My daughter and I are in Santiago and wanted very much to go to Machu Pichu in the next week or two but air fare is exorbitant ($1100 to Cuzco). Any ideas for a miracle solution?
We are looking at alternatives of La Serena, Montevideo, and Buenos Aries ( we have both been there and liked it but more expensive than Montevideo to get to and has entry fees) . We definitely are going to Vena del Mar this week. Entry fees and visa for other locations make them difficult. We'd appreciate any ideas about these locations and other places you'd suggest from now until late July.

You could check flying by Sky Airline to Arica, cross the border to Tacna.

From Tacna you have a choice to take a bus to Arequipa and then fly to Cusco, or to fly Tacna-Lima-Cusco.

Two low-cost airlines in Peru are Star Peru and Peruvian Airlines.
http://www.peruvianairlines.pe/

Peruvian is the one that flies Tacna/Lima.
Star flies Arequipa-Cusco.

They both fly Lima-Cusco.

Maybe Huentutu will chime in with some other ideas.

Normally I would say go to the far north, perhaps San Pedro de Atacama, but the unusual rain in the whole area has left many of the tours from San Pedro to be impossible due to the condition of the roads. But the weather looks its usual sunny self for the next week and they will be working to clear those roads as quickly as possible. So that would be a possibility.
La Serena, obviously including the Elqui valley for some sun and relaxation, is one possibility. But the next two weeks are the winter school holidays, which complicates lodging options. Definitely book if you are going before the 24th.
Have you priced Easter Island? It is off season and you never know, you might get a reasonable flight, but the closer you get to when you want to go, the more expensive it will get. It is still going to be around US$600 pp for a good fare.
Flights to Buenos Aires are likely to be full until the winter vacations (and the Copa America)are over. Probably true of a lot of flights to other destinations.
Have you been to Cordoba in Argentina? It is a nice city with good restaurants and shopping. Worth renting a car to explore the lovely countryside around it. It always reminds me of Scotland. There are flights from Santiago to Cordoba, lots through BA but LAN does a non-stop. If you got that you would avoid the reciprocity fee charged flying into BA.

despegar.com fly Sky to Arica cross to Tacna bus to

Aqequipa Cusco very cheaply...

www.cruzdelsur.com.pe others from $10 or so per leg.

head for apulodge.com

ollantaytambo.org do your cheap MP visit from there.

Happy Travels!

You would need to keep an eye on the road Arequipa to Cusco which was blocked for a fair while recently. It is open now but a lot depends on the decisions of the new president when he takes office the 28th as there seems to be a truce rather than an end in place.

Good point Huentutu. Flying Arequipa-Cusco might be safer.

Try www.lan.com for your local air.

That's probably where the $1100 airfare comes from in the original posting, doncha think?

I think lan is cheaper than the $1,100. You can always fly the major US carrier likes United.