This type of snake is the best kind! Photo by: Evan Berman

After a quick stop in the Buenos Aires Airport, it was time to head down to Patagonia. The next leg of my trip was flying from Buenos Aires to El Calafate on Aerolíneas Argentinas.

This flight review is part of the larger South American Adventure. For more information on this trip, follow these links:

Intro

24 Hours in New York, NY

Flight: CHS-JFK in Delta Comfort+

New York Hotel

Flight: JFK-SCL in LATAM Economy+

W Santiago Hotel

Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura

3 Days in Santiago, Chile

Osaka Santiago, Chile Restaurant Review

Flight: SCL-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

Flight: AEP-FTE in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy (This Article)

Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentine Patagonia

El Calafate Hotel

36 Hours in El Calafate, Argentina

Restaurants in El Calafate

Flight: FTE-USH in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

Flight: USH-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

2 Hours in Ushuaia, Argentina

Buenos Aires Homestay

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

Conclusion

Flight Info:

Route: AEP-FTE (Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Jorge Newbery to El Calafate, Argentina’s Comandante Armando Tola International Airport)

Date: Wednesday, 11/23/2022

Flight: AR 1876 (Aerolíneas Argentinas)

Plane: Boeing 737-700

Seat: 13A (Main Cabin Window)

Est. Departure: 3:10pm local time (1:10pm EST)

Taxiing: 3:28pm local time (1:28pm EST)

Takeoff: 3:34pm local time (1:34pm EST)

Gate: 15 (Domestic Terminal)

Est. Arrival: 6:25pm local time (4:25pm EST)

Touchdown: 6:45pm local time (4:45pm EST)

Arrived at Gate: 6:50pm local time (4:50pm EST)

Gate: 3 (Main 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: 322 Delta SkyMiles

Flight Info: Class G (Deeply Discounted Economy), 1285 miles per AR, 1,288 per Delta

MQM: 322 (25% of distance flown, per fare Class G)

MQS: 1

MQD: $64

Booking:

Once again, I used the Chase Travel portal to book these flights. The process was the exact same as with the flight from Santiago to Buenos Aires, found here. As a reminder:

• Because of the unofficial “Blue Dollar” rate, purchasing flights via credit card (rather than via Pesos converted from dollars) is more expensive.
• I purchased via Chase Travel as both AmEx and Chase Travel had identical prices, below that of Aerolíneas Argentinas’ pricing. The differentiator between the two was using the $300 travel credit via Chase Sapphire Reserve and redeeming points at 1.5 cents per point rather than 1 cent per point.
• I used my Delta SkyMiles information to earn credit via Delta and to use my elite status to get perks on a partner airline. If you have Elite Status with a partner airline in the same alliance (in this case SkyTeam), make sure to enter it.
• When in doubt for which frequent flier number to use, visit this website, Where to Credit

Security:

I had read reports that the security in AEP was lackadaisical. Not so in my experience. This was like being in the US without TSA PreCheck. I had to remove my shoes, belt, and jacket, in addition to the contents of my pockets. I suppose I understand as I was wearing hiking boots, but every other time through security, I had no issues.

Lounges:

I was flying domestically in AEP. There is a lounge in the international terminal but not in the domestic terminal. As such, I did not visit a lounge during my layover.

Recap:

As mentioned above, this plane is a 737-700. This is a common trend– all of the flights in South America were either on 737’s or 737 MAX planes.

Despite boarding and and takeoff being later than the scheduled times, the flight was easy. I enjoyed boarding early (thanks, SkyTeam Elite Status) and ensuring my bag was able to be placed in the overhead bin above me.

The view outside my window seat was incredible. I spent a good amount of time staring at the beauty of nature that I would would soon be welcoming me!

The 737-700 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 3 hour flight but there was still 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 asked for and received a water.

Sleep:

This was a quick daytime flight and I did not need to sleep.

Experience:

The flight was longer than the previous one, a bit more than 3 hours. Despite the delay, this was an enjoyable flight due to my window seat and vantage of the beautiful terrain below. We arrived roughly 25 minutes behind schedule, but I had no plans that evening and enjoyed the flight, except for the annoying clapping that occurred when we landed. This is a favorite of many elderly people who have seemingly never flown on a plane before.

In related and unsurprising news, the ones who were clapping after landing also were kind enough to block the entire path to the baggage claim. I was glad to get my suitcase and get away from them!

Customs:

As I flew within Argentina, I did not have to go through customs upon arrival. However, you are required to scan your bags to try and protect the local vegetation.

Recap:

After a quick layover in Buenos Aires, it was time to head onto Patagonia. I flew from Buenos Aires to El Calafate in Argentine Patagonia on Aerolíneas Argentinas and despite arriving a bit late, the flight was enjoyable due to the beauty outside my window. Next stop: Perito Moreno Glacier!