LivingInPatagonia.com

Argentina Airline Travel Information

Written by Jamie

I am often asked about airline travel here in Argentina. It is sometimes difficult to find information on the subject. So, I thought I would help unravel part of the mystery and share some tips I have learned. Some may be obvious, others not so much.

There are two airports in Buenos Aires. EZE is the international airport and AEP is the domestic airport. If you have a connection, for example flying from Dallas to EZE, and then AEP to BRC, you will want to leave at least 3 hours, or more, to clear customs, get your belongings, and transfer cross town.

Be warned, checking into EZE can be a lengthy experience at times, leave plenty of time to go through the various lines. There is an international exit tax of approximately US$18 per person that can be paid in dollars, pesos or with a credit card.

We recommend using a remise (private car) to go between airports. Tienda Leon offers a professional service and reservations can be made online. The current price for a remise is 115 pesos. If you have lots of luggage, skis, etc. be sure to mention it when booking. I think it will cost another 20 pesos or so for a larger car.

There are ATM machines in both airports, so that you may withdraw local currencies, Argentine pesos, when you arrive. We always suggest making a withdrawal ending with an 80 or a 90. It can be difficult to break a 100 peso bill.

For domestic travel, there are two major airlines that fly most everywhere. Lan and Aerolineas Argentina. In addition, there are some smaller airlines that fly some routes, Lade and Andes Air.

Both Lan and Aerolineas offer a fly South America/Argentina pass that allows multiple stops at reduced fares. I suggest contacting them directly for more information.

Lan is part of the One World Alliance. If you are flying to Argentina on American Airlines, or one of the other partners, you can avoid the extra/excessive baggage fee by flying on Lan for your domestic flight. Be sure to remind them if they try to charge you again. Aerolineas permits 2 bags of 15 kilos each per person. Anything after that is charged at 10 peso per kilo.

It is highly suggested that you always reconfirm/check your domestic flight the day before you are scheduled to leave. There are many times that the flight times are changed without notice.

This is a great site to check on flight status.

There is baggage storage at AEP in case you have a long time between connections and want to take a taxi into the city. It is located at the Aeropuertos 2000 office. One must fill out a form, have the bags x-rayed, and tie-off all the zippers. The cost is 6 pesos per bag.