EZE-AEP within 3.5 hrs and with Checked Bags?
 

Hi

My flight lands at EZE at 1am, and I have another flight that leaves AEP (initially EZE but there’s been an airport change -_-) at 430am. What are the chances that I’d be able to make the flight? Have checked bags.

Thanks!

Is possible but it depends, are you arriving from an international trip like Sao Paulo or Panama? which airline? did you check how often the flight is delayed?. The traffic between both airports is like 30~40min max, but you need to collect your bags which sometimes take longer for big airplanes (widebodies). Any delay can create a headache, but if you are going to do it, make sure you buy it on the same record locator, that way you are protected in case of delays.

Great advice above, also its super important to know if you will be doing this on a weekday or on a Saturday/Sunday. If weekday, traffic will be a lot more problematic, especially Thursdays & Fridays. Do take this into consideration, same PNR would be very important in this situation.

EZE can be unpredictable regarding luggage reclaim and immigration, and most airlines at AEP close their check-in counters one hour before departure. 2:30 hours for immigration, waiting for your bags, getting into AEP and re-checking them doesn't seem enough to me. I would risk this if travelling with hand luggage only (and still I would be nervous), but with checked-in bags, I wouldn't try.

It's doable if everything goes right. Traffic shouldn't be bad at 2am when you'll be going between the two. Yes, bags take a while to get to baggage claim, but even if it takes 1 hour to get through immigration, collect bags, and customs, that leaves you 1.5 hours for transfer and get to check in counter. You have a little bit of margin, but having checked bags increases the odds that something will go wrong and eat into that margin.

On Saturday afternoon , it only took me 15 minutes to clear immigration , get my bags and clear customs.

I was pleasantly surprised!

At 5 pm there was my flight from Madrid and only one other from Bogota

At 01.00 in the morning , there are not many wide bodies buy you may have 5 or 6 flights from Central and South America.

It very much depends on your airline and their ability to get bags out quickly

Now that’s a record! Assuming you had priority tags, I’m jealous they didn’t ignore them. I think my best time with luggage was 35 minutes.

If OP decides to go for it, he may wish to pre-arrange transportation to AEP. I’ve had some late night arrivals at EZE and Taxi Ezeiza was occasionally a bit of a bottleneck (10 min wait or so) since they don’t seem to have so many cars available at that time.

Going to tag onto this as our situation is similar. We would be arriving at EZE from GRU (Air Canada) at 15:10 on a Sunday and could book 18:45 flight out of AEP to go to IGR (Aerolineas Argentinas), so, by necessity not on the same ticket. We would only have hand luggage. Otherwise, we are spending the night. What are our chances of having this work and, realistically, how late could our AC flight be and still make the transfer? Does AR have online check in?

What time of the year?

Yes , Aerolineas Argentinas does have on line check in.

Middle of February and would check in online, so just need to get through border security at EZE (Canadian passport) and security at AEP

With so many inexpensive direct flights from GRU to IGU, I imagine that there must be an interesting backstory to why you are needing/considering flying via Buenos Aires...

Not sure how interesting but the stop in GRU is a technical one. AC96 from Montreal and AC 90 from Toronto fly into GRU, then combine into AC 90 to continue to EZE. They are sold as one flight, so it never occurred to me to just go to GRU. I am checking my options now. Thank you for bringing this up
Edit: I am an idiot. I changed to GRU. Cost me an extra 19,000 Aeroplan points but saved me $65 on fees and taxes, $70 or so on a transfer, about $400 on the flights to IGR/IGU and about 10 hours of travel time! Thank you so much jbalmuth

Does anyone have experience with "Buenos Aires Airport Meet & Assist" to skip customs and immigration lines ?
https://www.buenosairesairportvip.co...t-track-lounge

Today, EZE had horrible immigration lines and AEP had 90+ delays and a handful of cancellations, on a pleasant weather day in the Capital.

To departure or arrival? because for International Departures you can book the Fast Pass which is usually shorter line for Security/Immigration for 30k AR$, which is like $22 dollars.

https://tienda.aeropuertosargentina....pass-partidas/