South America Trip - Travel Agent Recommendations?

[MickMcGeough]

I've talked to about a half dozen travel agents on the phone and email and for the life of me I can't get them to want my thousands of dollars. Getting questions answered and trying to get them to shop for some flights is like pulling teeth.

I'm looking for flights to Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and back.

Am I asking too much of a travel agent or am I just finding duds? Anyone have an email or phone number of someone who actually wanted their business? Better yet, anyone have any advice on finding cheap flights on my own?

[habernac]

Talk to Axeman (Sample00) I think he'd be more than happy to help out.

[Agamemnon]

You should be able to scour the internet for various flight quotes. I've found Lonely Planet guidebooks to be gold mines for travel advice, they generally know the easiest/best/cheapest flights into and out of most countries. I'm planning a 4 month trip to Africa in about a month and Lonely Planet was pretty much the only thing I needed (though I did a lot more research just out of interest).

One decent travel place is The Thorn Tree, it's Lonely Planet's forum, post the question and see what kind of answers you get.

[Flames89]

I thought travel agents went the same way as the library since the internet ...

... can't you just do it yourself online?

[Bigtime]

I went down to Argentina, Uruguay, and Antarctica back in February. I just booked all the flights online to get down there. Air Canada to Buenos Aires, then searched online for the domestic flights in Argentina.

However if possible try to stay away from Aerolineas Argentinas, they are having a huge amount of financial and labour troubles. Flights get cancelled daily without notice and it could leave you high and dry. Stick with Lan Chile or Lan Argentina, a good company using good modern aircraft.

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by habernac

Talk to Axeman (Sample00) I think he'd be more than happy to help out.

Thanks for the tip, but I sold Yellowhead Travel 2 months ago.
However, the lady that bought it from me is excellent and you might want to give her a call.
1-888-723-4478.
her name is Dawn.
tell her I sent you and you might get a CP discount.
thanks
Axel

and in answer to the other posters question...
no, travel agents have not gone by way of the Doh Doh bird.
they are becoming even more popular now because some clients trips are becoming increasingly more complex.
I mean, anyone can book a trip online to Vegas.
but if you want to go to the Peru or something, it gets more complex and why not have an expert deal with all the stuff for you instead of you spending hours of online time and then still not getting what you want.

[troutman]

If you can get cheaply to Miami, you might find cheap connecting flights to Caracas and beyond.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by troutman

If you can get cheaply to Miami, you might find cheap connecting flights to Caracas and beyond.

Yup, American Airlines has an extensive South American network with most of it leaving out of Miami.

[BuzzardsWife]

What a nice problem to have, finding a travel agent

[Phanuthier]

Use kayak for flights if you want to do it on your own. I usually book do my own travel arrangements on the net, and some are complex like Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, etc.

[PIMking]

Just go to miami. It might as well be cenral and south american.

[mykalberta]

Dallas and Houston (both direct flights from Calgary) also have flights to where you would want to go.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I've talked to about a half dozen travel agents on the phone and email and for the life of me I can't get them to want my thousands of dollars. Getting questions answered and trying to get them to shop for some flights is like pulling teeth.

I'm looking for flights to Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and back.

Am I asking too much of a travel agent or am I just finding duds? Anyone have an email or phone number of someone who actually wanted their business? Better yet, anyone have any advice on finding cheap flights on my own?

When I was an agent, the south american flights were a pain in the ass to book, not sure why it was that way but in comparison to europe or asia it was annoying as hell.

Were you only looking for flights, or doing tour packages?

If you are only booking flights, nothing else; I bet thats why you are not getting much help from agents. If you book like $3000 dollars of flights the agent would make from those maybe $15-50 dollars if they book it for anyone who does their research (shop around!) and its not big motivation for them.

If its tour packages, insurance, side trips and flights; you'll usually find them way more eager.

I was terrible at south america otherwise I'd give you some suggestions, I just know there is about 5 GAP tours I wanted to go on BADLY while I was an agent, one of these days I'll get around to them!

[firebug]

Try www.farecast.com

I am going to peru for two weeks next month (G.A.P. Adventures trip PAA), and the flights on farecast were the best I (or my agent) could find.

It is an excellent site for flights.

~firebug

[mykalberta]

When I went to Chile/Argentina we booked the flights and hotel ourselves so I cant be a real help with the Travel Agent mess.

I would guess its because of the different visa requirements and the general non professional conduct of the buisnesses down there.

When we arrived in Santiago via Houston we went to our hotel with reservation and Amex bill in hand and they said they "had no record" of us booking two rooms. They tried to make it look like they were doing us a big service by finding us two rooms.

The shotty operation down there reminded me alot of Greece when I was there about a year before the Olympics.

[Sylvanfan]

Within Brazil TAM is an airline to check out. Varig is the big carrier, but they seem to have much higher prices. Depending on your Itenrary and where you want to go a couple of bus trips may work for you too. When I was in Brazil in 2002 it was pretty cheap to go by bus, and the bus was really not that bad at all. But to book hotels and the like down there...yeah, it can be a serious challenge. Learn the languages too as English is not well know down there. Also don't make the mistake of thinking Spanish and Portugese are the same....in written form they don't look that different, but in spoken form...way different!

[Thor]

Originally Posted by fotze

Interesting, that explains why they refused to look at anything other than charter packages. Why don't they just say that so I am not wasting their time or my own talking to them.

Packages are quick/easy to book for agents, the non traditional route is more work and less profit for agents. Good agents still do the work and build a relationship with their clients, most regular clients booked insurance, car rentals, hotels, etc..

I suggest people find a good travel agent (not so easy these days) and stick with them, let them know you do check prices but ultimately you will book with them. I witnessed so many horror stories of people's vacations going to hell, and having an agent to help you and their company behind them is a big benefit IF things don't go smoothly.

I left the industry because I felt for the work I did the money I was making wasn't right. We went from making 5% off of domestic, 10-30% international, 15% for vacation packages, 10-20% cruises; down to almost nothing for domestic flights, 1-5% off international, 3-5% for packages and cruises still being somewhat decent. Thats money towards the company you worked for, then you got a small cut of that.

Take as an example of the old days, $3000 package to Cancun sold, $450 to the company and $30-100 to the agent depending on your sales overall.

That wasn't a lot, and when online companies with very low markup came, it really became a tough industry to make a good wage.

Its an industry going through a lot of change in the last 5 years, and I'm sure things will be different and hopefully better once agents find a reasonable way to make a living. Not everyone can sell just cruises/packages

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by firebug

Try www.farecast.com

I am going to peru for two weeks next month (G.A.P. Adventures trip PAA), and the flights on farecast were the best I (or my agent) could find.

It is an excellent site for flights.

~firebug

Wow, thanks for that! I actually found a cheaper flight on the American Airlines website, oddly enough, but farecast found one that was 6hrs less one way, easily worth the price difference!

[MickMcGeough]

Big thanks to everyone for all the info so far, you've been a huge help.

Bigtime, thanks for the SA airline recommendations, I'll check them out. Anyone else have any experience finding chartered flights within South America?

[troutman]

in 1994 the main airline in Argentina had this promotion where you could fly around Argentina 5 times for $100 (if you were a foreigner)

I flew once in Peru from Cuzco to Arequipa

South Americans applaud whenever the plane lands - I'm not sure if they felt lucky to land or what that was about

If you have lots of time, you will be taking buses, not planes

Highlights:

Ecuador - Quito, Amazon (Tena), Banos, Cuenca

Peru - Cuzco, Arequipa, Nazca

Chile - Arica, La Serena, Santiago, Lake District, Pto Montt, Cruise though Patagonia to Pto Natales, Pta Arenas

Argentina - Tierra Del Fuego (Ushaia), Peninsula Valdes, Buenos Airies, Iguazu

Bolivia - La Paz, Tihuanaco, Copa Cabana (Lake Tititcaca)