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Half-price airline tickets for seniors

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Restingnow
  12/6/2018 10:33 EST

Recently made a trip to the States, and while I did receive a discount (about $100 on a $900 flight) it wasn't really anywhere near "half-price." The travel agent explained to me that the discount is only applied for the non-tax amount of the ticket, and that the most substantial part of the ticket was for taxes. Just checking... is this the norm, or did I pay the "not so bright gringo" rate. Thanks for any feedback. Best wishes.

kmoriarty45
  7/14/2019 17:04 EST

I have rarely heard the term mordida used here. The operative for a small bribe is "cola" ( as in Coke or Pepsi ). As you slip the bill or coins into someone hand, you cheerily in a conspiratorial tone say " Gracias ,,, Por usted por una cola "


Correa, when he was President, tried to eliminate the rampant "mordida" required by civil servants but he couldn't stop them from having the occasional colas. Of course, some of his cronies drank an lot of Coke! lol

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gyuris
  7/14/2019 16:41 EST

Ken:
Modida is misspelled.
It is "MORDIDA" with an "R", (it literally means "a bite" in Spanish) , and it is a euphemism for a small bribe.
Another local word here for bribe is "Coima". which means a larger bribe, usually to gain some kind of political favor, so the amount is usually much larger than a mere "mordida".

The correct non-slang Spanish academy word for bribery is "soborno", but it is hardly ever used here in everyday conversation. Ecuadorians love to talk in euphemisms.

Cheers,
A.T.
++++++++++++

gyuris
  7/14/2019 16:08 EST

In Cuenca I recommend this travel Agency:
"Magic Tours",
The owner is Juanita Espinosa:
098-756-9234,
[email protected]

They have helped me get the senior discount for all my airline tickets a bunch of times.

Tell her I sent you...
Attila Gyuris

Kimac
  7/14/2019 13:52 EST

Thanks....just what I need.

Literally, una mordida is "a bite", usually meaning a bribe, but whenever some intermediary gets greedy and wants a taste of the action.

kmoriarty45
  7/14/2019 13:19 EST

Re: Airline Senior Discount.


Many people are under the impression that the 50% discount includes the airline taxes - IT DOES NOT! The discount applies soley to the full-fare price.
I have booked online using my cedula and Ecuador bank visa/debit card, and received the discount without any hassles by booking directley through LATAM or Avienca.


Because I used to work in the travel industry and am very familiar with airline consolidator sites, a little searching and price comparison has saved me lots of money and quite often, a fare much cheaper than the one I could obtain using the Senior Discount.

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Johninnv
  7/14/2019 13:17 EST

I am confused. If I plan my trips well in advance My airfares round trip from GYE to LAX or LAS cost about $415-$450 so how do you calculate that paying $1200 saved you $400? Am I missing something? They are usually $20 - $30 less if I depart from UIO, but that is not very convenient for me.

kmarch
  7/14/2019 12:49 EST

I don't know what a Modida is but last week we used RooTours on Calle Larga - again - to buy tickets to Quito/Madrid and the senior discount was applied.

Kimac
  7/14/2019 10:28 EST

To resurrect this thread a tiny bit:

Could anyone recommend a travel agent in Cuenca that has cooperated in giving them this discount (without a modida)?

IF NOT, is there a local #800 number in Ecuador over which you have bought tickets for American or other big airlines? Calling their US # on Skype would yield butkus, since this is an Ecuadorian bene.

FWIW, a couple months ago I got a ticket from the AA office in Quito and it worked wonderfully. Yes, you are taxed fully on the basis fare, but my RT ticket to the US was ~$850+350 taxes, so over $400 was saved! (You have to pay another $30 the for the in-person service).

lwins
  2/24/2019 14:10 EST

I saw you mentioned trip to Galagos. My husband and I are planning a trip to Ecuador in December. I want to visit Galapagos while we're there but don't want to book an expensive trip from here in the US! What is the best and most economical way to book a trip to the Galapagos? Will we be able to book it after we get there and how? We'll be staying a month. Thanks for any guidance.

Kimac
  12/12/2018 14:08 EST

It seems to be a to-be-expected consolidator/reseller of airline mileage programs. See lifemiles.com

Someone who has used it will hopefully pipe-in with their experience, but all these angles on angles make my head hurt. This particular scheme doesn't have as clear a pitch/description as I'd like, but I think I get the gist.

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withoutego
  12/11/2018 11:04 EST

WTF is an "Anywhere US LifeMile ticket"

sin

novato1953
  12/9/2018 13:26 EST

Taxes & fees can certainly ruin a good deal on an airfare miles redemption, but not in this case because a UIO-Anywhere US LifeMile ticket has fees and taxes totaling ~$55US.

LADDIED
  12/9/2018 12:34 EST

Yes, The government mandates that the airline discount their share of the fare, but the government does not like to discount their share. The government gets more money from your ticket the the airline dose.

windshadow
  12/9/2018 08:55 EST

K-45 I have always received a "senior" discount from those like Cheapoair etc. Just need to check the profile box. However the 50% discount is a joke. It is not 50% and does not represent the spirit of the discount.

Kimac
  12/8/2018 13:17 EST

Thanks.

Key point being to buy locally for the discount, and in-person, contending as needed with The Help. There's also an additional fee for buying ticket personally from the airline offices, meant to encourage web purchases.

Loyalty mileage is definitely an angle to play here, but carefully, due to the taxes & fees. With an account you can buy whatever mileage is needed, which can lead to pretty reasonable prices. This is especially handy for 1-way tickets.

The pitfall comes AFTER you buy the mileage and discover how the various fees can skewer an apparent deal. At least with flights originating in Ecuador; from the US these fees have been pretty nominal.

I haven't been able to find that bottom line price unless I already had the needed mileage and didn't need to buy more. It's by design and all part of the game.

novato1953
  12/8/2018 12:09 EST

Travel into and out of Ecuador is more expensive than leaving and arriving in any of its neighboring countries when flying revenue tickets. So you can fly cheaper out of Peru or Colombia back to the US, or you can fly cheaper out of Ecuador with loyalty miles. You can buy Avianca's LifeMiles on a sale and use them to book award flights to the 48-state US at a price that translates to about $650US per round-trip economy, bags included.

LADDIED
  12/8/2018 11:30 EST

If you are over 65, and you are permanent resident of Ecuador you are entitled to a 50% discount on any air ticket for a flight originating in Ecuador. This applies for both legs of a round trip ticket.

kmoriarty45
  12/8/2018 11:15 EST

Because you must produce your cedula (or passport, I suppose ) in order to prove you are indeed an "adult major", it stands to reason that you must purchase your tickets either in person or by phone with my Airlines, directly. Internet travel consolidators like CheapAir or Kayak can't give you that discount.


The tickets must be purchased in Ecuador, to receive the discount and the discount Only Applies to the fare portion of the ticket _ not the tax and fees ( Which are always higher than the actual flight fare ).


I have flown to the States and Galapagos on LAN, COPA, Avianca, and American Airlines. I was able to obtain the discount on all.


My wife and I travel a lot by bus and I always have to produce my cedula to qualify for the discount on interprovincial bus travel. City buses I don't have to. But on city buses, it's always a good idea to have the exact fare. If you give the driver a dollar or 50¢ for a 15¢ bus ride, 90% of the time, he'll charge you full price. It might seem like chump change for some, but I'm "thrifty" with my pittance of a pension, and those 15¢ over charges mount up fast - especially if you use the municipal bus lines as often as I do !

Kimac
  12/8/2018 10:14 EST

Maybe there's others as well that need to learn the basics of such deals.

-- I had 'heard' the discount was only available on intra-Ecuador transportation. It was what gave us discounted senior bus fares, AND most notably, made a trip to the Galapagos more friendly. True?

-- Could it somehow be applied to big international air carriers like American Airlines or Delta? OR, only when trips originate in Ecuador.

-- It seems from these posts it is available when tickets are bought more or less directly from Ecuadorean transportation offices or agents, but NOT over the internet (?)

In short....just what IS the deal here?

LADDIED
  12/8/2018 09:44 EST

???

Restingnow
  12/8/2018 08:53 EST

That's part of its beauty. :-)

windshadow
  12/7/2018 23:46 EST

I think and attorney could get an answer to the question. It would be worth a try but then again logic don't work in Spanish.

LADDIED
  12/7/2018 08:44 EST

How do you get them to do that I know that you are knowledgeable? but I have not been able to get them to do that, even when dealing directly with the airline.

windshadow
  12/7/2018 08:27 EST

There is no reason the total price should not be discounted for seniors. It is not in the spirit of the discount to discount one part and not the other.

LADDIED
  12/6/2018 22:34 EST

Because of the taxes and fees not being discounted, you will usually pay about 60% after the discount.
As I said I have had agents try it put my discount in their pocket. I had one agent ask for the part that should have been my discount in cash. I told him he was a crook and went home and made my booking by phone to the airline.

chriswright
  12/6/2018 19:23 EST

In 2016 we traveled to England and indeed got the half price which for us was essentially 2 tickets for the price of one. It would be interesting to look at the details of that ticket to see exactly what the taxes and impuestos were as well as the base price. I find it hard to believe that you recieved half price on the base price. That would mean the base was $200 with $700 of other stuff. That doesn't add up. Not all airlines flying out of Ecuador offer the discount. We were on Avianca.

LADDIED
  12/6/2018 11:28 EST

Do not go to a travel agent. My experience with them was that they want to put your discount in their pocket. To get the proper discount, you either have to go to the airline office or book you flight over the phone with the airline.I usually fly round trip to the US for $4-$500. Do a search to find the best times and dates to fly. It can change dramatically from day to day and even the time of day. Also be aware that the price and travel time can be quite different from Guayaquil, and Quito. Check that. When you find your best flight, call the airline and book directly with them. Make sure you ask for the senior discount. Also check their luggage policy. Some will make their profit from that. Could cost more for the luggage then for your fare.

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