Brazil Flight Information!!

[markland]

Originally Posted by robh

If hotels are the reason that Thomson doesn't fly, then I wonder why Tui, the parent co., still flies to Natal?

I like João Pessoa, but I think it needs a few more international standard hotels before charters will go there.

Let´s say that João Pessoa started end 2004 to look up for the turism, maybe you know about this, from then till now Joao Pessoa had a great increase in developments, specially hotels.I believe will not take too long to get there.
I hope.

Ana

[JMBroad]

Originally Posted by az08

Well the plans have changed, and most likely I will be going in December instead. I had a look, and it seems flights from London > Miami are quite cheap, can be had for less then £400 return. Unfortunately from Miami > Belo is for some reason VERY expensive, around £800.

Thanks for the advice though, I'm going to somehow try to involve Miami in my little trip as I've always wanted to go there too!

Remember you need an electronic passport to get into the States now

[JMBroad]

A companhia aérea norte-americana American Airlines anunciou na terça-feira (19) que incluirá a partir de novembro três novas linhas para o Brasil em seu conjunto de rotas.

Segundo comunicado, a empresa terá vôos das cidades de Belo Horizonte, Salvador e Recife para Miami. Antes da criação destas novas rotas, a empresa só possuía vôos para os EUA saindo das capitais São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro.

Aka:

American Airlines announced yesterday (19th) that from November on, they will add three new routes to Brasil.

According to the communiqué, the company will offer flights to the cities of Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Recife to Miami. Previously the company only operated flights to the US from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Source: Diario de Natal, 19/08/2008 - 15h 17

[Golfingworld]

Originally Posted by JMBroad

Remember you need an electronic passport to get into the States now

This is not correct, you do not need an "electronic passport" or bio passport yet to go to the US, if you ar an EU Citizen. You need a "machine readable" passport with a foto that is scanned in, rather than stuck in. This is all made very clear on the US website and they have extended the use of current passports for some more time.

[JMBroad]

Originally Posted by Golfingworld

This is not correct, you do not need an "electronic passport" or bio passport yet to go to the US, if you ar an EU Citizen. You need a "machine readable" passport with a foto that is scanned in, rather than stuck in. This is all made very clear on the US website and they have extended the use of current passports for some more time.

Actually THAT is not correct. As a EU citizen you need a machine readable passport (aka electronic passport). They do NOT allow entry without those passports irrespective of what they may or may not say on the US website.

As someone who didn't have an "electronic" or "machine readable" passport until June this year when they refused entry into the States because I had a "current" passport and not a "electronic" or "machine readable", I can pretty much guarantee you that I know what I'm talking about. Either that or Delta just felt like making me stop over in London for three days to sort out a new passport before I continued on my journey.

And I was only stopping in Atlanta for 3 hours getting a connecting flight to Central America, so...

[debzor]

They (the US) used to accept UK citizens on the visa waiver program only if you had an electronic or 'readable' passport.

Holders of an old style passport had to apply for a B1/B2 visa from the US embassy in London before departure.

[JMBroad]

Originally Posted by debzor

They (the US) used to accept UK citizens on the visa waiver program only if you had an electronic or 'readable' passport.

Holders of an old style passport had to apply for a B1/B2 visa from the US embassy in London before departure.

In June I was told that was no longer available and visitors were only allowed into the US with the readable passport. Then Delta deleted my trip to Atlanta (which in turn deleted all the other legs of the trip, to several countries including Brazil). When Delta issued the new ticket three days later they forgot to include some connecting flights which made for some interesting early morning airport check-ins later on in the trip.

Hence my love of Delta airlines.

[debzor]

I recall Rob bemoaning the drop in year-to-date total flight passengers into Natal earlier this year, so out of interest I thought I would just see if this has been redressed since then. And it has:

Year on year increase/decrease all passengers NE airports to end July 07 v end July 08:
Joao Pessoa -7.6%
Fortaleza -4.0%
Natal +7.5%
Salvador +15.6%
Recife +15.8%

So the bubble has not burst?

[debzor]

...and, no, you cannot correctly extract international v domesitic visitors, since many international travellers arrive at one airport to make a connection to their final destination.

In this case they are counted as an international arrival at the first airport and a domestic arrival at where they actually wanted to go! So I have included all arrivals.

[robh]

I finally got hold of a copy of A Place in the Sun and they said that Thomson will be flying 2 times a week next year.
Good news....