Flights from Rio to US/Canada

[tropicalkerry2002]

Just starting research on the Rome to Rio TA for Nov. 2011.

 

My initial research seems to indicate that flights from Rio to US and Canada seem to be evening departures and fly overnight. Is this always true?

 

If those of you who have flown this route could confirm this, I'd appreciate it. Also, please let me know if you used O included air, O with a deviation, or booked your own air, and whether the arrangements were good for you. My final destination is Toronto.

 

And, if heading to the US northeast or the Montreal/Toronto area, just how long was your flight home altogether? It seems there is always a connection...

 

And, for those of who took the O transfer to the airport with the tour included, did you feel you saw enough of Rio?

 

And if you decline O's transfers at booking, it seems to me from our previous 2 O cruises that when the disembarking info is being filled in a night or 2 before the end of the cruise, you could STILL elect to use their transfer, and there was the option of transfer with a tour. Is that memory correct?

 

Thanks for any help, as I try to decide what to do about flights.

 

Marian

[caribbeansun]

No, there are flights leaving in the mornings but your selection is much less and they all involve long layovers and overnight flights.

 

You should give some thought to going to Sao Paulo for a day or two before jumping on a flight back home as your options out of Sao Paulo are considerably better if flight duration is a big issue for you (it is for my DW so I fully appreciate this)

 

My initial research seems to indicate that flights from Rio to US and Canada seem to be evening departures and fly overnight. Is this always true?

 

The times vary considerably depending on your departure time and connections. The shortest I see is around 15 hours, the longest are frankly nuts as they are multi-day.:eek:

 

If you do travel to Sao Paulo then you've got MUCH better options:

the best routing I see is a direct Air Canada flight (AC91) to Toronto which is an 11 hour flight although still a red eye.

 

 

And, if heading to the US northeast or the Montreal/Toronto area, just how long was your flight home altogether? It seems there is always a connection...

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We did something different to avoid that horrible redeye from Toronto. Air Canada flies into Sao Paolo I think, so you have to change planes at the *end* of your long flight and fly to Rio, which adds to the whole exhaustion thing.

 

We rolled our own. It wasn't perfect, but it was good. We flew to Miami and spent the night there to break the journey. Then we fly Copa Air to Rio from there, with a connecting flight in Panama City. We flew Business on Copa, and the price was reasonable--it was nothing like real international Business Class, all we got were wider seats, more room and a larger luggage allowance, but it helped. It was still a red-eye, got to Rio in the morning, but the Panama-Rio flight wasn't too long, about 8 hours I think.

[tropicalkerry2002]

Wendy, this was not a deviation, correct, you did your own air?

 

We come home from Rio. I hoped we could use Aeroplan, but we can't as we have to use 2 one-way flights, and one way flights have to be on Air Canada, and they don't fly from Rio to Toronto.

 

We COULD get ourselves to Sao Paulo and use AC, but the one way flights also use WAY more points, so I'm thinking we'll just use an Oceania deviation, and request the flights we'd like, and hope we get lucky.

 

So, I have to decide if I would prefer a short hop to Sao Paulo, and a 10 hour flight in economy on AC, or go Rio to Miami, them Miami to Toronto, or something similar. I am thinking that on the 10 hour flight from Sao Paulo, I could knock myself out with something maybe...

 

I wonder where else in the US a flight from Rio lands? Ideas anyone?

[tropicalkerry2002]

looking at the Copa Airlines site, it seems flights from there stop at Panama, before heading on to Miami, Orlando, or New York. Did your flight stop there too?

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

Marian

[rallydave]

I wonder where else in the US a flight from Rio lands? Ideas anyone?

 

Believe Continental flies non-stop from Rio to Houston and Newark. Plenty of flights from HOuston or Newark to Toronto. And, Continental is now part of Star Alliance so you could use miles from AC to fly continental. At least I think so. Know I can use miles on Continental to fly Air Canada!

[tropicalkerry2002]

I'll look at Continental's site.

 

But still can't use Aeroplan points. The problem is: Toronto-Rome and Rio-to Toronto is not considered an acceptable routing. That's why it would have to be 2 one way tickets, and one way tickets HAVE to be on Air Canada.

 

I may phone Aeroplan again to see if I get a different answer...wouldn't surprise me!

[MightyQuinn]

But still can't use Aeroplan points. The problem is: Toronto-Rome and Rio-to Toronto is not considered an acceptable routing. That's why it would have to be 2 one way tickets, and one way tickets HAVE to be on Air Canada.

You should be able to fly Rio-Sao Paulo-TO on an Aeroplan FF award ticket using AC and TAM Airlines. We used FF miles for the reverse route last year to get to Rio for our TA cruise. We flew AC for the long haul overnite TO-Sao Paulo & then connected onto TAM for the short flight to Rio. At that time, TAM wasn’t part of Star Alliance & we had to pay for the Sao Paulo-Rio segment separately. But earlier this year, TAM became a full member of Star Alliance. So you should be able to get the entire routing on an FF ticket. It's worth exploring with an AP agent.

[tropicalkerry2002]

this is what Aeroplan's site states about one way flights:

 

 

"NEW online! Now you can use your miles to travel sooner or farther with ClassicFlight one-way flight rewards!

Not enough miles for a round-trip? Great news! You can now use your miles for only a portion of your trip - with ClassicFlight one-way flight rewards! Now available online!

 

Members can travel sooner or to farther destinations for a fixed number of miles. You can redeem for a ClassicFlight one-way short-haul flight reward in economy class for as little as 10,000 Aeroplan Miles.

View the ClassicFlight one-way flight rewards chart!

 

Available on Air Canada and Jazz for North American and International travel, ClassicFlight one-way flight rewards increase the flexibility and accessibility of flight rewards by providing members with the option to use their miles for a portion of their trip.

 

Plan your trip to your advantage and specific travel needs, with a purchased ticket for your outbound and a redemption ticket for your inbound or vice-versa.

 

Either way, you can book ClassicFlight one-way rewards on aeroplan.com and through the

Aeroplan Contact Centre."

 

It does state only on AC and Jazz, doesn't mention partner airlines.... a silly policy!

[rallydave]

I'll look at Continental's site.

 

But still can't use Aeroplan points. The problem is: Toronto-Rome and Rio-to Toronto is not considered an acceptable routing. That's why it would have to be 2 one way tickets, and one way tickets HAVE to be on Air Canada.

 

I may phone Aeroplan again to see if I get a different answer...wouldn't surprise me!

 

Good luck. Think you may be surprised. My DW and I are cruising on Regent this fall from Anchorage to Beijing and then continuing to Hong Kong. Booked a year ago and couldn't book air that early but, contacted Continental to see if the round trip was possible. Got several conflicting answers and remember, this was an Open Jaw trip with the first part domestic and the return International. This was also just prior to Continental moving to Star Alliance so I understood the confusion.

 

We were able to book just after Continental became a member of Star and kept checking out availability and calling in to see what the chances were. Again got many different answers including that we would need to pay for International miles for round trip. Finally we could book both ways and had just enough miles for two round trips at international rates.

 

Called to reserve and got the usual strange comments about flying to Anchorage and returning from Hong Kong and had to explain we were going to be on a cruise and all was well. The reservationist (couldn't book this type of trip on line) was doing well with the bookings and when the she told me the number of miles needed, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we were paying domestic miles to Anchorage and Internatinal miles from Hong Kong. And, we were flying 3 different airlines; Continental to Anchorage and then United from Hong Kong to San Francisco and US Air back home to Houston.

 

Guess the moral of my story is no matter what they say when they are answering your questions until you actually are booking the flights, you won't really know the policy!! So, try to book and see what you get before using Oceania air.

 

Hope it all works out for you,

 

Dave

[tropicalkerry2002]

I think I might try to book...the flights can be booked just under a year in advance, so if not, then I can still get the deviation;they book 270 days in advance.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

No, this wasn't a deviation, we rolled our own. Never have had those kind of points, unfortunately!

 

And yes, as I said, we stopped over in Miami for the night, and connected in Panama City. This is their hub--Copa is a Panamanian airline.

[caribbeansun]

Agreed - should be an acceptable routing as an open jaw ticket however if the OP wishes to pursue the issue they really should visit flyertalk's Aeroplan board and pose their routing questions there for a more helpful answer as well as suggestions for potentially resolving their AP questions.

 

You should be able to fly Rio-Sao Paulo-TO on an Aeroplan FF award ticket using AC and TAM Airlines. We used FF miles for the reverse route last year to get to Rio for our TA cruise. We flew AC for the long haul overnite TO-Sao Paulo & then connected onto TAM for the short flight to Rio. At that time, TAM wasn’t part of Star Alliance & we had to pay for the Sao Paulo-Rio segment separately. But earlier this year, TAM became a full member of Star Alliance. So you should be able to get the entire routing on an FF ticket. It's worth exploring with an AP agent.

[tropicalkerry2002]

Just talked to Aeroplan again, and asked WHY it can't be an open jaw ticket.

 

AC has divide the world into 3 sections, and open jaw tix must all be in the same section. Europe and SA aren't in the same section.

 

This is a stupid rule if ever there was one!

 

I think I'll just use O air with a deviation, and save my points for the NEXT cruise!

 

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.

[caribbeansun]

Hmmm, hadn't looked at that before, good to know (I guess), and then I found this on the Aeroplan site:

 

What are the rules for open jaw itineraries on domestic and trans-border travel?

 

Your round-trip itinerary can only include one stopover or one open jaw, plus your point of turnaround.

 

What about international itineraries with an open jaw and/or stopover?

 

 

Online you may book an international round-trip itinerary including one stopover or one open jaw, plus your point of turnaround.

 

 

 

By calling the Aeroplan Contact Centre, you may book an international itinerary between different continents including two stopovers or one stopover and one open jaw, plus your point of turnaround. (Certain routing restrictions apply)

 

 

 

The two cities making up the portion of your trip with no air travel must be in the same “travel zone”.

 

 

 

[tropicalkerry2002]

Now that you've posted that, at least I know that when I do the Sydney-Bangkok cruise, I'll be able to use my points!

[caribbeansun]

You should look at a Star Alliance flight to Sydney - we did Air New Zealand through LAX and it was pure luxury and the miles were far less than a first on AC particularly if you have any thoughts of stopping in New Zealand on the way through. We did YYZ/LAX/Auckland - toured the north and south islands and then flew Christchurch to Sydney.

 

Now that you've posted that, at least I know that when I do the Sydney-Bangkok cruise, I'll be able to use my points!

[tropicalkerry2002]

Sounds DECADENT, and I will remember this suggestion, thanks!

[jescott54]

You can get day rooms at the airport or even leave the night before the cruise ends, since it's a wash the next morning. We returned from Rio in Feb. and wish we would have done this rather than the long wait for a pm departure. Also, good info: LAN and Copa were great, as was American to Miami. We used Oceania's airfare. Super!

[Dreps]

In February, we took a late night Delta flight from Rio to Atlanta on our way back to DC. What we did was check our luggage at the airport and then we took a day tour to Petrópolis--the Imperial City of Brazil. It was terrific. The weather was much cooler than Rio, which was scorching at the time, and the scenery was beautiful on the drive and we enjoyed the city.

 

One word of caution, we needed cash to store our luggage at the airport--they didn't take credit cards or dollars--so we used an airport ATM. The result was that both our ATM card and our friend's card were "scammed." By the time I discovered this--very long story--almost $10K had been removed from my account. In the end, it was all covered, but very stressful.

[potterhill]

We did the day hotel thing one time in London when we had to wait all day for a flight to Pisa. Best money we ever spent. We had a shower, slept for a bit, got an early dinner and we quite refreshed when we arrived.

 

We often joke that it was the best part of the trip!

 

When we flew home to Toronto from Rio it was a night flight and we went through Miami. I think if I were doing it again I would try going through Sao Paulo and get the direct flight to Toronto. That way you deal with the change when you are still fresh!

 

Mo

[Paulchili]

Just talked to Aeroplan again, and asked WHY it can't be an open jaw ticket.

 

AC has divide the world into 3 sections, and open jaw tix must all be in the same section. Europe and SA aren't in the same section.

 

This is a stupid rule if ever there was one!

 

I think I'll just use O air with a deviation, and save my points for the NEXT cruise!

 

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.

 

 

Reading this thread makes me feel good that I have only 58 miles left on my Aeroplan account - no plans to add any :).

[caribbeansun]

Well in fairness to Errorplan you can get significant value out of the program but you have to work hard at it and book well in advance (as in the day the booking window opens up).

 

ie. we booked 2 first class YYZ/SYD a couple years ago - value of the tickets retail was well in excess of $10k each.

 

booked 2 economy to Athens, return via Istanbul

 

booked 2 first class non-stops to Rome, return via Zurich for this fall with a retail value of $4k each

 

We used Errorplan in combination with O flight credits plus Starwood points for hotels pre and post cruise to make trips quite affordable in the past. The skinnier flight credits are making is a less viable option going forward unfortunately.

 

 

 

Reading this thread makes me feel good that I have only 58 miles left on my Aeroplan account - no plans to add any :).

[Paulchili]

Well in fairness to Errorplan you can get significant value out of the program but you have to work hard at it and book well in advance (as in the day the booking window opens up).

 

The skinnier flight credits are making is a less viable option going forward unfortunately.

 

 

I am glad it has worked for you.

I like the name - Errorplan; reminds me of some people calling Delta's plan Sky Pesos.

We have been very happy with AA and OW (both earning miles many ways and claiming awards). We , too, have to plan very early to get our choices.

Good luck.

[hondorner]

I'm jumping into this late, but our experience may be of some help to you.

 

We arrived in Rio on a transAtlantic from Barcelona in the afternoon of one day and disembarked the next day, which I think its what you are going to do. We had two main sightseeing goals in Rio -- Corcovado and Sugar Loaf. We took a tour to Corcovado (the Christ statue) on the afternoon we arrived.

 

The next day, our flight from Rio was not until 8:30 PM (standard Oceania-arranged flight -- no deviation -- we deviated in Barcelona, but not Rio). The flight was American Airlines from Rio to Sao Paulo, change planes, and then direct overnight from Sao Paulo to Miami, which is our home airport.

 

We were already using Oceania's transfer to the airport and when they offered a tour in addition, we signed up for it. The tour on the day of disembarking was on a motor coach, not crowded, and took us first to Sugar Loaf, then to Ipanema Beach (were it stopped very briefly), through the city where various sights were pointed out but there were no stops, and then to a large shopping mall where we could get lunch and window shop. Some folks grumbled about the mall, but we had seen everything we wanted to see and more, so we were happy to see the modern side of Rio.

 

Some folks took the slum tour to the Favela neighborhood, but we felt that was exploitive.

 

The bus got us to the airport about 4 hours before the flight, and we needed every moment of it. The first line to check in ran from the middle of the terminal to the end, hooked around and came back to the middle again. After check in, the security line ran the other direction from the middle to the end, hooked around, and came back almost to the middle again. If I had been smart, I would have shown my Florida handicap parking permit and requested a wheel chair, but I couldn't believe it would take so long. By the time we reached the boarding gate, our flight had already been called and boarding was almost over. I thought that Rio was the single worst airport I had ever experienced. We had been warned, in a message like this, but the reality was worse.

 

At least, I thought Rio was the worst until we got to Sao Paulo. When we deplaned, we could see through a glass door into the boarding area and the gate where we would get our next flight. we were in a secure area inside the security. All they would have had to do was open that door and we could have relaxed until the next flight.

 

Instead, they herded us all out past security, turned us around, and made us go back through security again. Everyone on the plane was going back to that same area to wait for various flights. It took abut an hour and a half, and we barely made the boarding call again.

 

The rest of the flight was uneventful.

 

Were I to do it again (doubtful, as I have absolutely no desire to ever go to Rio again), I would hire a private guide in Rio for the day of disembarkation, see whatever I wanted to see in Rio, and then have him drive me to the Sao Paulo airport. It's about a 45 minute drive between the cities, and would have saved the 5 or 6 hours it took us to get through the various lines and the flight to Sao Paulo and all the standing and waiting.