POST HERE:
Domestic Flight Fares in Argentina:
Is it possible to avoid tier pricing against foreigners in domestic flights?
This question is cause of anxiety for many travelers so I will start with the short answer: No, because it is required to show an Argentine ID at check in
Now let’s go a little further seeing what was asked in a forum and some of the answers:
soxfantoo asked
If I go to lan.com and book off the Argentina site , I get a fare that is literally half the price of booking through the US site
I know the fare on the Argentina site is geared for residents, but has anyone had success booking there instead of on the US Sit
US site wants $444 each. (July, 2007)
ricardoBA answered:
I use the site all the time. It's true that the Argentine price is lower but in order to use those tickets you would have to prove citizenship/residency. The prices on the USA site will change depending on the departure dates. If you try and book out too far then many times you will only see the high price which you saw. However, if you look at some other dates closer to today's date then you will find the fares under Flexible at around $204rt+taxes. You need to continue to monitor the site until you get the lower price. It most likely will come up. I can only guess that they are listing the prices based upon the seat availability on the aircraft. Try to get that price(USA,etc) of $204rt. I have never paid more than that for that flight. (July 2007)
More about fares:
dr__dawggy: If you are flying on American Airlines you may be eligible to purchase a ticket at a discount on LAN_Argentina, a member of the One World Alliance. Check aa.com for details. (June, 2007)
Regarding a question about a roundtrip airfare from B.A to the Falls at the Argentina/Brazil border JanetC posted: I just bought a ticket for November for $237 on Aerolinas (see website in above post) - it looks like this is the same fare in August. You just need to go to the US part of the site. (June, 2007)
Luggage:
This is regarding luggage, sg2000: We are flying Continental from the US to Lima, Peru, then Lan to Buenos Aires, and Aerolineas Argentinas to Iguazu Falls. The problem is: the luggage allowances for each of these flights are different. On Continental interenational flights, you are allowed 2 checked luggages with a max of 50 lbs (23 kg.); on Lan (international) you are alowed 1 piece of luggage with a max of 44 lbs (20 kg.) and on Aerolineas Argentinas (domestic) you are only allowed 1 piece of luggage with a max of 33 lbs (15 kg.) .... (July 2007)
Older posts about fares:
In an older thread (April 2007) claudhen asked:
"We are going to be flying from BA to Salta in about a month. It seems like if I say that I'm from the US on the airline's websites (LAN, Aerolineas) the cost is almost $300 US round trip. However, if I say I'm from Argentina, it's only $150 US round trip. If I were to buy the flight as an Argentinean, will they give us problems at the airport? Also, I've heard that buying the flight just a few days ahead of time may get me a good deal. However, I'm afraid of flights being sold out, paying more, etc. Anyone have any experience or advice?"
Fëarandir who seems to work in a travel agency posted:
"Tickets bought "as an argentinean" are ment to be sold to argentineans only. So, yes, you'll have problems when issuing and/or checking in, since they usually ask for a ID from Argentina"...
"However, there are cheaper fares for foreigners also. Aerolíneas Argentinas, for example, has a special fare for passengers arriving to the country in that carrier. LAN has cheap fares for foreigners but without that requirement. i don't know about Andes, though.
On the other hand, booking in advance is always the best option if you're not going to have a totally free schedule. On a general rule, last minute offers are not so common here, specially in peak season, where the flights are tipically sold out."(April 2007)
Then claudhen replied:
"We decided just to purchase our flights directly from Aerolineas. I find it strange however, that they don't take your credit card info online or over the phone. I have to either visit a ticketing office or fax them a copy of my credit card. Have other people run into this? There's something about it that I find unnerving." (April 2007)
pamdl added:
"It is a little odd, not to say inconvenient. When I bought a ticket for my daughter but wanted to pay with a credit card in my name, we had to go through the whole fax thing, including my photo id and credit card image. Last week I made reservations on line for my family for domestic Argentina flights--when I called on Saturday to pay over the phone, they told me that they don't make transactions on the weekend, and to call Monday (that process went smoothly). I think they just haven't adopted the same service practices that we take for granted with American and many international companies. Maybe they'll catch on eventually."(April 2007)
jessie12 has some comments about the flights:
"we booked our flights from canada so no doubt paid the more expensive price. the only thing i would say was that all the internal flights we took seemed to be completely full..so personally i would worry about booking at the last minute"(April 2007)
avwwv has some information about prices:
"We are here in Buenos Aires and just yesterday bought tickets for Salta - round trip - on Lan - it was about $275 US - per person - Lan has one flight daily - not sure there is any other way that is much cheaper for foreigners" (April 2007)
Finally, if you feel alienated for not being able to get tickets at discounted price, have in mind that more than 99 % of Argentines cannot afford to travel by plane even at those discounted prices, we travel with long-distance buses, which do not cost different to foreigners...
GAUCHORETOBADO
Updated: July 2007