Hacking Argentine Air Travel: Fly For Cheap
Posted in Hacking Buenos Aires on 15. Mar, 2010
Anyone living in Buenos Aires is going to want to take at least a couple of trips inside Argentina during their stay and will want them to be cheap. The two big destinations are of course Iguazú Falls in the north of the country, and Patagonia in the south – towns like El Calafate, Bariloche, Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn. These places are absolutely unmissable.
Argentina is a big country though, so how are you going to get there? Bus? That might work if you have: a) a penchant for suffering; b) a healthy supply of Valium, and c) an entire day (or more) to waste, but otherwise it’s a terrible option. Puerto Iguazú is a 17 hour journey from Buenos Aires by bus, Bariloche is 19 hours, and Ushuaia? You’ll need to block out a lazy 50 hours in your diary for that one.
Let’s face it, you’re flying. In Argentina you have two choices for internal flights: Aerolíneas Argentinas and LanChile.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting: you probably already know that residents of Argentina flying domestically get discounted fares due to government subsidies. The differences are quite substantial, as the following breakdown of prices on LanChile flights from Buenos Aires to popular Argentine destinations in shows:
* Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, return, cheapest available fare, with taxes.
As a non-resident: US$ 355.95.
As a resident: US$ 197
Difference: $158.95
* Buenos Aires to Iguazú, return, cheapest available fare, with taxes.
As a non-resident: US$329.40.
As a resident: US$159
Difference: $170.40.
* Buenos Aires to El Calafate, return, cheapest available fare, with taxes.
As a non-resident: US$336.
As a resident: US$164.
Difference: $172.
As you can see, there’s almost a 50% difference in the prices. Not insignificant when you’re a poor, struggling expat trying to see more of this beautiful country for cheap.
However, at this point you’re probably thinking “so what? I don’t have a Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI) that proves I’m a resident, so I don’t qualify for the cheaper fares.”
…And you’re right! If you don’t have a DNI you don’t qualify for the cheaper fares. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get them. In fact, if you take the following steps, you’ll be able to fly for cheap, guaranteed:
1. Book flights through LanChile (www.lan.com), not Aerolíneas Argentinas. With Aerolíneas you have to enter your DNI number during the online booking process, so that’s no good.
2. At the opening screen at www.lan.com, select Argentina as your country of residence. If you’ve used www.lan.com before then you might not see the opening page when you browse to that address. In that case make sure that the site says “Argentina > Versión” in the top-right corner of the page. If it doesn’t, click the word “Version” and select Argentina.
3. Go through and book your tickets as normal. You’ll get the cheaper price.
4. Pack ONLY HAND LUGGAGE for your trip. This is very important and non-negotiable. Guys, you really don’t need those gigantic hiking boots. Ladies, ditch the hairdryers.
5. Two days before you’re due to fly you’ll receive an email from LanChile telling you that web check-in for the flight is now open. You want to do this, so don’t put it off! You have until 3 hours before your departure time to check-in online and print your boarding passes.
6. If you forget to check-in online, you might be able to use the check-in terminals at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery instead (pray they’re working!). As you may have guessed, the idea is to avoid the check-in desks at all costs, as that’s where they check for your DNI.
7. Go through security flashing your self-printed boarding pass, go to your departure lounge, board the plane, and voilà! You’re in the air for half the price.
8. Don’t forget to do a web check-in for your return flight as well. To be honest this isn’t as important, as at the smaller airports (such as the one at Puerto Iguazú) the check-in staff don’t seem to be all that bothered with checking for DNIs.
Does this really work? Yes! My girlfriend and I, and my girlfriend and her Mom have both tried this and it works without a hitch. After the check-in process there’s no-one else at the airport who cares what sort of fare you paid, so as long as you can avoid the check-in counters you’re golden.
Once, when we were working this out, we bought the resident tickets but then checked in at the check-in counter (we had hold luggage) and were asked for our DNIs. We did the “dumb tourist” routine (not that I think it actually mattered) and all that happened was that we were sent over to the LanChile ticket counter (immediately opposite the check-in desks) to pay the difference between the resident and non-resident fares. In other words, we ended up paying only what we would’ve had to anyway. No big deal.
For completeness, here is the text that appears on the LanChile website in regard to the resident fares:
IMPORTANT: These fares are only available to RESIDENTS of Argentina, in accordance with article four of Resolution 35/2002 by the Ministry of Production’s Secretary of Transportation. In the event that a passenger is not a resident, he or she can purchase tickets at some of our international sites. When boarding, the passenger will be asked to provide documentation confirming his or her residency. A passenger with a ticket for this class will not be boarded if he or she fails to provide said documentation.
What this says is all true, but “will not be boarded” really just means “will have to pay to upgrade their ticket to the non-resident rate,” so don’t think you’ll get deported or anything.
Happy flying! or… Happy flying for cheap!
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Hi!
I’m a galician guy living in Buenos Aires!
I don’t have the DNI but there’s other way to be an official resident in Argentina, wich worked for me.
You must get a Residencia Precaria which is an official document you can obtain in the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (Retiro) near to the Correo Argentino post office. Then you must present your official identity documents of your country, your passport, and any document certificating what are you doing in Argentina (studies, work, etc)
Doing it you’d have an official document proving you’re an official resident!
PD: Excuse my poor level of english!
Interesting your tips. I made something similar. I bought tickets from bariloche to buenos aires for august in http://www.despegar.com and I did not notice that was only for RESIDENTS of Argentia, that I am not, I am from brazil. The tickets are issued. I was thiking about the web checkin to avoid showing IDs. But as I will go with luggage that I have to check in, In your experience when you had hold luggage and had to pay the difference to a non resident fare, did you chekin on line and went straight to the counter only to drop your luggage or you did a regular checkin?
I intend to make an online checkin and go to web checkin line in the aerolineas counter, exclusive to online checkin, do you think they will still ask for an argentinean DNI???
I’m furious and thrilled. I’ve been here for three years and have never known about this awesome hack. Thanks so much for sharing it. Can’t wait to try it out.
-Why dont you send the luggage via FedEx when returning from your trip ?
Or via ENCOMIENDA (a delivery service via passenger turistic buses, a service very used in Uruguay, faster and more secure than the mail )
I think it would be fast, and cheaper than paying the difference…if the luggage and the things you purchased are not very heavy or voluminous
alguien sabe como puedo reservar precios en lista de espera?
gracias
liked this article!
My GF & I are coming to Argentina in December. We have 5 internal flights with luggage and have booked our tickets through despagar. My GF is Argentinian and has a DNI number that we used to make the booking. We also used her CC to pay for the booking.
But I am traveling on my SA passport, during checkin do you think I be required to pay the extra for the non-resident fare?
Thanks in advance
Thanks for posting this info, gringoinbuenosaires! I just tried this for a similar domestic trip within Argentina going from Jorge Newberry to Bahia Blanca. Only Aerolineas flies there. The Aero Argentinas site is asking me for a DNI number. Should I just fudge it, go ahead with purchase and then do the carry-on bag, like you mentioned? Of course, I will do online checking both ways…. do you think this will work?
Gracias!
Binni
This article makes me vomit. Foreings taking advantage of argentinian government subsidies? What a shame!! don’t you know that, that discount comes from the taxes that argentinians pay? the people who are going to do this is clearly a thief!!
LOL…Juan M.
When Argentinians visit the USA they get the same price as everyone else … and lord knows we subsidize our transportation systems with all kinds of corporate tax breaks and federally backed loans….so why is it you feel WE’RE taking advantage of your system?
In fact, not only does the Airline charge me more …
The produce guy charges me more because I’m foreign,
The lavandaria lady charges me more because I’m foreign,
The guy at the framing shop charges me more because I’m foreign,
The people in the stores try to charge me more, even if I pay in cash, because I’m foreign.
How do I know this? I tested it.
I took the same clothes into the lavandaria one week and was charged one rate … then my porteno friend took them in the next week and was charged a much lower rate.
I went to a frameshop that was recommended to me by a friend and while they were very nice … tried to charge me twice what they charged my porteno friend for the exact same frame.
When I entertained the thought of having a little surgery done I was careful to get the price quotes and information up front … then take the back to show two friends … one a Porteno Dr. and one a Brazilian Dr… When they saw the prices they both just laughed their asses off.
So don’t go hating on the guests. We’ve simply become accustomed to the game … and we’re here to play.
I went to
Thank you SO MUCH gringoinbuenosaires! I just came back from Bariloche, I’m Argentinean buy my partner is French and doesn’t have his residence yet. We did everything you mentioned and it worked PERFECTLY. If we hadn’t done this, he would’ve had to pay twice as much (that’s how much more they charge you at the French LAN website). Again, ¡¡¡MUCHÍSIMAS GRACIAS!!!
The argentinian government subsidies flights for the outer provincies only, and for residents of those provincies (and not to Buenos Aires residents). As you can read in the resolution quoted in LAN.com site.
http://www.aaovyt.com.ar/aaovyt/resolu_35-02.htm
However, LAN and AA use this “resolution” to charge extra money to non residents in all internal flights (disregarding if they travel to a near province or to “the end of the world”), and give discounts to all residents, instead of giving them only to the poor outsiders to live far far away, as the resolution intended to be.
So, go ahead and buy resident fee tickets, if you’re caught, don’t pay the difference! ask for the police and make noise. Lawyer up! That practice is illegal and unconstitutional. And the companies know it, but the only way to stop them is through bad publicity, because the law system in Argentina sucks!
i did this and it works only for newberry, eze passengers it will not work… also for usa residents using aerolinas if your passport # begins with 0 leave it off at the DNI screen… it worked for me twice, but going through EZE it did not and they attempted to overcharge me or not give a refund. I protested to my bank claiming they did not allow web check in which they were not at EZE and it was a term and condition for which i agreed to… I won my $ back 2 months later.
Do you have to be in Argentina to get these deals? I’m checking from the US and it’s pretty much the same price.