San Francisco to Sao Paulo $589 RT w/Taxes

Great deals down to Brazil are back!  Fly between San Francisco and Sao Paulo (GRU) for just $589 roundtrip, including taxes and fees. Fare is available through November on United, American, Delta and Continental Airlines. Or choose a flight to Rio de Janeiro (RIO) for just a few dollars more. Click here to check availability. 

Keep in mind Brazil imposes a $130 processing fee for U.S Citizens requesting a Visa into the country. This fee matches one the U.S imposes on Brazilian citizens coming to the U.S.A. 

San Francisco to Rio de Janeiro $571 RT, Tax Included

It's not too often you find discounted airfares to South America, but indeed, we found one for you today. Some of the major carriers have been slowly dropping fares down to Rio. Right now you can fares from SFO to Rio de Janeiro for just $571 round-trip, including all taxes and fees. Travel is valid through September 30th on these fares. For example, we found SFO-GIG (Rio) September 10-16, connecting in Miami on American Airlines for just $571.70 "all in." Click here and search availability using the flexible dates option. 

HOT! San Francisco to Buenos Aires, Argentina $698 rt - tax included

United Airlines is offering this hot fare from San Francisco to Buenos Aires (EZE). Only $698.
Fly between 14 July and 28 August (best fares were found in July), stay a minimum of 3 nights, earn a bunch of miles, and have a great time in this beautiful European-feel city.

Visit www.united.com search within the above date parameters and/or click on the flexible dates tab. I found available flights between July 22 and July 29th for this fare. This thread on flyertalk mentions users finding the fare even a bit cheaper.
This unbelievable fare is subject to change at any time.

Breaking News 425pm
A Tam Airlines Airbus 320 plane carrying over 150 people has crashed into an airport and burst into flames shortly after landing at the Sao Paulo Brazil International Airport. So far no report on injuries or casualties. Updates from Reuters.

San Francisco to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Under $600 round-trip

I'm pricing out San Francisco to Rio Brazil for $598 round-trip, taxes included on American Airlines. (Thanks MeVoy on Flyertalk). Interesting connection options in Miami/Dallas/New York/ and/or Sao Paulo, would potentially earn up to 14,000 base frequent flyer miles for this trip. Valid travel dates August 5-December 12th "Q" class. I booked out a week in September with plenty of flight availability.

South America fares are typically pretty high, in part because of limited service from the U.S.
That makes this deal hot. Keep in mind Brazil has a $100 Visa fee and several travelers have reported petty theft and elevated levels of fear in Rio over the years. That said, Brazil is a wonderful country to visit, and spending a few days in Rio than venturing elsewhere in the Country may be a good option.

Adding a Low Cost Carrier to your Itenerary

As the world becomes smaller, and more people become interconnected, small regional airlines have rapidly formed over the past few years to get people into remote areas outside main tourist hubs. From this, Low Cost Carriers also began to glow, offering cheap, no frills transportation to cities and villages around the globe.

LCC are cheap, sometimes offering seats as low as a penny + tax each way. But everything else than your body in a seat may cost ya. Some airlines charge for checked luggage, many for food or drinks. Change fees can be steep and restrictive, and flights often packed. But if you play by the rules, LCC offer an inexpensive option for connecting to cities outside major international hubs.

It seems every day there is a new Low Cost Carrier (LCC) opening up shop - last I checked I've counted over 80 on the Internet alone. Rather than listing all these out, i've provided a links to search engines in Europe and Asia offering LCC options. In Australia, I recommend JetStar, and in South America, where the LCC airlines are a bit slower in forming, there are fewer options. One Brazilian carrier, WebJet is provided for reference. Be sure to shop around.

Europe Search engine for city pairs in Europe
Asia Listing by each country in Asia (I recommend Air Asia)
Australia JetStar
Brazil Webjet
Canada WestJet

Wikipedia has a good listing of several other LCC airlines

Leaving Foreign Currency fees at home during your next vacation

Foreign Currency Transaction fees charged when using your credit card overseas can range from a mere nuisance to a big-fat expense. For example, most Visa cards charge 2-3% on top of any purchase, making a $300.00 purchase cost you $3 bucks more. Nothing more than a cup of coffee (even a Latte) you say? Consider how this cost might pinch the pocketbook over a 2 week vacation in Paris. Flyerguide is one of many sites that have broken down the costs of using plastic overseas, whether it be your debit card, ATM or credit card. Some cards charge NO fees. With this information, consumers can be better decide which cards to take with them on their next overseas adventure.