Advice on AEP-EZE Connection? Booked times for transfer too short!
Apr 1, 2019, 9:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 46
Advice on AEP-EZE Connection? Booked times for transfer too short!
First time poster here. Please be gentle :-) This is somewhat complex.
I booked a flight with UA to San Juan, Argentina in July: OGG-SFO-IAH-EZE/AEP-UAQ. The Argentine segment is with Aerolines Argentinas and requires ground transfer between EZE and AEP. I'm a 1K member.
The problem is the outbound flight. UA gave only 2 hrs for the AEP-EZE transfer, which is impossible to make. I searched around and people were suggesting at least 4 hrs! I wasn't aware of the problem when I booked the ticket. There was no other options anyways.
I called UA today asking to move the UAQ-AEP flight (with Aerolines Argentinas) 1 day earlier. The agent was very friendly, but couldn't make the change because the price difference was $1.5K(!) She suggested contacting UA for same day change on the day of departure. However there will be no flight out from EZE to US on the same day.
I'm not sure what to do next. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!
I booked a flight with UA to San Juan, Argentina in July: OGG-SFO-IAH-EZE/AEP-UAQ. The Argentine segment is with Aerolines Argentinas and requires ground transfer between EZE and AEP. I'm a 1K member.
The problem is the outbound flight. UA gave only 2 hrs for the AEP-EZE transfer, which is impossible to make. I searched around and people were suggesting at least 4 hrs! I wasn't aware of the problem when I booked the ticket. There was no other options anyways.
I called UA today asking to move the UAQ-AEP flight (with Aerolines Argentinas) 1 day earlier. The agent was very friendly, but couldn't make the change because the price difference was $1.5K(!) She suggested contacting UA for same day change on the day of departure. However there will be no flight out from EZE to US on the same day.
I'm not sure what to do next. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!
Last edited by xudongsun; Apr 1, 2019 at 9:19 pm
Apr 1, 2019, 9:35 pm
#2
Moderator: United Airlines
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Welcome to FT!, xudongsun
Appears the Minimum Connect Time (MCT) for UA -> AR / AEP is listed as 2:15. Check to see if your connection is at least that. If below, then UA must change it or provide a refund.
SDC is a no go here.
There are threads on EZE-AEP connections in the FT Argentina forum
Appears the Minimum Connect Time (MCT) for UA -> AR / AEP is listed as 2:15. Check to see if your connection is at least that. If below, then UA must change it or provide a refund.
SDC is a no go here.
There are threads on EZE-AEP connections in the FT Argentina forum
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 1, 2019 at 9:41 pm
Apr 1, 2019, 9:53 pm
#4
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Can you book the flights today (at any fare)? If below the MCT the should not be possible.
Then call UA and ask what their systems are showing for MCT.
If below MCT, UA should be willing to make a "free change", but what UA is using for MCT is crucial
MCT Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Minimum Connect Times:
Connecting at EZE
Incoming airline UA
Outgoing airline AR
Flight type International to Domestic
STANDARD.D/D...D/I...I/D...I/I.
ONLINE 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
OFFLINE 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
** OR * ARE ALL
**-AR ID 2.15
UA-** ID 1.30
Then call UA and ask what their systems are showing for MCT.
If below MCT, UA should be willing to make a "free change", but what UA is using for MCT is crucial
MCT Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Minimum Connect Times:
Connecting at EZE
Incoming airline UA
Outgoing airline AR
Flight type International to Domestic
STANDARD.D/D...D/I...I/D...I/I.
ONLINE 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
OFFLINE 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
** OR * ARE ALL
**-AR ID 2.15
UA-** ID 1.30
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 1, 2019 at 9:59 pm Reason: EF data
Apr 1, 2019, 9:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
I booked a flight with UA to San Juan, Argentina in July: OGG-SFO-IAH-EZE/AEP-UAQ. The Argentine segment is with Aerolines Argentinas and requires ground transfer between EZE and AEP.
The problem is the outbound flight. UA gave only 2 hrs for the AEP-EZE transfer, which is impossible to make.
I called UA today asking to move the UAQ-AEP flight (with Aerolines Argentinas) 1 day earlier. The agent was very friendly, but couldn't make the change because the price difference was $1.5K(!)
The problem is the outbound flight. UA gave only 2 hrs for the AEP-EZE transfer, which is impossible to make.
I called UA today asking to move the UAQ-AEP flight (with Aerolines Argentinas) 1 day earlier. The agent was very friendly, but couldn't make the change because the price difference was $1.5K(!)
Seems you’d either want to move AEP-UAQ one day later, or move UAQ-AEP one day earlier...
Apr 1, 2019, 10:07 pm
#7
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First time poster here. Please be gentle :-) This is somewhat complex.
I booked a flight with UA to San Juan, Argentina in July: OGG-SFO-IAH-EZE/AEP-UAQ. The Argentine segment is with Aerolines Argentinas and requires ground transfer between EZE and AEP. I'm a 1K member.
I booked a flight with UA to San Juan, Argentina in July: OGG-SFO-IAH-EZE/AEP-UAQ. The Argentine segment is with Aerolines Argentinas and requires ground transfer between EZE and AEP. I'm a 1K member.
The minimum legal connect here is actually 4h00 (you need the BUE MCT tables):
Code:
STANDARD.D/D...D/I...I/D...I/I. ONLINE .20 1.00 1.00 1.00 OFFLINE .20 1.00 1.00 1.00 ** OR * ARE ALL **-** ID 2.30 INTER AEP - EZE **-AR ID 4.00 INTER EZE - AEP **-** ID 2.30 INTER EZE - AEP
If this is the case you should be able to get United to fix the ticket, but I suspect there must be something going on here to have gotten to this situation in the first place.
ed. to add ~ ah, I see. Just note MCT is in fact 4 hours.
Apr 1, 2019, 10:15 pm
#10
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Apr 2, 2019, 1:13 am
#11
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You learn something new every day. I’d have never thought of checking the city code (BUE) vs AEP or BUE... never really had a tight crosstown connection issue (despite doing LGW/LHRs, NRT/HNDs, and JFK/LGAs over the years) but I’m something of a self-professed expert at these sorts of things and wouldn’t have thought of this. Good tip!
Apr 2, 2019, 7:55 am
#13
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Also worth noting that AR has horrendous on-time performance and EZE lines can be very long.
Apr 2, 2019, 10:08 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 46
Called today. The agent was asking me to contact Aerolines Argentinas since they changed their schedule. I insisted it was UA's responsibility to accommodate this. She asked around and eventually rebooked me on a UA flight the second day. There goes 40 min of my life lol
Apr 2, 2019, 10:39 pm
#15
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I'm glad you were able to get it taken care of, though. ^