TAM’s Brazil Airpass
Tam has just announced the 2009 edition of its Brazil Airpass and also of its South America Airpass.
The Brazil Airpass uses vouchers. Each voucher corresponds to a flight in economy class. You can buy from 1 to 9 vouchers (from 1 to 4 vouchers the price is the same). When you buy the vouchers, you have to specify which of the four reserve classes (not to be confused with the service classes, more information in airfare terminology) you want. The more expensive the class reserve the likelier you are to find seats available.
The airpass must be purchased and issued abroad (you can’t just arrive in Brazil and try to buy it here). It must be purchased along with an international ticket to Brazil.
If you arrive in Brazil with an international flight operated by Tam or Tam Airlines (former Tam Mercosul) you will pay slightly less for the airpass. Depending on the reserve class, the airpass will cost you between USD 551 to USD842 (for 1 to 4 vouchers) and USD 1241 to USD 2001 (9 vouchers). If you arrive in Brazil with a company that has an interline agreement with Tam or on a code share flight, the pass will cost between USD 635 to USD 926 (for 1 to 4 vouchers) to USD 1511 and USD 2201 (9 vouchers).
You have 30 days to use all the vouchers, counting from the day of your first flight.
The luggage allowance for the internal flights equals that of the international flight that brough you to Brazil.
There is a fee of USD 100 for cancellation or if you want to change the dates. Once issued, you cannot change the routes. There’s a another series of rules you should be familiar with before you approach your travel agent or Tam to purchase the airpass.
Airpasses can be bought up to 31 December 2009 for flights before 10 July 2010. For those taking part in Tam’s frequent flyer program (Fidelidade Tam), flights earn you 90% of the total amount of points.
Although it is called Brazil Airpass, you can include on your route flights to Ciudad del Este in Paraguay.
Is it worth it?
It depends on the time of the year you intend to travel, on the distances you are going to fly, the domestic market at the time (whether there are enticing flight deals or not) and of the time you have to complete your trip (under 30 days). There are so many things to consider that it is very difficult to answer the question. The consumers need to assess their trip, compare prices and work out whether it pays or not.
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TAM’s South America Airpass
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