EXPATS BOYCOTT ARGENTINE TRAVEL

[rmartinbuenosaires]

I have been aware for five years that Aerolineas Argentinas has a practice of charging foreigners double the price for a plane ticket than they do Argentines. I thought LANChile did not. I am mistaken. I just tried to get a flight r/t BA-Mendoza. The price for Argentines is 630 Pesos. The price for foreigners is $US 425.This discrimination practice is ridiculous and illegal in the normal world. Isn't it enough that they rape and cheat us everyday? Hopefully enough people will say as I do, "enough is enough". Their greed is so overwhelming to me. I hope their tourism industry crumbles along with the economy. This is just reason 1,300 that I could care less what happens to the economy here or the people. Guess you just can't be a moral and fair person and live here....

 

[RWS]

Quoting "rmartinbuenosaires": ". . . Aerolineas Argentinas has a practice of charging foreigners double the price for a plane ticket tha[t] they do Argentines. . . ."[/quote]
Are you serious? I find this very difficult to believe; if the discriminatory policy applied to tickets sold within the United Kingdom or United States, it would be nearly impossible to uphold legally. Perhaps, because A.A. was at one time state-owned, fare discrimination between Argentine taxpayers and non-Argentines could be perpetrated within the country; but, as you point out, such a policy should ultimately backfire (though comparable policies haven't yet in mainland China and elsewhere).

 

[DA]

Both LAN and Aerolineas charge DUBBEL the price unless you can show them a DNI that matches the name on the ticket, This is BULL****. if someone knows how to get around this PLEASE post it here.

 

[rmartinbuenosaires]

I have tried to have someone with residency purchase a ticket in the past. As the preivous writer stated, they will accept a foreign passport for an argentine price. I must admit this is insane. If a company tried to pull this in the U.S., they would be sued quicker than you can blink.I originally questioned this policy in 2003 and was sent to the office of tourism where I was told that "because of us poor Argentines we are not able to travel in our own beautiful country unless we subsidize the tickets for our wonderful people".Imagine charging a European a higher fare in the U.S. because the EURO is stronger than the dollar? A price is a price is a price.But as we know, Argentines are the greediest people there are and if they can find a way to screw someone over, they certainly will. I discourage anyone from visiting here. Period. And it not only includes airfare. The prices for hotels for foreigners are also higher, the prices for rental apartments are also higher and in some cases I have been told, some restaurants near Bariloche or whatever also give lower prices for residents.As I said earlier, I hope it all crashes again.

 

[rmartinbuenosaires]

Sorry...They will NOT accept, regarding the first paragraph of the previous post.

 

[Stanexpat]

This is all true but don't you get the point? It just like the fight with the farmers. You are the rich spoiled oligarchy of travel and I don't want to hear how your dollars and euros being spent here benefit Argentina. You have been exploiting the world for centuries. The extra money you are paying gets sent to a bank in Switzerland for later distribution to the poor. When you pay the extra money for your ticket you should be proud of contributing to social equality. Christina told me she would point this out to disgruntled tourists and expats in her next speech.

 

[Matty]

I thought this was a thread about unfair airline tickets residents with DNI vs tourists? How did the farmers, oligarchy and solving social inequality on this thread? Who the heck is Cristina? The ex-prez's wife? Oh the one that accepted the free mac notebook which is against the law, oh yeah her.

 

[jedard]

Hello all, and tis a great day for those of us expatriates who have a
D.N.I. We don't get ripped off as you say by the airlines or a lot of other not so talked about issues.
Now if you really are serious about living here, enjoying this great country ( not-withstanding the political issues ) get a D.N.I. \
I can say without a doubt that there is a lawyer, my lawyer in BA who can get you a D.N.I in just two months from start to finish.
This D.N.I. opens a lot of closed doors, keeps us honest and always smiling, instead of complaining and trying to change what this country has been doing for centuries, screwing the little guy.
Get with it and join the rest of us who are happy.
Anyone who wants this D.N.I. and we all should be honest citizens can contact my lawyer and good friend Gabriel Celano in BA at
C- 15-4400-9278 or O- 4342 9433. You can tell him Joe Dennie recommended him. This is a fact and not any BS.
And the nicest thing about all of it is he does not take your arm or leg. He has a lot of American clients as well.
So stop complaining and start living the good life. I can tell anyone of you how the system works here because I have been personally involved in it from all levesl. Life is a lot easier whey we are doing the right thing instead of trying to beat the system.
Here patience is rewarding and having the right connections is a blessing. Give Mr. Celano a call or email me.
joe dennie

 

[ppab]

Well its complicated... . That measure of charging less to people having a DNI (Residents in Argentina, or People born here), is because most of the local residents were in total disadvantage over a person with dollars, so the measure was not charging more to foreigners, was to subsidiarize tickets for the locals which in another way they can´t afford them. I agree with you that USD 425 roundtrip ticket to mendoza is a total excess... I paid 900 USD (2005) on AA, 853 USD (including financing charges) (2006) on Delta, 982 USD (tree months ago) on Delta again, for a Buenos Aires - Boston round trip including all taxes vs USD 425 to Mendoza.... .

I agree with jedard get a DNI and things will go better, get the papers in conditions... Like in any other country, if you want a happy life get the legal documentation. I would get legal papers for live in every country i would like.
rmartinbuenosaires: As I remember when I go to Boston I need a Social Security, and legal address in the US, for every special discounts I would like to get, like the online rebates, the Gap Card, AE Card, Abercrombie Card, Etc (I´m a loyal customer of US Brands and having it, i would save many many dollars) and I don´t argue about it, because I´m a tourist there and that is something logic everywhere. Using your arguments I can say they are discriminating me. Well here with the hotels and air tickets happen something similar is a
bonification,discount or special price for the people living here in LEGAL conditions.Stanexpat: Did you read about local history?. If you read about it you will realize why the farmers have all the right to protest because they were being restricted from their rights with the 45% on restrictions, plus the central government is trying to take out funds that belong to the provinces. It looks that you only listen to official news plus you only stayed in recoleta, palermo,barrio norte, belgrano, san isidro and you never went to a farm here were the farmers get up at 5 am for start working until night. Plus you never will find people more friendly and more simple than the people from the farms. I tell you this because I know the farms very well, part of my cousins are indirectly involved in the subject. They manufacture sausages, ham, etc plus they also produce beer and they have a touristic complex and everybody suffer this leftist measures. It's not oligarchy is the result of hard working during generations.I apologize if i was unrespectful on my comments, but not everything is very simple for start criticizing everybody.PD: I´m a moral and fair person and I live here.

 

[rmartinbuenosaires]

I would just like to point out that a couple of posts say that I am (or likewise people) trying to "Beat the System" by living here without a DNI.First of all, I have sporadically attempted to get a DNI on numerous occasions. The process, if you want to call it that, is extremely frustrating. There are no established rules, they (immigrations) requires something different everytime you go there. You ask a question and get two different answers from two different people, They want a clean police report from the U.S. for the past five years. Well, I have lived HERE for five years, not the U.S., so why would my local police report not suffice? All anyone has to do is look at my passport and see the entry/exits to verify I have been here. Again, do not use common sense here as it doesn't work. When you raise an issue or a way of improving something, all you ever get is that stupid blank stare from them. It just makes you literally want to shake some common sense into people.
How can I be attempting to beat the system when I do nothing but contribute here, in my own small way without taking anything, including jobs, from locals? I depart the country ontime every three months, I put money into the economy, real estate, medical care, pay my property taxes and AFIP, etc.I have my own income and a decent savings account. The only thing I am guilty of is perhaps excessive complaining about what I perceive as unfair, the consistent behavior pattern of: "We're gonna f*&& you over because you are a Foreigner", etc. Ultimately, I just want to live like everyone else, mind my own business and not be taken advantage of. Is that too much to ask?