Argentina - Is it possible to fly from SFO to AEP without going through customs at stopovers?

The reason I ask is that flying to EZE is a nightmare, and it adds an hour to my destination (which is 10' from where I stay in BA). It would be awesome to fly SFO-Somewhere-AEP, or even SFO-(2 stops)-AEP as long as I don't have to go through customs or change airports. I usually don't check in luggage.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Well... if you are flexible... then I would suggest you consider doing SFO to SCL and then AEP... else, you need to fly to Sao Paulo or Rio which will allow you to fly into AEP.

SCL connection is the only reasonable option, but sometimes the SCL connection is horrible (i.e., you could end up spending the day @ SCL). Further, LAN (your only real option for this), if you book more than a month or two in advance, is invariably going to change the schedule, making a (possible) easy SCL connection into something that no longer works.

The GRU option is far far out of the way - SFO (LIM) GRU - LA 2609. I've actually checked this (to fly back to AEP) and pricing is way out of whack.

I don't know what the transit situation is like via MVD, but you probably can do that on AA to MVD and then interline to another carrier - but then that means interlining plus having to fly AA via MIA, etc. and then on your return, having to deal with US immigration/customs/security in your transit airport instead of @ SFO.

I usually end up with problems not checking bags on LAN.
They like to take my bag and weigh it and then make me check it.
On my flight last week from Mendoza to AEP, they made me check the bag and then baggage claim was a zoo at AEP and took 30+ min for the bags to arrive.

I usually end up with problems not checking bags on LAN.
They like to take my bag and weigh it and then make me check it.
On my flight last week from Mendoza to AEP, they made me check the bag and then baggage claim was a zoo at AEP and took 30+ min for the bags to arrive.

That is an important point to remind people of. There are sizers AND scales by every gate. And prior to most flights (systemwide that I've seen), the LAN police are looking around the gate area for baggage that may appear oversized, prior to boarding.

I almost always check luggage while flying LAN. It just isn't worth the borderline cases.

That is an important point to remind people of. There are sizers AND scales by every gate. And prior to most flights (systemwide that I've seen), the LAN police are looking around the gate area for baggage that may appear oversized, prior to boarding.

I almost always check luggage while flying LAN. It just isn't worth the borderline cases.

If the baggage police gets you, do you get charged for the piece if its additional...???

If the baggage police gets you, do you get charged for the piece if its additional...???

I have never witnessed what appears to be any sort of transaction that looks like a fee transaction.

I have never witnessed what appears to be any sort of transaction that looks like a fee transaction.

Interesting.... perhaps then this should become a baggage strategy.....?? :p

Interesting.... perhaps then this should become a baggage strategy.....?? :p

At a lot of airports, at check-in, LAN will weigh your carry on and give it a tag as permitted carry-on. The tags are such that it is nearly impossible to remove them and place them on another bag.

The reason I ask is that flying to EZE is a nightmare, and it adds an hour to my destination (which is 10' from where I stay in BA). It would be awesome to fly SFO-Somewhere-AEP, or even SFO-(2 stops)-AEP as long as I don't have to go through customs or change airports. I usually don't check in luggage.

Any ideas? Thanks.

There is also the option of flying SFO-LIM-COR-AEP on LAN. I have no idea what the connection times in LIM and COR are and you will pass through customs/immigration in COR rather than AEP. the LIM-COR-AEP are economy class only I believe

The benefit to this route (and I say this with great trepidation) is that you get to avoid the Argentine Reciprocity Fee
.
Edit: the best LA connection SFO-SCL-AEP takes 17hr 50mins and also involves a change of plane in LIM with a 1hr connection so not much wiggle room if SFO-LIM is late. The SFO-LIM-COR-AEP route takes 19hrs with a slightly longer layover in LIM. The return flight is not quite as efficient but ideal for someone who wants to have dinner in Cordoba and a leisurely lunch in Lima (so leisurely in fact that you could extend it into dinner as well :) )

Interesting.... are you 100% sure that this fee is not being collected at Cordoba airport...??? Thanks for the heads up on the LIM - COR flight... I wonder if this route offers an arbitrage opportunity for LAN flights from Argentina to the USA, considering the importance of LIM as a regional hub for LAN.....?

Interesting.... are you 100% sure that this fee is not being collected at Cordoba airport...??? Thanks for the heads up on the LIM - COR flight... I wonder if this route offers an arbitrage opportunity for LAN flights from Argentina to the USA, considering the importance of LIM as a regional hub for LAN.....?

I have no knowledge whatsoever of what happens at Cordoba airport but I don't think that we have had any reports of the fee being charged at MDZ have we? I would imagine that MDZ would receive many more potential victims (aka incoming international gringo arrivals :p) than COR so would be surprised if the fee was collected at the latter but not the former.

I just had a cursory look at fares and for a particular date SFO-LIM-COR-AEP-COR-LIM-SFO priced out at about $US1400 ai and allowed one stopover at $US75. One thing to look at if you qualify for cheap domestic flights within Argentina is if prices ex-COR +domestic add-on are cheaper than direct from BUE. They may have competitive business class fares and the COR-LIM flight is less than 4 hours if you can put up with economy for that length of time

I dont know what the fee situation is at MDZ.... but I will dig around and report back.

Good point on the potential COR-LIM business fares... do you know what metal they use for this route...?

I dont know what the fee situation is at MDZ.... but I will dig around and report back.

Good point on the potential COR-LIM business fares... do you know what metal they use for this route...?

I believe that it is a Lan Argentina 319 or 320 and I presume you meant COR-LIM-North America Business fares as COR-LIM doesn't have business

Interesting.... are you 100% sure that this fee is not being collected at Cordoba airport...??? Thanks for the heads up on the LIM - COR flight... I wonder if this route offers an arbitrage opportunity for LAN flights from Argentina to the USA, considering the importance of LIM as a regional hub for LAN.....?

I think we're 99.9995% sure at this point.

I think we're 99.9995% sure at this point.

Sure it is... or sure it is not collected... (????)

Sure it is... or sure it is not collected... (????)

...that the sage advice from some wise poster here (http://milepoint.com/forums/threads/chile-and-argentina-reciprocity-fees-for-dummies.8431/) still applies.

OK... now I remember, no fee at COR and MDZ then... :D

I am happy to hear the Americans do not have to pay the reciprocity fee in Argentina if they enter the country outside of Buenos Aires. Moreover, I just received an email from the Chilean Embassy in Washington, DC stating that Americans will not have to pay the Chilean reciprocity fee of $141.00USD either at SCL if they are in transit to another international flight. Argentina just got a little cheaper.

Options...

SFO-SCL-MDZ-AEP

SFO-SCL-COR-AEP

SFO-LIM-COR-AEP

SFO-LIM-IGR/IGU-AEP (you will need a brazilian visa)