Inside the Blue Dollar Market
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
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Inside the Blue Dollar Market
This is the best, most detailed explanation I've read about the blue dollar market, excellent research and writing.
Inside Argentina’s Blue Dollar Market
Inside Argentina’s Blue Dollar Market
#3
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Very interesting. Thank you.
#4
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This is the best and most clearly written article on the blue dollar that I have seen. Thanks for posting it.
#5
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
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The article is one of the better pieces on the subject. Good effort, yes.... but still with a few holes here & there. Some more important than others. But, yes, all in all a good to very-good effort. Suffice it to say that for most visitors, this article has (almost) everything you will need to know.
#6
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Thanks OP for posting, I like the reporters unbiased way of communicating. I havent read this before and it is really a good reveiw/primer of the market in my opinion. Thanks and Safe Travels
#7
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 146
The article is one of the better pieces on the subject. Good effort, yes.... but still with a few holes here & there. Some more important than others. But, yes, all in all a good to very-good effort. Suffice it to say that for most visitors, this article has (almost) everything you will need to know.
- Instead of booking domestic flights in the US and paying in USD, pay in pesos (at blue dollar rate) in Argentina? Same for booking tours?
- I book a hotel room online in the US quoted in USD (with credit card deposit). When checking out of the hotel, can I pay in peso notes (at blue dollar rate)?
- How about in restaurants?
#8
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As a first time visitor, there are indeed "a few holes here & there" which may help me get the most out of the blue dollar rate. Examples:
- Instead of booking domestic flights in the US and paying in USD, pay in pesos (at blue dollar rate) in Argentina? Same for booking tours?
- I book a hotel room online in the US quoted in USD (with credit card deposit). When checking out of the hotel, can I pay in peso notes (at blue dollar rate)?
- How about in restaurants?
- Instead of booking domestic flights in the US and paying in USD, pay in pesos (at blue dollar rate) in Argentina? Same for booking tours?
- I book a hotel room online in the US quoted in USD (with credit card deposit). When checking out of the hotel, can I pay in peso notes (at blue dollar rate)?
- How about in restaurants?
Hotels - current state of affairs is you will get the USD rate converted to the official peso rate at check-out, and you can pay in pesos. Make sure you don't book anything prepaid.
Restaurants - peso away! Some will even take your USD at an ok rate. Since many restaurants are cash only or have the unfortunate experience of having credit cards "momentarily suspended" you will need cash anyway.
#9
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 146
Airline and similar (i.e., ferry) tickets cannot be paid at a favo(u)rable peso rate. You would need a resident ID card with a number to pay a local rate without any surcharge. Tours which don't involve air/ferry, pesos are probably fine.
Hotels - current state of affairs is you will get the USD rate converted to the official peso rate at check-out, and you can pay in pesos. Make sure you don't book anything prepaid.
Restaurants - peso away! Some will even take your USD at an ok rate. Since many restaurants are cash only or have the unfortunate experience of having credit cards "momentarily suspended" you will need cash anyway.
Hotels - current state of affairs is you will get the USD rate converted to the official peso rate at check-out, and you can pay in pesos. Make sure you don't book anything prepaid.
Restaurants - peso away! Some will even take your USD at an ok rate. Since many restaurants are cash only or have the unfortunate experience of having credit cards "momentarily suspended" you will need cash anyway.
I did not mean purchasing a airline ticket at resident rate. What I meant:
I drop by a travel agency in Buenos Aires, show them my US passport, and book a domestic flight at non-resident rate. I then pay in pesos which I have exchanged with USD at blue rate. This would be a big discount from booking in the US and paying with USD.
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,208
Thanks for the response.
I did not mean purchasing a airline ticket at resident rate. What I meant:
I drop by a travel agency in Buenos Aires, show them my US passport, and book a domestic flight at non-resident rate. I then pay in pesos which I have exchanged with USD at blue rate. This would be a big discount from booking in the US and paying with USD.
I did not mean purchasing a airline ticket at resident rate. What I meant:
I drop by a travel agency in Buenos Aires, show them my US passport, and book a domestic flight at non-resident rate. I then pay in pesos which I have exchanged with USD at blue rate. This would be a big discount from booking in the US and paying with USD.
If you're a visitor you have to pay for air tickets purchased here in dollars not pesos.
#11
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Thanks for the response.
I did not mean purchasing a airline ticket at resident rate. What I meant:
I drop by a travel agency in Buenos Aires, show them my US passport, and book a domestic flight at non-resident rate. I then pay in pesos which I have exchanged with USD at blue rate. This would be a big discount from booking in the US and paying with USD.
I did not mean purchasing a airline ticket at resident rate. What I meant:
I drop by a travel agency in Buenos Aires, show them my US passport, and book a domestic flight at non-resident rate. I then pay in pesos which I have exchanged with USD at blue rate. This would be a big discount from booking in the US and paying with USD.
#12
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Posts: 164
Actually, many travel agents (maybe a minority, but a big number nonetheless) in Argentina will accept dollars from non-resident foreigners and tickets for air tickets. It is only the airlines themselves that follow this strictly. Worth shopping around, not only for this reason, as sone will charge you a lot over the cost for their services.
#14
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
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Folks, airline ticket purchase for residents vs. non residents has its own thread(s), or else please start a new one. This is a very old thread with an old article, in the interest of good housekeeping I shall now close this thread.
Thank you,
Gaucho100K
Thank you,
Gaucho100K