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Weekly Latin American business travel news
June 20, 2013
 A Latin Trade Group Publication
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Staying Connected
Airlines are beginning to offer Wi-Fi on flights within and to Latin America - slowly. Here's where to connect.
Some business travelers might argue that there are advantages to being unreachable for a few hours, but overall, most prefer the option of getting online while aboard an airplane. In response, airlines are offering Wi-Fi on an increasing number of flights.
Internet connections for passengers in the skies over Latin America are coming online at a slower pace than in the United States, but there is  progress. American Airlines' new Boeing 777-300ER - which flies between New York JFK and Sao Paulo and will fly between Dallas/Forth Worth and Sao Paulo beginning the first week of August - is the first aircraft type in its fleet to be equipped with international Wi-Fi. Discounted introductory rates are available through June 25, after which the standard fees will be $12 for a two-hour pass, $17 for a four-hour pass and $19 for access that lasts for the duration of a flight.
American suggests that travelers check on its Website to see if their particular flight is Wi-Fi-equipped (American places a Wi-Fi symbol in the flight status section of its site, as well as on boarding passes).
TAM Airlines, Brazil's largest carrier, doesn't have Wi-Fi, but on routes within Brazil it does offer a service called OnAir. Available aboard a total of 31 aircraft - including Airbus A319, A320 and A321 types - the amenity allows passengers to make phone calls, send text messages and e-mails and access the Internet through GSM mobile devices with cellular data capability. It uses satellites to connect with GPRS networks, and a user's wireless carrier then bills a roaming rate for the data or minutes used.
Other airlines are in the process of figuring out the timing for introducing Wi-Fi in Latin America. United Airlines is gradually adding Wi-Fi aboard its entire fleet, but a company spokesperson said that there is no set date by which all aircraft that fly to Latin America will be equipped.
Delta Air Lines is awaiting final certification from the FAA to introduce Wi-Fi on Latin America flights, according to a company spokesperson. And JetBlue plans to introduce Wi-Fi this year, in partnership with ViaSat, but the service may only be available within U.S. airspace.
Another Option: Wi-Fi in the Airport
Considering the lack of available Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity on nearly all flights within Latin America, business travelers may be more likely to need to connect on the ground. Smartphones are clearly a plus for many travelers waiting in the terminal, while airport VIP lounges can be worth the cost of membership or a day pass (or worth the price of a business-class or first-class ticket that provides access) for the Wi-Fi and workspaces that they offer.
Budget-conscious business travelers may prefer to route themselves through airports with free Wi-Fi. On its Website, JetBlue Airways provides a handy listing of airports with free Wi-Fi, including Cancun, Mexico; Cartagena, Colombia; San José, Costa Rica, and San Juan, Puerto Rico - and notes airports with paid service, including Liberia, Costa Rica and Santo Domingo.
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/DeshaCAM
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Travel News
New Airline Routes and Route Changes
Beginning July 2, Air Canada will add a stop along its formerly direct flight between São Paulo and Toronto, Canada. The northbound service will operate São Paul-Santiago de Chile-Toronto.
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Medellin, Colombia
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U.S.-based JetBlue began daily non-stop flights between Fort Lauderdale, Florida (U.S.) and Medellin, Colombia's Jose Maria Cordova International Airport.
Mexico-based Aeromar now flies between the Mexican cities of Veracruz and Toluca, with two daily round-trips on weekdays and a daily round-trip on weekends. Toluca's Adolfo López Mateos International Airport is about 30 minutes away from Mexico City's Santa Fe financial district.
Mexico-based Interjet will introduce eight new routes within Mexico next month, connecting Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport with destinations around the country. July 8, it will begin daily Manzanillo-Mexico City flights and daily Mazatlan-Mexico City flights. It will also begin weekly Torreon-Mexico City service that day, as well as six weekly Aguascalientes-Mexico City flights; after July 20, it will fly the Aguascalientes-Mexico City route 13 times a week. July 15, the airline will begin weekly Campeche-Mexico City flights and daily La Paz, Mexico-Mexico City flights. The next day, it will launch Reynosa-Mexico City service with six weekly flights, and Minatitlan-Mexico City service with five weekly flights, rising to 13 weekly flights after July 20.
U.S.-based no-frills carrier Spirit Airlines launched seasonal four-times-a-week nonstop flights between Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and Los Cabos, Mexico.
Spirit also resumed daily nonstop flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and Toluca, Mexico (Mexico City region).
Cayman Islands-based Cayman Airways will operate twice-weekly service between Grand Cayman and Panama City between June 27 and September 2.
 Startup Aruba Airlines began operations with service between Aruba and Maracaibo, Venezuela, which it operates four times per week. On June 28, it will begin four weekly flights between Aruba and Panama City.
Fly Jamaica Airways received approval to begin flying between Guayana's Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown and the U.S. and Canada. It plans to begin Georgetown-New York and Georgetown-Toronto flights by the end of the year.
Avianca and Copa Airlines have launched reciprocal codeshare operations on domestic flights from Bogota to other cities within Colombia, where Avianca is based, and on some flights between Bogota and Panama City, where Copa is based.
Chile-based Sky Airline received regulatory approval to begin flying between Chile and Brazil; it expects to begin flights some time next year.
Airline-Hotel Partnerships
Travelers who are members of both American Airlines AAdvantage and Marriott Rewards can now earn AAdvantage miles on certain transactions at most Marriott hotels. Earnings range from one to two miles per dollar spent. Joint members will also have the option of converting Marriott Rewards points to AAdvantage miles, at rates ranging from 2,000 miles in exchange for 10,000 Rewards points to 50,000 miles for 140,000 Rewards points.
The 177-room Aloft Cancun opened in the city's Hotel Zone, adjacent to the Cancun Center convention and exhibit facility. Part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, the Aloft has loft-like rooms, public spaces designed for informal socializing, a bar and 24-hour pantry store, as well as 6,500 square feet of banquet and meeting space.
The former Grand Cayman Resort is now the 117-room Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman. Located on the island's North Sound, the property has a 500-square-foot meeting room with a capacity for 50 people.
Ground Transportation News
 SuperShuttle shared-ride service and ExecuCar private SUV transfer service are now available in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, going to and from Los Cabos Mexico International Airport and Cancun International Airport. The services are offered through an affiliation with Yellow Transfers, and can be booked via the SuperShuttle or ExecuCar websites.
Medellin: ©iStockphoto.com/kszymek
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