To avoid the typical 16-hour JFK/MIA - EZE flight, it is advisable for California residents to try the following option. Travel with LANCHILE airlines or any other carrier from LAX to Santiago in Chile (about 10 hour flight) and pick up a connection to BA (2 hour max.) This normally saves 5 hours of unnecessary flight time for all the brave adventurers of the western front and if you can go there in the Spring (their Fall) you might even save USD 50-80 on the flight. Bottom line: you get a 5-hour headstart and 50 to 80 bucks, perfect for a Chica hunting kick-off.

You must be dreaming. The first leg of the LanChile flight is 8 hours to Lima, with and hour layover there. Then it is another 2 - 4 hours to Santiago, with a least another 1 hour layover in Santiago, and then on the BA.

The United flight from LAX leave about 2 hrs later then the LanChile flight, and gets into BA one hour later then the LanChile flight. Also, there is only one stop on the way.

Pretty hard to get off the LanChile plan in Lima, and there is nothing to do in Lima except maybe have a Pisco Sour if you are lucky.

Then you still have another stop in Chile on the LanChile flight.

This might be something to do for a change, but certainly not because it is better..

CP

Why can't you guys to something like LAX-GRU-EZE on Varig ?

I have a report on doing just that. It was posted last year. Cheapest ticket right now to EZE, and you still get to visit Rio or Sao Paulo if you want.

Another option from LAX is Copa Airlines. They fly from LAX-PTY (Panama City) then on to EZE. 1:45 layover in PTY going and 1:00 back. Flight times are not necessarily ideal, but it worked for me.. 737 service, so no widebody but they do offer biz class to make it a bit easier.

lax-pty 1:15am-9:30am
pty-eze 11:15am-8:20pm
eze-pty 12:40pm-6:00pm
pty-lax 7:00pm-6:40am

I think you got your times wrong buddy. Return trip from Panama City arrives about midnigt LA time.

I know. You were drunk. Hope she was worth it.

OH

Thank's, but no thanks! I'll stick to the red-eye, wide-body aircraft to Brasil/Argentina.

That would really only work if you had some type of business or "monkey business" to do in that region? With the hot imported Colombianas, or very near by. And Panama does have some of its own share of local grown talent.

Otrohombre, you are right.. Here is the correct info

lax-pty 1:15am-9:30am
pty-eze 11:15am-8:20pm
eze-pty 12:40pm-6:00pm
pty-lax 7:15pm-12:15am

Thanks for pointing that out.. I actually will fly this route in a couple weeks using FF miles. Lanchile would have been a better choice, but unfortunately I dont have that choice since they are not a partner. Either way, its better than Coach and I've heard decent things about Copa.

SF4Dish, you are right this is going to be a killer on a narrow-body plane for this amount of time..I couldnt do it in coach thats for sure and fortunately I'm not claustrophobic.

Otrohombre, have you flown Copa? What did you think?

I have flown copa to Lima from LAX, and to BA once. I do not like flying copy south because you leave at such a horrible hour.

The return on Copa is actually ok because you get back to LAX the same day you leave BA, or Lima.

Another good thing about copa is for an additional $50 you can stop over a couple of days in Panama City.

Good Luck

OH

ps: Copa prices tend to be a little higher then some of the other airlines.