How we compare trips with open data

At Viaje Simple we compare how to get from one city to another in the Southern Cone. To do it well —and so you can trust what you see— we use open data and always tell you where each thing comes from. This note explains how we work.

Our sources

• OurAirports — a public-domain database with the location of tens of thousands of airports. We use it for each airport's coordinates and, from there, the distances.
• OpenFlights — open data on airports, airlines and routes. We use it as a seed for which airlines operate or have operated each route.
• Ferry operators (Buquebus, Colonia Express, Seacat) for the Río de la Plata crossings.

What's data and what's an estimate

We're explicit about this:

• Distances are calculated by great circle (the straight line over the Earth's curvature) between each city's airports. It's a geographic fact, not an opinion.
• Flight duration is an estimate based on distance and a typical cruising speed, plus a margin for takeoff and landing. We mark it as approximate.
• Car and bus durations are estimated from the road distance (which is greater than the straight line) and an average speed. They're also approximate, and we flag them as "estimated".
• Airlines come from an open dataset that may be out of date. That's why we say "operate or have operated", not "guaranteed to fly today".

Why we're transparent

There are sites that show numbers without saying where they come from. We prefer the opposite: if a duration is an estimate, we say so. If an airline comes from data that may be old, we make it clear. We'd rather you trust us than impress you with false precision.

What's coming

We're adding layers of data so comparisons get more and more complete:

• Real long-distance bus schedules (GTFS data from operators).
• What to do at each destination, with attractions and recommendations from open sources like Wikivoyage and OpenStreetMap.
• More routes and modes, so any pair of cities has its comparison.

In the meantime, you can explore destinations or search your route from the home page. If you find a figure that looks off, write to us: fixing it makes us better.