Originally Posted by
Eastbay1K
The only thing you can expect is that you never know what to expect.
Jan 2 at approx. 5pm, there was almost no immigration wait for arrivals, and baggage was relatively efficient. No customs lines to speak of.
Jan 8 at approx. 7pm, there was a very short wait for security, and then maybe 10 to 15 minutes for exit migraciones. I was rather shocked. Given the sea of lost humanity waiting in various lines in check-in counters, I suspect those lines became a lot worse shortly thereafter.
Arrivals is different because people there have to follow different signs depending on their nationality (Argentines, Mercosur, Others), but I suspect immigration at departures is now considerably better thanks to the new e-gates for Argentine passport holders.
The rush hour for arrivals is usually between 7.30 and 11 a.m., which is when most widebodies from Europe and the USA land. But yes, it’s basically a lottery – even at the rush hour sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you have to wait for almost an hour to get stamped.