I used the American Express Centurion Lounge at EZE about 3 months ago. With all the construction going on it took a while to find it - so ask for directions

Some quick questions -

1) Are the current wait times as long as described as at the beginning of the thread? How long should we budget for everything?

2) I know we have to check in, hand over are luggage, pay departure tax, turn in our "tax-free" forms to get the VAT rebate, etc. Can someone clarify what order we need to do things (I'd hate to get to the gate and find out that I needed to turn in my tax-free form before going through security - or stand in line to pay the departure tax to discover that i needed to be checked in already.

3) I also recall reading that there is a not so obvious location to pay the departure tax that has less waiting - where is it?

4) Can I get the VAT rebate in u$s? And is there a similar window to the bank window after customs on arrival that will let me exchange my pesos for usd?

For reference, here is the order of things you need to do to depart EZE:

1) (Very Important to do this first) Get your "Tax-Free" (program for getting a partial refund of VAT when buying at certain stores) vouchers stamped - there is a seperate line for this. Because the person stamping the form may wish to see the purchased items to make sure that you are taking them out of the country (and haven't consumed them or given them away within argentina), you need to do this before checking your luggage. FWIW: I only saw one person required to produce the item.

2) Check-in with airline. For us (elite travellers on UA) this consisted of proving to an agent at the front of the line that I was a 1K, then a relatively short security interview by a security agent (did you pack your own bags, etc) where he placed sticker on our passports and "X-Ray" tags on our luggage. Finally we were in line to see the agent that would check our bags and give us BP's.

3) Go upstairs and get in line for departure tax. Stickers are applied to BP's.

4) Wait in line to show BP's and have tax stickers scanned (presumably to prevent re-use).

5) Walk a bit and get in security line. Security is interesting. Lots of armed agents, but looser procedures that in the US (no need to remove all that excess metal from your pockets, as no one cares when you set off the WTMD - in fairness the additional screening later on makes this fairly reasonable).

6) Walk a bit and get in line for immigration. There were two lines that begin next to each other but most folks would instinctively get in the first one not noticing the second one. The second one was a bit shorter. :) Immigration took the exit half of the form we filled out upon entry, stamped our passports, and (I think) double checked the departure tax stickers.

7) Wind your way through the duty free mega-mall to get to the reasonably well hidden "Tax-Free" VAT refund booth. You will be given a choice of pesos in cash or USD applied to the credit card of your choice.

8) After doing any additional duty-free shopping or airline club relaxing, proceed to your gate where you will need to remove all metal objects from your person and undergo a thorough wanding including shoes (but no need to remove your shoes). You then take your carry on stuff a few feet away to be fairly thoroughly hand inspected, before being ready to sit in the gate area and wait for yuor boarding group to be called.

VPescado did a good job of outlining the somewhat unusual EZE procedures. I'll add the following.

First, despite some earlier warnings, I found EZE check-in to be relatively speedy. I left Centro 3 hours before my 9:15 flight, and that was plenty of time (at least on a Sunday -- I understand the traffic is worse on weekdays). Coach check-in at AA a little before 7 pm was surprisingly speedy (I have no status on AA so I just waited in the regular line). There is a somewhat hidden airport tax booth to the left of the AA counter, which is a better place to pay your $18 than upstairs. The booth takes dollars, pesos and credit cards.

On the dual immigration line, look to see if the left side is shorter. Most travellers instinctively head right!

There seemed to be lots of people ringing up purchases in the duty free store, but I thought the prices there were extremely high. There's also no place to buy a bottle of water or a soda at a normal price, so I'd recommend bringing some fluids with you from BA (they wouldn't be confiscated until you do the final security check at the gate).

If you still have some left over pesos, there is an exchange booth next to Gate 2 that has a plausible exchange rate with no commission.

Finally, searching the internet, I found an English-speaking driver to take me to and from the airport. At $20, he was a bargain compared to current taxi rates. He's also a nice guy with an interesting story. Prompt service both ways. He can get busy, so I'd try to book a week or two in advance.

http://dantesairporttransfers.hazedaze.com/

iahphx,, Dante has been a secret of the tango dancers for years. He is a good driver and you should contact him far in advance.

When I departed EZE for the US last Tuesday evening (November 27), I completed security questioning/ check in /airport tax payment /WTMD-X-ray /Immigration in 30 minutes. This is about as fast as it gets. This was at 8:00 pm for UA846 which leaves at 10:15 pm.

I was chatting to the UA check in agent who always recognizes me, and he said to make sure I made my way airside as quickly as possible. He said that it wouldn't be long until the lines and wait times would be very long, and that flights are very full at the moment. He mentioned that the UA flights have also been weight-restricted lately.

I was lucky too in that Tuesday is one of the days that LH doesn't have an EZE-FRA 747 flight. UA is sharing the Red Carpet Club with LH, so that the club is overflowing when both flights are operating (5 days/week). When I was there 3 weeks ago there about 90 people in the RCC, with only seats for about 70. I was chatting to the RCC agent on Tuesday evening, and she said that they had 134 passengers (UA and LH), in the lounge the last night she was on.

Update on EZE departure
 

I asked for an update on the onepass forum but then decided this is better forum to ask for an update. It might look like a cross but it is not because our group is flying with 2 airlines.

My son is flying AA, no status. The rest of us are elite flying with CO eith BF or coach. Would someone mind an update of departure process for both AA and CO? How much is needed? An update on departure tax is appreciated, too.

It depends on which AA flight your son is on.. If it is the 730 flight to Ord then it isnt too bad. As it gets later the lines will get very long if no status and Coach. In any event I would still allow 2-3 hours ( I go for 3 and use lounge). Can your son be a guest in the CO lounge?? Tax hasnt changed I think is still 18usd he can pay it just to the right of the AA check in or upstairs. The other place in the middle of the floor always seems to have the longest lines. In general I think that the entire process is not as long and difficult as it was in the past.

Are the CO and AA lounges in roughly the same area? I'm a member of DL CRC and the AA AC. I remember one trip where I waited for a while in one lounge, and then headed over to the other lounge which was closer to my departure gate, to check out the different drinks and snacks. It think it was in EZE on my return home.

CO uses a generic lounge at one end of the departures area and is not really close to the CO Gate. The AC is at the opposite end of the departures area and is not at all close to the AA departure gates. I don't mean to imply that there is a huge distance, only that they are not in close proxcimity.

Sam

Thanks to experts on this forum, out trip to Argentina went fairly smoothly. Here is an update on the departure.

Tax: still $18 and they take credit cards!!!!!! It is pretty amazing for a cash based society.

For an AA coach pax without status, the check in process too over 35 minutes. It took a total of 1.5 hours to check-in, pay exit tax and got through immigration and primary security. For a continental coach pax, the total time is 30 minutes less. The entire check-in area was totally empty about 2.5 hours before the departure.

We flew out of EZE on Aug. 21st. We were on the LAN flt EZE to SCL that depts at 18:50. We arrived via taxi from AEP around 15:36. The LAN check in was closed until 16:00. In all my years of flying this was new to me. An int'l airport like EZE and a airline like LAN, and they are closed until 16:00? We used the down time to get a sandwich and a drink. Once we went through LAN biz class check in, paid our $18USD dept tax, we were through security and in the air side VIP lounge in about 30 minutes. I guess we hit the airport at just the right time. No lines any where to speak of.

Lan has a big gap of time w/no flights, and I've left on the same/similar flight a few times (and arrived before check-in opens). It is a great time to deal w/EZE. I'll be on it again in under 2 weeks.

along these lines. what time does AA check in open is it 4pm???..... we have ord flight which leaves at 7:35 .