Argentina re-opening international flights in August!

[Renzi]

The "new normal" is here: virtual air travel: The $60 Flight From Japan That Doesn’t Leave The Ground

"As well as having flight attendants, inflight meal service and all the usual announcements, passengers can expect a real ‘takeoff’ experience through the use of visuals and audio effects. During the flight, clouds whizz past the virtual windows while passengers relax.

On ‘arrival’, passengers don the latest virtual reality headsets and take an immersive virtual trip around the city of their choice. Whether its Helsinki or New York City, the passenger will be taken on a virtual 360-degree journey around the major sights, giving them the nearest thing to a real-world holiday as possible."

 

[samsam]

passengers don the latest virtual reality headsets

Seems like an odd combination with the worries over reusing equipment!
When covid began, the writing was on the wall for the VR experience stores and kiosks that started to gain popularity.

 

[Alby]

As I said, for some travel (and flying in particular) has become an addiction. I am seeing this amongst friends at home who suddenly can't even cross state borders without 14-day quarantines. Even though they remain free to roam over vast swathes of territory within their states, they are freaking out. We've forgotten how to sit still, stay away from airports, and just enjoy what's right in front of our eyes.

 

[Somewhereinba]

I think everyone mostly agrees the actual travel part is not fun at all, it's the destinations. The issue is with all the restrictions, distancing, masks etc I have no plans to travel for pleasure until they are gone. Not enjoyable but I know first hand that Europe including Greece, Croatia etc had lots of tourism past month but there wasn't mask requirements. In Spain everyone seems to be wearing masks and taking it seriously.

 

[skyway]

What I have been able to glean from a few random articles over the past few days:

- The Sep 1 reopening date has not yet been officially cancelled. However, a few reports indicate that it will be pushed back to until at least Oct.
- Air New Zealand and Emirates have already cancelled their Buenos Aires routes. Qatar may follow soon.
- Aeroparque is closed until at least the end of this year.
- The future status of El Palomar is unknown.
- Domestic operations could soon be an Aerolineas monopoly if FlyBondi and JetSmart do not survive (any decision regarding El Palomar will affect them). Obviously, LATAM Argentina has already gone to the wall.

In summary, it looks like consumers are going to have pretty limited choices even when operations do eventually resume.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

(snip)
The future status of El Palomar is unknown.
(snip)

My understanding from TN broadcasts something like a year ago was that the decision to close El Palomar had already been taken. Whatever the real reason - alluded to elsewhere - it was presented as a campaign won by neighbours to the airport who were shocked that it was being used by aeroplanes. A pity it should go since it is only a few stops down the railway line for us and - provided your flight wasn't delayed, cancelled or brought forward by up to four hours - convenient and cheap.

 

[Renzi]

What I have been able to glean from a few random articles over the past few days:

- The Sep 1 reopening date has not yet been officially cancelled. However, a few reports indicate that it will be pushed back to until at least Oct.
- Air New Zealand and Emirates have already cancelled their Buenos Aires routes. Qatar may follow soon.
- Aeroparque is closed until at least the end of this year.
- The future status of El Palomar is unknown.
- Domestic operations could soon be an Aerolineas monopoly if FlyBondi and JetSmart do not survive (any decision regarding El Palomar will affect them). Obviously, LATAM Argentina has already gone to the wall.

In summary, it looks like consumers are going to have pretty limited choices even when operations do eventually resume.

Google Flights isn't showing much for September anymore. As of October Delta will resume flights out EZE, or at least the tickets are on sale. The only viable option to escape from ARG in the coming weeks will probably be via Santiago,* and currently Aerolineas and LATAM are showing semi-regular flights there in Sept, and SKY beginning in OCT.

* I'm trying to find specific info on whether there is a max window for catching your onward flight. All I know is that you can't leave the terminal (but at least it has decent wifi, a Juan Valdez, and a large McD's).

 

[gracielle]

Marcelo Longobardi viajó a París por trabajo y contó cómo es volar en plena pandemia

Marcelo Longobardi viajó a París por trabajo y contó cómo es volar en plena pandemia

www.lanacion.com.ar

14 August 2020....11:31am
Marcelo Longobardi traveled to Paris for work and told what it is like to fly in the middle of a pandemic
Marcelo Longobardi traveled to France to conduct a series of interviews that will be broadcasted on the CNN news network and told what it is like to travel to Europe from Buenos Aires in the middle of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic .
The journalist spoke with his Radio Mitre crew about the details of the Air France flight that departed yesterday from Ezeiza and which took him directly to the French capital, where currently "there is no quarantine."....
...."In Ezeiza there is no one, it is practically empty, it is a desert. Everyone is wearing a mask and with social distancing. The customs system does not work, it is closed, nothing can be declared. I noticed that the procedure to get on the plane is by sectors. On the plane, everyone is wearing a chinstrap....One detail that surprised him is that all the seats on the flight were full and that the passengers traveled together, as was customary in pre-coronavirus pandemic times: "The plane was full, totally normal." "When you get off you have to fill out a form in French, where you put the place of accommodation and in which seat of the plane you were sitting, so that they contact you in the event that a passenger has tested positive,"....

Marcelo Longobardi viajó a París por trabajo y contó cómo es volar en plena pandemia

Marcelo Longobardi viajó a París por trabajo y contó cómo es volar en plena pandemia

translate.google.com

Marcelo Longobardi established the magazine "Apertura" in 1982. He worked in several radio stations from 1986 to 2000: Radio El Mundo, Radio del Plata, Radio Libertad and Radio America. In 2000 he began the radio program "Cada Mañana" in Radio 10, leading the radio audiences. The program was moved in 2012 to Radio Mitre. He is the host of the TV program, «En diálogo con Longobardi», on CNN en Español.

 

[dsp27]

ANTICIPO. LOS VUELOS INTERNACIONALES Y REGIONALES DE AEROLINEAS PARA SEPTIEMBRE - Aviación en Argentina

Aviaciónenargentina tuvo acceso a un documento interno de la empresa aérea de bandera que contiene la programación que la compañía tiene programados para los mercados regional e internacional. Es notorio el incremento de frecuencias semanales. Sabiendo que la operación regular se podrá retomar...

aviacionenargentina.com.ar

According to this many more flights and routes will return in September under the "special flights" label -- aka Aerolineas almost complete monopoly. Interesting to see if other airlines apart from IB and AF-KLM would also be authorized. Interestingly American still seems willing to restart the BA-MIA route in early September.

 

[AFVA]

I think they are keeping the new date open-ended, which sucks because a lot of people in the travel industry have to be able to make long-term plans.

That said, I have tickets on Delta for Sept. 30th/Oct 1st direct Atlanta to EZE. Up till now Delta was only flying as far as Sao Paolo, which I had initially booked but the connecting leg to Buenos Aires was cancelled.

I am working with the consulate to be let in under repatriation protocols, though, I doubt anyone traveling without citizenship or residency will be allowed in for another couple of months.