Section 107

pardon me for the wrong forum, but I asked this in Travel Buzz a couple of hours ago and no one has responded yet. I know a few folks here have experience with EZE so I am hoping for a more timely response - plus us CO folks here seem very happy to lend their knowledge.

I have a friend who wants to take her mom from WAS-EZE on 14 Mar - 21 Mar with no preference for airline other than low price (and safety).

Any advice on what to avoid, what to look for?

thanks

brendog

If you want CO, you'll obviously have to connect through IAH. I have never done that routing myself, but it shouldn't be too bad, although the flight is approximately 11 hours.

For direct, UA from IAD is the only choice. The flight used to be on a 762, although it's been a couple of years since I have done that flight. E+ made it fairly livable both times. IIRC, there's 1 flight per day each way. They used to tag on MVD, although I believe that ended last year.

Otherwise, you can use pretty much any other major airline with a connection. AA via DFW, ORD, and MIA and DL via ATL come to mind, although I have no experience on their EZE service.

If it were me, I'd take the CO routing with a connection, but I'm a miles whore, so others may beg to differ.

ralfp

Oh how wrong you are. CO (51/52 ?) is a direct flight FRA-EWR-IAH-EZE and back. Get this: you even stay on the same aircraft!

In all seriousness, UA is the only non-stop from IAD.

rolov

I have done EWR-IAH-EZE and EWR-ATL-EZE
I prefer the CO product in Y , but the DL was not bad either.
a long time ago i did JFK-EZE when it was non stop and it was nice because i had 2 seats to myself. I have not been on any UA long haul flights in a long time , so i can't say what the IAD-EZE flight would be like.

I think price wise UA is probably the cheapest for those dates
with DL close
and CO a lot more expensive

rkkwan

Actually, CO51 usually switches equipment at EWR, even when both sides of it are 762 or 777.

And while EWR-IAH-EZE is usually same equipment, it's not necessarily all the time, even when it's both 762 or 777. Plus right now, on some days, EWR-IAH is a 738.

On the return, EZE-IAH-EWR is CO52, usually same equipment (762 or 777); while there is a separate CO50 for IAH-EWR (752) and EWR-FRA (762 or 777).

rolov

i noticed that when i was looking at flights to EZE to visit my grandmother.
i have done the flight many times and it was always the same plane.
Then i saw the 738 and thought it must be some mistake.
A couple of times we were delayed out of ewr , but since it was the same plane it did not matter, it just delayed the IAH-EZE flight a bit.

rkkwan

I know for a fact that the following happened on 12/13/07:

CO51 EWR-IAH-EZE was scheduled for a 772, as it was a Thursday. But for whatever reason, they had scheduled a change of equipment at IAH days before the flight. Forgot the exact tail number, but EWR-IAH was a non-AVOD plane, while IAH-EZE was an AVOD one.

There was a major snowstorm in the Northeast that day, and planes were cancelled or very late. CO51 EWR-IAH didn't take off until past 9pm that day and arrived Houston past midnight.

CO did not wait for the passengers coming in from EWR. CO51 IAH-EZE departed just after 9pm, as scheduled.

So, even if you see a 762/762 or 777/777 on the schedule, you can still possibly be stranded in Houston in certain situation.

rolov

Now that you mention it , i think that happened to my mom . She said the EWR flight was cancelled due to snow.
I remember checking CO.com later that night and saw that the IAH-EZE flight was en route later that night .

TWA Fan 1

The moral of the story? Fly UA. Not because it's especially excellent but because you will get a decent fare, fly non-stop which will be less travel time and less ptoential for being stranded and, for a little extra money (even if you're not a UA elite) you can fly in E+ with 35" seat pitch.

rolov

Can anyone book UA E+ ?
I thought you have to sign up for the travel club or something like that and pay a yearly fee or you can wait until check in when they let you upgrade at the airport for a fee.

TWA Fan 1

You are right, anyone can book E+, but if you're not UA elite then you either buy a year-long $349 membership (pretty inexpensive when you consider that one rt on "paid" PE on, say, NZ will run you thousands of dollars), or you can buy at the gate if there are still seats available.

Either way, UA provides an option that, for a long flight provides far greater comfort (the IAD-EZE flight operates on a 763 with 35" of seat pitch in E+) while on CO one either is stuck in deep discomfort in Y or must shell out big pesos for BF...

rolov

you are 100 % correct
I will be stuck in deep discomfort in Y EWR-MAD on Thursday

TWA Fan 1

Indeed, you will be MAD even as you board at EWR...

sbm12

You can also buy it at OLCI.

And comparing E+ to NZ's PE is a complete red herring. Not only does one not receive access to NZ's PE for being UA elite and/or E+ access purchaser, meaning that you'd have to spend the same thousands you allude to above, PE is actually a different cabin of service, not just a different seat. The PE seats are 38-40" pitch, and on the 747s actually wider as well. Furthermore the service in the PE section is different. In E+ you get up to 36" pitch, though often only 34", no extra width on any aircraft type and regular Y service.

I'm not saying that E+ is bad or not worth the $350 (though I'd do a MR or two for the same $350 and actually make elite for all the other benefits if I was going to fly UA enough to take advantage of it). But it is nowhere near the same as the NZ PE service.

rolov

I think as soon as i get to the airport and try to clear security .