How to get to Rio?

Hi Folks......

I need to fly to Rio in March and would appreciate any insight into the best / most comfortable route to take from London.

Sadly no VS option so most obvious choices seem to be BA (but they're showing no availability in Club on the dates I need to travel) or AF via CDG - they seem to have both a 744 flight and a scareybus 330 (yes, the same route as the one that fell out of the sky for no known reason [:0]).....

Any experience/thoughts on the best option?

Thanks!

BA - but this is a very popular route so book early.

[HighFlyer]

Iberia go VIA Madrid or United (VIA Dulles) or AA (VIA JFK/Miami). You could look to fly to JFK, MIA or IAD with VS and connect?

BA would be the best bet but they do hold a bit of a monopoly on the route. Did you try looking VIA Sau Paulo on BA?

Thanks,
Sarah

how about this ...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024025/

http://tinyurl.com/yz9th96

sorry couldn't resist !

[honey lamb]

quote:Originally posted by tontybear
how about this ...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024025/

http://tinyurl.com/yz9th96

sorry couldn't resist !

I did resist! All I could think of was the wing-walking scene from the film (and in case anyone is rude enough to suggest it, no I did not see it when it was first released! [:o)])

quote:Originally posted by honey lamb

I did resist! All I could think of was the wing-walking scene from the film (and in case anyone is rude enough to suggest it, no I did not see it when it was first released! [:o)])


[:D][:D][:D] It was some pics from the film!

Though given your dancing skills, wing walking would be easy for you [:w][:w][:w]

[Scrooge]

TAM or LAN

quote:Originally posted by Scrooge
TAM or LAN


Best advise yet. Via MIA, heck no. Via MAD on IB, erm def. no (not even PTVs on many planes). But TAM and LAN are increasingly good.

Oh and BTW EmBee, there are c. 800 A330s flying maybe 2,000 flights a day, no need to be concerned that what happened to AF447 will happen to you!

I would echo TAM or LAN. They are both increasingly an excellent option, especially when compared to IB. LAN in particular have impressed me in the TR's I have looked at on a.net. Disadvantage with LAN is that your route would be rather longwinded considering you would be going via Santiago.

Another option is TP- they offer multiple services to Brazil, due to the links between the two countries, and hold something of a monopoly, I believe they fly to 9 Brazilian cities direct from LIS (and also from OPO) and are considered the European airline to use to BRazil. I beleive thier newer 330s do have a very good product (modern IFE system, screen about 10 inches in Y and a J product that looks akin to LH or indeed to the MH product/AA prodcut) Plus you would get *a miles if you belong to BD or another *a carrier. However I cannot offer any personal insight into their long haul product as have only flown them short haul (where I found the service to be very good) and sadly TR's on them seem to be few and fair between. However I would most definitely give them a look.

How about VS to Havana and CU from there?

I was in Rio in December and January - just back last week.

Both times I flew BA - only WT+ though. Rio direct really is the best option - helped by the fact that arival in Rio is so late that immigration is a doddle. On the way back you get a full day. The only downfall is the fact that it only operated 3 times a week - Sun, Tue, Thu - changing to Sat, Mon, Thu at end of March. This makes it difficult to plan a working week as you invariably have to leave a day early or stay through the weekend.

I did the Sao Paulo option in December. It's overnight in both directions (Rio is daytime on way out) and arrives early morning - so immigration is a mess. On the return only about 20-30% are joining in San Paolo so the plane is mostly already full - it comes from Beunos Aires. I guess if you can reserve a seat in advance its no hassle but I was downgraded because WT+ was pretty much full before I even turned up.

If you do go through San Paolo then try to bag a domestic flight into the domestic airport as it is quicker and already in town.

I did look at other options - mainly AF and Iberia - but the fact I would have travelled in Y put me off. Having said that AF is introducing PE later this year. It is also possible to do all travel (including transfer) within a single day if you depart from LHR at an ungodly hour and transfer in Europe mid-morning.

FM

Rumours amongst Brazilian crew that VS are taking an interest down there.

I would imagine it will be at least 12 months though... [:w]

quote:Originally posted by Bill S
Rumours amongst Brazilian crew that VS are taking an interest down there.

I would imagine it will be at least 12 months though... [:w]


That's rather old news though isn't it. Rio was mentioned when the A333 announcement came out as a possible.

quote:Originally posted by slinky09
quote:Originally posted by Bill S
Rumours amongst Brazilian crew that VS are taking an interest down there.

I would imagine it will be at least 12 months though... [:w]


That's rather old news though isn't it. Rio was mentioned when the A333 announcement came out as a possible.


As well as a few charters in the past for Swan Hellenic cruises.

So they would probably need J for that route ?

quote:Originally posted by slinky09
quote:Originally posted by Bill S
Rumours amongst Brazilian crew that VS are taking an interest down there.

I would imagine it will be at least 12 months though... [:w]


That's rather old news though isn't it. Rio was mentioned when the A333 announcement came out as a possible.


As I have said many times before- VS have all the government approvals to fly to Rio, all they need is the slots from LHR. Rio was also mentioned with the 787 order as well IIRC. For some reason or another (or at least a reason thats not known to us armchair CEO's) VS have elected to stay clear for the moment. As we have said before South America is crying out for a semi decent European carrier to take the place by storm.

Its the exact same for Beijing, VS have all the government approvals but decided, for the time being, it was better operated by CA with FC partnership between the two carriers.

I can see that now Rio have the 2016 Olympics there is some scope for VS to start actually operating and buld up a market

Thanks to everyone for your advice. TAM definately looks like an option - their website's pretty poor so just trawling round trying to find out if their business seats are flat beds or not - does anyone know?
Am still seriously looking at the AF option via CDG - there are both B747 and A330 options so does anyone have any experience of AF on these types to know which is the better option (seat comfort, IFE)?

I also looked at taking VS as far as I could and changing but it turns it into a VERY long journey - I'm only going for a couple of days so the fastest route is needed or else I'll spend longer in the air than actually there!

So it looks like no FC miles for me on this trip.... [n]