Brazil Rising!

[Brazilophile]

I believe American Airlines currently has more flights to Brazil than any other US carrier.  Now it wants more! 

American would change its daily one-stop service to Recife and Salvador to individual nonstop flights five days a week between Miami and each of those destinations starting Nov. 15 and add a second daily flight from Miami to Rio de Janeiro in December.

Next month, the airline will launch new service between Miami and Manaus and increase flights to Brasilia and Belo Horizonte so that each has daily service from Miami.

TAM Airlines has much better in-flight service than AA.  I hope they are increasing their flight frequency to the US as well, instead of just raising fares.
When airlines dedicate more jets to existing or new routes to a country, that is a very strong indicator that it expects air travel demand to and from that country to be sustained over the long-term.  The interesting question is whether that additional demand is mostly tourist travel or mostly business travel.

[Jeff S]

Business for sure. Tourist travel is waaaayyyy down.

[braziliangirl]

Gol, the other major Brazilian airline besides TAM, is also about to launch a daily flight to Miami. The first one outside Latin America. (OK, it's not really that outside Latin America.)

Jeff, tourism in Brazil is not for weaks. It's very expensive. I don't have any numbers, neither the will to look it up right now ( ). But still a lot of Europeans and Asians come here on tourism. Besides the costs, many Americans are scared of the Visa process, which is very simple compared to what Brazilians process to get an American one used to be. By the way, I'm very proud of my country for having the courage to apply reciprocity on visas.

[benjio]

Business for sure. Tourist travel is waaaayyyy down.

Perhaps if they'd lower some of their prices more people would come. BG still has a lot to teach me about traveling to and within Brazil on a budget because I just can't do it. There's nothing in the middle. 5 Star Hotels and $#ITHOLES. Gourmet Restaurants and Roach Coaches. The tourist and travel services industries there simply haven't caught up with the immerging middle class.
 
I ALWAYS fly TAM when traveling from city to city within Brazil. I don't even care about the cost. To be honest sometimes Webjet, Gol, or even Avianca has cheaper prices. BUT THOSE TAM GIRLS!!!! LAWD HAM MERCY!!!
 
That's who needs to start a dating agency in Brazil...TAM AIRLINES!!! Seriously they should have a pageant with just their flight attendants. They'd blow the Hooter's Pageant in Vegas out of the water every year.

[benjio]

Perhaps if they'd lower some of their prices more people would come. BG still has a lot to teach me about traveling to and within Brazil on a budget because I just can't do it. There's nothing in the middle. 5 Star Hotels and $#ITHOLES. Gourmet Restaurants and Roach Coaches. The tourist and travel services industries there simply haven't caught up with the immerging middle class.
 
I ALWAYS fly TAM when traveling from city to city within Brazil. I don't even care about the cost. To be honest sometimes Webjet, Gol, or even Avianca has cheaper prices. BUT THOSE TAM GIRLS!!!! LAWD HAM MERCY!!!
 
That's who needs to start a dating agency in Brazil...TAM AIRLINES!!! Seriously they should have a pageant with just their flight attendants. They'd blow the Hooter's Pageant in Vegas out of the water every year.

I'm sorry...did I mention TAM Girls are freaking gorgeous?!!!! 

[braziliangirl]

The AA Manaus-Miami flight is jus $299 roundtrip right now. Manaus girls look like the Colombians I see on Jamie's site or you guys posting here (caramel skin, long dar hair...) and love gringos.
There are also Manaus-Orlando, Nova York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or San Francisco roundtrip for $399. I don't know if it's the same prince if you buy from the USA. It might be...

[thekfc]

Pending Government approval - application was files yesterday. Hopefully one of the other Alliance / Alliances member(s) do not succeed in blocking it.

http://aa.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=3513

AA is scheduled to get a new deliver of planes in Q4 -  maybe a few of the new planes can be used for these route.

[mudd]

I'm sorry...did I mention TAM Girls are freaking gorgeous?!!!! 

photos ? 

[benjio]

photos ? 

LOL! Sorry Mudd...I've tried but for some reason hot flight attendants frown upon photos being taken of them by strange gringos. Go figure...

[mudd]

hahahahah not surprised. im sure gringos are drooling all over them and they get tired of it  lol 

[benjio]

hahahahah not surprised. im sure gringos are drooling all over them and they get tired of it  lol 

I try to keep my "slobber spillage" level to a minimum during air travel but I'm only human. 

[whitey]

I recommend the drool cup with adjustable chin strap ... for the discerning gringo ...

[braziliangirl]

photos ? 

The last one is a joke. She is a famous singer here (Ivete Sangalo).

[V_Man]

I recommend the drool cup with adjustable chin strap ... for the discerning gringo ...

That's what I like about you Whitey, you are all class!

[Jeff S]

I never considered Brazil that expensive - but I haven't been there in some time. I mean these days a fleabag hotel in Germany is $350 a night. Brazil is cheaper than Japan or most of the big cities in the US. I also don't think getting a visa is such a big deal. Years ago you always had to, and today going many places, like China, you have to go through the process. It's all part of traveling.

[braziliangirl]

I never considered Brazil that expensive - but I haven't been there in some time. I mean these days a fleabag hotel in Germany is $350 a night. Brazil is cheaper than Japan or most of the big cities in the US. I also don't think getting a visa is such a big deal. Years ago you always had to, and today going many places, like China, you have to go through the process. It's all part of traveling.

When was the last time you came here? Prices rose a lot since the last two years. Also it's not fair to compare Brazil to the US, Europe or Japan. But if you compare to other places in South America, you'll see it's more expensive.
 
About teh visa, you are used to travel overseas, but most americans not. The farest they go is Mexico or Canada. So, yes, the visa process can be a factor when deciding where to go on vacations.

[Jeff S]

When was the last time you came here?

Ummmmm.... About the time you were born. Nonetheless I'm used to living in and traveling to some of the pricier places in the world, and I have been paying attention to prices there. Maybe not a bargain compared to the third world, but certainly not out of line for the first.