Peace of mind was the premium I was looking for! I don't want to get off a long flight in a place where I don't speak the language and have to work out where I need to go!

I've had no response to the email I sent a week ago and my status is still pending. The money hasn't come out of my credit card - do they normally take it up front or on the day if anyone knows?

Well, I arrived this morning and I saw their booth just after customs. Showed them my printout and he had some papers with my details on it. Hooray! I was given a slip with my (partially obscured) card details on it. Didn't notice until I got to the hotel that it was for $250, not £237 I bought for.

Also, it only took us 35 minutes to disembark, clear immigration, collect bags and clear customs xray scan. Amazing what sitting in club and priority bag tags does!

Glad to hear you arrived okay dddc and you got your transport sorted out....even with the surcharge. :D

The weather has got warmer again and the forecast for the weekend is good. Have a super holiday and do report back how you get on.

How lucky you were. This morning, I was among the first few off the plane (about 730a), had to wait for only 1 person at immigration, my priority bags were near last off, and the customs lines were snaked through the baggage carousels. From disembarking until taxi was about 1:30. :mad:

Here is your solution:

Next time, dont be a CMF and pay for the AA2000 VIP service..... an Abogado of your standing deserves nothing less than the best that the Protocol Staff of AA2000 has to offer...... :rolleyes: :p

We'll leave the 35,000' luxuries for me, and the sea level luxuries for you. This way, we can continue to compare notes. If we both partook in both luxuries, our collective egos would explode, tainting the nuanced palette of the newly-appointed ambassador's RSJ.

We had an excellent time thank you! After an initial sort of culture shock, we quickly warmed to the place and the people. We went to Iguassu after (stayed on the Argentinian side) and onto Rio after and we were surprised to find we preferred Buenos Aires over Rio. I think the language may have had something to do with, as I found Spanish easier to guess than Brazilian Portugese!

I will be doing a trip report eventually (bit of renovations work about to start at home!) and will post a link here as there may be some bits/links that will interest future readers.

Thanks again for everyones help.

Wheel chair/luggage question.
 

My mother will be flying on AA from JFK to EZE she is travelling by herself and I will request for wheel chair assistance as she can't walk long distances. On arrival at EZE do the people who attend to passengers who need wheel chair assistance help with the luggage, mum will need to get her suitcase at baggage claim and clear customs and immigration. She won't be able to lift her luggage, she can wheel the luggage without problems, she will need some assistance with her luggage to the area where she has to meet her private transfer.

Also wondering if porters are available at EZE? If so, this may solve the problem.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I've see the folks who help with the wheel chairs assist with luggage, but I doubt many of them speak much English so I suggest that your mother explain her needs clearly to the flight attendants before landing. there are porters too, but there never seems to be enough, if she has a lot of luggage she may be stuck waiting for a porter but if she only has one suitcase then the wheelchair assistant should be able to take care of everything. She ought to tip that person too, but I have no idea what's a suitable amount in Buenos Aires these days. They'd welcome tips in dollars, she needn't worry about converting to pesos just to give tip airport employees.

Good advice from KurtD.

It is really up to the airline to sort this all out for her as long as you inform them that she'll need help from the aircraft right through to exiting arrivals.

Shouldn't be a problem. A little piece of info here from the EZE website.

Thank you, KurtD and HIDDY.

She will only have one checked bag, so that makes things a little easier. Mum doesn't speak Spanish. I'll let AA know she will need assistance to the arrivals hall.

Perhaps have some common Spanish phrases printed out for your mom. Also a local contact number is case she hits a snag.

visa
 

Last visit to Brazil, Argentina: 2006 Drat, Brazillian visa was good for 5 years. Unclear re our Argentinian stamp...still valid? paid 100USD.

Our passports have been renewed and I am thinking about getting another Brazilian visa mid-year 2013. Thinking about an Iguasu falls visit 12/2013 and a pre cruise stay on the Argentinian side. We will sail out of BA.

Obrigado. Gracias.

IIRC, the stamp is good for ten years and is $160 now.

The OP said they last visited in 2006 and the reciprocity fee only started in 2009 for certain nationalities.....so I would assume they didn't travel on one of those passports.