FINDING CHEAP AIRFARES TO LATIN AMERICA by Nicholas Crowder

You are planning your trip to Latin America and this year say you are going to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia or maybe Brazil. You phone the normal carriers 800 numbers or contact your regular agent you use for domestic flights. The prices seem high enough that you will be eating one meal a day on your trip. Solution- you need a specialist in a certain market who may have discounted airfares to your destination. How to find one? Start checking around to see if there are any clubs in your area sponsored by nationals from the countries you plan visiting. You may also find one by calling a university and check with the Latin American Studies Department or call a consulate. When you find such a group check with members on where they get their tickets when returning to their homeland. Believe me, they usually are very knowledgeable as to the locating the best deals. You will find that often particular nationalities tend to purchase from an agency who specializes in a particular destination and has built a clientele. Often the individual in the agency is a national from the particular country. Also, if you can visit a consulate you will see ads posted around the office from local agencies that specialize in your selected destination. You may also ask one of the office staff who they would recommend or who they use themselves. The methods used above should yield you good results as well as possibly introduce you to some people from your destination that may provide you further inside information for your  trip to Latin America.

Originally published in the May/June issue of Latin America Traveler 1997. Copyrighted.