Fwd: Copa Countdown, blockades in Bolivia and more news for the traveling executive June 12, 2014 * Subscribe to Latin Business Traveler [image: Top] * [image: Delta is proud of our five] In This Weeks Issue: Copa Countdown: Improvements at São Paulos Guarulhos airport and Brazils plans to grow business during the cup News from Our Partners Travel News: Blockades in Bolivia, transit strikes in São Paulo, Gol adds domestic and international flights, a new hotel and convention center to open near Recife and more *Copa Countdown* *An airport upgrade, and Brazils plans to grow business during the World Cup* *Part two of a two-part series.* *Click to read part one, which examined doing business in Brazil during the World Cup, in last weeks *Latin Business Traveler *. * By *Mark Holston* There are plenty of concerns about how Brazil will handle the World Cup, which starts today and will be played in 12 Brazilian cities through July 13. Some 600,000 additional foreign tourists are expected to flood the country, which last year had around 5.6 million visitors. Thats in addition to Brazilians traveling the country for matches from Port Alegre in the far south to Manaus in the heart of the Amazon, to the final rounds in Rio de Janeiro. However, amid the chaos, crowds and premium pricing that are expected, there are some bright spots. *Construction at Aeroporto Internacional Tancredo Neves* *One Successful Airport Upgrade* Upgrading Brazils outdated airports has been a national priority, but efforts to date are generally behind schedule. Many key terminals, such as Belo Horizontes Tancredo Neves/Confins International, resemble a construction site more than a functional air terminal. In São Paulo, however, theres good news. The citys much criticized international airport, Guarulhos, has successfully completed construction of Terminal 3, a state-of-the-art facility that will allow the airport to serve an additional 12 million passengers annually. The new facility, which dwarfs the airports three older terminals, features the latest technology and enhanced passenger services, including a shopping mall. The total price tag for all of Guarulhos planned upgrades is close to US$ 800 million. *Making Limonada from Lemons* Although many foreign business executives will avoid travel to Brazil during the Copa, Reuters reports that Apex, the countrys national export agency, is using the promise of VIP treatment to attract 2,000 or more representatives of overseas firms to the country during the games. Those who participate will be treated to luxury suite seating at games and other perks. Apex is banking on inking deals that could add up to as much as $3 billion in new contracts for exports. Many Brazilians, meanwhile, will opt to stay as far away from Copa activities as possible. Retired petrochemical engineer Claudio Olivera, a resident of São Paulo, expects to see the negative effects of the games influence daily life in his already hectic city. Theres no way I would consider attending a game, he told LBT. Ill be lying low and watching it on TV! *Construction at Aeroporto Internacional Tancredo Neves by Mark Holston* *Will you be having to fly to Brazil for business during the Copa? Click to share your strategies. * Back to top *News from our Partners* (Click the headlines to read full stories) [image: Delta] Delta to launch new service between Los Angeles, California and Monterrey, Mexico: Daily nonstop flights will begin November 2 Delta Raises Funds to Build a New School in Costa Rica: Money collected from Second annual Delta Pacific Run to help build new classroom, improve other infrastructure in Playa Hermosas public schools Back to Top [image: LT Bravo Business Awards: November 7. Click for rates and tickets.] [image: Trade Américas Expo - Sept. 3-4, Miami. Click to join and register for the infrastructure power gathering for SMEs in the Americas!] [image: Caterpillar, IDB, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft and more rely on Latin Business Chronicle when doing business in Latin America and the Caribbean. Subscribe today!] [image: InterContinental Miami Bed & Breakfast Package: Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for 2, Internet and Health Club Access. Book now!] Travel News *São Paulo Underground Rail* *Security and Safety Updates* Blockades in and around *Uyuni, Bolivia* are causing significant transportation disruption; foreign ministries are advising travelers to seek local advice before traveling to those areas. Public transportation strikes at* São Paulos underground rail* during recent day shave left up to half of all stations closed, resulting in traffic chaos throughout the city. The *mosquito-borne* *chikungunya* *virus* *is causing concern in the Caribbean* as it continues to spread since arriving in the hemisphere in December. Travelers with existing medical conditions should be especially cautious. *New Airline Routes and Route Changes* *South America* Brazilian carrier Azul began flying six weekly round-trip flights between two cities in Brazils Minas Gerais state: its capital,* Belo Horizonte, and Governador Valadares*. On July 14, Gol Transportes Aereos will begin flights between *São Paulo Viracopos airport and Rio de Janeiros Santos Dumont *airport. It will fly six daily round-trips on the route. Gol will add flights to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Miami (Florida, U.S.) beginning July 14, upping their *Rio de Janerio - Santo Domingo - Miami *route to four times per week and adding three weekly *Sao Paulo Viracopos - Santo Domingo - Miami* flights. Gol will also begin 12 flights per day between *Campinas and Rio de Janeiro* and three flights per week between *Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil and Miami*. The Campinas - Miami route will connect in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where travelers will also have the option to fly to Orlando. The flights will begin July 18. Beginning August 14, TAM will no longer offer daytime departures on its *São Paulo - New York-JFK route*, moving both daily flights to the evening. TAM has increased operations between *São Paulo and Miami* from 14 flights to 17 flights weekly. Colombia-based Avianca begins a *Bogota-London route* this July, with flights four times a week between Bogota Eldorado International and London Heathrow. TAP Portugal will begin service from *Lisbon, Portugal to Bogota and Panama City*, with flights operating between the three cities on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights begin July 1. *Mexico* Low-cost Mexican carrier Volaris will add nonstop flights between *Denver, Colorado (U.S.) and Guadalajara, Mexico* on July 7. It will begin *Denver - Chihuahua, Mexico* flights on July 12. *Las Vegas, Nevada* *International Connections* On June 5, United Airlines began daily non-stop service between *Washington Dulles International Airport and Madrid-Barajas Airport*. The summer-season service will run through September 4. American Airlines begins two-class flights from *Los Angeles* later this summer, adding *Dallas/Fort Worth* on August 1, *Las Vegas* on September 3 and *Miami* on August 19. *Airline Alliance News* *Delta Air Lines and Garuda Indonesia * *announced a codeshare *agreement on Delta-operated flights from Tokyo International Airport to Los Angeles and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports, beginning in July. *US Airways launched a codeshare agreement with Airberlin*, placing the US Airways code on Airberlin flights from Chicago, Miami and New York (JFK) to Berlin and from Fort Myers, Los Angeles, Miami and New York (JFK) to Dusseldorf. *Air France will launch a codeshare agreement with Winair* on June 14, covering five routes via St. Maarten. Planned routes include Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts - Nevis and Tortola. *Other Airline News* *LATAM Airlines* is facing *possible flight delays and cancellations in South America* as maintenance workers threaten to disrupt schedules in support of a strike by Peruvian colleagues. Avianca announced that eight flight routes at Bogota, Colombias *El Dorado International Airport will move to the newly-renovated terminal #1*. Flights serving the Colombian cities of Barranquila, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Medellin, Pasto, Pereira and San Andres will be among the 65% of the airlines domestic flights that move to the new terminal. Canadas *WestJet* announced the immediate allowance of *full access to personal electronic devices during all phases of flight*, including taxi, takeoff and landing. *Airport News* *Be Relax spa opened in Terminal 5 of New York-JFK Airport*. The spa offers massage chairs, Swedish and hot stone massages, manicures and pedicures, as well as a hair salon and blow-dry bar. The 40/40 Club, a sports bar-style club owned by musician Jay-Z and partners, opened at *Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport* (Georgia, U.S.), in Concourse D. Also in the news for Hartsfield-Jackson is the announcement of *free Wi-Fi throughout the airport *as well as an infrastructure upgrade. Travelers looking for a quick pick-me-up at *Miami International Airport* can get a taste of a local favorite at *Café Versailless locations *in the D, E and F terminals. *London Heathrows new Terminal 2* *opened June 4*, with United Airlines moving all 17 of its daily flights to Heathrow to the terminal. All 22 Star Alliance members with Heathrow operations (plus Aer Lingus, Germanwings and Little Red) will move to Terminal 2 within the next six months. *Loyalty Program News * Several airline loyalty programs are offering *bonus miles or points to new members of their dining miles programs*, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles , Southwests Rapid Rewards, Uniteds MileagePlus and US Airways Dividend Miles. *Southwest Airlines* *Southwest Airlines is currently offering an increased bonus* for signing up for its Rapid Rewards credit card: 50,000 bonus points after a new cardholder charges $2,000 within three months. *Choice Hotels* is offering a *bonus of 8,000 Choice Privileges points* after two stays at its properties through August 20. The promotion requires registration. *Best Western* is offering a *free one-night voucher to rewards program members* who complete three separate stays at participating hotels, through September 1. New applicants for the *Starwood Preferred Guest *credit card from American Express can earn up to 30,000 bonus points if they apply before June 30. *Hyatt has added Southwests Rapid Rewards* program to its summer triple points promotion on second and subsequent stays through August. *Southwest Rapid Rewards members can earn a 50-point bonus* on one-way airport travel in a SuperShuttle or ExecuCar town car. *Hotel News* The *ibis Porto Alegre Assis Brazil opens this month* in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state. It has 150 rooms, a full-service restaurant, a meeting room that can seat up to 40 and indoor parking. The *Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel & Convention Center opens on June 16* in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Pernambuco, Brazil. Located 30 minutes from Recifes city center and 14 kilometers fromRecife/Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport, the hotel has 298 rooms and suites and more than 2,700 square meters of function space. It also has pool, beach, spa and fitness centers and lounges and restaurants. *Other News* *Egypt has levied an airport tax* on tourists leaving the country, applying a roughly $25 fee on ticket purchases. *Cubas Washington diplomatic mission has resumed consular services*, issuing visas and handling other consular matters, after suspending services on February 14. * São Paulo Uderground Rail by Rodrigo_Soldon; Las Vegas, Nevada by Moyan Brenn; Southwest Airlines by Aero Icarus * Back to top [image: Latin Business Traveler] *Resources **from **Latin Trade Group* - * New! * * Latin Americas Investment Stars - Which countries fare best in attracting foreign direct investment? * - Safety and Security in Latin America: Venezuela replaces Haiti as Most Dangerous Nation, Security Declines in Argentina and Nicaragua and More - Watch the Latin Trade webinar Developing the CFO: Gaining the Experience and Exposure for Sustained Career Success, featuring Microsoft Brazil CFO Roberto Palmaka - login or register and watch the recorded webinar - Latin Americas Best and Worst Airports and Meeting Destinations - The Best of Airlines and Rental Cars in Latin America - Destination Guides from Latin Business Chronicle Back to top Editor: Rochelle Broder-Singer email Rochelle Editorial Assistant/Production Manager: Leslie Gutiérrez Copyright © 2014. 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Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:26:51 +0000