Arrange your Flight
The following information should help you book your flight. Once you have finalized your plans, please email your complete itinerary, including flight numbers and connections, to volunteer@villageeducation.org.
Remember, you must book your flight to arrive on an official start date for us to pick you up at the airport. As long as you arrive on a start date, we will pick you up at whatever time you arrive. Otherwise, you will need to make arrangements to meet the Summer Program Director on a start date by emailing us at volunteer@villageeducation.org.
Where to Fly
To travel to the project, you will need to book a flight to Quito, Ecuador.
When to Arrive
If you arrive on an official start date, you will be picked up by the Summer Program Director. You may arrive at any time on a start date to be picked up, including at night and / or early morning. If you do not arrive on a start date, you can either meet up with the group in Quito on your start date, or you will need to travel to Otavalo by bus or taxi.
How to Find and Book a Flight
We recommend that you book your flight through an online service.
The following two sites offer deals exclusively for students:
The following sites do not offer student discounts, but include other discounted airfare prices, and are sometimes even less expensive than student rates:
Advice for Finding Cheaper Flights
To keeps costs down, the following are a few tips from our staff:
- You can often get cheap flights to Quito from Miami. Rates from Miami to Quito are typically in the mid-$400 range, specifically if you fly with Aerogal. Getting a cheap flight to Miami with a domestic carrier like Southwest and then flying Aerogal to Ecuador might save you more money than flying an American carrier or affiliates the whole way through. The only catch is that if you’re switching airline companies, they will NOT continue your bags all the way to Quito, so you need to make sure you have enough time to 1) land in Miami, 2) get yours bags from the baggage claim, 3) check your bags on Aerogal or other airline, and 4) board the flight. That said, money is money, and it might be worth the extra hassle. If changing airlines in Miami, we recommend that you book a minimum of 4.5 hours between flights (4 if not checking bags).
- Flying at certain times can reduce costs and hassle. For example, if you arrive in Miami at about 1 AM and then depart at 6 AM, customs is empty, and it’s easy to get your bags. Just bring a book in case you can’t sleep on the floor of the airport.
- It is generally much cheaper to fly in the middle of the week rather than during the weekend. It might be a good plan to fly into Quito a couple days early. That might allow you time to travel a bit in Ecuador before getting to Otavalo, especially if you’re volunteering this summer with friends. When the start date arrives, you can meet up with the group and travel together to Otavalo. If you choose this option, let our staff know by emailing us at volunteer@villageeducation.org to arrange a meeting place.
