I cry for you Argentina! Why do the majority always have to pay for the bad manners of a few? Why do we have to tolerate companies with Argentina in their names, such as Aerolineas Argentinas, representing our country and our people in such a rude, discriminatory way?
How am I supposed to explain to a foreigner – habitant of the planet like you and me – that if I go to Bariloche and then El Calefate and then back to Buenos Aires my fee would be US$380 and theirs $850.
Worst, I must also explain to my foreign friend, that if they arrive in the country with Aerolineas Argentinas the company will delight in charging 50% less, but not if they dared to come with one of ‘the others’, such as American Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, COPA etc. (Which often work properly and don’t have a history of leaving people in airports, or offering them money to get them to sleep one more night on the other side of the Atlantic, plus a ‘bonus’ in cash before reaching home because they oversold the flight.)
It makes me think we are still and authoritarian country. This is my own point of view, that Kirchner is allowing such things to happen, as if he is saying: “this is this, and that’s that!” Danger!
Just in case I haven’t made myself clear, in the last month Aerolineas Argeintinas drastically changed the fares for non-residents. Basically, the ‘law’ is if you are Argentine you’ll pay, for example to Ushuaia round trip from Buenos Aires US$200 for the ticket. If you make the mistake of not arriving into the country with Aerolineas Argentinas you’ll have to pay US$550 or US$435 depending on your travel agent’s skill (and diplomacy, when explaining this to you). However, if you chose THE airline, you’ll be graced with the same fee as residents. Kind of the mafia way, isn’t it?
Four Sundays ago we read in the headlines of newspapers that nowadays tourism is a bigger industry than agriculture and cattle. This is mainly because we are a cheap country, but I think not everybody realises this. First hotels, and now Aerolineas.
So what is my recommendation? I recommend buses, ferries, renting cars, and boycotting Aerolineas for other airlines with normal fees; and I may suggest to investors and developers studying the market and buying a competitive airline with reasonable fees to offer.
I hope this is the end of such unfavorable conduct, and not the beginning.