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More flights mean a cheap flight to Orlando"CHEAP FLIGHT TO ORLANDO"
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2/18/2001 Feb. 18--As more Hispanics make Central Florida their home and more Latin American tourists visit the community, Orlando International Airport is trying to woo airlines to offer more direct flights to Central and South America. The airport landed two carriers last year -- Mexicana and Panama-based COPA Airlines -- and this winter it is working on a deal to welcome another foreign airline. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
CHEAP FLIGHT TO ORLANDO It's a slow, uphill battle, often taking years to sway an airline to try just one or two flights a week, said Vicki Jaramillo, the airport's director of U.S. and Latin American passenger marketing. That's because carriers are reluctant to rely too heavily on leisure travelers to fill their planes. They would rather serve business passengers, who pay big bucks for last-minute tickets. Orlando's reputation as a popular tourist destination isn't enough incentive for an airline to test a new route. CHEAP FLIGHT TO ORLANDO Still, Jaramillo said the airport is making a big push for airlines, especially foreign carriers that don't have U.S. hubs, to give Orlando a chance. "What we're saying to the foreign flag carriers is, 'Let us become a spoke from your hub,' " she said. Jaramillo meets annually with representatives of airlines from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Venezuela. Last year, she finally persuaded Mexicana to kick off two flights a week to Cancun. CHEAP FLIGHT TO ORLANDO "With the Cancun flight, I pushed for that thing for five years," Jaramillo said. Now, more than 60 flights take off each week from Orlando for airports in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo. That includes COPA's four flights a week to its Panama City hub, where travelers can make connections to various cities in Central and South America. That's a far cry from Miami International Airport, where officials tout 836 weekly departures to 33 cities in Latin America. CHEAP FLIGHT TO ORLANDO Travel agent Tony de la Cruz said the variety of flights from Miami is nice, but his clients are much more interested in low fares than direct flights. "If they have to stop three times and change planes and it costs them less, that's what interests them," he said. Generally, Miami flights offer better prices than Orlando, de la Cruz said, but comparison shopping sometimes turns up a better deal closer to home. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
CHEAP FLIGHT TO ORLANDO Jaramillo said Orlando International eventually would like to provide air service to all the major Latin American capitals, but that dream is a long way from reality. "In the next five years, we could hope for at least two to three more Latin carriers," she said. She expects one overseas-based airline to win government approval to kick off Orlando flights in the next few months...... Find a cheap flight to Orlando here /cheap airfares home |