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Any tips on getting the best deals on airfare to Peru? I plan on returning next summer and I need a new approach to finding the cheapest airfare. Normally, I would go to Expedia, Travelocity, kayak ect. I would buy around April or May for late June or July departure. I buy a RT from LAX to Lima, one stop. Usualy onTaca, Lasca, ect... I have flown on American and Delta, but an international carrier seems cheaper these days. Cheapest I got was $388 in '02 and last year I paid $680 at near the last minute
What are your secrets for the cheapest airfares? What are the best deals you've got to Lima? How did you get them? Your imput is greatly appreciated.
Tony

TYeary wrote:Any tips on getting the best deals on airfare to Peru? I plan on returning next summer and I need a new approach to finding the cheapest airfare. Normally, I would go to Expedia, Travelocity, kayak ect. I would buy around April or May for late June or July departure. I buy a RT from LAX to Lima, one stop. Usualy onTaca, Lasca, ect... I have flown on American and Delta, but an international carrier seems cheaper these days. Cheapest I got was $388 in '02 and last year I paid $680 at near the last minute
What are your secrets for the cheapest airfares? What are the best deals you've got to Lima? How did you get them? Your imput is greatly appreciated.
Tony

My wife's family is from Peru and we buy tickets quite often, even though it is more my son who gets to go to see his grandparents and not so much myself.
We usually book on LAN through my wife's sister, who runs a travel agency in Peru even though I found her prices were not much better than what I had found on expedia, travelocity etc. LAN flies non-stop from LA, NY and a couple other place (Miami, SF). I like their service better than that of any of the US airlines. This summer we had a ticket for my son that was around $500, direct flight from NY.

I too have used LAN the past two summers and found the service quite excellent. Out of NYC, the prices were about $550 in '08 and $415 in '09. I booked both in the January timeframe directly from LAN's webpage. LAX may be a different story.

LAN has an excellent service and prices. $398 from NYC to Lima (non-stop) June 2009. I bought the ticket in April directly from their website.

Maybe LAN will work for you but having never used them before I thought I'd see how much a particular flight to Chile was (need one anyway). Their website was coming up with minimums of $3500 economy class, while Orbitz gave me $800 for Copa or Taca. Strangely Orbitz did come up with LAN flights but at $1200 instead of $3500. Perhaps I was doing something wrong.

Baarb wrote:Maybe LAN will work for you but having never used them before I thought I'd see how much a particular flight to Chile was (need one anyway). Their website was coming up with minimums of $3500 economy class, while Orbitz gave me $800 for Copa or Taca. Strangely Orbitz did come up with LAN flights but at $1200 instead of $3500. Perhaps I was doing something wrong.

I am surprised to hear that, because the non-stop flight from NYC to Lima actually continues on to Santiago, Chile, and I can't believe that they would charge you another $3000 just for that stretch.

It all depends on how far off the departure is and how many seats are currently filled. At least this is my observation from watching fares change, including going down as time progresses.

In other words, if they flight is already almost full, there is no reason not to try to sell the tickets at a very high rate.

I was also on the NYC-LIMA direct for about 400. That has to be one of the better deals I've ever had for airfare.

This is great I am planning on buying my ticket in December for a trip in June or July of 2010. $500 does not sound bad...

Baarb wrote:Maybe LAN will work for you but having never used them before I thought I'd see how much a particular flight to Chile was (need one anyway). Their website was coming up with minimums of $3500 economy class, while Orbitz gave me $800 for Copa or Taca. Strangely Orbitz did come up with LAN flights but at $1200 instead of $3500. Perhaps I was doing something wrong.

Sounds like the fare was quoted in Soles rather than in dollars (they use a mark very similar to our dollar mark to designate Soles).

The rest of you guys have been getting better bargains than I have. I ususally don't get my ticket too early and it usually costs me about $600 from DC. I do like LAN, except for the fact that I have to fly AA to Miami or New York - AA is the pits. My other preference is to fly Delta through Atlanta.

Buz Groshong wrote:

Baarb wrote:Maybe LAN will work for you but having never used them before I thought I'd see how much a particular flight to Chile was (need one anyway). Their website was coming up with minimums of $3500 economy class, while Orbitz gave me $800 for Copa or Taca. Strangely Orbitz did come up with LAN flights but at $1200 instead of $3500. Perhaps I was doing something wrong.

Sounds like the fare was quoted in Soles rather than in dollars (they use a mark very similar to our dollar mark to designate Soles).

Yeah, you're probably right. Thanks for mentioning it. I remember similar confusion when looking at bus tickets for Mexico some years back.

Buz Groshong wrote:My other preference is to fly Delta through Atlanta.

Hey Buz, how is that option of going with Delta through Atlanta? We have never used that one but it did come up in a search.

mstender wrote:

Buz Groshong wrote:My other preference is to fly Delta through Atlanta.

Hey Buz, how is that option of going with Delta through Atlanta? We have never used that one but it did come up in a search.

The service isn't bad and Delta has been far more reliable for me than AA. Also I get miles with Delta, so I like that (can use them to go out to Utah). I definitely prefer going through Atlanta to going through Miami - on the way back you get an hour or so more sleep before going through customs. I went Continental through Newark one year which really gave you a longer flight, and the flight from DC to Newark was nice too - I think I climbed higher that year than the plane to Newark flew!

The fare is in dollars not soles. I am just check a ticket from NYC to Lima (first three weeks of June). $ 487 dollars. Trust me, You will not get a better deal than that.

I would never use Delta myself. I have had two bad experiences with them just canceling flights at the last minute. Once both ways on a trip to and from Montreal to Denver through Cincinati and another time from Montreal to Atlanta making me miss my connection to Santiago. Spent one of the worst 24 hours of my live in Atlanta airport. All based on personal experience. Never had a problem with AA but I am sure there are alway horror stories out there with any airline. Everyone can have a bad day. Lan has always been good to me. Them and Aerolineas Argentinas.
William

William Marler wrote:I would never use Delta myself. I have had two bad experiences with them just canceling flights at the last minute. Once both ways on a trip to and from Montreal to Denver through Cincinati and another time from Montreal to Atlanta making me miss my connection to Santiago. Spent one of the worst 24 hours of my live in Atlanta airport. All based on personal experience. Never had a problem with AA but I am sure there are alway horror stories out there with any airline. Everyone can have a bad day. Lan has always been good to me. Them and Aerolineas Argentinas.
William

AA was about 4 hours late leaving Miami on me one year; caused me to miss my connection to Juliaca and damn near totally screwed every thing up. On the way back they cancelled the flight from Lima to Miami, and it took about 8 hours for them to get everyone taken care of - the lucky ones of us got a flight the next day. Last year their flight to Miami was late and I had to run from one end of the airport to the other to make the LAN flight to Lima; I think my bags went to Lima on AA instead of getting transferred to LAN, which greatly delayed being able to get them in Lima. I don't do AA anymore unless I can't help it.