MVD / Montevideo, Uruguay AA Flights and Contract Lounge Access (consolidated)
 

My Spouse & I recently spent 10 days in Uruguay, traveling on AA's 777 LAX-MIA connecting to AA's 763 nonstop MIA-MVD. Return to LAX was a 763 nonstop MVD-MIA flight connecting to the 777 MIA-LAX first flight of the day. Here's a brief review of a few particulars that may be of interest to those who travel to deep South America during their Fall/Winter season...

This was the first time that I have flown nonstop commercially from Miami to Montevideo. Previously, I always connected in Buenos Aires for the short jump over to MVD or have taken the Buquebus ferry service from BsA's Puerto Madero Terminal to either Colonia or Puerto de Montevideo. AA's nonstops from Miami to MVD operate 3 days a week from mid-November through early April. The other 4 days during this season are served by a connection from EZE. The rest of the year, 7 day service to MVD is on the daily EZE puddle-jumper!

Both 763's MIA-MVD/return were sold out in both classes and each aircraft had the old, tired and well-worn Business Class seats. Service was okay. We didn't eat the meal offered on the flight down... Too late to chow down on a flight that took off near midnight & we didn't even open up the menu. The pre-arrival breakfast was standard.

Carrasco Airport in MVD is small, indeed, and there is only 1 covered bridge available which covers gates 1 and 2. Since the LAN flight from Santiago usually arrives first, it gets the gate! The daily IBERIA flight from Madrid, AA's flight and a few other UA, GOL, COPA and PLUNA flights that arrive in mid-morning are served by mobile stairs and pax are bused to Immigrations/Customs.

AA's MIA nonstop departs around 9 PM and is the last long-haul international flight of the evening, so it is usually assigned to depart from Gate 1, as it was when we departed. AA used to grant Bus. Class and Elite Level FF AAdvantage members free access to a VIP room at MVD. However, since Carrasco Airport has taken over the operation of the VIP Club and converted it to the "Aeropuertos VIP Club," with fee membership required, there is no free access. Membership ranges from $700 USD down to $35 for one visit.

AA's food service in Bus. Class on the MVD-MIA return was improved over a flight I took a few months ago EZE-MIA... The usual Warm Mixed Nuts were augmented by a Marinated Cheese Antipasto. American's wines have been improved as well... I enjoyed a Clos Du Val Napa Cabernet and my spouse a decent Luigi Bosca Lujan de Cuyo Malbec. Leek Soup was accompanied by Gourmet Breads served with that great Castello Monte Vibiano Olive Oil that I've been seeing served in F/C on AA's flights lately! Entree choice was Chateaubriand with a Red Onion Wine Sauce, Grilled Salmon with Capers and Lemon Butter Sauce or Parmesan Crusted Chicken. Salad was Mixed Greens, Cucumbers and Tomatoes, again served with Monte Vibiano Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, if desired. Mixed Vegetables and Potato Edges were oven roasted w/Thyme. If you preferred lighter fare, you could opt for Soup and Salad. Deserts were Gorgonzola and Camembert Cheeses served with Dried and Fresh Fruits and Cashews, AA's Sundae's (including Dulce de Leche topping) or a Grand Marnier Fruit Salad presented with Cigale Lemon Sorbet. Cigale is a chain of Italian-style ice cream shops throughout Montevideo, Colonia and Punte del Este. Since the Uruguayan population is about 44% of Italian descent, they DO do ice creams well! Prior to landing in MIA a standard breakfast was served. As usual, AA's coffee was substandard, in my opinion and not up to their improved foodservice! UA's coffee is far better!

As an aside, as our flight crossed over Cuban airspace for about 20 minutes at about 4:00 AM I looked out the window to see what appeared to be a Cuban MiG-29 Fulcrum on the horizon in the distance pacing our flight. It's not unusual for a Country's Air Forces to do so as part of their training and procedures.

Finally, why 10 days in Uruguay without a side trip to BsAs? Suprisingly, Montevideo and Punte del Este were very enjoyable in their own right! Decent food, reasonable prices, a stay in a wonderful boutique hotel with a spouse that pushes all the right buttons! When I get the time, I'll do an overview and post it in the South American Forum...

Thanks for a great summary of your trip. Interesting to hear how small an airport MVD is -- I have only visited GRU and GIG in that part of the world.

Thanks for the detailed description of your flight. I plan to visit EZE and MVD soon, so I'm looking forward to your trip report.

Makes my mouth water for a chevito in Punte :) Thanks for the update on MVD, didn't know that little lounge was no longer accessible for AA ejecutiva flyers as a perk.

The airport info was particularly interesting. Just out of curiosity, what did you think of the check-in and gate agents? The Open Skies agreement with Uruguay has one very long transition: ground handling has to be done by the airport's management company (no AA employees) until 2019.

So, there was no lounge facility for AA J pax?

That is unacceptable.

Glad you enjoyed Uruguay. Don't know about J but as Plat then I used the lounge many times in 2006, the last time in November.

I did the LAX-EZE-MVD-LAX triangle on a business class award ticket in Feb. 2006, stopping in Buenos Aires for a few days. No problem using the AA lounge at EZE and MVD. The leg from EZE to MVD was interesting. As it was a continuation flight, they had us in a huge 747 for a 45-minute flight (maybe AA's shortest international flight connecting major cities). I liked Uruguay. It is a very advanced country for South America and has only 3-million people. Spent one day in Montevideo and three days of sunshine in the resort town of Punta del Este (whose casino at the Conrad Hotel uses only American money even though its customers are primarily Brazilian and Argentine. It is a very nice hotel and casino.

It's a 777, not a 747, but you're right that it is AA's largest airplane in terms of size and weight (not in terms of # of passengers).

Interesting report!

Hrm.... surprised IB thinks MVD is worth its own flight from MAD in addition to EZE.

Sounds pretty impressive for a US carrier's J class.

WHOA!

:eek:

Don't expect a price decrease either-- UA has been defeated and withdraws from the market as of June 2007. On the plus side, though, that might make the MIA nonstop viable year-round.

Mvd
 

A new terminal is under construction, and if I recall correctly, it will have ten air bridges. For those connecting to other countries/cities it might make Montevideo more competitive with BsAs. Flying from MVD or PDP into AEP and then getting oneself to EZE is not fun. Additionaly, there are still problems with the radar at EZE.

It's all political... "Madre Espana" is still a pretty big concept, just as AF keeps flying to the Central African Republic, a big joke in terms of revenue.

It's here. MIA-MVD year-round to start July 1.

quote from today's AAirmail:

"Year-Round Nonstop Service Between Miami And Montevideo, Uruguay, Begins July 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American will offer year-round nonstops between Miami and Montevideo on July 1. Fly nonstop between Miami and Montevideo three times each week. Plus, we will continue to offer service from Miami to Montevideo via Buenos Aires, Argentina. American, together with American Eagle, offer nearly 250 flights a day from Miami to more than 90 destinations throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Latin America and Europe."

Hi. I am flying in J MIA-MVD this week. Will I have access to a lounge upon arrival?

Thanks.

I flew MIA/MVD on 2/8 then MVD/EZE on 2/13 as far as I can tell there is no lounge available to AA pax (or elites for that matter) not sure if LAN has a lounge available to OW elites since I did have a ton of time after the checkin I did not bother to try and find out.

mike

No AA (or any other OW, such as LAN)-accessible lounge upon departure from MVD.

They could pay for access if they wanted to. MGA has a lounge run by the EAAI (owners) . AA gives you nothing while COPA and TACA pay for admittance for J passengers. AA looks cheap in these circumstances yet boast about their LatAm presence.

I suspect the cost of the Y to J differential in service amenities is not even the $35 that they's have to pony up to do this so that might be a reason why they don't.

Yes, there is a lounge for departing passengers
 

I flew MVD-MIA on 13 February in J, and was invited into the lounge. Food selection isn't great, but certainly better than you would get in the MIA Admirals Club. Drink selection was fine, help yourself.

There is no arrivals lounge unless you are flying Pluna.

New airport should be open about the end of the year.

Thanks for the tips. I am headed to MVD tomorrow as long as I can get out of DFW and into MIA.

New airport looks pretty nice... last time I flew out of MVD was early Jan, but my GF, who drives by it daily, says its coming along pretty quickly... about time too, considering its the primary airport for that country

MVD Depature Lounge
 

I'm based out of MVD and am PLT. First off the new terminal will be ready in December, so I assume the lounge situation will change.

There used to be an AA lounge which is now closed. There is just the one lounge now. As far as i know there is no arrival lounge, it's departure only.

I flew LAN and they gave me a pass to the lounge. When i flew Iberia and AA the two most recent times they did not give me pass. I fly economy mostly, so i think that effects things. I have SEEN AA give people passes to the lounge.

Why would OW partners give lounge access for AA status, but not AA itself? I'm not sure. I think it's all kind of up in the air until the new terminal is finished.

I was on AA 900 MVD-MIA 22 June with an equipment change in EZE in J and was given an invitation to a club located on the second floor of the terminal.

Open bar, some limited munchies and several large flat screen TVs. The hostess even escorted AA passengers to the front of the line at the boarding gate.

I look forward to the new terminal because taking the buses from the terminal to plane-side sucks.

I´m in the lounge now waiting for the 984 direct (evening) flight to MIA... and just to reinforce what MileHigh has added, I specifically asked at check-in if I was given an invitation based on CoS or status and was told (twice) that all J passengers were being given invitations.

I haven´t been here before but it looks like the lounge was recently expanded with a large new annex, complete with comfy leather chairs, including that great, new-leather smell.

There´s also a single shower. You´re given a very nice amenity kit when you ask for the shower: two bars of soap, comb, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush/paste, and very large and plush towels. The shower doubles as the second men´s bathroom, so you may get a few knocks at the door while it´s in use.

I am flying into MVD in a few weeks. If I recall, MVD-MIA was a "late night supper" flight in Business the last time I took it, but it's now timed quite a bit earlier.

Anyone know if the MIA-MVD and MVD-MIA flights get the regular meal or expedited meal service?

to answer my own question -- late night supper both ways. and, if anyone has doubts, access to the Aeropuertos VIP Club is still offered.

As an aside: we had a separate Pluna ticket from Montevideo to Curitiba (and back). I was a little nervous as our flight was delayed by a few hours from MIA, but the in-transit transfer was incredibly easy.

There is a commercial lounge that is fine that J/F passengers can use. It is very near the gate normally used (Gate 1). The gate can be very crowded around when the plane is boarding but the lounge is reasonably comfortable. There used to be a AA lounge (not a AC) but this closed a few years ago.
There is a beautiful new terminal under construction.

The real issues with MVD are not leaving but on arrival. The luggage area is small and they X-ray everything. Also customs tends to look at lots of people -- not for very long -- but enough so that the process is slowed down a little bit.

Can anyone update the current lounge situation at MVD? I am flying next month in J.

I am coming from the Four Seasons hotel a few hours away so will probably get the airport early. What time does check-in open? Would it be possible to check a bag in the afternoon, then go into the city for a few hours? How far is the airport from the city? I have never been to Uruguay before so any info will be very helpful!

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Airport to city is about 30 to 40 minutes by taxi

check aa.com for counte hours

F/J pax get lounge passes

The new terminal opens mid November

We will also be heading through MVD in a few months time. Can you please post an update of lounge access, etc., upon your return? The new airport looks terrific and should be the "newest" "best designed" facility in Latin America once it opens. Thanks.

Will do - I am there Nov 28th so I hope the new terminal is open by then...

The new terminal / airport really, is supposed to open November 15th. My understanding is that it will NOT have any airline run lounges. So no OW lounge. There's an airport run salon VIP with both a departures and arrivals lounge.

IB and LAN give passes to OW sapphires and emeralds to use the departure lounges, but AA only does it based on class of service. The only other alliance flying to MVD is TAM, i'm flying them next week on a hop up to GRU, but i don't have status with *A.

I'll give a report on the new terminal, i'm flying out on the day they are supposed to start using it.

I look forward to reading your report as I am thinking about flying out of MVD at the end of the month (side trip from Buenos Aires). Does anyone know how much a taxi from the city center to MVD should cost?

Anyone knows how much this cab ride costs?

Anyone knows how much this cab ride costs?

Flew out of MVD last Saturday night. I can only assume that the new terminal was not open as the terminal certainly did not seem new.

Lounge was fine. Pretty small but empty at the time of the AA flight. Small selection of booze, some wine (but no opener!).

Boarding was by bus which is always a pain....

Cabs and New Terminal
 

If I recall correctly, there is a flat rate from MVD to downtown. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $20. Perhaps a bit less, but it didn't seem to be any bargain to me. There is also bus service from the airport to Tres Cruses, the bus terminal in the city.

Regarding the new terminal, it was supposed to open in mid-November. When I stopped by the Pluna office in Punta del Este last week I was told it was open, but simply not in use. Go figure! Now I am told it will be in use by mid-December. I hope to make use of it on January 3rd! I would bet it is a beautiful facility.

I'm off for my annual pilgrimage to Punta 28 Dec (MIA-MVD) and hope the new terminal is open by then. The buses are a real pain.

Hope to return as a Punta del Este homeowner which mean more time there to enjoy the ambiente.

Any one have an update on the new terminal? Is it operating?

And the lounge situation: I'm in J so I'm assuming I'll have access to the VIP lounge. Has anyone tried the FastPass service for arrivals? Looks like it is offered for USD45.00 which I'm more than willing to pay to avoid the long immigration lines.