I’m not usually one to write about current news stories, but I couldn’t pass this one up. While having with coffee a friend last week, we got onto the topic of air travel here in Brazil.
Simply put, it is outrageously expensive!
This is the main reason why many people are forced to travel endless hours on buses to get anywhere in this country. It is also the reason that, while we had planned on seeing as much of Brazil as possible during our time here, we’ve eliminated the option of quick long weekend trips via plane when my husband has a holiday.
Here’s an example. This past weekend my husband went to Floripa to run in a road race for which his company sponsored at team. Since the they sponsored it, they paid for his travel. I was planning to go until we saw the ticket prices.
Floripa is about a 10 hour drive away. With the current exchange rate the ticket was going to cost almost $600 USD! Just for comparison if I fly to Florida when I go back to my hometown in Indiana, it will cost about $250 USD and it is 16 hours away!
It isn’t always just the cost. The schedules are horrible because you almost always have to go to Sao Paulo to get anywhere.
Okay, back to the travel conversation over coffee.
She gave me some great news. Apparently Jet Blue is going to start up a discount airline in Brazil. I found the article from the New York Times this weekend.
It confirmed my speculation that air travel in Brazil is truly expensive. It is not just my imagination. The article stated that when you compare by cents per mile traveled the price for flights are 50% more expensive in Brazil than in the U.S!
Hoping to launch in 2009, the airline is supposed to offer lower fares that will appeal to those who normally travel by bus. Great! I don’t need a sandwich or drink on a 40 minute flight (by the way, TAM and Gol, the two major Brazilian airlines, do that here) just get me there quickly for a good price.
All I can say is hurry up Jet Blue. I need to see Rio and Bahia before I move back to the States!!
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3 comments:
I wonder if it's just the government taking advantage and overtaxing things like this in a third world country? Because air travel in Chile is pretty darn expensive too! I don't think it's as bad as what you're talking about, but it's definitely struck me as more expensive than in the U.S. Weird.
By the way, I'm going to Sao Paolo at the end of next month for work :)
I know what you mean. It is even more expensive when you think about the prices around Europe. My husband and I are headed there this summer and flights on RyanAir are anywhere from 10 to 50 euro. Crazy cheap! Sometimes you can get to London/Paris/Dublin for free, just pay taxes which aren't a lot.
Have you explored Sao Paulo before? I've only flown through and once stayed the night because of flight schedules. I've never gotten to look around and experience it. I would like to though.
hey lori,
it is very very expensive.
we all going to argentina on vacations and we are gonna spend almost the same amount as we were to porto alegre, floripa or some other southern cities.
i just bought a ticket to sao paulo (you are much closer to there than i am) and it was about R$600. sometimes you find some good prices at tam airlines, when you are lucky. sometimes, when i am trying to travel by plane, i just jump on the site every single day and sometimes we find tickets for R$50, no kidding.
last year i went to rio with my husband and each one of us bought a ticket for R$50.
oh, it's interesting reading this in your blog because yesterday, when i finished reading your archives and older posts, i was thinking you should come here as well (to fortaleza). and then i see you talking about expensive air fares. :)
maybe you should visit RIO, BAHIA AND FORTALEZA. or RIO AND FORTALEZA. no offense to bahia.
my third world city is so amazing and the cost here is not expensive like in the tourists hits like rio and salvador (the capital of bahia).
think about it.
as a good brazilian, and a typical northeastern person, i offer ouselves (husband and me) to show you some nice spots and take you guys to eat our typical food too.
:)
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