LAN Airlines has an interesting special for those looking to travel in comfort from the US to South America, especially to Argentina, Chile, Peru, or Ecuador:

They’re running a strong sale for business class, and throwing in a free (economy) domestic roundtrip ticket. The domestic roundtrip isn’t a connection: it’s a separate ticket that’s valid as long as the dates are embedded between the dates of the international flights.

These business class fares are pretty strong. (The flights to Chile are the least interesting, but still below the norm.) Consider:

• $899 (plus tax) roundtrip to Ecuador. Then for your domestic ticket, think Galapagos…
• $999 (plus tax) roundtrip to Peru. Connect to Cuzco for a trip to Machu Picchu?
• $1799 (plus tax) roundtrip to Brazil. No free domestic ticket this time. Bummer.
• $2199 (plus tax) roundtrip to Argentina. Side trip to Bariloche or Mendoza, perhaps?
• $2599 (plus tax) roundtrip to Chile. Domestic freebie options: Calama, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas

Some of these flights require 30 days advance purchase (Brazil, Ecuador, Peru), while others require 50 days advance purchase (Argentina, Chile).

Here’s the fine print on the free domestic ticket:

Complimentary domestic roundtrip ticket available with purchase of new Premium Business Class Sale ticket by September 29, 2010 from the United States to Argentina, Chile, Peru or Ecuador.** Complimentary ticket must be booked at the same time as the Premium Business Class Sale ticket and used within the travel period applicable to the Premium Business Class Sale ticket purchased. Complimentary domestic ticket is for economy class travel to the following destinations: Mendoza, Iguazu or Bariloche in Argentina; Calama, Puerto Montt or Punta Arenas in Chile; Galapagos Island in Ecuador; Cuzco, Arequipa or Iquitos in Peru. Complimentary ticket not available in Brazil. MINIMUM STAY: To PUERTO MONTT, PUNTA ARENAS/CALAMA/IGUAZU, BARILOCHE/MENDOZA: 4 days. No minimum stay for CUZCO/AREQUIPA/IQUITOS/GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. Passenger responsible for any applicable taxes or airport fees. Seats are limited and might not be available on all flights/dates. Complimentary domestic round trip tickets do not have a cash value and/or cannot be substituted or transferred

This week, our household received three credit card offers from Citibank, all for American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards. Each came with a different sum of bonus miles: 30,000, 50,000, and 75,000 miles. (Two of the envelopes were addressed to my wife, one to me.) Talk about mixed messages!

The 75K bonus (with $1,500 in purchases within 6 months) and a 100K bonus (with $10,000 in purchases within a year) first hit the inter-tubes about a month ago. I thought I had posted about it, but looking back, I didn’t. (Gary Leff was on the scene.)

This sort of deal usually doesn’t last long, but the fact that they’re sending it out to folks via snail mail and not just electronically suggests that it has some legs.

Some caveats/warnings: 1) If you can’t manage your credit, stay away from these cards. It’s not worth messing up your finances for a chunk of miles. 2) The cards have an annual fee, but it’s waived the first year. You can collect the bonus and cancel the card before the fee kicks in, but you typically have to keep the card for 9 months to keep the bonus. And 3) choose the right card. If you’re not going to spend $10,000 on a card in 12 months, don’t sign up for the 100K mile cards.

But, caveats aside, and in the interest of beefing up your mileage accounts, here are the links, via Gary.

75,000 miles after $1500 in purchases within 6 months, no fee the first year:

• 75,000 mile bonus: Visa
• 75,000 mile bonus: Visa Business
• 75,000 mile bonus: American Express (still issued by Citi, of course, not Amex)

100,000 miles: 50,000 miles after $750 in purchases within 4 months, and another 50,000 miles after $10,000 in purchases within 12 months, no fee the first year

• 100,000 mile bonus: Visa
• 100,000 mile bonus: Visa Business
• 100,000 mile bonus: American Express (still issued by Citi, of course, not Amex)

Saving money just got easier – the new ISIC iPhone app is here! Now you can search all global discounts from the palm of your hand.

The app is very user friendly and lets you find discounts nearby or in a specific city. Just type in a location, select the type of discount and voilà a map generates with all the discounts in that area!

You can find the ISIC Discounts App in the iTunes store for only $.99!