Argentina - Travel Information

[Punter 127]

Hey luv ass,

You posted the following. Do you have a link, I can't find this deal.


Travelocity FLIGHT SPECIAL - American Airlines
$399 -- Buenos Aires from Miami, Roundtrip
Travel dates: July 31-December 9



Thanks
Punter 127

[Luv Ass]

Travelocity FLIGHT SPECIAL - American Airlines
$399 -- Buenos Aires from Miami, Roundtrip
Travel dates: July 31-December 9

This price is even available in November and December, which is peak season in Buenos Aires. Plus, you can fly any day of the week, even over peak travel days. Now's a great time to go.

Luv Ass

[El Aleman]

IGUAZU:

The Sheraton is not a highrise, but a 3 floor complex built rather nicely into the landscape. It is located inside the national park, and the falls and most other attractions are within walking distance or can reached wit a small train connecting park locations. Has a decent restaurant, but nothing special.

It is about 15 min car / taxi from cataratas airport. Day trips to the Brazilian side are available.

I recommend booking through Mayra, and book well in advance - they are usually quite full! I think I paid around U$S 150,- for a double, king size bed, view to the falls, December last year.

hope that helps,

El Alemán

[Miami Bob]

TRIP to IGUAZU IN AUGUST, 2004
I am planning a trip to Iguazu falls for this August. I would like to stay next to the falls. My research leads to two hotels:
-Sheraton Internation in argentina
-Tropical Das Cataratas Hotel in brazil

Does anyone have first hand experience with either of these two hotels?

Is there more to see on a three night trip on the Argentine or Brazilian side? Any recomendations?

Customs and visas going back and forth to Brazil, are there any problems with the Brazilian reactions to the USA's treatment of Brazilian tourists?

I'll be traveling with my portena chica, so mongering is not going to be an issue.

THANKS FOR ANY INFO

bob

Hi Bob,

I stayed at the Tropical Das Cataratas Hotel in Brazil when I visited. The hotel is a stately old place with multiple additions over the years. The property is alone on Federal park property, and is directly opposite the famous falls, which you can view from multiple aspects. However, it's a three mile drive to get to anywhere else.

I think I remember that the Sheraton International in Argentina is a more modern high rise.

Whatever you do, don't plan to spend more than three days because you'll run out of things to see.

Jackson

[Jaimito Cartero]

I think the only way you can accomplish the goals of all these places is to spend a ton of money, or perhaps use miles for a reward ticket for other destinations.

To fly from SJO to EZE, it costs about as much from the US. Say $1000 or so. If you flew to SJO from the US, you can use about 20k frequent flyer mileage to go in coach to EZE. This will also allow at least one stopover on the way (Say in Panama).

The one that comes to mind instantly is Copa. They've partners with Continental and Northwest. Probably some others as well, so I'd check your normal airline partner info.

(Copa might allow you some stopovers on a normal ticket, so you might want to see what you can do with them on a standard ticket. If you're elite on Continental, you may also get free first class upgrades.)

[ReallyaNiceGuy]

Hello,
I could use a little help or guidance.
I am planning a trip now and have been unable to find what I need.
I have an event that I am going to attend in Panama City, Panama on 8/14 & 15, arriving on the 8/13 and departing on 8/16, and I want to stop in several other hobby friendly places while I'm in that part of the world.
So what I want to do is spend like 3 nights in Buenos Aires and then 3 nights some place else, Brazil, Colombia, Peru or Venezuela, in South America. And while in Central America I want to spend 3 nights in maybe Costa Rica or El Salvador.
I can leave Los Angeles, CA any day of the week and don't really care where I go first, as long as I'm in Panama City on 8/13, and have no set date that I have to return.
I've been trying to do this on the internet and just can't seem to find the right order for things. Everything brings me back to the US some where along the way or I have to stop some where else between stops. I know that there are local airlines that might work better but when I get down to the smaller ones they don't have a website or there in Spanish.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Mike

[Dickhead]

The relevant concepts in two-tier pricing are price elasticity of demand and income elasticity of demand. In the former, the percentage of one's income spent on a good or service is directly related to how price sensitive they are regarding that good or service. Since Americans have higher average incomes than Argentineans, they are not as price sensitive and oligopolies in particular can practice price discrimination or "skimming" if they can predict individual consumers' demand curves.

Income elasticity means that if a good or service is "normal," then demand for it rises as income rises. Inferior goods, such as pork and beans or intercity bus travel, work the opposite way; as income rises, demand for them declines. Airline travel is a normal good or service. Argentineans' income declined precipitously after the peso collapsed, whereas Americans' and Europeans' income increased in peso terms. That increased their demand, and made them willing to pay a higher price (in pesos).

Fortunately, another factor in determining price elasticity of demand is the availability of close substitutes. The more substitutes, the more price sensitive is the consumer. Since Southern Winds is a near-perfect substitute for Aerolineas Argentina, economic theory would predict that Aerolineas Argentina's price discrimination strategy will be unsuccessful if Southern Winds' promotional mix is successful in communicating their non-discrimination policies to gringo consumers.

But, it still sucks.

Hope that helps.

Richard A. Head, Sexual Economist

[El Aleman]

Jackpot:

As stated before (by myself and others), you will find 2 - tier price systems (for Argentinians and foreigners) at several places in Argentina: Hotels, airfares, chicas, ...., - it sucks.

But, as I think Otto advised, the best is take care, and buy from those providers you know (or at least are quite certain) who don't charge you more for beeing a gringo. As far as Airlines go, this is the case with Soutern Winds. And, their stewardesses are MORE beautiful than those of Aerolineas.

Play2:

I can highly recommend working with Mayra. She always helped when needed, and is a very nice lady. She will not charge you a commision, but gets her share from the sellers.

hope that helps,

El Alemán

[Jackpot]

Woof Woof and others:

TRAVEL ADVISORY: Aerolineas Argentina has a HIGHER price for
foreigners . I discovered this fact last February thru a honest
agent, "Midnight Pumpkin".

The agent booked me on Southern Winds and saved me about
200 Pesos for BA/ Bariloche-return.

Next time, quiz your agent on fares for portenos and extranheros
(not sure if this is exact spelling) for in-country flights. Yes, the Argentines get preferential prices on some airlines, and we foreigners subsidize them. NO MAS!

Perhaps the resident economist has a comment on the double
pricing systems used by some of the Argentine domestic
carriers.

Caveat Emptor

Jackpot

[play2]

You guys rule! Gracias por todo del adviso, mis amigos.

Of special note, Esquire Dickhead: Your name doesn't 'do you justice.' There appears to be a lot more on top of your head, than simply your dick. Marvelous post - thank you.

FYI, Mayra has already responded to me. Even though I am planning my so far in advance (and, as I've told her, likely won't start putting down cash for a while), she has extremely helpful and very courteous. Thus far, everything that has been said about her appears to be true. It's great to have found a resource such as her from this board.

Chicas aside, I simply cannot wait to blend into the Porteno culture, take part in the culinary wealth in BsAs, watch Boca Junior game, and take excursions to places such a El Calafate and Iguazu! Argentina seems amazing.

Todo al maximo!

-play2

[OttoGraham]

But currency futures surely don't matter if one is a tourist! One comes, one goes, and when there, one buys whatever amount of pesos one needs.

As for duties and obligations, I think you have both the duty and the obligation to thoroughly review for us the mongering situation in Buenos Aires in two weeks' time. As I am informed you intend to stay in BsAs semi-permanently, I have no doubt you are up to the task.

-Uncle Otto

[Dickhead]

Well, it's better than saying "it doesn't matter if you are a tourist." WTF is that? Sure it matters. Any idiot can throw money around needlessly. And, anyone who thinks future currency rates can be "confirmed" needs some more information to disabuse himself of that very dangerous idea.

Plus, I'm not just another pretty face. As resident economist, I have duties and obligations.

[OttoGraham]

DH,

TMI! TMI!

-UO

[Dickhead]

Re currency exchange rates: Many people feel that it is impossible to predict what currency exchange rates will do. Nonsense! As WSG's resident economist (a title Exon granted me which I will accept without the slightest trace of humility), I can predict exactly what exchange rates will do:

They will fluctuate.

But seriously, if one wants to know what the experts think exchange rates will do, one can look at currency futures. To understand this, when one exchanges 1 dollar for 2.86 pesos on the street, one is paying the spot rate. However, there is also a forward rate; one can "lock in" a given rate of exchange at a later date, let's say 3.05 pesos per dollar as of let's say December 1, 2004.

Futures contracts or forward contracts can thus be used either as insurance or to speculate. If I think that the dollar will be worth 2.95 pesos (a stronger peso than the experts think), I can "go long the peso" and if I buy a futures contract at 3.05, I will have a profit of 0.10 pesos per dollar. If I think that the dollar will be worth 3.20 pesos (a weaker peso than the experts think), I can "short" the peso by selling the futures contract and I will have a profit of 0.15 pesos per dollar. Of course, if I am wrong I have a loss.

Futures are a highly leveraged situation, meaning they involve substantial amounts of borrowed money and the gain or loss can be greatly magnified.

However, the experts are often wrong. As an example, I used to work for a futures trading firm. My boss, who developed the trading strategies, was a genius who graduated from college at age 18 with dual degrees in math and physics. He was extensively published on computerized futures trading strategies. We went bankrupt and lost not only a lot of other people's money (not including mine), but his personal fortune and those of many of his family members.

Currency forward rates and futures contract values can be found in Barron's. I say stay away from speculating on futures but they can be valuable insurance. There is no net profit on futures as for every winner there is an equal and opposite loser, unlike say real estate or equities which have a long-term upward bias over time.

Hope that helps,

Richard A. Head, Esq., CPA, CMA, CFM

Two more weeks!

[OttoGraham]

1) Who knows? It doesn't matter for a tourist. It will be what it is when you get there. I wouldn't spend anything until you are sure to be getting off the plane within 4 weeks of travel.

2) Mayra is tops. She has personally helped me and many other posters on this board. Highly recommended.

3) One place I have found tickets to be a bit cheaper is by using the sidestep.com search feature. To use it you need to download a program, which worries some people. But it is a legitimate travel agency and 75% of the time gets me cheaper tickets than Orbitz, Travelocity, etc...

-Uncle Otto