have airfares really gone up this much?

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Internal flights within Europe have always been pretty reasonable- I live in Philadelphia and Florida is not that far but it costs over $300 to fly there!
When I was in Mexico - I could have flown for very little to other countries in Latin America - it must be something to do with flying in and out of the USA that makes the fare so expensive

[bonniejoy03]

I just priced Santiago to Mendoza and it is less than $130 round trip! That is with me purchasing it from the US. (sometimes it is less expensive to purchase in the country.) WOW...

[kyshel]

Holy cow--I got $69 RT(+$34 fees/tax) for a whopping $103!!

[bonniejoy03]

I got the same amount as you on certain times of the day. What a deal! This is booking from the US which is typically higher. Plus...I have two airlines to consider! Now, let's add more properties for 2012!!

[copahc]

For flights to the Caribbean you can try Spirit Airlines. If you happen to live near one of the places in the US the fly to, you can get some cheap deals sometimes. They often run sales. They are however a low cost airline, which means they nickel and dime you with fees and I’ve also here in the past that they’ve left some passengers stranded for a while during snow storms and the like.. but that’s probably true for most airlines. Passengers don’t really have any rights it seems.

[bonniejoy03]

Spirit isn't in my area. JetBlue is getting closer to my area. Typically, the places we go in the Caribbean are off the beaten path so it has always been difficult flying there. Now though, it is almost impossible! Virgin Gorda airport closed, AA stopped the eagle into Anguilla, and the list goes on. We do have other options but the flights and ferries make getting there an all day affair!~

[kyshel]

The biggest problem with Spirit is they don't have any affiliations with other carriers. If you have a mechanical issue--find your own flight. If there's an issue like the plane never got to Cancun to take you home, good luck...If a crew member gets injured or falls ill--no local replacements, no go...etc.

[thepiranha]

Bonniejoy, why would you fly from Santiago to Mendoza? It's only a four hour bus ride. It's not worth the hassle of getting to the airport, going through security, etc., and flying won't save you much time. The buses in Chile are reputed to be among the best in the world and you get a much better view than from a plane. I'm planning to fly into Buenos Aires in December, check out Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, then bus it across Argentina to Mendoza, Santiago, and Valparaiso, where I'll meet up with my family.

I read this week that airfares are up 14% from a year ago, due primarily to the cost of jet fuel. Airfares to South America are sky high. I looked into flights from Oregon for December and they're around $1800 roundtrip. Ouch!

[kyshel]

But piranha--we are talking about flying into SCL for convenience to access Mendoza and I am already in Chile, but not paying for arrival tax. If I take a bus, I pay $140 to exit the airport. If I fly to Mendoza, Argentina, I will not even pay the $140 arrival fee for Argentina because I'm not arriving from the US.
I believe Bonnie has already paid (good for 10 yrs or remaining life of passport) I can tell you I would hardly sit on a bus for 4 hours despite the fees unless it was the only option.
FYI--Aside from the $1800 airfare, you'll get zapped at EZE airport for the $140/American pax. Your trip plan sounds great tho!

[omegaet]

But piranha--we are talking about flying into SCL for convenience to access Mendoza and I am already in Chile, but not paying for arrival tax. If I take a bus, I pay $140 to exit the airport. If I fly to Mendoza, Argentina, I will not even pay the $140 arrival fee for Argentina because I'm not arriving from the US.
I believe Bonnie has already paid (good for 10 yrs or remaining life of passport) I can tell you I would hardly sit on a bus for 4 hours despite the fees unless it was the only option.
FYI--Aside from the $1800 airfare, you'll get zapped at EZE airport for the $140/American pax. Your trip plan sounds great tho!

kyshel....officials are inconsistent at MDZ on the $140 for US Citizens....especially if you arrive at SCL and make a connecting flight the same day onward to MDZ.

I think they know a lot of US Citizen pass that way as a result of the wine industry and the opportunity to collect the money, rather than being tied up with some border official for an hour or two explaining your travel plans and exploring their regulations. We've crossed the Chile/Argentina boarders several times and managed to avoid paying the $140.....friends have sometimes had to pay at the same crossing points.

You are 100% correct on EZE....they always collect the $140!