|
Local flights with LAN
Our insufferable government is making trouble for LAN, obviously to help the lousy state-run Aerolíneas Argentinas.
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1612595-e...-jorge-newbery http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1612644-p...erno-argentino Nothing about it yet in English: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/ If you have a local flight with LAN, I suggest you check your flight's status with them. Have a great time in our country, in spite of this kind of thing. |
Too bad. Argentina is off my travel radar for a few reasons, this just adds to it.
|
|
Thank you for the 'heads-up', AV. Argentina remains on our travel radar, but we will make adjustments to our itinerary, as needed. We do plan to try to use LAN whenever possible, as we have had excellent service from them.
|
OTOH, LAN can be a PITA if you need their help making changes to a reservation made on-line... Although I guess it's all relative!
|
What is going on with your government Avrooster? I am glad I am coming by bus!
|
We have a lame duck populist government. Can you imagine anything worse than that?
|
BTW, Crellston, you repeated your question.
Should I repeat my answer? LOL!!! |
Avrooster I have planned travel over a lot of the world, but find myself challenged by a trip to Chile and Argentina for the month of Nov 2013. Particularly with flights. At the end of trip my husband and teenage son will join me for a week. We planned to spend only 1 night in BA (they are outdoor enthusiasts) and 6 in Patagonia-ElCalafate and El Chalten. But, I am stumped by AerolineascArgentina. We leave for US 27 Nov and I had planned to fly FTE-EZE the same day, but that one day only the usual 4 flights are reduced to 1, which is too late. Is this normal - just cut out 3 flights for one day only? is 27 Nov a holiday or something? LAN flays that day, but flies to Ushuaia and than BA, which I'd like to avoid before flying 10 hours home. Would love to go to Trelew for wildlife for couple of nights, but once again no flights on 27 Nov to BA. Any ideas on where we could go for 2 nights and be able to fly into EZE 27 Nov?
|
Kilgore97:
Using Aerolíneas CAN be challenging. LOL! More to the point, I found flight 1885 with them from FTE to EZE landing at 7.16 PM. Is that too late for you? I also found late flight 1899 out of FTE to AEP on Nov. 26, landing at 10.26 PM as well as late flight 1867 out of Trelew landing in AEP at midnight. We usually suggest spending one night in BA before flying home. I have seen people miss their international flight because they cut it too close, or due to unexpected flight delays. So, since you want to spend only one night in BA, why not do it at the end of your stay? I assume you have done your research and know all about the “blue” rate of exchange and that kind of thing. Have a great time in our country with your DH and DS and keep the questions coming. |
Avrooster, I am busy stocking up on USD here in Bolivia prior to crossing the border into Salta. I have read up a little on the Dollar Blue but don't trust everything I read! Is really just a case of going into a normal Cambio and asking for the blue rate or will I have to approach shady looking characters waving wads of cash on street corners? Also will hostals etc. accept USD now? Finally is it better to bring $20 or $100 bills?
|
Crellston:
The blue rate hovers around 9 pesos to the dollar and moving higher, at this writing. I know how things are in BA, but it could be different up there. One thing which will be different is the buy/sell spread, which will certainly be wider. All the "normal" cambios also act in the "blue" market, but they may be wary of someone they don't know. Hostels should take U$S, but the question is at what rate? In BA, U$S 100 bills in good shape would be best. Bottom line: e-mail Angie asking her where you should change, perhaps saying she sent you. Have a great time in Argentina and avoid large boiled egg salads. LOL!!! |
For a price reference, look at "dólar cueva" here:
http://www.ambito.com/economia/mercados/monedas/dolar/ |
Kilgore97 & crellston:
I must say I'm quite overwhelmed by your appreciation of my replies. Just kidding, but ..... LOL!!! |
Patience Avrooster, some of us in Bolivia do not have the luxury of constant Internet-! Lol!! indeed i am banking upon it being a lot better in Salta!!
Your information is, as always, much appreciated. Make the trip to Salta and I will happily buy you an egg salad to say thanks!!!, |
Anything but a large boiled egg salad!
It would bring bad memories, even though it happened almost 5 years ago. LOL! |
Hi av--
We'll be on a cruise in Nov with stops in Ushuaia, P. Madryn before arriving in BA. Is the "blue market" active in Ushuaia as well, or should we just get pesos from an ATM? We'll need cash for the guides, tips, etc. plus our taxi from the BA port to our hotel on San Martin square. Do you know if they'll prefer $100 bills in Ushuaia as well? Better for us, less bulk carrying around all that cash. We have LAN flights to/from Iguazu from BA. I'll keep an eye on them, thanks for the heads up. Do you know of a tour of BA at night? I love to see the city at night with the bridges, buildings, etc all lit up. We'll be arriving back from Iguazu in the late afternoon, and I thought it might make a nice evening to do an evening tour, then dinner. My Mom doesn't want to do a "tango show"; she'd probably prefer a milonga type atmosphere. We're going to the San Telmo market after we arrive on Sunday, so we might see some dancing there. Want to bring your wife and join two California ladies for dinner? Lmowmow |
Hi, Lisa!
So nice of you to take your Mom on a cruise! There should be some kind of a "blue" dollar market in Ushuaia, but you may not need it much, if at all. For your "guides, tips, etc." bring some small (5s, 10s, 20s) dollar bills and use same for that kind of thing. Everyone should be happy to take them. To exchange in the "blue" market in BA, 100s in good shape are best. About the cab from the BA cruise port to the hotel, be VERY careful and avoid the cabs waiting there for arriving tourists to board them. I suggest pre-arranging for a car to pick you up. There are several ways to do this. Your "hotel on San Martin square" is the former Marriott Plaza? Upon your return from Iguazú, do NOT take the taxis which will be waiting outside the local airport. Take what we call a "remise" (a car with a driver, but without a meter). The most reliable "remise" firm is http://www.tiendaleon.com.ar/home/home.asp They have a booth inside the airport and you can pay for your trip before boarding the car, which is the idea of the whole thing. LAN is trying hard to keep their local flights http://www.buenosairesherald.com/art...olution-on-lan but we'll see how things stand by November. About the "tour of BA at night", I guess there should be such a thing, but I don't know about it. How about researching the matter in http://tinyurl.com/nw9f4 ? They also have a lot about "milongas" out there. The "blue" dollar market is extremely volatile and things could change significantly by November. Watch "dólar cueva" here http://www.ambito.com/economia/mercados/monedas/dolar/ for a price reference. You need to know that you can save a LOT of money by bringing cash, exchanging it in the "blue" market and paying your expenses in the local currency (pesos). This also applies to your hotel. At this writing, you could save about 40%, but this could change, up or down. The downside, of course, is that you'd have to bring cash. About San Telmo, the following http://tinyurl.com/ovh8f is a report from a West coast resident I escorted to that fair, years ago. Read the part about the pickpockets. About dinner, we'll talk about that later. Lunch may be easier. You may have read some of the "boiled egg salad" jokes I exchange with top poster crellston. They are about this episode: http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...ant-refuse.cfm If you wish, you can write to me to albertovgalloATyahoo.com Have a wonderful time in South America with your Mom. |
I forgot to mention that smaller businesses, in which the owner is at the cash register, often give at least a further 10% off for cash payment in the local currency, IF they also take CCs.
In other words, cash is king in Argentina and even more so if it is "green" cash. LOL!!! |
Hola Alberto,
Ah the mystery of the avrooster handle is answered. My Aracauna gallo is named Xavier. Of course, he's Chilean. Thinks he's hot stuff. Muchas gracias para me ayude. Lo siento, aprendi Espanol cuando vivo en Espana cuando estoy una chica, en los calles con mis amigos. No aprendo mucho gramatica, ya la mas de mi vocabulario esta palabras medical "Tiene dolor en el pecho?" etc., lol. Necesito practicar antes de venimos. Awful, I know. Lucky for me, it's my Mom who's taking ME on the cruise. I've had a rough year and I deserve it. It will be my first BIG boat cruise. Looks like our shore excursion guides in Puerto Madryn (or Falklands) want to be paid in dollars. I may do a HAL shore excursion in Ushuaia so I can go canoeing on the Beagle Channel. Don't see how to put it together independently in the time we have, plus no one else from our group wants to go. Riding a bus around Tierra del Fuego park sounds boring. Plus, we'll have done that in Torre del Paine two days earlier. Doubt that can be beat. I'm the youngest in the group, and still prefer a slightly more active vacation. We arrive in BA Sunday 8AM so may be off the boat by 10? We will go straight to our hotel NH Crillon, and leave our luggage there. I chose it for its proximity to the port, domestic airport, and metro. I know we could save $ by changing $ on the blue market and paying in pesos, but we got an excellent deal on the hotel, and have a prepaid yet cancellable voucher. We will pay for the Iguazu Sheraton with blue market pesos. I would order a remise for transit from pier to hotel, but I don't know what time we'll be getting off the ship, and we won't have a working cell phone. Hmm, will have to think about how to work that one. After we shed our suitcases, we are planning to look around Plaza San Martin, metro to Casa Rosada, then head to La Boca to El Caminito (very touristy, but we are tourists), then to the San Telmo market. Get dinner somewhere, I'm sure there are many, many good options. Early next morning we head with overnight bags to domestic airport for LAN flight to Iguazu. Afternoon at falls, overnight Sheraton, moonlight walk to falls. Next day, more time at the falls then afternoon flight back to BA, back to our hotel. We may take the local bus from the airport to Retiro station and walk to our hotel since we will only have small overnight bags. We are experienced world travelers and speak some Spanish, have lived in L.A. and San Fran so not intimidated by a big city, touts, gypsies, or pickpockets, and aware of the scams and taxi issues. In the evening I was hoping to see the lit up city. We may just have to metro and walk around. If we go out to a show, this will be the only night to do so. I'd like to see the planetarium at night, it's really cool looking. Next day, we have the entire day before our flight home at 10pm. We'll visit the Teatro Colon, Recoleto including the cemetary, maybe the MALBA, anything else we want to do. We'll arrange a remise from the hotel to EZE. I think for two people it will cost same/less than the Manuel Tienda bus. After a boring, irritating wait at the airport, it will be a marathon trip home. I'm looking forward to our visit. (How do I say that in Spanish?) Lisa |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:12 PM. |