Argentina - Travel Information

[No Mas Timido]

I will travel round trip from Lima to BA in January. Where can I buy the cheapest airplane ticket for this trip? Here in U.S. using internet,in Lima's Airport or travel agency.

Thanks for your help.

[Emeritus]

Someone suggested buying a ticket for say 80 days then don’t show up at airport
Call and reschedule paying the 100 or so change fee.

Can you do that on international flights.

Just an idea

Thanks

[Judd]

I just used the carrier last week in a short trip from Lima to BA. The planes are very new. Both flights were on the larger size planes (they are the same plane A.A advertises as "More Room".) I purchased the ticket the day before the flight departed, and only paid about $50 bucks over the normal price. I also extended my departure date by one day, again calling the day before my flight. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked in that I did not have to pay penalty fee. Only negative part of this experience was the flights did not depart on schedule. I have found this to be a problem with most international flights in South/Central America.

Late,

Judd

[Miami Bob]

Punter,

I suggest that you telephone Lan Peru. In the usa they promised to help me make arrangements on an alternative line.

I switched on my own as I had enough time. If Avianca or VArig has seats, Lan Peru may be able to arrange a ticket for you.

I suggest doing this early. A hotel consiege might help you.

Lan Peru's offices in miami have auto switch over to their Santiage de Chile office. They have fluent english speakersat the Santiago office. It actually is a good well organized line.

Good luck,

BOB

[Punter 127]

Miami Bob

Below is news release from Reuters about LAN PERU. I'm flying LAN PERU on Tuesday to BA, by way of LIMA. MY ticket is already paid for so I have no choice now, hope I make it back.

Punter 127

October 15, 2004
Peruvian airline LanPeru, grounded briefly by a court ruling that it breached foreign ownership rules, took to the skies once again on Friday after the government granted it an emergency flight permit.

A flight to the southern Inca tourist mecca, Cuzco, took off from Lima's Jorge Chavez Airport at 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT), ending a 15-1/2 hour suspension.

"The important thing is that we're back in the air, serving our passengers and cargo customers as usual," Managing Director Vlamir Domic said.

The government passed an emergency decree granting LanPeru, a unit of Chile's LAN airline a new permit so that Peru's key tourism industry was not disrupted or hurt exports, which are powering an economic boom.

The suspension had left hundreds of passengers stranded.

The grounding of LanPeru was the second suspension of a major airline in three months after Peru's other main carrier, Nuevo Continente, was grounded in July.

LanPeru, which has recently added a string of new routes, said it had overtaken Nuevo Continente as Peru's top airline, with 55 percent of the market. Nuevo Continente says LanPeru has 45 percent and it has 44 percent of the Peruvian market.

LEGAL DISPUTE

Judge Eloy Zamalloa in the southern city of Arequipa ordered LanPeru grounded in June after a suit by small domestic airline, Aviandina, which is no longer operating, claimed LanPeru breached a law requiring 30 percent Peruvian capital.

Both the government and LanPeru have appealed the ruling, which was not enforced until now for administrative reasons.

Zamalloa said on Thursday he would not be able to rule on the appeal until early next week.

LanPeru said it is 70 percent foreign-owned, with the requisite 30 percent in Peruvian hands. Of its 1,300 employees, all but 18 are Peruvian and eight are Chilean. The airline also said its 120 pilots are all Peruvian and its planes leased.

LAN, which says it is one of the world's 10 most profitable airlines, said the suspension would not hurt earnings.

LanPeru said it carries 5,500 passengers a day on 11 domestic and 11 international routes and transports 35 percent of Peru's cargo.

A long suspension would have caused chaos in Peru where the airline sector is cutting back and already struggling with high jet fuel prices. Nuevo Continente, which was grounded for nearly two weeks in July over an insurance dispute, only has five aircraft, making any hole left by LanPeru hard to fill.

Nuevo Continente has scrapped international flights and scaled back domestic departures this year after being hit by US sanctions when its founder was put on a list of foreign drug "kingpins," a charge he has denied.

(Reuters)

[Bacchus9]

What a dilemma, what a co-incidence!

I've intended to post the same information and lament of Jackpot for a week, landing here tonite to find it's all ready done.

I also spoke with AA and was introduced to the contract concept of flying. Apparently everytime you fly you're contracting with the airline for a fixed rate and a specified completion time. Once you go over 30 days it gets pretty ridiculous. Unless someone else has a solution it looks like you buy a short term round trip and throw the return away, buy another ticket to return. Just checking via the websites the price of a one way ticket is the same or more than a round trip ticket, making a roundtrip ticket the cheapest flight possible.
Regards a one way ticket, the AA agent told me that Argentina won't allow you to land with a one way ticket, they want to see evidence of your planned departure.

To Chuponalgas's point, I thought buying and selling frequent flyer awards went away a long time ago. Or do you mean just finding a friend who's willing to sell you theirs? I would gladly buy a frequent flyer award. In September I used a first class award level @ 100,000 miles because it was the only flights I could find to fit my dates, and even that was difficult. It was 1st class on United Airlines and the US portions would of been a waste of valuable miles or dollars - not enough difference in my mind between domestic first class and coach. But the US - BA portion out of Dulles was very nice with the chairs that turn essentially into a bed and all the handwringing they do over your comfort and meals. So worthwhile for a 10 1/2 hour flight overnite. When I got back I used the same routing to see what it would cost to buy the same ticket. The lowest price I could find was $10,700 in first class and $5K plus in Business making it a once in a lifetime experience for sure.

If anyone has any experience in buying frequent flyer miles please post.

[Chuponalgas]

JACKPOT: You might try to buy a frequent flier award ticket from somebody who has 50k miles on Delta, American or United, or one of their partner airlines (e.g. Northwest, Continental). I show good and easy availability for 3-6 month stays with an awards ticket thru my carrier, but I am using the miles myself!

[Jackpot]

WHAT A DILEMA.......

I am trying to book a flight to BA and want to stay for 4 plus months
in ARG.

The dilema is that as you book roundtrip flights, the longer the duration
of visit , the higher the price, (ie. 1mo. = $X, 2mo. = 1.5 * $X, 2mo. =
2.0 * $X)

I spoke to an agent who explained about "open tickets" going out to
6 Mo , but they were also expensive. Also, AA is not offerring any
at the moment.

She also spoke of consolidators and offered me a one way ticket for
$550 with the warning that I'ld have to buy a return in BA from a
consolidator in BA.

THE QUESTIONS ARE:
1. Is there a way around the long duration vacation problem? No
wisecracks please!

2. Are there consolidators in BA?

3. Does Argentina allow one way ticket visitors?

4. If you have a one way ticket, can you post a bond to guarantee your
exit after your visit terminates?

5. How do you long term mongers solve this dilema?

6..Can these answers be found at one of the ARG embassy websites.
If yes, please provide an address.

Or, is all F**KED, and the airlines have us by the cahones?

I will post a summary of your resposes with hopes it helps
voyaging mongers.

Jackpot

[Miami Bob]

IGUAZU FALLS [no mongering info]

This gringo has a great Iguazu trip last August, 2004. I thought that my experience might help someone else plan.

The falls are split--half in Brazil and half in Argentina. There are more falls in Argentina to see up close. This also means that the views from the Brazilian side are better--more dramatic and varied. I did not visit Brazil because of visa nonsence with the consulate in Miami.

On the Argentine side, the hotels and night life are 30 to 45 minutes away froim the falls by taxi--30 to 50pesos each way. There is also a park enterence fee 30pesos for foreigners.

There is one hotel in the park where the falls are located on the Argentine side--SHERATON INTERNATIONAL RESORT. There is also one hotel on the Brazilian side--Jackson stayed there and can tell you all about it or search the older postings.

The Sheraton is a great choice. The location for experiencing the falls cannot be beat. You can see the falls from the hotel. The falls are a five minute or less walk from the hotel lobby. This allows you to walk for a while and easily return to the hotel for a break and return again. All the touring can be done in a very relaxed manner without taking expensive taxi rides back and forth and wasting time.

There are websites with more info and photos of the falls-- www. fallsworld. com or www. cataratasdeiguazu. net This a place worth visiting for 2 to 4 days. The argentine side is a two day visit without anything else. I'm told Brazil is one day. I did not find anything else there that interested me. I'm told the there are trips to the old Spanish missions that might interest some. Check out the old movie with Robert Deniro "The Mission" This flick shows the falls and the missions near the falls and gives a little history about this border area between Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

The local women seems to be criolla with a lot of european blonde blood mixed in. I was on a romantic get-away and have no idea abou mongering in this neck of the woods.

The sheraton is rated 5 stars, but in reality might be four stars by north american standards. It is a nice place and you will be comfortable. The costs are cheap by north american standrds, expensive by argentine standards. I'll give you the 411:

-Two tiered pricing system--argentines PAY 390 pesos per night for a nice falls view double room. gringos pay us$240 rack rate buying directly from the hotel for a view of the falls. Non-falls view room are much cheaper and not essential.

http: //www. starwood. com/sheraton/search/hotel_detail. html? propertyID=1152

My chica is a portena. She telphoned and made the reservation under her name so we got the local rate--almost half price.

011 5437 5749 1800 They do not publisize that discounted local rate. You must call the hotel direct and be a pushy Argentine for the hotel to acknowledge this deal. We ARRIVED AND CHECKED IN UNDER HER NAME AND I WAS CHECKED IN AS HER GUEST. Of course I paid the bill on my usa credit card and tipped everyone thanking them for their help.

At the Sheraton there are two restaurants. Do not take the full meal plan. There is a great first rate buffet breakfast/brunch which is included with the room at no charge. For lunch, tea or eating before yopur evening meal--there is a bar at the hotel or a formal restuarant or snack bars at the park, a three minute walkwith decent, cheap and basic food. In the evening, the hotel has a gourmet restaurant and a buffet. Both are acceptable. The restarant is not first class by BA standards. There are good, but not great restarantes in town. WE tried the place that the consierge takes his family for Sunday night dinner--good, but not great meat at embrassingly low prices. English menue, but no English spoken.

We flew on Austral, owned by Aerolinas, with a huge discount for argentines compared to the gringo prices. Southwinds also has this route at a higher price and without as many flights and with less desireable times.

The local on site touring is easy even if you don't speak spanish. You do not need to pre-pay for boat rides and walking tours of the park are a waste of money if you can read a map. One trip in the Argentine park that you must take --the new overlooks. There is a free minuature train in the park. Take it to the end of the line away from the parking lots. There is a trail of a couple of hundred yards to will take you to catwalks in front of the most dramatic views of the falls in the argentine park. This view is what I remeber when I think of Iguazu.

HAVE A GREAT TRIP. PM me for more info. I want to thank Jackson and Dave for encouraging me to take this trip that I will remeber for the rest of my life. I'll be in BA Nov 23 to Dec 1 and want to say hello to old friends and make new friends.

BOB

[Miami Bob]

LAN PERU is suspended from doing business in Peru for 90 days. the peruvian government has suspended this branch of Lan Chile because the Peruvian ownership is under 30%.

I recomended their cheap US$540 [including taxes] r/t fare Miami/BA, so I'm giving a warning to anyone who folowed my lead. Lan Peru is assisting transfer to another airline at the same price or providing an easy refund. Avianca has the same price with a stop in Bogota. I do ont have any experience with Avianca.

I switched to American to be safe and secure, but the price is US$
691. including all tax for a direct/non-stop. Varig has a decent price, but I can't deal with de-planing and changing airport terminals at 4:00am. Aerolinas and southern winds don't work for my dates of travel

Bob

[MagicHat]

Hi Capt Dave

Yes, you're probably right. The thing is last year, I did a similar thing - had a flight to Ushuaia from AEP 3 hours after arriving at EZE and I did it in 2, including dropping a bag off in Recoleta - so it can be done.

But I know that this time, with no margin for error, there would be some minor delay that would shaft me. Thanks for the advice, all the best
MH.

[Jackpot]

TWO TIER AIRLINE PRICING ALERT!!

Time again to alert all mongers of the two tier pricing systems used by Aerolinas Argentina and others for domestic flights.

Southern Winds does not per my experience this past March.

ALWAYS ask your agent if the quoted price is the same as potenos (locals) pay or is it the higher price paid by
extraneros (check spelling) foreigners.

Join the fight to discriminate against the discriminators.

Jackpot

[El Chavo]

Guillermo,

Now if you fund your AMEX Travel Funds card with a mileage credit card you will have a FREE tickets to BA in no time.

[Guillermo]

I decided to try one of these American Express Travel Funds cards for my trip to BA, last weekend. The Travel Funds card is like the electronic version of traveller's checks. It's just like a credit card, or an ATM card, but it's not linked to any other cc or bank accounts.

I bought it over the internet at the Amex web site. They charge 14.95 for the initial issue and I "loaded" it with cash from one of my credit cards. It worked fine at the Banelco ATM's in Recoleta. Using the Travel Funds card, I was able to withdraw 1,000 pesos a day, which is Banelco's own limit. Amex has a limit of 400 dollars per day.

What's interesting is that the initial charge to my cc to transfer funds to the Travel Funds card did not come across as a cash advance, it was billed as a regular purchase. So there were no cash advance fees and I have until my next billing statement to pay it off. So theoretically, you could load your Travel Funds card from anywhere in the world using money from your credit card, have automatic access to that money on the Travel Funds card and the whole transaction is free, on the bank side. Amex will charge you 5.00 every time you load the card.

And of course, like traveller's checks, Amex guarantees to replace the card, and your money, if it is lost or stolen.

I thought that was pretty nifty.

Guillermo

[Capt Dave]

MagigHat

I'm no expert, but I think trying to do that would be asking for trouble - you just don't have enough time!'

You aren't coming to BsAs to be harried and rushed. Spend the night, have some fun, and leave the next day rested and ready!

Just my opinion....

David