Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF points

[cam501]

I want to fly either Rio (Brazil) to Santiago (Chile) or Buones Airies (Argentina) to Santiago one way. All flights I have found are very expensive. No luck in using the Qantas website either in trying to use points - it says they do not do either of these routes.

Any tips on budget airlines, how to use Qantas points or a cheap way to do it by plane? Thanks

 

[opusman]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

Try pricing a return trip, it's often cheaper to buy a return and throw away half of it than buy a one-way.

 

[cam501]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

thanks for the tip. I tried that - still comes up as very expensive. Which might well be the case in this part of the world.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

How are you pricing the flights? What flexibility do you have? What class of cabin?

I am pricing a number of LAN flights around Sth America at the moment (not the segments you have) and find some surprisingly expensive, but others surprisingly "modestly priced".

You can use QFF points for OneWorld airline flights: I assume LAN and TAM are part of this (never tried it). Look here for TAM and here for LAN

 

[docjames]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

IF QF not showing availability (points) sometimes you can call the call centre and they can see availability on other airlines that is not seen online - not sure if this applies to LAN or not but it's common with CX (Cathay).

What is the pricing on the LAN website?

 

[opusman]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

What are your dates? There are returns from EZE-SCL in March next year for ~$350 AUD, which doesn't seem that bad.

 

[cam501]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

Tried skyscanner and similar sites. Also tried LAN and Qantas sites direct. Flexible by 5 days or so from June 1, 2015 onwards. Cheapest class of cabin.

 

[opusman]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

ITA Matrix shows a number of options in June for EZE-SCL return from 2686 ARS which is about $360 AUD.

 

[cam501]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

LAN website is about $800. Will try calling Qantas,. Thanks for that tip.

 

[docjames]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

Look for "tag" flights eg. KLM have EZE-SCL @ ~ $500

There also used to be a "south america pass" with LAN that offered effectively half-price fares between multiple one way destinations.

Perhaps if you share more details eg. time of year, planned itinerary we may be able to find alternative options that work.

EK has a similar GIG-EZE for ~ $300.

 

[cam501]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

ITA matrix? where do i book that for the $360 fare mentioned?

 

[opusman]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

Those cheaper flights are not with LAN, they're either KLM, Air Canada or AA.

 

[opusman]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

There also used to be a "south america pass" with LAN that offered effectively half-price fares between multiple one way destinations.

The pass was withdrawn from sale on October 31st, I know because I was going to book one and missed out by 2 days

 

[docjames]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

LAN website is about $800. Will try calling Qantas,. Thanks for that tip.

I'd suggest booking direct with the operating airline will be cheaper 99%+ of the time than via QF......

 

[opusman]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

KLM are the cheapest for those dates it seems, and also probably the nicest option as they run a 777 on that route.

 

[docjames]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

The pass was withdrawn from sale on October 31st, I know because I was going to book one and missed out by 2 days

Wow I hadnt heard that. Bummer.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

<snip>

There also used to be a "south america pass" with LAN that offered effectively half-price fares between multiple one way destinations.

<snip>.

LAN are re-jigging their Airpass; things keep appearing and disappearing from the booking engine and what TAs at least can access.

Edit:

The pass was withdrawn from sale on October 31st, I know because I was going to book one and missed out by 2 days

I hope my TA is right in that it hasn't disappeared completely; we are looking at it again next week. Will report back.

 

[Gogo65]

Re: Help on cheap flight Rio to Santiago or Buones Airies to Santago or using QFF poi

I was in South America last month, flew SCL-EZE then GIG-SCL for $330 booked directly as a multi trip itinerary on LAN, was in the new 787 for one of the flights!