Ecuador Bound

You’ll be surprised by the clean, modern and efficient airports in Ecuador (videos below).

There are 3 main airlines that fly to Ecuador on a regular basis. They fly to all 3 of Ecuador’s largest cities:

• Quito – Quito – Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU) which was refurbished just a few years ago, however, a brand New Quito International Airport (NQIA) is currently being constructed 10 miles from Quito and the first phase is expected to open in late 2009 – early 2010. This new airport (video below) will be at a lower altitude and the NQIA will have a new airport terminal and 10 times more space than the existing airport (3,500 acres). It will be able to schedule more convenient take off and arrival times.
• Guayaquil – José Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE/SEGU) which opened in mid-2006 &
• Cuenca -Mariscal Lamar Airport (CUE/SECU).

The 3 Main Airlines are:

• American Airlines (http://www.aa.com)
• LAN (http://www.lan.com) – Site is in Spanish
• AeroGal (https://www.aerogal.com.ec) – Site is in Spanish

Flight options from the U.S. to Ecuador have recently expanded by AeroGal, an established Ecuadorian airline. They added Miami-Guayaquil and Miami-Quito flights. American Airlines and LAN (a highly regarded South American airline) have been flying these routes for years. AeroGal, the new kid on the block, is a good choice if you are looking to save a bit.

You have other options as well according to A-Z Airports:

Airlines Serving Quito Airport: Aerosucre, American Airlines, Arrow Cargo, Atlas Air, Avianca, COPA, Cielos Airlines, Continental, Delta Air Lines, Florida West, Iberia, Icaro, KLM, LAN Airlines, Martinair, SJM, TAME, Tampa, UPS Airlines, Vipair.

Once in Ecuador, you probably will want to continue on your adventure. Getting to the coast (la costa) takes approximately 20 minutes from Quito and flying to the jungle or Amazon (el oriente) takes just 30 minutes.

According to Ecuador Explorer:

TAME has flights to almost all destinations in the country including: Guayaquil, Quito, the Galapagos, Bahía, Esmeraldas, Manta, Portoviejo, Machala, Cuenca, Loja, Tulcán, Coca, Lago Agrio, and Macas. The up and coming Icaro now flies to most major destinations and is in the process of expanding its service.

While prices vary depending on the destination and the season, non-national tourists can expect to pay under USD 50 each way for mainland flights (with the exception of flights to and from jungle destinations in the Oriente which tend to be a little more expensive) and between USD 300 and USD 380 for a round-trip flight to the Galapagos from Guayaquil or Quito.

For the most up-to-date fare and scheduling information, it is always best to check with TAME and or Icaro. Also, don’t forget that students who have a valid ID card from their home university may receive a 10-25% discount. There is no departure tax on internal flights.

Tame.com.ec has a translator on their site for your convenience. I counted 16 different destinations in Ecuador they service. They had this under their current specials: “From now on all customers of TAME to present their boarding pass at any of the Hertz office at the national level will receive a 20% discount on their car rental services, among other important benefits.” Not too bad of a perc for taking a short trip.

Another Ecuadorian airline for in-country flights is Icaro. This site is in Spanish only. The site is nicely done, but if you can’t read Spanish yet, it might be a problem. I will give you some pointers on that issue in another post.

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Be sure to read my post on Choosing Travel Accommodations – Hotel & Airfare for a few money saving tools to book your flights and hotels.

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