Help with EZE Connection
 

I've searched and searched for the answer to this question, but all connection advice I've found seems to involve those that require a change of airports.

Next week I'll be arriving at EZE at 8am on DL101, and connecting to a domestic flight on AR that departs from EZE-MDZ at 10:10am. I'm sure it's plenty of time, and I know DL should be able to check our luggage straight through to AR.

A few questions:

--I assume I'll have to go through passport control and pay the reciprocity fee at EZE. Will I also have to pick up my luggage and go through customs as well, or will I just pick bags up in MDZ?

--Is there any type of priority line (a la CDG's "acces no. 1") for arriving business class passengers? If not, how long is the wait at that time of the morning (given all the arriving flights at that hour)?

--I was offered AA2000 VIP arrival service for US$250/person to ease the connection. Seems pretty steep. Is it worth it?

Thanks!

Although I haven't made a transit like that through EZE I'm pretty sure you'll have to go through passport control, get your luggage, and go through customs. The only transit passengers that I've seen avoid that are those who are going to another country, others on this forum probably have direct experience to confirm or deny my assertion. There are no priority lines at EZE for any of this. 2 hours should be enough time but its possible that you'll miss your connection because sometimes it takes 60-90 minutes to get through customs and the line to check your bags with AR can be very slow too. There are multiple flights to Mendoza daily, so if you miss your connection you'll probably still be able to get there the same day. The VIP service doesn't sound like a good deal to me nor any of the other frequent flyers down here who I've spoken to. It would only be worthwhile for your situation if they could cut the lines at customs, baggage check, and security to re-enter the terminal, before you buy ask their sales reps whether or not that is the case (and share their response here please).

8AM isn't a particularly horrible time to arrive EZE (a bit later can be) - I'd expect that you'll be done with all of your arrival tramites within 45 minutes of getting off the plane.

Are you on 1 ticket? Your bag might already be tagged, so your AR check-in/bag drop off will be a bit faster. You should arrive in A, and depart from C. The only priority in that airport is the priority that the terminal be torn down and rebuilt.

From what I've heard, the VIP arrival service on a great day isn't worth $50, let alone $250.

We are not ticketed all the way through, but DL and AR have an interline ticketing agreement (soon to be a codeshare agreement, but not yet) so the bags will definitely be tagged at LGA, where we are originating the trip. But I will definitely have to pick up the bags at EZE and then find some type of AR bag drop?

Once through security at C, does the AR lounge have showers?

Thanks for the advice. There is absolutely not one shred of information out there to answer questions such as these.

Sorry, I have no information about C - it is new (not even complete) and only has AR departures.

I'll be transiting through EZE in a few days. LAN from SCL -> EZE then onto United.

Doable witha 2 hr connection? I'd hope so.

Plenty plenty of time. Doable with 45 minutes. I'd assume if you have luggage, it is checked through. Just go through transit connection, then up to the RCC (oops, UC) for your boarding pass.

Thanks eastbay! No luggage, so more time to shop for patagonian alfajores! :)

Wait until what you see their airport pricing :eek:

Alfajores from Patagonia.... hmmm.... what brands...??

Ok, so I accomplished this connection a few days ago and I thought I'd relay my experience.

--DL101 landed at a brand new C gate, but we were shunted through a series of very long, temporary walkways (one very steep uphill, and then another equally steep downhill) into passport control.

--Because our flight was on time and we were among the first off the plane, there was no line and we breezed through the visa purchase/passport check. Based on the heavies that landed after us (BA, AF, AA, AZ, etc) I can see that had our flight been delayed, it would have taken forever to get through this line.

--We then wound up in baggage claim, and still no one could answer my basic question: should we wait for our bags (which were tagged by DL all the way through to MDZ) or just have faith they would make the connection? After about 20 minutes watching the painfully slow belt (all the priority-tagged bags were already out, without ours), we were about to give up and just hope for the best when the first of two magically appeared, and it wasn't long before the second one came out.

--We then had to wait in line to x-ray all our bags, and then navigate a broken and pockmarked outdoors sidewalk with our luggage, about 100 yards, to the AR check-in desk.

--The unsmiling agent on the "club economy" line took our bags without retagging them, and then insisted that we check our rollaboards as well because they were "overweight." I did my best to charm her, but there was no negotiating. So away went our rollaboards, which we roll aboard for a reason - our stuff is just too valuable to us.

--There was no line at security. I set off the alarm as I walked through the metal detector, and the guard (who was a girl seemingly in her late teens, with a sidearm) didn't even look up.

--No lounge in the new terminal for domestic flights. They do have free wifi and nice comfortable chairs.

--AR's flight boarded and departed on time, from a bus gate. (The bus was right outside the door, so the only stairs to navigate were the stairs to the aircraft itself.

--Cockpit security while inflight was simply appalling, in my American eyes. The door was open more than it was closed, and the captain spent about 40 minutes in the J cabin chatting with what seemed to be his parents, one of whom entered the flight deck for the landing. The plane was an aging 735 with european-style 3x3 seating with the middle seat blocked. The FAs were very nice.

All in all, the experience could have been worse, but it wasn't exactly pleasant.

Thanks to all for your help in trying to figure this out in advance. Hopefully this report can help others in the future who can't figure out how to make this connection.

Wasn't exactly pleasant? :confused:

I would say it went extremely well for you. :D

Flight left on time with no lost luggage.....what else were you expecting....chauffeur drive to the AR aircraft? :p

Agree with this post... having flown on AR before, I can say that it would take an act of congress to make me do it again (haven't flown them in almost 7 years and I avoid them like the plague).

One comment is that most local carriers in LatAm tend to be very lax about security in their domestic flights, so I wouldn't worry too much about the open pilot's door (I would however have worried if the pilot enjoying C was drinking champagne too).

Overall sounds like it worked out and hope you enjoyed MDZ :)