Areolineas Argentina Airlines Review

When traveling through Argentina (or to other South American countries) you have a limited amount of flight options. Once of these options is Areolineas Argentina, an airline based out of Buenos Aires. Many flights between South American cities last only an hour or two (not bad for international flights), although it is not unheard of for some of the flights to last five or more hours. With this in mind, there are several specifications you need to take into consideration before booking your flight with Areolineas Argentina.

Price

Areolineas Argentina is one of the major carriers in Argentina and other neighboring countries, along with TACA and LAN, so the prices are rather low (you can generally fly for roughly $400 round trip between any major city in the content, if you book earlier enough). Although this is generally slightly less pricy than other providers, it is the only basic perk provided by Areolineas Argentina.

Destinations

As it is based out of Buenos Aires, Areolines Airlines focuses mainly on flights to and from the Argentina capital city. This includes most major cities in South America and a few locations in Europe and South Africa. If you are looking to fly to North America or Asia you are essentially out of luck and it is best to find a different airline

Customer Service

Terrible. There really isn't any sugar coating or tip-towing around it. If you book with Areolineas Argentina you need to hope and pray you don't need to talk with customer service. There is a Miami office, so reaching a service individual that speaks fluent English is not difficult, but if you have any problem with your flight you are just going to receive the ring-around, with operators pushing you to other departments, without actually receiving an answer. Areolineas Argentina has strict policies, prohibiting it from giving you any sort of refund, regardless of your reasoning. This quickly becomes extremely frustrating, especially when the airline requires you to purchase additional tickets when there is a problem with your current boarding pass.

Flight

Bus is the standard method of long-distance travel when visiting South America, and Areolineas Argentina somehow manages to make your journey less comfortable. Long distance flights are cramped with small cabins, and although there is adequate leg room, your chair fails to recline further than an inch or two (to be fair to most bus companies, your seat is far more comfortable than this). The seating provides no lumbar support, and standing after extended flight results in more bank cramps than experienced by passenger's in a Barnum and Bailey clown car. Many travelers actually prefer to stand the entire flight, rather than sit.

Meals are incredibly disappointing (which is often the best part of most international flights) and consist of a small loaf of bread, meat and cheese. When compared to LAN and TACA this is a significant drop off, as the two other airline operators offer hot meals, coffee and unlimited drinks.

There is no in-flight entertainment, unless you enjoy the long lineup at the bathroom or the occasional mother openly breastfeeding her child. This also is a server drop off from LAN and TACA as TACA has in flight viewing screens for all passengers to view while LAN has a built in video monitor on all seats, allowing you to select from a wide range of newly released movies (most of which are between theaters and DVD release). To keep yourself occupied and your mind off your aching back, bring an MP3 player or crossword puzzle, otherwise you're in for a long trip.

If you are looking to save a few dollars when flying through South America, Areolineas is the go to choice. However, if you care at all about the comfort of your flight, and the well-being of your back and neck, spend the extra money and go with a different carrier. In the end this may actually prove less expensive than fees charged by the massage spa and chiropractor you're sure to visit after flying Areolineas.