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Flights in Peru and around South America

We generally organize flights for our Peru tours and all Latin American combinations from our office except when we are told the clients would like to buy their own. Intercontinental flights from Europe or North America are generally purchased by the clients themselves as good deals can be obtained in the departure countries via such websites as expedia.com.

There are numerous airlines which operate within Peru and South America some of which are major international airlines and others smaller domestic operators. One of the main Latin America airlines is LAN, a Chilean airline which belongs to the One World Alliance. LAN is one of the main airlines used by Escaped to Latin America as it has an extensive route network, lots of flight options and modern aircraft.

Getting to Latin America.
From the US: A number of airlines fly to Latin America from the US either directly or via Mexico or Central America. One of the largest hubs for flights to South America from the US is Miami, and from there you are able to connect to many airports around the US.
From Europe: Some of the major airlines flying to Latin America from Europe include Iberia (via Madrid), Air France (via Paris) and KLM (via Amsterdam). There are also options to fly via the US normally through Miami, New York or Houston.

At Escaped to Latin America we are happy to provide quotes for flights from the US, Europe or elsewhere to Latin America. However, as we have mentioned above, whilst we obtain excellent prices on flights within Latin America we find that clients can normally find better international quotes online as such flights are nearly always better value when bought in the country where the flight originates.

Major operators within Latin America.
Some of the major operators within Latin America are LAN, Taca, TAM, Copa, Aerolineas Argentinas, Avianca, Aero Mexico and Mexicana. We will always try to choose routes and timings that make your trip enjoyable and fit together well, avoiding unsociable hours and too many stopovers. There should be a limit on how much flying you do but at the end of the day we are always dictated to by the airlines.

There are also numerous smaller operators which may operate only domestic routes within certain countries plus maybe some limited international routes too.

Flying in Peru.
In Peru there are four main carriers for domestic flights. These are LAN Peru, Taca, Peruvian Airlines and Star Peru. On some of the most popular routes, such as Lima to Cusco, all four carriers may operate flights whereas on less common routes, say Lima to Chiclayo, only one or two options may be available. In some countries, Peru being an example there may be very small airlines such as LC Busre which operate small aircraft to very unusual destinations, so even if you have a unusual destination still let us know as we may be able to get you there.

Note: Flight tickets in Peru are generally 100% non-refundable.

Booking early / Booking classes.
All airlines sell seats in different booking classes. Booking classes relate to a number of criteria. These include the price paid, whether a ticket is refundable or not, flexibility to change times or dates of travel, and of course the ticket class when different options are available – first, business, economy.

The cheapest booking classes normally sell out the fastest so booking early is always advisable. As you get closer to the date of travel, flight prices, particularly in high season will go up and a flight bought just a few days before travel may cost two or three times the price of a ticket bought several months in advance.

Airport taxes.
All airports charge taxes for use of their services and to cover maintenance, security etc. In some countries within Latin America airport taxes may be included. The rules do vary from country to country, airport to airport and may depend on whether the flight to be taken is domestic or international. If taxes are applicable they are either paid at check-in or afterwards at a separate desk or kiosk prior to boarding.

Taxes are generally paid in cash with domestic flight taxes often paid for in local currency and international taxes often paid for in US dollars. Amounts do vary and can change frequently.

Luggage allowances vary from airline to airline and often vary between international and domestic flights. First, Club and Business class passengers will nearly always have higher allowances.
As a general rule most airlines allow 20kg (44lbs) checked luggage in economy class although the allowance for any specific airline should be checked before travel to avoid unexpected and often expensive excess luggage charges.

Light aircraft operating in jungle regions may have allowances as low as 5kg.

Online check-in.

Most airlines now allow online check-in usually from 48 hours until 3 hours before you are due to fly.  By checking in online you can choose your seat and print off your boarding pass which may allow you to go to the fast track luggage drop off at the airport. You will need your name and PNR / reservation locator code in order to do so. If you are traveling with us your final travel document will have all these codes. This is delivered to your email 2 weeks before your trip.