Los Angeles to Ecuador?

[cove]

Any special tips on who to fly with and what to do and see in Ecuador. The folks will be based 10 minutes from LAX and are planning to do side trips to various locations.
I could help with California but south of the border into South and Central America are places we have avoided.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[RooFlyer]

For Ecuador, see the destination trip report index.

Especially the Galapagos Islands!!! Also rainforest lodges in the east, the upper part of the Amazon Basin.

Quito isn't bad for a couple of days.

AA, Aviancs, TAME would fly from LAX I think.

 

[cove]

Thanks RooFlyer that is very helpful.

 

[juddles]

I am unaware of any direct flights (haven't checked though): Copa will fly via Panama City, Avianca via either San Salvador or Bogota, American via Miami, and Latam via Lima.

If you are purchasing economy tickets, my personal preference in Y would be Avianca or Copa. I feel they are a bit better than AA, but haven't flown Y on AA on such a flight for a while now. I also like to avoid Lima like the plague, hence not recommending Latam.

If you want business, the costs are not that bad for purchased tickets on any of them, but if you are "into" lifemiles, Copa and Avianca have great availability for cost-effective J awards bookings. Regarding business flights, most options will be on narrow-body (single aisle) aircraft, mainly 737's or A320's, so if going in J do not expect anything more than effectively "domestic" business hard products. If you search, you may get an A330 or 787 with Avianca as far as Bogota, or a 767 with Latam to Lima, but this takes careful searching.

 

[cove]

Thanks Juddles. It is two of our neighbours who are doing this. I think they may want to do business.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am unaware of any direct flights (haven't checked though): Copa will fly via Panama City, Avianca via either San Salvador or Bogota, American via Miami, and Latam via Lima.

Juddles is right of course. i would have thought TAME (the airline of Ecuador) would have several routes to the USA, but its only to Fort Lauderdale.

Guayaquil is also a major airport - its a large industrial city, and the gateway to the Galapagos.

There is a lot of good advice to be had about visiting the Galapagos - like choosing the right type of cruise boat! Come back if they are thinking about a trip there. Not to be missed, IMHO.

 

[cove]

I will be passing this to the two ladies who are planning this trip at the moment.

 

[Melburnian1]

Juddles, I have been to South America twice many years ago.

I am never paranoid, but it was challenging to travel there, and I've been to some very non touristy places (and even less so then).

What are your perceptions about safety for the average traveller (not someone who is cocooned in limousines) in the many nations that make it up? I avoided Colombia and Ecuador many years ago, but understand they are now way better security-wise than used to be the case, but some suggest to me Peru remains somewhat 'difficult.'

Brazil is a country where I've only visited a small part: is it reasonably OK in all parts now re safety?