1. Flights

Whilst the majority of flight arrangements run smoothly, inevitably some clients will encounter problems. All clients should be prepared for the possibility of delays, cancellations or rescheduling and the resulting necessity to reorganise their itinerary.

Please be sure to check flight details on your ticket, and be at the airport at least two hours before departure, both on outward and inbound international flights.

On all routes requiring a flight change within the USA, you will be expected to pick up or identify your luggage and clear customs without leaving the airport or re-checking in. This applies even when your luggage has been checked through to your final destination.

If for any reason you miss a connection, even if it’s not your fault, be careful to check that the airline has not treated you as a no-show. If they do, it will mean that all your onward connections will be automatically cancelled. This can happen even if the airline has cancelled the flight you were originally booked on (rather than your missing it).

1.1 Seating

Most US carriers flying to Latin America (American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines) allow you to reserve seats when buying your ticket. However, only a few European carriers currently offer this facility. In the event that your carrier does permit seat reservation, you can choose your seat online with your name and booking locator (we can supply you with this if you bought your flights through us).

For health and safety reasons, passengers cannot reserve emergency exit seats in advance.  However, you can usually make a special request for these seats at the time of check-in/when boarding the flight.

1.2 Online Check-in

Increasingly airlines are providing passengers with an online check-in facility on their websites, whereby you can print off your boarding card in advance and go to the fast-drop baggage facility at the airport, whether at point of departure in the UK or when you are returning from Latin America. This facility is usually available 30 or 24 hours before departure time and is recommended to save your standing in interminable queues. You will need your name, and e-ticket number and/or reservation locator code, depending on the airline.

1.3 Luggage

Baggage handling in Latin America is neither worse nor better than anywhere else in the world. Remember that you will probably accumulate luggage as you travel. Accordingly, it is best to pack light, and with spare capacity. Otherwise, as well as having the inconvenience of carrying around a couple of plastic bags full of articles acquired en route, you are also more vulnerable to theft.

We recommend a sturdy suitcase, or soft-sided resilient backpack/holdall (depending upon the nature of your trip). You will also need a daypack (which should be taken as hand luggage if it falls within the permitted dimensions). You will not need a clean set of clothes for every day of the trip as all good hotels have laundry facilities. It is useful to have luggage that can be locked, however see section 1.6 if you are travelling via the USA.

1.4 Luggage Transfers

If any of your flights involve a change of plane, there is always the possibility that you and your checked luggage will arrive separately. See ‘Delayed Baggage’ for what to do if your baggage arrives late.

Try to use distinctive baggage that will be easier to describe if it goes astray, and label your bags clearly with your name and hotel destination. If you are moving fairly quickly on to your next port of call add this information to the luggage label. Place a duplicate label inside each piece of luggage.

Pack strategically by carrying some essentials as part of your hand luggage:

Household and car keys (including electric key fob), travel documents including passport, itinerary and any important contact details, essential medicines for the journey, wallets or purses with money and credit cards, any regular medication you take and one full change of clothing.

1.5 Document Checklist

• Check you have the following in your hand luggage before departure:
• Airline tickets/e-ticket receipts.  Although it is not strictly necessary to take copies of e-ticket receipts, you may wish to do so for peace of mind in case of any problems.
• Hotel/service vouchers and final itinerary (for bespoke itineraries or tailor-made extensions to escorted group tours these are usually given during the initial transfer service in each area).
• Cash and travellers' cheques (US$ - except Cuba). (Please refer to Travellers’ Cheques section - 3.4.)
• Credit/debit cards. (Please see Credit Cards section - 3.2.)
• Insurance documents.
• Passport plus a photocopy of the pages of your passport containing personal information, and any relevant visas.
• Vaccination certificates. (Please refer to Health and Vaccinations section - 2.)

We strongly recommend that items you cannot afford to lose be kept in a money belt - worn inside your clothing.

Please keep separately any travellers' cheques purchase slips, a copy of the relevant pages of your passport, and a copy of any relevant visas.

1.6 Airport Security

Security arrangements at both domestic and international airports have increased greatly in recent years. It is strictly prohibited to carry any sharp objects such as penknives, scissors, syringes or needles in your hand luggage - they should instead be packed in your main suitcase.

Currently, it is prohibited to carry any liquids, creams or gels in containers of more than 100ml in size of your hand luggage. Lighters and matches are also prohibited.

For the latest information on hand luggage restrictions please check the Department for Transport website.

Note that if you have a padlock on your bag, be aware that at airport security (when changing planes or in transit, especially via the USA) your bag may be opened and your padlock destroyed. Plastic cable ties are a good alternative, but think about how you will open it at the other end, when you can’t carry scissors or even nail-clippers in your hand luggage.

If you buy alcohol (duty free or otherwise) at your departure airport, there’s a high chance that it will be confiscated if you’re changing planes (transiting) in Europe or the USA. They won’t tell you this in Latin America when you buy it!

If you are travelling on an escorted group tour and you are due to arrive on a transatlantic flight at the destination airport on the first day of your group itinerary, you will be met at the airport in Latin America by your tour leader or a Journey Latin America representative.

It is your own responsibility to make your way to your outbound departure airport (e.g. from the UK), make connections as required and seek out our representative upon arrival. He/she will either be holding up a Journey Latin America brochure or a card with your name or that of the tour.

If you have made your own flight arrangements, are a group tour client arriving on any day other than the first day of the Latin American itinerary or if you are on a bespoke itinerary, you may have booked a private transfer and will be met by a Journey Latin America ground agent. In this case you should look out for a card bearing the name of Journey Latin America and the agency liaising with you. The agent’s name will be printed on your Journey Latin America final itinerary.

If no-one comes up to you immediately, please wait near the Customs exit for somebody to find you. Don’t volunteer your name until your contact announces it. In that way you can be sure that you are being met by the correct person.

On arrival in Cuba at Havana International Airport, you'll be met by a representative from a state-owned company called 'Havanatur'. There is a possibility that the representative will be assisting other passengers who have arrived from your flight or at the company desk. Look for a board displaying the company name (Havanatur) as opposed to Journey Latin America, or indeed your own name. You will find the desk located in the main terminal building.

If you are going to be met at the airport in Latin America, by a tour leader or private transfer, remember that you might not be instantly recognisable. Please try to have the Journey Latin America baggage labels clearly visible on your luggage.

1.8 Baggage Allowances

Baggage allowances vary from one carrier to another - please refer to your final documents for allowances on your individual flights.

‘Checked’ baggage means luggage which is carried in the hold. 'Hand' baggage is what you carry onto the plane with you.

Infants have no baggage allowance, but parents are allowed to carry reasonable accoutrements for the baby, free of charge. Children (aged 2-11 years inclusive) have full adult baggage allowance.

Club and First Class passengers have a higher baggage allowance than Economy Class, usually at least 30kg in total.

As a very general rule, most international carriers - as well as domestic carriers in Latin America - allow on average around 23kg in Economy Class, for both internal and international flights.  Aerolineas Argentinas only permit 15kg hold luggage on domestic flights. Airlines operating planes with fewer than twenty seats often have a limit as low as 5kg. This is particularly likely to be the case on flights into small airports in the Amazon basin and to some of the jungle lodges in Central America.

Please see below for destinations where luggage capacity can be reduced, owing to the size of aircraft used for domestic flights:

Belize
Passengers are permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage and two pieces in the hold with 16kg (35lb) per piece. Any carry-on luggage should be no more than 13kg (30lb) and no greater in size than 158cm (d) x 76cm (w) x 38cm (h).Excess and oversized baggage is evaluated, charged and shipped on a space-available basis.

Costa Rica
For internal flights within Costa Rica, baggage is restricted to 25lb (11kg). Our local representatives will store the excess luggage while you are on portions of the trip that involve flights.

Galapagos Islands
Maximum checked luggage allowance for the flight to the Galapagos is 20kg (one suitcase/bag).

Guyana
Checked baggage is restricted to 9kg, so it is better to pack light.  Our local representatives can store the excess luggage while you are on portions of the trip that involve flights.

Nicaragua
Passengers are permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage and no more than 11.4kg (25lb) in the hold. Passengers are charged per pound of checked luggage above the 25lbs. Our local suppliers will store the excess luggage while you are on portions of the trip that involve flights or boats.

Panama
Domestically within Panama, passengers are permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage of 4.5kg (10lb) and no more than 11.4kg (25lb) in the hold. Passengers are charged US$1.00 per extra pound of checked luggage above the 25lbs. Our local suppliers will store the excess luggage while you are on portions of the trip that involve flights or boats.

The charges for excess weight can be substantial, so please make sure that you are aware of baggage allowances before you travel. See airlines’ websites for information on large or unusual baggage.

1.9 Delayed Baggage

If your baggage has been delayed, we advise you to fill in the appropriate ‘baggage irregularity form’ with the airline responsible. There are specific airline computer codes to describe all types of baggage, and visual-aid sheets to assist. Give as much information as you can and ask them to be as specific as possible about which flight your bags are/will be on. Try to get them to give you a printout of the entries they make in the computer.

Regrettably, tour operators such as ourselves have very little influence over the behaviour of airlines, and are usually unable to speed up the process of getting your luggage returned to you. If you are ultra-cautious, you might consider making a list in advance of everything in your bags (including colour, make, size and value of clothes): it will save you a lot of time if you have to claim on insurance.

1.10 Reconfirming Flights

If you are making your own flight/transfer arrangements (i.e. you haven’t booked them through us), we recommend reconfirming flight times and itineraries in case of any airline schedule changes. If in doubt, contact our local representatives.

1.11 Airport Taxes

In Latin America, airport taxes are sometimes not included in the ticket price. Airport taxes are, in effect, a tax for the privilege of using the airport (usually when your flight departs) and as such they often have to be paid there.

International airport taxes can usually be paid in either local currency or US$. Credit cards are not generally accepted for paying either domestic or international airport taxes. Make sure you leave sufficient US$ or local currency in cash. The table below lists international airport taxes payable as of November 2009. (Please note that these do fluctuate quite frequently.)

International airport taxes in US$: collected locally:-

• Argentina: $18.00
• Belize: Included
• Bolivia: $24.00
• Brazil: Included
• Chile: Included
• Colombia: $33.00
• Costa Rica: $26.00
• Cuba: $25.00 (payable in CUCs)
• Ecuador: $40.80 ($27.75 from Guayaquil)
• El Salvador: $25.00
• Falkland Islands: £20.00
• Guatemala: $3.00
• Honduras: $25.00
• Mexico: $18.29 depending upon airport (usually included for flights departing from Mexico City Airport)
• Nicaragua: $25.00
• Panama: $20.00
• Paraguay: $25.00
• Peru: $30.25
• Uruguay: $31.00
• Venezuela: $51.16 -if not already paid at ticket issuance (and depends on airline)

Domestic Airport Taxes

Taxes for internal flights generally have to be paid in local currency.  Domestic airport taxes usually range between US $3 and US $10, though they can occasionally be more expensive.

Domestic taxes are generally payable either upon checking-in (e.g. Brazil) or post checking-in at a separate airport tax kiosk (e.g. Peru, Bolivia and Argentina). In some cases the tax is payable prior to checking-in at a separate kiosk - check with others in the queue. As proof of payment you will usually be given a sticker or receipt that will be checked when entering the departure area.

For passengers departing from the UK, the government-imposed Air Passenger Duty for intercontinental flights is collected by us and has been included in the price you pay.  For more information, visit the HM Revenue and Customs website.

Please note that all the above figures may be subject to change.

< Front page | Next page >