benp

I want to visit the following places in Argentina in mid-December:

1. Buenos Aires
2. Ushaia
3. Cordoba
4. Mendonsa

What airlines have the best deals for business class tickets? I checked and LAN charges 8k for a roundtrip ticket to Buenos Aires from SFO and the rest charge about 5-6k. I read that LAN Chile gouges travelers outside of Chile who buy tickets compared to folks who purchase tickets in LAN Chile offices. Is this true? If so, can I just call the Santiago LAN Chile office and get a better price?

Thanks

Eastbay1K

LAN has very good business class fares from SFO, when the "I" fares aren't sold out. With a 7 day minimum stay and 30 to 50 day adv. purchase, you can figure $3K to $3.5K. On shorter notice or shorter stays, you pay more. AA usually matches most of these fares, as they are both One World.

Chile fares are point of sale (so if your ticket is issued in Chile for domestic flights) you get the Chile price. Argentina (your chosen stops) are point of residency fares, so no matter where you buy your ticket, if you don't have a DNI (ID #/card) you will pay a large upcharge at the gate. Buying your additional cities along with your international segment often doesn't cost much more than just the SFO/EZE segments.

All LAN flights that are domestic within a South American country are 1 cabin flights. Many LAN flights between countries have a "premium economy" cabin which is like Euro business-class.

You can also buy a South America Airpass (online with 3 or more segments) if you have a valid LAN int'l reservation.

Gaucho100K

Do you have somebody to visit in Cordoba....? If no, then I would skip that location.... go to Iguazu or another Patagonian location instead.

Clipper801

Notwithstanding the "horror" stories about Aerolineas Argentina here, AR has the most frequencies for travel within Argentina. I ended up booking on AR instead of Lan for my upcoming trip. Also, AR offers a Club Economy class at nominally more expensive than its Simple Tango fare.

AR has applied to join Sky Team but I don't think it has reciprocal arrangement with any of the existing Sky Team airlines for mileague accrual yet.

DJGMaster1

I suppose that every team needs to have a weakest player on it. And for all of the existing Sky Team partners, AR would bring the advantage of ensuring that none of the existing partners are it.

Gaucho100K

Sky Team doesnt have a clue what they are getting into with Aerolineas........... they just have no friggen idea.....

HIDDY

AZ can be their mentor till AR get the hang of being in the alliance.

It'll be like the blind leading the blind.

Let's face it, there are a few dodgy partners in the Skyteam line up.

Eastbay1K

Maybe ST kept seeing those "feed a starving homeless child" commercials and couldn't help but make a donation.