Author Topic: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?  (Read 2760 times)

Bicycle_B

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1809
  • Mustachian-ish in Live Music Capital of the World
Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« on: September 25, 2016, 11:02:34 AM »
Travel wizards, any advice on how to find a relatively inexpensive flight from Texas to Montevideo, Uruguay?

OVERVIEW
I am a single adult with flexible travel plans, intending to fly roughly next June.  I live in Austin, TX.  A friend of mine is moving to Uruguay to retire, and the plan is that I will visit "sometime."  June is a date I am tentatively choosing to give him time to settle in.  For me part of the joy will be to learn what treasures and routines he has found after settling in.  Flexible means that I am between jobs slowly draining my FU money, may or not be working at a stable job next summer (need another 5-10 years of work to reach FI target, more likely to do some additional work eventually than to live within stash of 450k...current spending $22k and I would like some reserve above spending).  I am seeking to set up a default plan for this trip, to be changed if circumstances dictate.  Absent any further considerations, I would probably visit for about week onsite, presumably resulting in departure and return dates about 8 or 9 days apart. 

BASELINE ITINERARY PLANNING
Depending on timelines, with planning I might use a cheap bus trip to Houston or Dallas instead of a connecting flight, if there is money to be saved that way.  I just tried using Priceline; the lowest price I found on first search was $1,520.  The flight starts and ends with a connecting flight from Austin to Houston.   Priceline shows a cost of $260 for just the Austin-Houston flight so I assumed I could get the international flight by itself for $1,260.  Bus fare to Houston is $20 roundtrip on normal days instead of the $260 flight, but need to account for in-city travel (may need Uber in Houston), so for now budgeting $50 from my door to Houston airport and back.  Trying the Houston-Montevideo portion by itself, Priceline's cheapest option is $1,248.  So total baseline estimate for round trip from my door to Montevideo airport and back is about $1,300 at present, not counting any costs during layover. 

I like that there are long layovers in Lima, Peru because that might give me a chance to visit the city for a delicious Peruvian meal or two, but the times on the outbound leg of the cheapest sample flight are a bit awkward:

OUTBOUND (overnight stay at airport?)
04:30 pm Jun 10 depart Houston
11:05 pm Jun 10 arrive Lima, Peru

08:37 am Jun 11 depart Lima, Peru
03:20 pm Jun 11 arrive Montevideo, Uruguay

RETURNING
4:05 AM Jun 18 depart Montevideo, Uruguay
7:15 am Jun 18 arrive Lima, Peru

12:35 am Jun 19 depart Lima, Peru
07:10 am Jun 19 arrive Houston

How should I go about finding better options? 

My top criterion is how can I minimize price.  A secondary consideration is to maximize the local flavor of the trip by taking advantage of the layovers where possible - I'll gladly spend $50 or $100 to do that, if it makes a difference.

Other questions: 

Is there a way to search or bid for low fares while knowing the times of the flights? 
If certain travel days are cheaper than others, how can I efficiently figure out when they are?
Is it worthwhile to set up "alerts" searching for low fares, or will I just get a bunch of spam? 
How do I figure out if it's safe and practical to sleep in the Lima airport?

My flying experience is slight - only 2 international trips ever; domestic flights maybe once every year or two.  Spending to support credit card offers is maybe $800/mo, although this may increase temporarily due to upcoming home renovations.  Suggestions are welcome. 
« Last Edit: September 25, 2016, 01:12:47 PM by Bicycle_B »

LLCoolDave

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 103
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Vagabonding
Re: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2016, 06:03:27 PM »
I use Google Flights and cheapoair.

http://www.cheapoair.com/fpnext/Air/Listing/s/1
this listing is for $1123

Bicycle_B

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1809
  • Mustachian-ish in Live Music Capital of the World
Re: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2016, 06:20:31 PM »
I use Google Flights and cheapoair.

http://www.cheapoair.com/fpnext/Air/Listing/s/1
this listing is for $1123

Very cool!

bacchi

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7056
Re: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2016, 07:06:51 PM »
Do you or a family member have some major expenses in the near future? If so, you can get the Barclay Arrival+ for $400 worth of travel expenses.

There's also the Capital One Venture card, which is similar.

gatortator

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 369
Re: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2016, 07:19:38 PM »
while I have never been to Uruguay,  it is on my bucket list.  This website lets me do some day dreaming and also provides practical tips.

http://guruguay.com/flying-to-uruguay/


Bicycle_B

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1809
  • Mustachian-ish in Live Music Capital of the World
Re: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2016, 09:06:33 PM »
Do you or a family member have some major expenses in the near future? If so, you can get the Barclay Arrival+ for $400 worth of travel expenses.

There's also the Capital One Venture card, which is similar.


Thanks, Bacchi.  I'll check these out.



while I have never been to Uruguay,  it is on my bucket list.  This website lets me do some day dreaming and also provides practical tips.

http://guruguay.com/flying-to-uruguay/



Oooh, great link.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2016, 09:32:45 PM by Bicycle_B »

neophyte

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 631
  • Location: A wretched hive of scum and villainy
Re: Cheap Flight to Uruguay?
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2016, 09:15:51 PM »

How do I figure out if it's safe and practical to sleep in the Lima airport?


I've been through there a couple times. On the safety front, I've never slept there for a long time, but I felt comfortable enough to nap there. Just do it somewhere past security. Practical?  Meh, it probably won't be the most restful sleep you've ever had. I laid down by the wall in a low traffic area with my backpack for a pillow.  Didn't have any problems at all. I'm such a light sleeper that I'll notice if someone is just walking near me and stops. If you are such a sound sleeper that you wouldn't notice someone rifling through your pockets or bag, you might want to reconsider it, but the same would be true at any airport.