Travel Deals

Cheap Flights from Miami/New York to Sao Paulo, Brazil

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Really — is there anyone who doesn’t want to go to Brazil? Well, for those of you in either Miami or NYC – there’s no better time than now to buy a plane ticket. As part of their Labor Day specials, LAN.com is offering roundtrip tickets from New York or Miami to Sao Paulo starting at just $749 if you complete your travels by December 30th and buy your ticket by Sept 6 at 11:59pm (EST).

As always, restrictions apply:

  • Flights operated by: LAN.
  • Fare aplicable to fly Economy.
  • Required booking class Q.
  • Minimum stay at the destination: Saturday night.
  • Maximum stay at the destination: 3 months.
  • Travel must begin on or AFTER September 09, 2011.
  • Travel must begin on or BEFORE November 30, 2011.
  • Travel restriction: Valid for travel commencing on/after September 09, 2011.
  • Travel restriction: Travel must be finished by December 31, 2011.
  • Sales restrictions: Ticket must be purchased on or before September 06, 2011.
  • Travel permitted for flight departure the day(s) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
  • Travel permitted for flight return the day(s) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
  • Prohibited flight numbers: 4M6300, 4M6301, 4M6302, 4M6303, 4M6304, 4M6305, 4M6306, 4M6307, 4M6308, 4M6309, 4M6310, 4M6311, 4M6312, 4M6313, 4M6314, 4M6315, 4M6316, 4M6317, 4M6318, 4M6319, 4M6320, 4M6321, 4M6322, 4M6323, 4M6324, 4M6325, 4M6326, 4M6327, 4M6328, 4M6329, 4M6330, 4M6331, 4M6332, 4M6333, 4M6334, 4M6335, 4M6.
  • Advance purchase: Ticket must be purchased at least 7 days before departure.
  • Child fare (2-11 years): Accompanied 75% of an adult fare.
  • Infant fare (0-2 years): Without a seat 10% of an adult fare.
  • Changes are permitted with a penalty of US$ 100 on or before date of flight departure.
  • Changes are not permitted after date of flight departure.
  • Refunds: On or before flight departure day refund is not permitted
  • Refunds are not permitted after date of flight departure.
  • To Miami Travel is not permitted in the following dates: From 02/JAN/12 Through 10/JAN/12.
  • Government taxes and fees of up to USD 95 , varying by destination, are not included and may vary slightly depending on currency exchange rates at the time of purchase.
  • Fares subject to change without previous notice. Seats are limited.
  • A September 11th Security Fee of $2.50 USD per flight segment that originates at a U.S. point is not included in the fare.
  • Flights may be operated by LAN Airlines S.A., LAN Peru S.A., LAN Argentina S.A. y Aerolane, Lineas Aereas Nacionales del Ecuador S.A.
  • Other restrictions may apply.

Seems like a great deal to me, though I admit I don’t know how much tickets normally run. Now, if only I could get to Miami or NYC extremely cheaply.

More details here.

Travel Deals

Cheap Flights from Miami to Quito

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There are some crazy Labor Day specials from the US to South America at LAN.com this weekend. One of the cheapest fares is from Miami to Quito starting at only $390! You must purchase a roundtrip ticket by September 6, 2011 11:59pm (EST) and complete your travels by December 30th to take advantage of the special pricing.

Of course, with any airfare special, restrictions apply

  • Flights operated by: LAN ECUADOR.
  • Fare aplicable to fly Economy.
  • Required booking class Q.
  • Minimum stay at the destination: Saturday night.
  • Maximum stay at the destination: 3 months.
  • Travel must begin on or AFTER September 09, 2011.
  • Travel must begin on or BEFORE November 30, 2011.
  • Travel restriction: Valid for travel commencing on/after September 09, 2011.
  • Travel restriction: Travel must be finished by December 31, 2011.
  • Sales restrictions: Ticket must be purchased on or before September 06, 2011.
  • Travel permitted for flight departure the day(s) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
  • Travel permitted for flight return the day(s) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
  • Prohibited flight numbers: 4M6300, 4M6301, 4M6302, 4M6303, 4M6304, 4M6305, 4M6306, 4M6307, 4M6308, 4M6309, 4M6310, 4M6311, 4M6312, 4M6313, 4M6314, 4M6315, 4M6316, 4M6317, 4M6318, 4M6319, 4M6320, 4M6321, 4M6322, 4M6323, 4M6324, 4M6325, 4M6326, 4M6327, 4M6328, 4M6329, 4M6330, 4M6331, 4M6332, 4M6333, 4M6334, 4M6335, 4M6.
  • Advance purchase: Ticket must be purchased at least 7 days before departure.
  • Child fare (2-11 years): Accompanied 75% of an adult fare.
  • Infant fare (0-2 years): Without a seat 10% of an adult fare.
  • Changes are permitted with a penalty of US$ 50 on or before date of flight departure.
  • Changes are not permitted after date of flight departure.
  • Refunds: On or before flight departure day refund is not permitted
  • Refunds are not permitted after date of flight departure.
  • From Miami fare allows travel in the following dates: From 01/SEP/11 Through 12/DEC/11
  • From Miami Travel is not permitted in the following dates: From 15/DEC/11 Through 23/DEC/11.To Miami Travel is not permitted in the following dates: From 01/JAN/12 Through 12/JAN/12.
  • Government taxes and fees of up to USD 105 , varying by destination, are not included and may vary slightly depending on currency exchange rates at the time of purchase.
  • Fares subject to change without previous notice. Seats are limited.
  • A September 11th Security Fee of $2.50 USD per flight segment that originates at a U.S. point is not included in the fare.
  • Flights may be operated by LAN Airlines S.A., LAN Peru S.A., LAN Argentina S.A. y Aerolane, Lineas Aereas Nacionales del Ecuador S.A.
  • Other restrictions may apply.

More details here.

Travel Plans

Want to Move to Chile to Bootstrap Your Business? Top 10 Reasons Why It’s Awesome

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Have the itch to travel and just don’t know where to go? Do you want to sit side-by-side with smart entrepreneurs from all over the world, in a gorgeous sunlit office with free coffee and pastries, while receiving $40K in equity-free funding and all sorts of great connections from the Chilean government?

Yeah, it sounds too good to be true.

But this is what I’m doing right now. My name is Leslie Forman, and I moved to Santiago, Chile in July as part of Start-Up Chile, a program of the Chilean government to attract world-class early-stage entrepreneurs to start their businesses in Chile. I work for a solar energy start-up, and the program is awesome.

Here are the top 10 reasons why moving to Chile is a great idea:

1. Start-Up Chile, Movistar, and Urban Station have worked together to create a gorgeous office for us! Here is a whole series of fabulous photos, taken by Alar from Estonia.

2. So many smart people in the same room! This physical proximity leads to new ideas and opportunities.

Read the rest of the list on my personal blog, Beyond Chile’s Single Story or on the Start-Up Chile blog!

 

Finances and Money

How Do I Know Which Travel Insurance is Right For Me?

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When planning a vacation, you are likely picturing sunny skies, white sand, and having some fun with your family or friends not medical emergencies and theft of property. It is likely that neither situation will arise but better to be prepared than be caught off guard. A little planning can save you thousands of dollars should an unexpected event occur.

Preparatory Steps

Before you purchase travel insurance you should perform some research in terms of your current policy coverage.
Your homeowner’s policy may cover such items as lost or stolen luggage but not cover trip cancellation or delay. It is also likely that your existing health insurance won’t cover any medical emergencies that occur during travel.
Your credit card may cover travel accident insurance or baggage insurance. Unfortunately, the travel accident insurance provided by most credit card companies only apply in the event of accidental death.

Once you have determined what type of coverage you already have, purchase additional insurance to fill in remaining gaps. Premiums will be based in the duration of your trip or percentage of its total cost. As with other types of insurance, most travel policies will have a deductible.

Four Types of Travel Insurance

  1. Short term or single trip insurance covers trips up to 90 days. Single trip means that you will not be traveling again within the year.
  2. Long-term or multi-trip insurance covers trips of up to one year. An example of multi-trip insurance would be if you are working on a project for your company that will require periodic visits during the year to another location.
  3. Expatriate insurance covers people who relocate to another country, most often for work.
  4. Insurance for foreign nationals covers those who are non-U.S. citizens.

Policy Coverage

The type of incidents covered and coverage amounts can vary greatly between different travel insurance policies. Below is a list of features that are commonly covered:

  • Emergency medical care. Most policies will typically not cover routine physical exams.
  • Medical transport. Insurance will typically cover any transportation needed to bring you to the nearest hospital for treatment, even if at some distance away or in another country.
  • Emergency dental care. Again, most policies will not cover such routine dental services as checkups or cleanings.
  • Trip cancellation or postponement. Covers the cost of your tip if you need to cancel or postpone due to unforeseen circumstances such as international travel alerts.
  • Lost or stolen luggage. Most policies only cover up to a specific dollar amount.
  • Repatriation of any possessions. Most policies assist with the cost of wading through red tape to have your possessions returned from other countries.
  • Legal assistance, referrals, and multilingual services. Each can be invaluable resource during emergency situations.

Typical Exclusions

Like many other insurance policies there are exceptions to what is covered. Common exclusions include:

  • Pre-existing medical conditions
  • Pregnancy
  • Self-inflicted wounds
  • Suicide
  • Mental impairment
  • War-related injuries
  • Sports activities (scuba diving, hiking, hand-gliding, bicycling, etc.

Selecting a policy

  • Evaluate your current insurance coverage under your home owners and/or health policies. Check with your credit card company as well. For example, American Express offers travel insurance to its card holders.
  • Confer with your travel agent to find the policy that best matches your needs.
  • Search the Internet and compare/contrast the policies offered by different insurance companies then call to verify the information you find.

Evaluate your Needs

Several considerations will determine which type of policy may be best for your situation:

  • Duration of your trip
  • State of general health
  • Trip destination: coverage may vary depending on whether you are traveling inc-country or internationally.
  • Participation in any high risk activities such as mountain climbing or bungee jumping.

Compare policies

  • Evaluate your needs against the coverage offered by different types of policies. Things to consider include:
  • Type of incidents covered and what’s excluded.
  • The cost of the policy
  • The deductible required before insurance takes effect.
Travel Thoughts

Remember You Aren’t At Home

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When people ask where I’ve traveled, I tell them geographically. I don’t count the places in the United States I’ve visited and I discount the Caribbean (because it’s too close, and many of the times I went I didn’t need a passport, only my birth certificate). It starts Canada, Mexico, Iceland…and then I’ll hop around Europe for a while. It ends with Japan (usually – sometimes I just get too tired and say ‘most of Asia’). I’ve lived in three different countries and have been places most people wouldn’t even think of going. Mongolia. Iceland. India. Vietnam.

I’m only 24.

The country I lived the longest in (outside of my home country of…you guessed it, the United States) was China. I taught English at a Chinese University to undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate students. I didn’t tell my ‘kids’ how old I was – most of them were older than me.

I would have to say the most interesting stories I have to tell are those after the point where I was comfortable speaking in Mandarin Chinese. There was always such a look of childlike delight on the faces of the people that I was speaking to, like they were thinking Holy crap, she knows how to communicate! She isn’t just some smelly tall foreigner!

And then I got bombarded with questions, and many times, even after I spoke to them in Chinese, they would respond in English – like they couldn’t quite comprehend that I could actually understand them…or they just wanted to practice their English.

As a foreigner in China, be prepared to be asked some very off-putting questions. The first three questions I usually was asked were:

  1. How old are you?
  2. How much do you make?
  3. Are you married?

From a Western perspective, these are probably three of the most taboo questions you can ask someone upon first meeting, especially a woman. All of these questions, I later realized were driven out of that same delight and curiosity I saw when my conversation partners realized that I could speak the local tongue. The money question, also, was not just curiosity, but also a matter of culture – people weren’t so cagey about how much money they made as we are in the United States.

So please, if you go to China, and someone asks how old you are or how much money you make – be a good traveler and don’t be offended. Do your research and understand a bit of the culture of the place you’re going to – educate yourself and know what to (at least somewhat) expect from the locals. And if something happens where you would be offended if you were at home, remember this is why you traveled – you aren’t at home.

Exploring the Wild Blue Yonder