Buying RT ticket on AA in BA with ARS?

Stafford

Registered
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
162
Likes
116
Hey all,

As a perma-tourist (no DNI), would I be able to walk into an American Airlines reservations office in BA and buy a round trip ticket to the US with Argentine pesos? I know that the fare is based in USD and calculated at the official rate. So there are clear advantages of converting USD to ARS at the blue rate, then buying the ticket in ARS cash. I would also try it myself, but I'm in the US now and cannot get a clear answer from AA over the phone since they don't have a call center that's actually in Argentina. Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

* I have attempted due diligence in searching for this in case it's been brought up before here, but haven't found anything. Apologies if I missed it somewhere and am unnecessarily starting a new thread here.
 
There is a definite advantage.
Its going to be hard to buy your ticket in the US with Argentine pesos. But you could have someone here pay for it. AA won't really help you. If you need someone let me know. (It's been done before).
 
CasaThim said:
There is a definite advantage.
Its going to be hard to buy your ticket in the US with Argentine pesos. But you could have someone here pay for it. AA won't really help you. If you need someone let me know. (It's been done before).

Thank you. I will be back in a couple months, so I can do it myself. I also have a very trusted person who can take care of it down there if I decide to do it beforehand. I just want to be sure it is actually permitted and if anyone has had any success with it.
 
I believe you can purchase AA flights through LAN Argentina. If you select the option for "pago presencial", you can pay in pesos at Pago Facil. I did try it, and they did send me the PagoFacil coupon to print. As I was just testing it, I never actually went and paid for the ticket. However, I'm assuming it would work without a problem. My partner has paid for domestic flights using the "pago presencial" option.
 
I talked to them on the phone recently to ask the same thing and they said I could pay in cash at the AA office on Pueyrredon, there is a 25 dollar fee for doing this but it is definitely worth it. There was no mention of residency or DNI's.
 
Hi everyone. I've been a "lurker" here until now, this being my first post. I basically live here, my wife being from here (and our kids going to school here) but technically I am a tourist. My business is back up North and I return every month or so. Anyway, I was very intrigued about the idea of paying cash for tickets with black-market pesos, given that at this point it equates to a 30% savings on the airfare. So I tried it. Not a peep from the ticket agent: if anything, a knowing look. He was very friendly. They have a security guard at the office and he buzzes you in, which I attribute to their routinely taking cash for tickets. There is no ID check, no DNI request, no AFIP paper to be presented and service in both Spanish and English. I imagine you could pay for tickets for anyone not just yourself, though I did not try this. The $25 fee mentioned above has nothing to do with paying in cash: it is a charge that AA levies on everyone who uses a ticket agent (including over the phone in the US) rather than booking solely on-line -- whether they pay cash or card. If you have ExecPlat status in the AAdvantage program, they waive it (maybe for lower levels too; not sure). Yesterday they coverted the USD fare, reserved online and on hold, at 4.55 to 1.00. Last week we got 6.25 from our (highly professional, comes to your home or office nicely dressed and gives you his business card) "informal banker". You do the math.

I encourage you all to buy this way for the moment. I also think if you (or a friend) has an Argie credit card, you could buy by calling the office or even online. Google "american airlines argentina oficinas" to find the various offices around the country. On the AA website it is obscurely hidden!

As an additional note, for the next few weeks AA seems to have made available a lot of highly discounted business class fares (look for I-class fares), labeled Instant Upgrade or Business Special on the website. For EZE-JFK-MIA-EZE I paid USD 2400. Normally these would cost 6000-8000 USD depending on the exact dates (and which I would never pay). However $2400 is basically the cost of a routine economy ticket plus the 2 x $350 upgrade fee, and it is confirmed at time of purchase. A hell of a deal (and then discounted a further 30% thanks to Cristina's economic brilliance!!). I attribute this generosity by AA to the fact that United has now started flying to Newark non-stop, dropping their Washington run, which has really heated up the competition -- United's business class is better. Upgrades also seem much easier to get (the cabin was not even full on the last flight down, which of late has never been the case).

So, run, don't walk, to the nearest AA office.
 
CanadaBoy -- I'm from Vancouver, we're going back for a month in August. I have an airmiles ticket, my husband is Argentine and he is only going to have to pay Dallas-Vancouver (or Seattle) because he'll be there on business before he joins us. He's going to be buying his ticket in the next few days -- any chance you'd send me the name of your guy for selling the USD? I tried PMing you but you don't have it enabled yet. Thanks!
 
Hmm looks like it is on now, either you figured it out or it comes on automatically after posting on the forum X number of times.... sent you a message just now. Cheers!
 
Back
Top