I usually use Skyscanner to check air ticket. Recently I had found google
Google flight: https://www.google.com/flights
When planning to go to South America, I originally intended to use United Airlines (UA) united mileage + British Airways (BA) Avios miles to redeem a set of dream ticket – Hong Kong -> Tahiti -> Easter Island -> Santiago, this is my dream route from Hong Kong to South America. Hong Kong’s ticket to Tahiti is not difficult to redeem on United Airlines. However, when I search for the redemption of air ticket from Tahiti to Easter Island on British Airways, there is basically no availability for the next 12 months. So I had to give up.
In Google Flight, when you check the flight from Santiago to Easter Island, you can see the daily price on a monthly basis, or you can get the prices of different departure days combined by date grid or price graph. It is very easy to use. This feature is perfect for people like me who have a flexible departure and return day, and just want to buy the cheapest ticket available. Also, the data will tell you that the price of the ticket is a low, normal or high price to help you make a decision.
The round-trip flight from San Diego to Easter Island is expensive. The normal fare is about USD$750. The peak season ticket can rise to an astonishing USD$1500. San Diego is 3756 kilometers away from Easter Island, and the one-way journey takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes. It is actually quite far. However, for a domestic flight, this price is really expensive. But when you think of a trip to South America all the way from Asia, you simply cannot skip Easter Island! This is a dream from when I was young- see the majestic moai statues in the remote Easter Island! Probably most travelers think the same, probably due to this reason, the price of the air ticket is high.
I found out that during Christmas time, I only need to pay about US$310 for a return air ticket from Santiago to Easter Island. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
After clicking the link on google flight, you will be connected to the airline’s official website of LATAM. LATAM is the largest airline in South America. It is the only company that offers flights from Santiago to Easter Island. Simply put, it is a monopoly, so there is no other option. Just click and pay.
You are directed to the Spanish version? Why? Because smart google has already known the best price is available on the Spanish version only. Yes, for the same flight, purchased in different language versions, the price is different. Usually, the Spanish version will be much cheaper than the English version, the reason behind it is obvious. This is the secret that everyone knows, so take good advantage of it!
I don’t know Spanish, but don’t worry – use the powerful google translate.
LATAM is a member of the Oneworld family. When booking your flight, you can enter the membership number of the Oneworld members, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, Qatar Airways, etc… and earn miles for your flight.
If you are not able to decide to buy a ticket immediately, you can use the track prices feature on google flight. You will receive an email notification when the ticket price changes.
In the end, I only spent 221643CLP, about USD$310, from Santiago to Easter Island! Too excited! Spending Christmas on Easter Island is a great idea!
Test date: August 27, 2019
- When testing two days earlier, there is a discounted ticket during the
Christmas period, which is now gone. However, the price is always changing and you can make good use of the tracking prices function.
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I will be traveling for 85 days in South America starting December 2019
What will I do in South America? Check out my travel bucket list!
Angel’s tips
- Make good use of Google Flight and different functions to book a cheap flight ticket
- Buy the air ticket early (usually cheaper, but it depends)
- Use the Spanish version LATAM official website (usually cheaper)
- Enter your Oneworld membership number to earn miles for the flight
