers cannot put their own name and flight number on a flight operated by a Mexican carrier.  This will affect passengers booked on American Airlines codeshares with Mexicana, and Delta codeshares with Aeromexico.   Both carriers are offering to reissue tickets using the Mexican carrier’s name and flight number.  There should be minimal disruption to passengers.

Countries with air carriers that fly to the United States must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance

The eruption spread ash across Guatemala City, and rained rocks onto several villages close by.  There has been one confirmed fatality, and several people remain missing.

At this point, it is not known when the airport will reopen.  If you are scheduled to fly to Guatemala this weekend, please contact Exito or your airline for assistance.

Other airports in Central America are unaffected – the ash plume has not spread.

Take a deep breath.  The world has changed.  Solo women travelers are no longer bizarre object of pity.  It’s perfectly OK to go to Latin America by yourself, and you will have a great time doing it.  Here are a few tips from the intrepid women of Exito, who have traversed Latin America from top to bottom.

- Trust your instincts.  If something feels off, it probably is.  Remove yourself from the situation so you can think clearly.  People sometimes worry that, by being cautious, they will miss out on some amazing, authentic local experience.  Don’t worry about that.  You will have plenty of authentic local experiences that don’t endanger you.  If it’s something you wouldn’t do at home, don’t do it in another country.  And if it feels bad, it probably is!

- Beaches and alcohol are a dangerous combination.  Most people in Latin America are kind, generous, and respectful.  Some are not, and unfortunately they tend to be drawn to beach scenes.  After a few drinks, your wits and reactions are both slow.  Something as simple as going outside to pee may end horribly.  One Exito employee spent 5 years working with tourists in South America.  She estimates that 95% of the rapes and assaults that she heard of took place at beaches, usually with alcohol involved.  Be careful where you drink and with whom.  Party at your hotel’s bar, so you don’t have to walk home.  Or find a group of other women to go out with, so you can all keep an eye out for each other.  While this is good advice anywhere, it’s especially important in a beach setting.

- Be aware of cultural norms.  These can vary widely from country to country, or even from city to rural areas of the same nation.  Tight skirts and revealing shirts are commonplace in Brazil, but would be quite inappropriate in Bolivia.  Look at the local women.  How are they dressed?  You don’t need to adopt local dress (and honestly, foreigners often look ridiculous in local garb), but check the level of modesty.  Do they generally cover their legs and arms?  If so, do likewise – it will save you a lot of unwanted attention.  While you are looking around, note where you do or do not see women.  If there are no women on a particular street at night, that’s a very good indication that you shouldn’t be there either.

- Be willing to start the conversation.  As a solo woman traveler, you have a unique opportunity to connect with people who would normally never talk to foreigners – elderly women,  mothers with children, young women.   They may assume you are not interested, don’t speak Spanish, or they might just be shy.  Break the ice, and see what happens.  You get a whole different perspective on a place when you learn about it from a 70 year old woman!

- On that note, learn as much Spanish (or Portuguese, in Brazil) as you can.  You don’t have to be fluent to have a great trip, but it’s easy to learn enough to have basic language survival skills.  Be able to shop, ask for directions, get a hotel room, and order food in a restaurant.  Consider doing a quick week (or more, if you have the time) at a language school when you first arrive, just to get yourself up to speed.

- And on the flip side, know when to forget all your Spanish.  When some annoying guy is trying to chat you up, a blank look and an apologetic shrug can do wonders for getting rid of him.

- Ignore, ignore, ignore!  Men in Latin America often will call out to women walking by.  Just ignore it and keep moving.  Yes, it’s annoying, but you aren’t going to change an entire culture single handed.  Avoid making eye contact, keep going, and act as if they don’t exist.

- if that doesn’t work, be willing to make a scene.  If someone is really bothering you, yell at them as loudly as you can, in whatever language comes to mind.  This is not what they want or expect, and on the street they will usually melt quickly away.  If someone gropes you in the subway, grab their hand and bend their fingers backwards until they start screaming.  Then yell at them. Tell him what a pathetic, miserable little twit he is, who can’t even…..ok, ok, you get the picture.  Yeah, it makes a huge scene, but it’s a lot more gratifying than just moving away.

Finally, be your adventurous self!  Revel in the fact that you can do whatever you want, when you want.  You always get to choose the restaurant, and no one will drag you through a museum or ruin that you’d really rather skip.  Enjoy every minute, knowing that you will have great memories and more self-confidence for the rest of your life.

Since March 28^th the main terminal of the airport in Santiago de Chile is fully operational. Shops and restaurants have also re-opened their businesses. For the timebeing, only passengers and authorized personnel are allowed to enter the building while some repairs, particularly the full replacement of passenger bridges, are finalized.

National Parks and Nature Reserves Being Re-opened

Last week CONAF (Chilean National Authority for Forestry) started re-opening the national parks and nature reserves. As a precaution, all parks in the region between Valparaíso and Araucanía had been closed after the earthquake in order to avoid any accidents caused by landslides or damage to the infrastructure.

The following parks will be re-opened completely:

National Parks: Villarrica and Huerquehue

Nature Reserves: Lago Peñuelas (Valparaíso region), Los Queules, Federico Albert and Los Bellotos del Melado (all situated in the Maule region), Río Clarillo (Metropolitan region)

Partially re-opened: National park La Campana, Nature park Laguna El Peral (both situated in the Valparaíso region), Nature reserve Río de Los Cipreses (O’Higgins region), Nature reserve Altos de Lircay (Maule region).

All other protected areas within the region between Valparaíso and Araucanía will remain closed until further notice.

Winter Sports

The winter season is approaching in Chile and ski resorts in Portillo, Valle Nevado, Colorado, La Parva, Farellones and Nevados de Chillan are anticipated to open and operate normally.