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Dancesw/Chicas
02-21-04, 22:05
Amigos,
I am looking for tickets to Argentina from the West Coast. The best I can find is almost 900 dollars. Does anyone knows of a better airfare of website?
MeGustaBoliches
02-21-04, 23:18
Dances,
Have you checked www.carbone-travel.com? They usually have the lowest fares in the market.
Dances with chicas - please go to www.despegar.com, it's an Argentinian owned on-line travel service and they generally have a promotional fare to BA almost every day. When you log on look in the lower right-hand corner for the promotional fares. Also, don't hesitate for a second to call the 800 phone number, (I believe it's actually 1-877 or something like that, it's listed on the top of the home page) and be prepared to speak Spanish since these calls typically are transferred to a young woman working at the BA headquarters where the girl's English may be questionable.
But I highly recommend you try it, Dances, as I've had great results with this site over the years.
Re: Paying first or after: with all due respect to the diehards on this issue that insist on always paying afterwards, this is an old issue and though I too am in favor of only paying afterwards and always try to get the girl to let me pay afterwards, I have to say that now that I've been at this game for about 6 years that I can honestly say that there doesn't seem to be too much correlation between paying afterwards and getting great service. The ones that are out to give you great value for your peso are going to do it whether you pay up front or afterwards if they have any sense of how powerful your word of mouth advertising can be for them. I've paid before and gotten great service, paid afterwards and gotten crappy service and yaddie, yaddie, yaddah. Yes, it's true that you can always withhold the money if they give crappy service and boot them out but then again, you're on their turf in a foreign land and they generally know lots of tough guys who can easily arrange to have you knocked on the back of the head with a hard object if you mistreat their mealticket. As for the ones who earnestly seem to be trying to please but are on the fringe and just don't cut it, you aren't likely to throw these girls out of the room anyway, so with regard to this type of girl it probably doesn't much matter if you're paying first or last.
Lastly on the subject, one thing I've found is that if you find a chica and you pay up front the first time, if you make her like and trust you then naturally if you see her again she drops the pay-up-front stance. I imported one from Mendoza several years ago who asked me to pay up fron the first night I was with her in BA. The second day she didn't ask me to pay first since she'd already figured out I was a decent guy looking to get his rocks off with a young hottie but finally, I paid her before saying goodbye after 5 incredible days of bliss that we spent together when I sent her a plane ticket and put her up in a local hotel and wined and dined her near my home. So go figure! DownBA
Dances, PS, here's the link to despegar.com: http://www.us.despegar.com/homes/homeusms.html and I noticed right away that they're offering LA-BA for $544 which seems pretty damn good to me seeing as how it's $499 from NY-BA and LA's 5 hours farther by air. Hope this helps! DownBA
Down BA is 100% correct about his travel agent and I'm kicking myself right now. My frequent flier miles are on United but when I did a search on UA and Expedia, Travelocity etc, I kept getting fairs over 1200 bucks from March 1st - 18th.
So I finally just cheaped out and bought AA's lowest fare which was $780.
Anyway--I just did a search on that site despegar.com and found UA flight for my exact dates for 640 or so!
Thanks Down BA I will be using them in the future.
(PS. UA really is no longer competitive any longer with flights to Europe. California, Asia and most importantly South America. I would be flying through JFK to South America and UA is always 200-300 bucks if not more than AA and other carriers. They are no losing my business to AA. Its a shame because I did like flying their 777s to Japan/Thailand.)
Oh well!
Lastly, has anyone stayed at the Four Seasons in BA.?
Peace--
Chuponalgas
02-23-04, 02:51
The trick with TRAVELOCITY is DO NOT PUT IN DATES.
Click on "Search all dates for best fares" and THEN pick your dates from the calendars. Often the fares show up 50% less this way. Go figure.
JustGotBack
02-23-04, 03:48
DownBA, is there a trick to getting http://www.us.despegar.com/homes/homeusms.html to display in English? I tried clicking on the little US flag but it's still in Spanish.
For travel from the West Coast (L.A., S.F.) the cheapest flights I found were with Holiday Travel in Pasadena, CA. They are Argentine owned and have very good deals.
And, last call. I am going to B.A. next Thursday 2/26. If I can be of service to anyone let me know.
Guille
Another great consolidator is carbone-travel.com. They specialize in Argentina and usually sell AA. I had no problem dealing with'em in the past. Fares appears to be between usd 550 and 770 right now.
Dancesw/Chicas
02-23-04, 23:09
Amigos,
Thank you for the tips regarding airfares etc...
I did research the $555 from Los Angeles. After tax is
$650 plus a $30 booking fee. That said, My two hour
drive up north, gas and parking... It gets too close to the
$871 United fare I am looking from my local airport SD.
Still $680 is not bad from LAX but, I think is not a major
airline and with more than one stop over.
I am glad I still looking out for the finances. You got to
used that other head for something!
Don't loose faith chicas!! Is just logistics...the artillery is
ready!!
DWC
JustGotBack
02-24-04, 05:27
Guille,
Do you have a number or website for Holiday Travel in Pasadena. I tried a web search but I couldn't find it.
Gentlemen,
At the current rate of demise of the USD versus the GBP I can get a nice weekend break in the USA (Virgin air), buy my ticket for BA stateside, and still have change for a night at Madahos compared to going straight to BA from Europe! Now all I need is time!
Regards, Havanaman
The Galvanizer
02-24-04, 21:19
Hey Guille5,
Im in the middle of booking my well overdue trip to Argentina. I too live in the Glendale/Pasadena area and would like to call Holiday Travel. I've done some preliminary searches and could only dig up Holiday "Tour" not Travel. Can you dig up some contact information for me. Guys, looking to meeting with many of you March 16 thru ??? lol.
Thanks Guille
To Galvanizer and others:
Holiday Tours, 626-793-3040. I usually ask for Elsie who is very professional and found me the cheaper flights (with tax included).
I am flying down BA Thu. 2/26. Anything happening the 1st week of March. I would like to meet some of you. Do you have a mtg. place?
Thanks, G.
One Tree Hill
02-28-04, 21:52
WEATHER?
I am hoping to come next week to BA. How bearable is the humidity and heat? I see high 80's and high humidity on the reports. Is it sweaty? Short and Tee's in the day time?
Thanks
Try one of these:
http://www.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/intlocal_index.asp?wxcity2=BUENOS+AIRES&wxcountry=SA;AG
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/IntlLocalStd.asp?loc=saez&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=Forecast&product=Forecast&prodnav=none&pid=none
http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=SAEZ
Jackson
Jaimito Cartero
03-02-04, 14:13
In looking for good rates to EZE, I came across one of the travel specials from United. It's good from Chicago, and is good for departures from the 8-11th of March, and return up to 6-10 days later. Less than $500 including taxes. May be available from other gateways.
Dancesw/Chicas
03-02-04, 17:58
United is having a $489 Lax to EZE in the special deals section.
DWC
Thread: Travel Information:
While booking a trip to Bariloche, I asked if the ¨extranos(? sp)paid more than the argentinians.
Guess what. We foreigners get a good ripoff from the domestic airlines to the effect of 15-20% more for the same seat as an Argentine, EXCEPT on Southern Winds which does not discriminate as of yet.
You do the math and ask the same question on discriminatory fares. This will tell you if your favorite travel agent is really out to help you.
I suggest we band together and boycott the domestic ripoffs like AreoLinas Argentina and the others who treat us like a money machine.
I now use Midnight Pumpkin at 867 Viamontes, Piso 1, room #104
.
The agent is an english speaking woman named Veronika. She is quite helpful and even suggested a good 3 star hotel. Using Southern Winds saved me over 200 Pesos.
Please post any feedback.
Bien Viaje.
Jackpot
Jackpot,
I had the same thought too as I had just forked out $230 USD for a round trip flight between BA and El Calafate on Aerolinas Argentinas. Since this is my first time visiting the country, what do I know about local practices? Would any porteno or local expert happen to know if that price is a big time rip off?
MeGustaBoliches
03-05-04, 18:17
Aerolineas Argentinas is owned by a Spanish company. Go figure. When Aerolineas was owned by Argentinos, no difference in price for extanjeros....but now, si. Screw em.
Southern Winds lowest fares require 10 day advance purchase. Late purcharers pay more, Argentinos and extranjeros alike.
Several of the newer airlines also offer good fares for extranjeros.
Interestingly, you can almost always get a lower fare from Buenos Aires to Chile or Brazil than to many places within the country. So I am inclined to save my dollars and go to another country rather than travel within Argentina via air.
Almost all good travel agents will tell you where and how to get the best fares as an extranjero.
Double pricing is used in may parts of the World. It is somewhat unfair, but those are the rules. We locals know that.
Domestic air transportation always behaved as an oligopoly. That's why is cheaper to fly to Santiago (more competition) than to Mendoza.
In English, "foreign" means "strange" and "foreign national", depending on context. In Spanish, you use "extraño" for "strange" (or "unknown") and "extranjero" for "foreign national".
Hope this helps,
Andres
Andres,
Double pricing is not "somewhat unfair", it just plain sucks. And, true, it happens in many parts of the world. And, at my opinion, it's presence in a country is good evidence that that country is NOT part of the 1st world.
In Argentina it seems to be a national sport, like futbol and tax evasion. I experienced it of course with airline tickets, hotels and chicas.
At one occasion, I made a hotel reservation in Puerto madryn through my travel agent. I was quoted U$S 70 (I think) for a double. a day later, I got a call that some error had occurred and the price would be U$S 105, and everything else booked (it was early January). I accepted, but some time later I had an Argentinean friend call the hotel for a quote for the following weekend. Guess? 200 pesos.
This is so transparent to people who do their share of travelling, and who know locals in any country. And it is awfully bad for a country's reputation.
So, I kindly suggest you as a local not to defend that habit as "the rules", but speak up against it and try to get rid of these rules. People all over the world are quick with prejudice, and "some businesses in Argentina exploit foreigners" easily becomes to "the Argentinians try ro rip you off".
Don't get me wrong: I like Argentina very much and I have met a lot of very nice people there, from those I am doing business with to ladies I spent unforgettable nights with. I would hardly have invested a 6 digit U$S sum in the country would that not be the case.
Another country where douple pricing was a plague 5 years ago was the Czech Republic. On May 1, they will join the EU, and today double pricing hardly exists any more. They, somehow, managed to move into the right direction.
El Alemán
MeGustaBoliches
03-08-04, 10:55
El Alemen,
You forgot the most important area of commerce where double pricing sometimes exists in Argentina--The girls. We extranjeros sometimes pay one price, Argentinos another.
Andres can defend the practice or not. It is his right. We can make our own statement by pointedly rejecting this form of discrimination and giving our dollars to those who appreciate us.
I choose to give my business to hotels, airlines and chicas who treat foreigners and nationals alike.
Screw Aerolineas. Fly Southern Winds, where your business is wanted and appreciated.
Screw Design Suites. Stay in Art Suites or another hotel that appreciates your business and treats foreigners right.
Screw chicas who double the price when they see a yanqui walk through the door (no, wait, that would be don't screw chicas who double the price. Instead screw those who don't double the price).
Speaking of screwing, I am stuck in the States right now and I am grumpy cause I aint gettin any if you know what I mean.
I know that double pricing sucks. I heard of Western European tourists having to pay a premium in Greek hotels. Of course, these tourists get the best rooms and a better service (a "compensation" that may not be present here).
I guess that Argentinians will learn that double pricing isn't fair by the hard way, either through external factors (businesses in neighboring countries stopping this practice) or internal (too much competition leading to narrowing or droping the gap).
Andres
MeGusta,
You are absolutely right.
Double pricing can only exist in quasimonopolistic market segments, and will dry out as soon as enough competition exists who treats foreigners and locals alike. And, if the foreign customers are aware of the fact and behave accordingly. Very often, this is not the case, and providers do their best to keep the existence of double pricing secret. So, makink things public helps.
Of course, Andres has every right to defend these practise. I, however, have the same right to feel pissed and say so.
I just edited my first post to correct my unforgivable omission...
El Alemán
OttoGraham
03-08-04, 13:17
Knowledge is power. If you know somebody intends to charge you a different price because of your nationality, then you don't need to get taken. Give your business to somebody else.
With few exceptions (intra-Argentine plane flights being one), you don't need to pay a different price.
As for women, I think the differences in price have less to do with nationality and more to do with socio-economic status. If you come across as somebody with a lot of money, a girl will want to charge you more, regardless if you are Argentine or Gringo. Your ability to negotiate, in Spanish or not, also has a lot to do with the price you will pay. Ditto your looks and whether your breath smells like something died in your mouth.
-Uncle Otto
Hello Fellow Mongers,
United is running a special on flights to BA from Miami for an unheard of $389.00 or from Chicago or LA for $439.00. Check their special e-fares section on thier website. Flights must be booked by this Friday.
It's a great deal.
I flew on Aerolinas Argentinas between the Aeroparque airport in BA and Calafate. Damn, the stewardesses on Aerolinas were gorgeous! I would love to do any one of them. Also, as far as airline food goes, Aerolinas serves way better food than the crappy stuff you get on American or United even on long international flights. Not only that but you get wine from Mendoza at no extra charge.
JustGotBack
03-30-04, 03:09
Save 5% off any United flight
https://www.itn.net/cgi/get/itn/air/unitedairlines?index:NEWREC*itn/ord=NEWREC,itn/air/unitedairlines
Hi, Guys:
This post is about travel information through Mayra's services and what is going on with her. Her partner screwed her up and Mayra is not working anymore for Argentinago.com.
This week she is starting with her own and new company, so she changed her email address and her cell. phone. She is still providing the tourist services she used to and with the same and also more dedication, because now, she understood that she works for herself and she hasn't any monthly salary; everything depends on her skills and dedication.
As I know her for almost two years, and I know how hard she likes to work and how much she likes to provide a good service and take care of the guys' needs, I am one of her supporters in her new challenge and I want to recommend as I always did, her services. Also because although we are not partners, since we first met, Jackson led us to cooperate, and we did it, and as a result we are taking care of you like a coordinated team; she provides the beds and I call the stuff to be put on the beds!!!!
So, we need to be patient with her these first weeks, she is starting again, and she really wants to work for you; the guys of the forum.
Any problem you could have with her ex agency, you'll need to solve it with them, because they want to play the fool now, and they are responsible for the services they've already arranged with you, although their best employee is not working with them anymore. But of course, you can email Mayra and as usual, she will try to help you in case you have a problem with her ex agency and if they persist in not taking responsabilities, relax, you can cancel the services with them and go straight to Mayra's, because now she is the head and she is a responsible person.
Her new email address is: MAYRABRILL@ARGENTINA.COM
Her new cell. phone is: 155 307 3300.
Kisses, Roxana.
Fellow mongers not attached to a ball with a chain:
For those who may be interested, United is having a very good last minute fare to B.A. through their Washington Dulles (IAD) gateway.
For example, a weekend "jaunt" departing IAD on Thursday 22nd and returning at 9pm of Monday 26th, INCLUDING taxes and fees is $511. This would give you 4 solid days of mongering: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and just about all day Monday.
If you are lucky enough to be able to sleep on the plane, you are back in time for work on Tuesday morning, and with a big grin on your face! I bet none of your coleagues could possibly claim having had a better weekend than you did!
As for me, I can only live vicariously for now (see the first sentence)...
Question on Argentina.
1. Best moderate price girl friendly hotel in Recoleta?
2. Advisable to take the laptop computer on the trip for internet connection?
3. If #2 is negative, where can I get internet connections? Considering the fact that many Escort Agencies advertise on internet.
4. Any HSBC or Bank of America located in Recoleta district?
Thanks for the help.
j.
Re: HSBC bank
There is a Citibank and an HSBC bank in Recoleta. Both are on Avenida Callao. The HSBC is near Vincente Lopez and the Citibank is up near Alvear, just down the street from the famous hotel for people above my pay grade.
Stormy
Re: internet connections
Internet connections are all over the place, at locutorios (public telephone stations) and at internet cafes. It seems like there is one on every block. There are several in Recoleta.
Many of the hotels offer terminals for use by guests, as well. There is no particular reason to bring a laptop, unless you do work on it several hours per day AND are in a place that will offer you a connection in your room.
Stormy
Jaimito:
I'd hate to have to cram that much mongering into 4 days!
I agree, but some of us are on a leash and short getaways are all that is possible. Given the short-lived nature of this temporary reprieve, it initially appeared to make sense to cram as much mongering as possible into that time frame!
That being said, I did exaclty the above during my last trip, which gave me from Friday morning to Monday night on the ground. I did three "scheduled" sessions and one unscheduled one every day. I must admit that by the end of the second day, it felt at times that I was simply going through the motions. I was simply "sex'ed out". Under normal circumstances the little Knuckhead would have quit, and it would then have become a self-limiting problem. However, I had taken a Cialis tablet, and as such, the little Knuckhead was 100% obedient!
Looking at it from some distance now, it was the highest number of girls I had ever done in the shortest amount of time! 15 girls (including two three-some sessions) in 81 hours! Not exactly Mickey Mouse, but maybe I came close?
Sounds like you had a great time. What made your trip unique was that you had a girl following you as your personal assistant. I especially got a big kick out of the fact that she was helping you do other girls!
In the future, I will try to spend more time with one of the ladies. I would like to ask Maria (from Argentina Private) to join me for a much longer time, maybe an entire 24 hours, during my next trip. I'll just keep on dreaming...
Jaimito Cartero
04-17-04, 15:15
Well it was a bit of a different approach for me this time with Marta-Makeover. I just got good vibes off of her from the beginning. After our first night together, I had her come over in the evening, and we went out and I got her hair done, got her some decent makeup and looked at some clothes.
I'm a sucker for sexy hosiery and stuff, so lots of fun looking on Florida for stuff. I was tired after a few hours, so gave her a 150 pesos and told her to get some clothes. Marta used to sell clothes to the girls at the clubs, so she has a pretty good idea of where to get the best prices.
She's a seamstress by trade, and wants to set up an apartment to do that, with sex sidework as needed.
The next night I had her work on a business project I had brought along (collating/stapling) while I went off to the weekly AMA meeting. While it may have been rash to leave her in the apartment alone with most of my money, video camera and passport, I just got a very trusting vibe out of her.
As soon as the picture options are restored, I'll post a series of before, during and after pictures of her. For the 9 days and nights I was with her I spent a bit over $500 on her, including the makeover. This includes payment for her time, a cell phone (150 pesos), and about 4 outfits. I would have tried to get her some chic glasses if I had the time.
Which is the best? Viagra, Ciallis or Leveitra?
I have tried V and L but never C. Feels like L is better than V but anyone tried all three?
There is very little differentiation between Viagra and Levitra in spite of what the marketers would have you believe. However, Cialis stays in your body longer and so you can feel the effect longer, as long as 36 hours. That's why they call it the weekender in Europe. When I was in BA last month it was easy enough to get generic Viagra without a prescription. I didn't inquire about Cialis though. Would anyone know whether that's available as a generic in BA?
After spending the last 11+ months living in a nice hotel in BA(2 weeks short of a year) I have decided to go and visit Paraguay for a while over the winter. I hope all goes well. I had a nice Paraguayan favorita for 5 months and perhaps I can find others as nice.
I have just gotten my 90 day visa to visit Paraguay.
In Buenos Aires, visit:
Consulado del Paraguay
Viamonte 1851 (1/2 block West of Ave. Callao)
8:00AM-13:30PM M-F
You will need (for a US citizen):
1. One photo carnet size. Obtainable in photo/film shops immediately.
2. Travel tickets to go to Paraguay and return to Buenos Aires.
I have a bus ticket with an open return date Asuncion-BA.
3. One credit card useable in Paraguay
4. Your passport, with at least six mos. remaining
5. $US45 for one entry/exit, $US65 for multiple entry, in US dollars
You do not need photocopies of anything. They will photocopy your passport, credit card, and tickets. You fill out an application in the office. It may be possible to get it in one day. I went at 9:30AM and they asked me to return the following day for it.
I am planning on going by bus(Nibu style) thru Posadas, Encarnacion, and the Ruta 1 side of Paraguay to Asuncion. The trip is about 24 hours. This has the advantage that I will be able to take in the scenery of about half of southern Paraguay in one day, comfortably. Hopefully, I will pass thru Encarnacion just after dawn to assess my prospects for returning to visit there.
I am planning on a trip to Buenos Aires for 2-2005, and I have a number of questions (indeed, a 'deluge' of questions). I have done my research, and I am currently at the point of nearly putting some money into this trip (yes - I do plan 'way in advance'). Thank you in advance for any help that you can provide:
(1) I have heard that the Argentine Peso will have another tumble within the next year. Apparently, too many people are on credit and the gov't is 'in over their heads' in debt. I have also heard that the rate may go even back to 4 ARG PESOS per 1 US DOLLAR.
Now, as I've mentioned, I'm going to travel to Argentina in February of 2005. Are there others that can confirm this? I was originally considering on purchasing my apartment/within-Argentina plane tickets for 2-2005 right now, but would it be better to wait for prices to change? What is the likelihood of a better PESO-DOLLAR rate by the spring of '05? Or will the rate worsen for us?
(2) I have only heard excellent reviews on Mayra Brill's service (independent - mayrabrill@argentina.com) as a travel agent in putting together one's ticket/apartment reservations. I am planning on getting an apartment in Recoleta for a month and, also, taking a couple trips to Iguazu, El Calafate, Tierra del Fuego, and Colonia (Uruguay). In terms of (a) economics and (b) satisfaction of service, would Mayra be the best way to go? If so, how much commision does she make? Or would you use services such as Bytarg, Alojargentina, and/or Argentinago?
(3) In purchasing a ticket from the states to EZE, from your experience, what has been the best place to purchase from? I have found that Carbone has great deals, and United Airlines recently had a good deal, but does anyone know of a travel agent or other service who can purchase a better deal (ie. < $600 US for JFK-EZE roundtrip)? Again, would Mayra Brill be a good agent for this?
Gracias!
Play 2,
I will try to respond to your queries based on my personal experience.
(1) Don't know because I'm neither an economist nor an F/X arbitrage kinda guy. But from a hobbyist perspective, a 4:1 rate would be sweet.
(2) Mayra was terrific in getting me excellent hotel rates in BA. However, I was disappointed in the lodging she arranged for me in Calafate. But then, this was probably due to the fact that this was during the peak season (Jan-Mar) down there and all the decent places were probably booked up by the time I had her look something for me. So if you're planning to go to Calafate in February 2005, book a hotel room very early. Go for the Michelangelo hotel if possible. That's the best value for the money in Calafate. Also, I believe you can save yourself some money on the flight between BA and Calafate if you go directly to the website of Aerolineas Argentinas and book a flight yourself online. Make sure that you fly out of the Aeroparque airport in BA. It's a lot closer to downtown BA than EZE and it saves time and cab fare. Aerolineas Argentinas is a terrific airline in terms of service. Their stewardesses are drop-dead gorgeous.
3) Try Ole Travel. Their web address is: oletour.com. Their fares to BA are competitive with Carbone. My sense is that Mayra specializes in travel arrangements within Argentina.
WW
play2:
1) I don't know where did you get that info from, but I can recall by mid 2002 all the pesimistic scenarios pointed out by "economic gurus", such as setting the dollar/peso rate from 1/5 to 1/20. Needless to say, that never happened. Thus, take these comments with a grain of salt.
3) I had good experiences using Eagle Travel from Coral Gables, FL.
Hope this helps,
Andres
OttoGraham
05-10-04, 11:11
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
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
05-10-04, 18:30
DH,
TMI! TMI!
-UO :D
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
05-10-04, 18:41
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
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
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
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
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
ReallyaNiceGuy
06-21-04, 14:32
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
Jaimito Cartero
06-21-04, 15:15
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.)
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
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
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
Punter 127
08-07-04, 14:08
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
PHONERENTAL.com.ar --5411 4311 2933
What's poop on these folks. I'm going to need a cel in a few days. Their web site isn't clear to me and my phone call left questions.
I have rented before only through a hotel and the rates I remeber were higher.
Is this the same place that the hotels use?
Free pick-up at the airport.
One week free rental.
Local rates--
Outgoing calls .60 pesos per min
Incoming .12 pesos
Looks good!
Are they honest and straight foward.
Anyone know them?
Bob
Punter 127,
I just came off their site, so here it is for you, off course it is their main link: www.travelocity.com/
You can register and they come up with the deals etc. I have used Travelocity a few times and they are OK, nothing special though.
I now tend to get at least 5 online quotes from different sources and get my broker to better them: 7 out of 10 times he can match the quoate and gets my business…
Regards, Havanaman
HappyGoLucky
08-14-04, 19:38
FYI from Happy:
August 12, 2004
United Announces Bonus Miles Offer, Low Fares for Travel Between Chicago and Buenos Aires, and United has reinstated daily, nonstop service between Chicago and Buenos Aires starting on October 31, 2004, with continuing service to Montevideo, Uruguay.
CHICAGO, August 12, 2004 - United Airlines today announced a Mileage Plus bonus offer and limited-time introductory fares for passengers traveling between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). Mileage Plus® members can earn miles in all booking classes - 8,000 miles for United First®, 5,000 miles for United Business®, and 3,000 miles for United Economy® - when they purchase and fly a qualifying roundtrip between Chicago and Buenos Aires between October 1, 2004, and January 31, 2005.* United is offering a reduced fare of $489 for travel each way between the two cities, with fares as low as $429 for travel each way between Buenos Aires and other U.S. cities via Chicago.** United's reinstated daily, nonstop service between Chicago and Buenos Aires begins October 31, 2004, with continuing service to Montevideo, Uruguay.
"We're thrilled to reintroduce service between our hometown hub and Buenos Aires with an attractive bonus miles offer and great, low fares," said Martin White, senior vice president-Marketing. "We're offering customers another convenient option for traveling between South America and Chicago - a United gateway to practically anywhere in the world - at an exceptional value."
Mileage Plus members can register for the bonus miles offer at http://www.united.com/offer/MPI264 or by calling 1-800-447-6772 and entering code 305. See bonus offer terms and conditions below for full details. Customers can purchase Chicago-Buenos Aires introductory fares at http://www.united.com/bookonline. Introductory fares are each way based on required roundtrip purchase by August 25, 2004. Fares are valid for travel Monday through Thursday in November 2004. See fare facts below for additional details.
United is the only carrier offering nonstop service between Chicago and South America. From Chicago, United also provides daily, nonstop service to Sao Paulo (GRU), with continuing service to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) in Brazil. United also serves Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo nonstop from its Washington Dulles hub.
United plans to operate its Chicago-Buenos Aires route with a Boeing 767 aircraft. United Flight 855 departs Chicago at 9:25 p.m. (CST) and arrives in Buenos Aires the next morning at 11:45 a.m. local time. United Flight 854 departs Buenos Aires at 8:45 p.m. local time and arrives in Chicago at 5:10 a.m. (CST) the following morning.
About United
United, United Express and Ted (OTCBB: UALAQ.OB) operate more than 3,500 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's web site at http://www.united.com/.
* BONUS OFFER TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Offer valid for travel between October 31, 2004, and January 31, 2005. Offer is not combinable with other offers and may be earned up to a maximum of three times. Offer is valid in all booking classes: 8,000 for F/A, 5,000 for C/D and 3,000 for other Economy. Offer valid for members who reside in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Argentina. A roundtrip is required. A roundtrip is defined as travel from an origin city to a destination city with return travel beginning in the outbound destination city back to the first origin city with all segments on United. Open jaws and circle trip itinerary are not allowed. Offer valid on qualifying paid, published fares only and only on flights operated by United. Offer not applicable to United-marketed code share flights operated by other carriers. E-ticket purchase required where available. Offer subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. Not valid on Government fares. Bonus miles apply to base flight miles only and do not count toward elite status. Miles accrued, awards issued and bonus offers are subject to the rules of the United Mileage Plus program. Bonus miles will be deposited six to eight weeks upon completion of qualifying travel. The Mileage Plus Program, including accruals, awards and bonus miles offers, is subject to change without notice. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the passenger. United and Mileage Plus are registered service marks. For complete details about the Mileage Plus program, visit www.united.com. Promotion code MPI 264.
** FARE FACTS: Fares above are each way based on required roundtrip purchase for United Economy® travel on United Airlines®, TedSM, and United Express® carriers. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights/dates. Purchase Requirements: Tickets must be purchased at least 7 days in advance and ticketed within 72 hours of making reservations, but no later than 8/25/04. Sale fares apply to U.S. point-of-sale only. Reservations and ticket purchases on united.com must be completed simultaneously. Travel Days/Dates: Fares are valid for travel Monday through Thursday with travel commencing by between November 1, 2004 and November 30, 2004. Fares on other days of the week are higher. Blackout Dates: None. Min./Max. Stay: A 3-night stay is required and the maximum stay is 30 days. Flight Restrictions: Travel on the international segment must be on UA 854/855 operating non-stop between Chicago and Buenos Aires. Additional Taxes/Fees: Fare does not include the September 11th Security Fee of up to $10 maximum per roundtrip or Passenger Facility Charges of up to $18, which may be collected depending on the itinerary. Fare is subject to U.S. arrival and departure taxes and agricultural, immigrations and customs fees of up to $40. For travel to some countries, additional airport, transportation, embarkation, security, duty, equalization and passenger service taxes/surcharges of up to $48 will apply depending on destination. For return travel from some countries, fare does not include airport and/or departure taxes of up to $36, which may be collected by the foreign government. Itinerary Changes: Tickets are non-refundable, but the return portion may be changed for a $100 fee, provided the new itinerary is within the parameters of this offer, minimum and maximum stay requirements are met, and the origin and destination are not changed. If the reservation is cancelled before the ticketed departure date, the itinerary may be rebooked up to one year from the original ticket issuance date for a $100 service charge. If a reservation is not cancelled before the ticketed departure date, the ticket has no value. Other Conditions: Fares are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.
Jaimito Cartero
08-14-04, 21:03
For those looking for the link to the $399 ($461 with taxes) from Miami, use the link below:
http://dps1.travelocity.com/cannonball.ctl?frontDoor=Y&Service=TRAVELOCITY&adj_intl_tm=US&expr_path=Y&fare_network=TRUE&last_pgd_page=ushpnbff.pgd&SEQ=742981305109252445817&htl_pkgs=OFFER&tt2=DISPLAY&inp_num_cnx=&inp_dep_arp_cd_1=mia&inp_arr_arp_cd_1=eze&SearchMethod=BestFareFinder&leaveMonth=9&inp_dep_dt_dy_1=2&inp_dep_tm_1=+&returnMonth=9&inp_ret_dep_dt_dy=5&inp_ret_dep_tm=+&departure_dt=Aug&arrival_dt=Dec&inp_adult_pax_cnt=1&inp_child_pax_cnt=0&inp_senior_pax_cnt=0&child_age_1=-%3F-&child_age_2=-%3F-&child_age_3=-%3F-&child_age_4=-%3F-&child_age_5=-%3F-&submitFH=%3CDIV%3ESearch+Flights%3CBR%3E%2B+Hotels%3C%2FDIV%3E&submitFO=%3CDIV%3ESearch+Flights%3C%2FDIV%3E
Or just go to Travelocity, and enter MIA to EZE, and enter flexible dates. This pricing is from LAN Peru. Stops in Lima.
JustGotBack
09-10-04, 04:55
I'm trying to book a flight from the west coast of the US for mid October. I'm getting either $1300 or so from United or $800 or so far a 5 stop 29 hour flight on various airlines. Anyone have any ideas about where I can check?
HappyGoLucky
09-10-04, 13:22
Try this consolidator:
http://www.americastravel.net/airfare/index.htm
Try Varig at www.varigbrasil.com/english and go to the special internet deals. You may even be able to stay in GIG or GRU for a side-trip.
Also, www.carbone-travel.com appears to be a decent-priced, reputable seller for travelers going to Argentina. You may want to give them a call.
I hope that this helps.
PHONERENTAL.COM 5411 4311 2933
I rented a cel from them for two and one half weeks last month.
i had a good experience. They met me at the airport. The agent spoke good english. They took my AMX card imprint and handed me a almost new motorola v600; two battereis; a home charger and a car charger [which I requested]; a black leather case. They gave me clear written instructions for all the basic phone functions.
The costs were exactly as advertized on the website. They emailed me an intemized bill the morning that they were s chedualed to pick-up the phone. We had a brief meeting, in english, for the final bill and pick-up of the phone at the location of my choice.
They also gave a 10 o/o discount for cash in either pesos or US$.
I finally found a good rental company, but now it's time to buy a gms unlocked phone and buy a sim card from Personel which I can recharge with time cards. Better late than never.
This outfit has an USA office in San Diego, Calf. You can call their office toll free from the USA to verify everthing and pick-up your telephone numbers ahead of time.
The BA cel service with this company was very good.
Bob
NEXTEL in ARGENTINA
My USA Nextel phone always worked in Argentina, but the local calls in BA are US$2. 00 per minute.
During my May, 2004 trip, I turned on the phone to get a few usa telephone numbers and the radio started buzzing?
NEXTEL's radio service works now between the USA and BA. I have used in quite a bit and it really works well. Nextel is promoting the new service between South America and the USA. As of last month. the international serice was free--no charge beyond the normal contract charges for use in the USA.
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET A NEXTEL SIM CARD--buyable on ebay--set-up in BA to purchase cel minutes in Argentina for use in Argentina at the Argentine rates? I can't use a monthly contract. I have made 5 trips to BA over the last year, but I don't spend enough time in BA to have a monthly contract make sense. I own a Nextel Motorola i90c which I assume is locked.
Bob Miami, Florida USA
Keep in mind that the cellphone companies in BA charge a 30% telecommunications tax. Also, almost all of them have a 10 peso per day minimum charge so if you aren't using your phone too much it doesn't make sense. I also find the phones are older models and sometimes a little bulky.
I've found the best option if you come often is to buy your own SIM card with Unifon (Telefonica). It entails waiting in lines up to 1+ hour sometimes though.
I'm going to be offering free or low cost cellphones with my apartments and I'm toying with the idea of getting a few extra cellphones to rent out but not sure it's worth the hassles.
PHONERENTAL.COM
Is free for the first week, they charge 60 centavos outing and 16 centavos for incoming. You only pay for your use. check-out the website. They charge VAT of 21 percent.
They charged me 10 pesos for the one and one half weeks beyondthe free first week for rental charges.
NEXTEL
Will nextel in BA set up an account for buying minutes with an ebay perchased sim card??
SAINT--Can you offer a deal like phonerental.com.
I need a phone for my november trip?
VONAGE--CAPT DAVE and I set-up my vonage box on a internet connection and it worked like a charm. We had a working miami telephone number to both send and receive. the line was as clear as a normal phone connection!
DOES THE VONAGE SOFT PHONE[based on software, rather than hardware] work well?
Modern technology, why can't they perfect the condom?
Bob
Miami Bob,
If those rates are accurate you posted that is a GREAT deal. The biggest problem I've encountered with cellphone rentals is it RARELY is what they post on their site or contract. That's a great deal if they have no minimum usage daily charge.
What I will do is offer a free very modern GSM local cellphone to use for free with my apartments. You can buy refillable credits at any newsstand. As best I can tell it's about 1 peso per minute for outgoing and I get free incoming as long as the calls aren't made from an internet cafe. Most people that call me are from another cellphone or landline so I don't think I'm being charged for those incoming calls.
I doubt much money can be made from cellphone rentals. Instead what might be a viable business is for me (or an assistant) to go down to the phone company, spend the time waiting in line and getting a SIM card and just charging a flat fee to deliver that SIM card to someone when they arrive. There is something to be said for not having to get in a taxi, communication difficulties, etc. I'm still thinking things over in regards to cellphones.
I agree that the Vonage phone works great. I use mine daily and it's cool how my friends can call me from the USA and never even pay a long distance charge. It's like making a local call for them. I also love the aspect of being able to dial 800/888/877 toll-free numbers that are impossible to dial outside of the USA otherwise.
When I was in BA last time (March 04), I just bought a GSM phone with prepaid SIM card, from GTI. I paid A$R 150,-, which included (I think) A$R 50,- for calls. That way, I have my Argentina phone to make local calls, and I am still reachable over my German one. Refills for the Argentina phone are available at GTI shops and PharmaCity (and on the internet, but that does not work for whatever reason).
The slight problem is, for buying a phone in Argentina, you need a local residential address. This address is used exactly once - they send you a sales confirmation and invoice about the amount you paid cash when taking the phone. I could do it using one of my Argentinian business partners, but for somebody who is just on vacation, that IS a problem.
Saint, maybe that would be something for you. I would in that case not rent it out, but sell the phone (with whatever credit is left on the SIM) for maybe U$S 50,-, and buy it back for 30,-. If it is lost (or stolen, or run over by a truck) - not your problem.
El Aléman
El Aleman,
They are changing some laws so it's increasingly difficult to get long term contracts and buy phones, etc without an address. The cool thing is that it doesn't necessarily have to be a residential address. I learned that I could use my office address for things like my CDI etc. The police official comes to deliver it and just verifies if the person lives/works there. I was given the choice to give my home or work address and in fact my partner just uses the office address when address verification is necessary.
The annoying thing about getting your CDI is you have to actually be home if you use your residential address so you have to wait around. I found at the office that isn't the case. Anyway, I'm learning new things everyday here.
_____________________________________
ArgentinaGo opens new office in Buenos Aires
Hi everyone,
I know some of you, and some I've never met before. I wanted to introduce myself for those of you that don't know me. I'm a co-owner of Argentinago.com. I want to change the way travel agencies work in Buenos Aires. Many travel agencies are very unorganized and just not up to date compared with other countries around the world. Most are operated by people that have no physical office and are basically working out of their apartment. If there is a problem you have very little control. I am happy to announce that ArgentinaGo is now an official travel agency with the city of Buenos Aires.
I have implemented several different ideas here at ArgentinaGo. We have an actual office where we will allow our clients to use free high-speed internet, send and receive faxes and also make FREE calls to the USA and Canada. We will also have the ability to dial toll-free 800/888/877 type numbers to the USA, which is not possible to make from the normal phones in Argentina or the internet cafes.
We have hired employees that actually have a tourism background and a tourism degree. All our employees speak English and will be happy to assist you in any way possible. Anyone can book your hotel or apartment or arrange your airport pickup. We don't want to be just "anyone". We want to be more than just someone that books your reservations. We have secured some of the lowest rates for hotels and apartments and we will always strive to make sure you get a fair price.
My office will soon have a USA telephone number so those that have questions or need help booking will not have to make an international long distance phone call. In the meantime, you can email me with your USA number and a member of my staff will be happy to call you back. Or of course, you can email your request.
The honest truth is most travel agencies book the exact same rooms at
the same prices as one another. I want our clients to receive extra benefits that they simply can't receive from someone that is working out of their apartment or from their cell phone. I am committed to making sure each and every one of our clients has a good experience while they are in my favorite city in the entire world.
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments. I know you have a choice when making your reservations and I hope you will consider ArgentinaGo. Please take the time to visit our webpage if you haven't done so recently. We have revised it and added many packages and tours.
www.argentinago.com
mike@argentinago.com
I imagine this question has been answered at some point, about 3,456 posts ago. But can anyone tell me. . . if I bring my own GSM phone with me to BA, is it possible to purchase a prepaid SIM card that will allow me to use it there? To give me local service with local rates? I'm trying to avoid spending a lot of money on buying or renting.
Thanks,
Guillermo
"G"
If you have an unlocked phone you can go to Personal on Correntes and purchase a sim card for about $50 pesos, which includes some airtime credits.
I used the address of my hotel and it was no problem. You can buy airtime cards for Personal Light at any kiosk and I have had good luck with the coverage area, even in the suburbs.
Good luck.
Sky
Guillermo
I checked into it a few weeks ago when I was down. It's much more of a hassle than most countries. Only one carrier has GSM (name escapes me) and the SIMs were not available at most outlets. You had to go to the main office, get a number, and wait to be called. As I recall, it was about $AR40 for the SIM. But I was told that you could not make international calls on it. The most popular approach to international calls anyway seemed to be to buy a phone card where you called a local number and then called the international number.
You need a tri-band phone (same frequency as the US) and I hear coverage is spotty as GSM is fairly new. At the end of the day, I said screw it and rented a phone from phonerental argentina through Mayra. They delivered the phone and picked it up. No rental cost on the phone but you pay an extra peso a minute for both incoming and outgoing calls. The only things I didn't like were that I didn't get it until I got to the hotel (which could have been a hassle if my ride wasn't there) and it stopped working a few hours before they picked it up so they could do the bill (charged the whole thing to AMEX). It was a non-GSM phone and I never had a problem with coverage. One plus was that I got the number well before I got to BA.
Easy Go
Thanks for info guys,
Looks like Personal is the place to go. I'll try it out when I'm down there. Any recollection as to where on Corrientes? Cross-street? Which side of 9 de Julio?
Guillermo
JustGotBack
09-23-04, 02:10
Low airfare alert. West Coast of US to BA is $650 or so on Lan Peru out of LA. For some reason you only get this price if you book from another city through LA. If you start in LA it's about $300 more. I got the email about it this morning but decided to go to Rio instead. But for those guys looking for a good fare, this is the lowest I've seen in a while. Hurry though. The dates I were looking at this morning were sold out in about 2 hours.
In case anyone is interested, Carbone Travel is having a special from NY, MIA, LAX to Argentina and other places
Check it out ! Carbone Travel (http://www.carbone-travel.com/bookOnlineE.htm)
Guillermo,
It's just below Florida which is about 5 blocks below 9 de Julio. That's the side away from Recoleta.
Easy Go
Easy Go,
Gracias amigo.
Guillermo
LAN PERU through Miami to BA is now US$459 with a stop in Lima.
Guillermo,
I posted this a few times throughout the forum but Easy Go is partially correct. You do have to go to the main office but it's not too big of a hassle and the coverage has been pretty good for me so far. Go to Unifon (Telefonica) at their main office located at Corrientes 645. Their office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM. The earlier you go in the morning the less of a chance you will have to wait in line. A SIM chip for your unlocked GSM phone is only 20 pesos and it includes 40 pesos of promotional airtime. I'm not sure if that's a one time promo going on now but it's a great deal.
The procedures are you go there and first they will tell you to go to a window to make sure your phone is unlocked. Even if you are 100% sure it's unlocked, they still send you to this window. Then after they verify your phone is unlocked, you get a number and wait in line. If you go before 10 AM you shouldn't have to wait too long. Bring your passport with you. Just use the address of your apartment or hotel.
The guys there are really friendly. You can ask for a number that is easy to remember and they will usually accomodate you. I've bought 4 GSM chips so far and they've always been helpful and courteous.
Good luck.
Saint,
Thanks. It's good to have a friend in the travel business.
Guillermo
Big Boss Man
10-11-04, 22:55
Advice requested:
I will be in South America from November 25 to Dec 13 with my base in Buenos Aires. I am thinking that a side trip might be in order. I am thinking Rio, Santiago or Lima. I like the wild crazy sex that you can have with a Brasileria but I have already been to Rio five times and Sao Paulo twice. For me, Sao Paulo has the best looking women but I got a little bored with the city on the second trip in August this year. Of course, I had just left Buenos Aires and had some enjoyable dinners and conversations with the gentleman from this board. Also I am trying to learn Spanish and want to stay in the language if I can. My tutor is already laughing at me because I mix up Portugese and Spanish. Learning languages is very difficult for me. I am a numbers cruncher and an introvert. I was not blessed with the communication gene.
I was thinking multi-city but the airfares really pile up if you go that route. A round trip looks to be around $350 to any of aforementioned places. If you go EZE-Santiago-Rio-EZE, it's about $1100.
Would you spend a week in Lima or Santiago? How are the weekends? In Sao Paulo, the weekend is a little slower whereas in Rio there are many semi-pros at Help on Friday and Saturday nights.
Eventually I want to get a sense for both Chile and Peru because I have a vocation I am pursuing.
Another thought I had was to do only 4 or 5 days in either Lima or Santiago but also do a 3-day tip to Montevideo.
Any feedback is appreciated. I am making plans now.
JackDaniels
10-13-04, 12:52
Air fares in South America appear to be quite expensive.
There are some fares on Opodo that are not too bad such as EZE-CTG for $640 and EZE-CCS for $520 considering the distance you are flying.
These are some alternatives.
Multi stop tickets are expensive - returns are cheaper.
Jaimito Cartero
10-13-04, 15:20
You will usually be better off buying each leg as a round trip. Other options are using frequent flyer miles for a reward trip. In some countries, the lowest fares are not bookable via the internet. Check with a BA travel agent. I recall that Southern Winds has non discriminatory "gringo" pricing.
Chuponalgas
10-13-04, 16:07
http://www.varigbrasil.com/english/
Varig has some great Internet-only specials to B.A. from L.A. and Miami, AND they will let you stop over in Rio or Sao Paulo for free or $100 more!
I've been agonising over this for weeks, and would be VERY grateful for any advice off the board.
I arrive in EZE on a Saturday, at 9.50am. I need to get to Salta. But Saturday, is the only day, that there are no flights to Salta in the afternoon - every other day of the week there are Aerolineas flights around 5pm, but on Saturday, the latest flight is 11.50am.
So my question is....would you risk a 2 hour stopover to arrive in EZE, get through customs, burn it to AEP and make the flight? I'd happily hire Ana to drive me, and in theory its doable....40mins to arrive and get through customs, 40 mins for the drive, 40 mins for the checkin, but that relies on no delays, etc etc.
At the moment I thinking that I should spend the night in BA, but it means arriving late in Salta, delaying my friends who I am meeting there, and although it is no hardship at all spending a night in BA (better than most other places on the planet), I've blocked off a week at the end of my holidays for BA and spending time at the start eats into that, so if I could make a clean move for Salta, I'd much prefer it.
all the best
MH.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
Chuponalgas
10-16-04, 22:08
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!
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.
Punter 127
10-17-04, 02:25
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)
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
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
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
No Mas Timido
11-17-04, 04:47
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.
No Mas,
I've travelled from Lima to BA on a couple of occasions. I do a search on Yahoo which uses Travelocity to find the lowest price. Be flexible with your search criteria with regards to when you want to fly. Most carriers departing from Lima to BA are similar in price which is around $400 US. I find this a little high when you consider you can fly roundtrip from Los Angeles to Lima for about $500. The taxes are almost double (close to if not over $100 in taxes and fees) when you fly out of the Lima airport compared to the US. If you have a choice, I'd go with Lan Chile/Lan Peru because of their great service, roomy planes, and their flight to BA is nonstop.
Late,
Judd
HappyGoLucky
12-02-04, 04:15
United won't let me use my Mileage Plus miles for an economy ticket in January. They suck. Is American that stingy with their Advantage Miles tickets? Maybe it's time to switch...
Just booked my flight for BA from LAX for about $800 from American. Can't wait to see Argentinas finest and hopefully Saint can find my apartment to buy so I don't have to make another trip later.
Or maybe its a better excuse to come back again.
Hope to hook up with you guys there this trip and see the Mansion.
Happy,
American is by far much more friendly when it comes to using your miles. If there is a seat available, it is yours. I use them to upgrade, and have never had a problem. Not to familiar with Untied, but if it is anything like Continental's program, it sucks.
Big Boss Man
12-03-04, 13:22
I was able to arrange through Mayra a flight from BA to Santiago to Lima to Buenos Aires for $380. The killer is that it is only 20 kg so I have to pay extra. I carry many books. Travel light. It looks like I will have to pay $150 extra. $520 is not bad in my book. I am using both Lan Chile and Lan Peru.
I found a great site for buying fares originating in latin america. This is a problem we all have and their pricing is the best by far. If you are under 30 it is even better, but you don't have to be for some of their best fares. I was having problems with stays over 30 days and they have tickets for this that don't cost a ton more like the others. I got a ticket for 60 days travel starting on December 26th from Buenos Aires to Washington and return 2 months later for $694. It doesn't match my usual fare from Washington to BA for $520 RT but it is better than anywhere else. They also have good fares between south american cities.
Spanish only website.
http://www.asatej.net/menu/intro.htm
El Ricardo
12-11-04, 12:22
Here's a special from Online Vacation Center that looked interesting for any of you contemplating a trip in February. There's a link at the bottom.
have fun!
ER
Buenos Aires Vacation Package
OVC Exclusive Winter Getaway
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Nights
Includes Airfare and Hotel!
DEPART USA: February 23 or March 2, 2005
Six nights from $639 including air!
http://www.onlinevacationcenter.com/special_deal.cfm?email=on&specialsID=661&TSID=5&encldid=AED11C3C-1DE8-4760-B004-6850EE4DB5B9&logid=6091
JackDaniels
12-11-04, 14:36
Just an addition to the post on the 2004 board on ATM´s. I used the Citibank ATM in front of Galleria Pacifico and got 700 + 300 = 1,000 pesos in two successive withdrawals. So try this if you find other ATM´s to be temperamental.
Jaimito Cartero
12-12-04, 03:21
I was able to arrange through Mayra a flight from BA to Santiago to Lima to Buenos Aires for $380. The killer is that it is only 20 kg so I have to pay extra. I carry many books. Travel light. It looks like I will have to pay $150 extra. $520 is not bad in my book. I am using both Lan Chile and Lan Peru.
On airlines that have very tight luggage restrictions, I'd try carrying all your heavy stuff in your carryon. As long as it's a standard size, they may not weigh it.
The worst that could happen is you'd have to transfer it back to your checked luggage, I think.
Gol airlines will be flying from Buenos Aires to various destinations in Brazil, starting later this month. Gol is Brazil's answer to the no frills airlines (EasyJet etc).
http://www.voegol.com.br/espanhol/
The paint is still wet on this one, so you can only see the new flights on the Portuguese and Spanish web pages, not the English pages.
Regular prices on Gol are really not that cheap, but sometimes they have interesting specials. The cheapest I can see is about 500 pesos round trip.
For best results, book roundtrips and use the most popular airports
Rio GIG and
Sao Paulo GRU
JackDaniels
12-14-04, 11:40
Also worth considering if you are doing a few stops in Brazil is the TAM Mercosur airpass - their version of the well known airpass.
For example BA-Asuncion-Sao Paulo-Salvador-Manaus-Rio will be about $580. This airpass allows you 3 stops in addition to you entry and exit airports in Brazil. The above itinerary allows you another stop if you want it. It is mileage based. So another stop within the mileage band will not cost anymore. The airpass needs to be bought outside South America.
TAM do not appear to advertise and promote this, so the travel agents are not aware of this. Best to check and buy with TAM direct.
JustGotBack
02-07-05, 01:14
I'm going to BA in a few weeks and want to go to Rio for a couple of days. Is it cheaper to buy the fare "here" through Travelocity or buy it in BA at a travel agent? Right now it's about $300 with taxes roundtrip from EZE to GIG on travelocity.
Jaimito Cartero
02-08-05, 05:12
Lan Peru (I think) has some decent prices to EZE out of LAX. Only some flights are eligible, but this seems a decent price. I think you can get AA miles on these too.
Try varig, they have a special on a flight that goes thru RIO and BSA
www.varigbrasil.com/english/
I'm going to BA in a few weeks and want to go to Rio for a couple of days. Is it cheaper to buy the fare "here" through Travelocity or buy it in BA at a travel agent? Right now it's about $300 with taxes roundtrip from EZE to GIG on travelocity.Pelicano
Here is another package thru brol.com, includes hotel and may be extended.
http://www.brol.com/promo/riobueno/riobueno.asp
I'm going to BA in a few weeks and want to go to Rio for a couple of days. Is it cheaper to buy the fare "here" through Travelocity or buy it in BA at a travel agent? Right now it's about $300 with taxes roundtrip from EZE to GIG on travelocity.
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