An Easy Jump: Review of Aerolíneas Argentinas 737-900 in Economy
The seats in our row. The morning sunlight gives it a nice glow! Photo by: Evan Berman
After spending 3 wonderful days in Santiago, Chile, it was time to continue onward to Patagonia! The 5 flights wholly within South America were all booked flown on SkyTeam member Aerolíneas Argentinas, booked via the Chase Travel Portal for $0 out of pocket. This flight review is part of the larger South American Adventure. For more information on this trip, follow these links:
Flight: CHS-JFK in Delta Comfort+
Flight: JFK-SCL in LATAM Economy+
Osaka Santiago, Chile Restaurant Review
Flight: SCL-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy (This Article)
Flight: AEP-FTE in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentine Patagonia
36 Hours in El Calafate, Argentina
Flight: FTE-USH in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: USH-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
2 Days in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Flight: AEP-SCL in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: SCL-MIA in LATAM Business Class
Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation
Flight: FLL-CHS in Silver Airways Economy Class
Flight Info:
Route: SCL-AEP (Santiago, Chile’s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Aeroparque Jorge Newberry)
Date: Wednesday, 11/23/2022
Flight: AR 1281 (Aerolíneas Argentinas)
Plane: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 11D (Main Cabin Aisle)
Est. Departure: 10:50am local time (8:50am EST)
Taxiing: 10:48am local time (8:48am EST)
Takeoff: 10:59am local time (8:59am EST)
Gate: E01 (International Terminal)
Est. Arrival: 12:50am local time (10:50am EST)
Touchdown: 12:37pm local time (10:37am EST)
Arrived at Gate: 12:50pm local time (10:20am EST)
Gate: 21 (International Terminal)
Pricing:
Flight: I booked all of the intra-South American flights through Chase Travel. The entire trip cost $531.60 and I used the $300 travel credit from the Chase Sapphire Reserve as well as 15,440 UR Points to pay for the flight. As such, I paid $0 in “real money.”
Earnings: 179 Delta SkyMiles
Flight Info: Class T, 714 miles
MQM: $250 (minimum amount for credit on all flights, from Delta)
MQS: 1
MQD: $36
Booking:
As mentioned above, I used the Chase Travel portal to book these flights. Argentina’s official exchange rate makes everything much more expensive in USD than using the “Blue Peso” rate of converting to Argentine Pesos from USD in Argentina. (See more about this in the reviews of my time in Argentina).
I compared prices on Aerolíneas Argentinas’ own website, AmEx Travel Portal, Capital One Travel Portal, Chase Travel Portal, and Google Flights. The prices on the AmEx Portal and Chase Travel Portal were equivalent (lower than the price of Google Flights). I chose Chase to use the Travel Credit and Chase allows you to redeem at 1.5 cents per point, compared with AmEx’s 1 cent per point.
Because I booked via a travel portal (as opposed to directly with the airline), despite inputting my Delta Frequent Flier Number (both are SkyTeam members), it did not show up in the confirmation email from Aerolíneas Argentinas (AR). Additionally, I had to call Chase as for some reason, despite receiving confirmation, the trip was not showing up on AR’s website. Thankfully, I spoke with a competent supervisor who was able to do something that made the reservation appear on AR’s website.
Note that if you have elite status with another SkyTeam partner, you may choose to include this frequent flier number instead. I have entry-level Silver Status with Delta and that entitles me to a free checked bag, priority check-in, priority baggage handling, and priority boarding on SkyTeam flights.
The other consideration is where to credit your flights. I use this helpful website, Where to Credit to determine the best course of action. All you need is the airline and booking class. Look for that on the confirmation email after purchasing or when choosing the specific fare, note the class. In this case, I valued Delta status perks over redeemable miles, but you may have a different calculus.
Lounges:
We arrived approximately 1 hours before boarding was scheduled to begin. Flying out of the International Terminal, we sped through customs and were able to visit the SkyTeam Lounge.
Stay tuned for a post reviewing the lounges in the International Terminal.
Recap:
As mentioned above, this plane is a 737-800. This is a common trend– all of the flights in South America were either on Boeing 737 or 737 MAX planes.
Despite boarding and and takeoff being later than the scheduled times, the flight was uneventful and we got in about 15 minutes earlier than estimated. I enjoyed boarding early (thanks, SkyTeam Elite Status) and ensuring my bag was able to be placed in the overhead bin above me.
While I do not purchase WiFi on flights, I had the chance to get some work done in Excel. Since I was in an aisle seat, I availed myself of quick glances out the window to see the beautiful Andes as we passed over them.
The 737-800 we flew has the typical setup of 2-2 seats in Business Class and 3-3 in economy. There is no premium economy on these flights.
Meals:
This was a 2 hour flight so there was only an abbreviated meal service. All passengers were given the above granola bar and the typical drink cart came through the aisle shortly thereafter. I did not ask for any drinks as I still had the water bottle I got in the lounge.
Sleep:
This was a quick daytime flight and I did not need to sleep.
Experience:
The flight was short at only 2 hours and I was working through most of it. That being said, the beauty of the Andes was a beautiful distraction at times! We touched down in sunny Buenos Aires 15 minutes before schedule after a smooth ride in the skies.
Customs:
As I was checking a bag, I needed to clear customs to enter the country, then get my bag and have it clear the scan. By 12:50pm, we had exited the plane and walked onto the bus that took us the terminal. By 12:55pm, we arrived at the line for customs.
Since I had a relatively tight connection (2.5 hours, and I had a checked bag) and needed to get some work done, I made sure to speed off the bus and was one of the first passengers who got in line from our plane.
The wait was manageable and I was able to clear customs by 1:16pm, 21 minutes later. All the woman asked me was to show the confirmation of the hotel I was staying at after I told her I was heading on to El Calafate. I pulled up the email on my phone and then had my passport stamped.
Recap:
After a lovely time in Santiago, I flew to Buenos Aires before heading onward to Patagonia. I flew an Aerolíneas Argentinas 737-800 from SCL to AEP (Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina) as part of an intra-South American itinerary that cost $0 due to booking via points and the Chase Sapphire Reserve travel credit. Though I arrived in Buenos Aires, I was in transit and did not head into the city. Don’t worry, I got a chance to explore the city later!
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