cheap airline tickets

[Pete E]

We just booked our tickets from San Francisco to Cali with American Airlines,the only airline that can get you there in one day from San Francisco(without doing a red eye).The fare is $593 round trip.Fares as low as $440 + $50 tax are avialiable but hard to find time slots right now.We found that fare going out but had to return on a weekend plus stay 2 days over their 30 day Maximum so the fare was a little higher.It was $459 for my step son,age 10.Travel out of New York is $398 RT plus the tax of $40-50.
I heard about this fare from a friend but another travel agent I called couldn't find it,so I called my friends travel agent and she new all about it.She has lived in Colombia,is married to a Colombian and travel there is her specialty.
Her name is Barbara Garcia at All Around Travel out of Seattle.Her phone number is 800-433-2423 and her E-Mail is BarbaraG@allaroundtravel.com.
WE will be in Cali from 12/11 to 1/12.If you will be there shoot me a mail and maybe we can meet.

Pete

[pack]

... in response to cheap airline tickets, posted by Pete E on Nov 2, 2001

excellent prices Pete, that flight usually runs between $875. and $1500. . good time to fly right now.

[mudd]

... in response to cheap airline tickets, posted by Pete E on Nov 2, 2001

After flying american airlines three times to cali, and after losing my luggage, the jet breaking down in mid air,dumping the fuel out of the tankes in mid flight, right after take off,and haveing to make an emergency landing in Dallas. scheduling the connecting flights on one side of the airport, and after they dump you on the other side of the airport, and telling you to "run" to make your connecting flight, getting stuck in Miami over night..... NO THANKS!!!!! i would never fly american airlines again in a million years. i will gladly pay a few extra $$$ to fly continental or delta, who both have better records of "on time flights" and better safety records. speaking of safety, wasnt it two american airline jets that went down on Sept 11, good security!!!!

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: cheap airline tickets, posted by mudd on Nov 2, 2001

My friend who recommended the travel agent has taken this flight about 30 times and not had a problem.I had heard negative things about American in Cali,I forget the details.
I usually fly Aces in to Colombia,but coming from San Francico or San Jose I have to stay over in Miami because the American flight is the only one that will get you there the same day from here,and that makes it the preffered flight.Aces is a great airline with great service,but the flight from Miami stops in Medellin,where you have to get off the plane wait 30-40 miniutes and then get back on.With the extra landing and takeoff it makes the flight to Cali about 4 hours total vs. 2.5 hours on American.
For these reasons American is the preffered flight out of San Francisco.My friend paid $1150 last year for this same flight.We paid $780 for an American West to Miami and Aces to Cali,but had to stay over in Miami going and coming.We basically lost 2 days plus paid 2 nights hotel and other costs.
With American we leave San Francico at 7.00 AM and get to Cali at 8.40 PM(5.40 SF time).
I hope we don't have any problems like you did.I had a bad experience when I flew Taca/Lacxa out of San Francico.It is a red eye that leaves San Francisco at Midnight,stops in El Salvador,Costa Rica,Bogota and then to Cali by way of Avianca.The flight is usually the cheapest by far,$620 from San Francisco to Cali.$520 or so to Bogota.I hate red eyes,but what was worse when I got to Bogota Avianca tells me "you have no reservation.""What do you mean I have no reservation,I confirmed and completed the first 3 legs of the flight."I was lucky I guess to get on another flight 3 hours later,getting to Cali and hour after the American flight that left San Francisco 7 hours later.Coming back I met a man in the airport who had been stuck in Bogota 3 days even though he had a confirmed reservation.I decided right there that changing planes in Bogota was the last thing I ever wanted to schedule.When flying in to a foriegn country it is much preffered if you can take a direct flight to your destination.One less chance to miss a flight or have them lose your luggage.

Pete

[Hoda]

... in response to Re: Re: cheap airline tickets, posted by Pete E on Nov 3, 2001

Why?

My first two trips to Cali, I used ACES out of Miami. I love the service & the extra space you get. I started using AA, once I found out that I could go directly from Miami to Cali. The AA flight out of Miami leaves 2 hours later, but arrives in Cali only 45 min later, than the ACES flight. One less hop/stop works for me. I've heard a couple of lost luggage stories regarding AA. I get around that by using the largest carry-on bag allowed. I've been fortunate, that I've been able to leave a couple pairs of slacks & a few shirts at my ladies house. This lets me travel lighter (carry-on). When I did have to check in a large bag, I always carried a change or two of clothes with me as carry-on.

Peace....Hoda

p.s. Those frequent flyer miles add up quicker using AA.

[pack]

... in response to Will stay with AA...., posted by Hoda on Nov 4, 2001

long live flyer miles! my first trip to cali i paid for since then every trip i have used flyer miles saved up, my cost each trip $14.00. you gotta love it!!!

[Sol]

... in response to Re: Re: cheap airline tickets, posted by Pete E on Nov 3, 2001

Pete and others,

I agree that Lacsa can't always tell that you have a confirmed reservation. I've done the Lacsa red-eye three times and on one return trip, in Bogota, they told me I had no reservation even though I had flown from Medellin to Bogota as one leg of the flight. It took an hour of insisting before they "found" a seat on the plane anyway. On another flight from SFO the fellow behind me in line was with a group of three other people; they 'lost' a couple of reservations, claiming that they hadn't been confirmed.

Do I still fly Lacsa? Yup, they're enough cheaper than AA most of the time and from SFO to Bogota it's only one more hop than AA. What I do is confirm my reservation the day I'm leaving, pray, arrive early enough to deal with any problems, and in Bogota I go to the Lacsa (actually Taca) office a couple of days before the return flight and get the confirmation on a printout to show the clerk if there's a problem.

I actually like the red eye because I can sleep on the plane and I maximize the time I spend in Colombia while minimizing the amount of vacation time I need to take. Flying all day would be a drag for me.

I have noticed, though, that the two times I went through customs in SFO at 1:00AM when there are hardly any other flights landing is that the customs folks went through my luggage. The one time I went through Miami (via AA) they waved me through.

Sol