Change Forum
Hi,
I was looking into taking a trip to Ecuador next year with my fiance but was dismayed to see that all flights seemed to arrive after 10 PM at night (some, much later). I wasn't looking for a flight that would arrive early to allow for plenty of time to hit the ground running. I'm fine with having the first day to rest. It's rather that 'm just a bit daunted by the idea of arriving in a country well after hours/approaching the middle of the night once you pass through customs and immigration. With that said, I don't want to not be able to to ever go there by this, so does anyone knows of flights that get into Quito closer to the dinner hour? We'd be coming from the NE of the US, but if it means spending the night in Miami or something, to arrive at a better time in Ecuador, we'd be totally game.
TIA!
Flights to Quito that arrive well before 10 PM at night?
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I think U.S. airlines have decided the best way to serve Ecuador is to fly there in the evening. That gives passengers the entire day to connect to those flights. The planes and crews overnight in Quito and Guayaquil, and turn around and fly back early the next morning, giving passengers the bulk of the day to connect to flights home. That's what you're running up against.
American has a flight that gets in at 7:30. That's not so terribly late. One thing you could do is wait until the U.S. goes on Daylight Saving Time again. The flights will leave the U.S. at the same time, but because Ecuador doesn't do DST, it's an hour earlier when you arrive. That 7:30 arrival becomes 6:30. The tradeoff is that flights leave Ecuador an hour earlier during those months. I've had some 3 a.m. wakeup calls at hotels in Quito just so I could get to the airport in time for my flight out.
TACA and COPA have early-morning flights from Miami and you could arrive in Quito by early afternoon. You'd have to connect in El Salvador or Panama.
The airport is not far from Quito. In fact, it's really too close. Whatever time of day you do arrive, you don't have a long taxi ride to where you're staying. That's for now. The airport will relocate quite a distance from the city in a couple of years. Enjoy the short taxi rides now.
One more thing: Even if it is very late at night, there's no trouble finding a taxi. You come out of customs and there's a window where you reserve an official airport taxi. The system is safe.
Thanks so much for your reply & explanation Jeff_Costa_Rica. I never even considered the Daylight Savings Time factor.
www.copaair.com
www.taca.com
good specials into UIO sometimes
11PM is still quite early in the evening culturally
Always get an airport pickup from a nice Quito hotel
usually prebook flight night on www.sidestep.com
lots safer someone there to meet me with a sign.