AIRES ColombiaAIRES Colombia is short for Aerovias de Integracion Regional (National Integration Airways) and is an airline operating both domestic and international passenger service, along with domestic cargo services. With hubs in the cities of Neiva, Barranquilla, Medellin and Ibague, AIRES serves 26 Colombian cities and, El Dorado International Airport in Bogota serves as its main base. It started operations in 1981 connecting the main cities of Bogota Medellin and Cali with Ibague and neiva, slowly expanding its routes. By 1988 they had serviced the first million passengers and continued to extend its routes throughout the 1990s By the end of that decade, AIRES Colombia’s services covered the Caribbean region of the country through its Barranquilla Hub. It also started flying to Aruba, Panama, Curacao and Maracaibo. In the late 2000s, the adoption of a low cost business model similar to the one of other airlines like Spirit along with its intereactive marketing campaigns has impacted the regional market and has kept customers interested and closer than ever for their involvement with the community.
BenefitsOver at AIRES’s website you can easily see which routes are covered in an animated map. By clicking on the city you’re in you can quickly see those airports that you can fly to. If you’re flying the Bogota-Medellin or Bogota-Cali routes you have the option to use their land transportation services from within the city to the airport and viceversa for 8,000 Colombian Pesos if you pay for the service in advance just for being an AIRES customer.Its on-board menu is available online as well and you can see all products offered during their flights with a price range of 1-7 US Dollars and, when you buy your ticket online or through any other sales channel directly from AIRES you are given the option of choosing a preferred seat you can purchase at a defined price for better comfort on any of their flights. Besides being able to check your bookings, flight statuses or check-in online, you can also subscribe online at AIRES’ website to get the latest offers they roll out. You can also book flights, hotels and car rental services through their online platform. AIRES Colombia had a frequent flyer program with which you could accumulate travel miles but, unfortunately the program was discontinued in October 2010. Those with miles earned in the past can still redeem them as they expire after three years. Prices and Travel PlansFor as low as US$302.52 you can get a round-trip ticket from bogota and fly to Fort Lauderdale, Florida while domestic routes can be booked for around US$65 (one way trips, taxes and fees included)AIRES also offeres vacation packages to Colombian attractions like Santa Marta (US$457) and Cartagena (US$269). Said packages are avaialble for a limited time and include round trip tickets and lodging but, they may also include extras like airport transfer services and city tours. Current destinations for these travel plans are: Santa Marta, Cartagena, Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Fort Lauderdale.
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