Ecuadorians head to U.S. for Black Friday

Ecuadorians, including dozens of Cuencanos, are heading to the U.S. to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving sales that mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season.

Airlines flying to the U.S., particularly to Miami, report that out-going flights are full from today until Saturday. Return flights on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, will also be near capacity.

Edwin Rincon, Ecuador sales manager for American Airlines, says that the full Black Friday flights are an “annual event” for many Ecuadorians who buy clothes, electronics and other items at discounts of as much as 80%. “These products cost much more when they are imported to Ecuador,” said Rincon.

An employee for Lan Airlines at the Cuenca airport says he expects flights to Quito to be near capacity from Wednesday to Saturday. “Many Cuenanos have lived in the U.S. and know about the sales after Thanksgiving,” he said.

Photo caption: Black Friday in the U.S.