Resident only fares clarification for Aerolineas Argentina

[oomotep]

@ben I would definitely recommend taking a flight with FlyBondi.

Going from Bariloche to Mendoza is a bit of a pain with Aerolineas Argentina, they require a stopover in Buenos Aires, whereas FlyBondi had direct flights (only on Thursdays and Sunday's I believe) from Bariloche to Mendoza. This is something you should definitely be aware of if you are a travel planner.

We took FlyBondi last year and had a great experience. Very transparent with the pricing for baggage, which we paid for online.

Our flight with Aerolineas Argentina we had to pay extra for our ski equipment, at a seperate area one level down from the check-in desk, then bring the receipt back up to the check in desk.

I don't mind Aerolineas Argentina at all, just seemed like they had to make up jobs for people to do instead of creating a more efficient process.

 

[TheDonald]

Do with it what you will. I think it’s rather obvious that a travel agent makes no claim whatsoever to having inspected a plane. That said, industry-wide Aerolineas enjoys a solid reputation for safety. I can also personally attest to having less problems with them with delays and the like than with any other domestic airline.

That they enjoy the highest domestic share is utterly irrelevant to that, and may have something more to do with their serving an order of magnitude more routes than any other airline in the domestic market. There is no route I know of that another airline flies more (or as) frequently than they do, and there are tons of routes that only they serve. What does that have to do with my assessment of their safety record?!

That several clients of mine who are seasoned flyers will not use any other airline - very specifically including LAN (now LATAM) is again a fact, do with it what you will. They are more punctual than any other airline. They are less fussy about carry-on baggage. Etc.

I’ve never heard of a direct flight from Salta to BsAs make an unscheduled stop in Tucumán to pick up passengers, as a relative had happen with LATAM a couple years back.

Just in the last weeks, I’ve had to deal with:

• an Andes flight being delayed by about 10 hours (by no means an isolated incident);
• a LATAM flight in which the passengers arrived at the airport on time only to learn that the flight had been oversold and that they were being rebooked for the next day’s flight, and that it was their fault for not having checked in online earlier (I got it resolved, don’t even ask how);
• a booking with Norwegian in which passengers going from Bariloche to Iguazú on a single ticket with a 4h stop in BsAs had to collect and recheck their baggage in AEP, just because;
• etc. I don’t have any Flybondi stories because I emphatically recommend passengers not fly them, based just on published incidents.

Nothing of the sort with Aerolineas in any comparable time frame.

Me personally? When I came here I definitely adhered to “it’s Argentine ergo it must be crap” mentality as much as anyone else here. Over time of working in the business, and observing several of my clients, including business class passengers, who thought nothing of, say, adding a few hundred dollars per ticket to travel at the time they preferred, making very clear that they don't prefer American to Aerolineas (and on the contrary), I started to moderate my own biases. A year and a half ago I took the plunge and went with my family to NY with Aerolineas for the first time, mainly for the cuotas sin interes. I was very favorably impressed, the plane was newer than American’s, the staff an order of magnitude friendlier (we travel with children, and that is where the difference in attitude is most noticeable).

A travel agent would have a hard time booking reservations if he/she was disparaging of the domestic airline that carries 80%+ market share.

"I know they have exclusivity on lots of routes and an 80%+ market share, but don't fly them."

That's not a viable business model for a travel agent.

 

[sts7049]

so what other facts can you bring to the conversation other than just that you know a pilot who says they suck?

 

[ben]

A travel agent would have a hard time booking reservations if he/she was disparaging of the domestic airline that carries 80%+ market share.

"I know they have exclusivity on lots of routes and an 80%+ market share, but don't fly them."

That's not a viable business model for a travel agent.

Domestic airline bookings make up a pretty small part of my business, but that’s not the point.
That if a given airline is exclusive to a route you’ll be buying it even if I say they suck, is not the point either.
The point is this:

I submit that casting aspersions on someone you don’t know (or what they say) based on vague subjunctives is somewhat asinine. Especially in the complete absence of arguments to the contrary.

If you have a counterpoint to make, make it.
Otherwise, sit down.

P.S. Very much in character, though, for the handle you’ve chosen.

 

[TheDonald]

Domestic airline bookings make up a pretty small part of my business, but that’s not the point.
That if a given airline is exclusive to a route you’ll be buying it even if I say they suck, is not the point either.
The point is this:

I submit that casting aspersions on someone you don’t know (or what they say) based on vague subjunctives is somewhat asinine. Especially in the complete absence of arguments to the contrary.

If you have a counterpoint to make, make it.
Otherwise, sit down.

P.S. Very much in character, though, for the handle you’ve chosen.

No need for testiness or bitterness.

This sub-thread began because a poster asked about reservations AA. I offered my opinion of AA, based on my experience and perceptions/beliefs, as well as my background in industrial work.

Other posters have noted poor service quality on AA. A different poster pointed out that their ontime record is sub-optimal compared to like competition. It's not like this thread has been a chorus of cheers for AA.

At this point, I'm not prone to say much else. You have become rather unprofessional on an anonymous blog and speaking for myself, and probably for a few others, I would be reluctant to employ your services. That said, I wish you the best - whether flying AA or another airline.

 

[ben]

No need for testiness or bitterness.

This sub-thread began because a poster asked about reservations AA. I offered my opinion of AA, based on my experience and perceptions/beliefs, as well as my background in industrial work.

Other posters have noted poor service quality on AA. A different poster pointed out that their ontime record is sub-optimal compared to like competition. It's not like this thread has been a chorus of cheers for AA.

At this point, I'm not prone to say much else. You have become rather unprofessional on an anonymous blog and speaking for myself, and probably for a few others, I would be reluctant to employ your services. That said, I wish you the best - whether flying AA or another airline.

I have no issue with counterpoints, in fact you’ll note I invited them. So far you’ve been short on those, choosing instead to cast aspersions.

Perceptions/beliefs is a sticky term, or may I say a squishy one. Sometimes those beliefs are deep held, thought out positions. And sometimes they are based on precisely nothing. Or negative comments by an anonymous AA pilot.

I shared actual observations regarding Aerolineas, and yes they contradicted the broad aspersions you cast. Strikes are not frequent by any measure (at least as specific to Aerolineas, as opposed to strikes affecting all airlines here). As for cancellations and delays - these are by no means everyday occurrences. In fact, as noted above, that data point is recorded, and the data shows that your assertion is false.

Your next step was to, without knowing me at all, dismiss my observations as shilling. That is what prompted my response.
It was completely uncalled for, and an apology would not be out of order.

I hope that you're not, as you say, "prone to say much else", you've said quite enough. You say you'd be reluctant to use my services? - I hope so. You can take your business and - how do we put this delicately? - take it elsewhere.There are more than enough people, including on this site, who have either used my services or simply sought advice based on facts and not biases, and I dare say that few people who have dealt with me will have anything bad to say.

Best of luck to you as well.

 

[ben]

@ben I would definitely recommend taking a flight with FlyBondi.

Going from Bariloche to Mendoza is a bit of a pain with Aerolineas Argentina, they require a stopover in Buenos Aires, whereas FlyBondi had direct flights (only on Thursdays and Sunday's I believe) from Bariloche to Mendoza. This is something you should definitely be aware of if you are a travel planner.

We took FlyBondi last year and had a great experience. Very transparent with the pricing for baggage, which we paid for online.

Our flight with Aerolineas Argentina we had to pay extra for our ski equipment, at a seperate area one level down from the check-in desk, then bring the receipt back up to the check in desk.

I don't mind Aerolineas Argentina at all, just seemed like they had to make up jobs for people to do instead of creating a more efficient process.

I do not dispute that they may provide a very nice experience.
Their web site is slick (head and shoulders above the disaster which is Aerolineas' website) and the prices and proliferation of routes sounds beautiful. I for one wish and hope it works out for them.
Only that when it comes to transportation, safety and reliability is the overriding factor. And they have had more near-misses than make me comfortable. At least for now, they are, essentially, the Allegiant Air of Argentina.
For now, the domestic airline to watch is Norwegian. Though there are persistent rumors about them going bust.

 

[oomotep]

Near misses???? Is there a list of those somewhere? Not aware of that with FlyBondi.

I wouldn't buy a ticket with Norwegian unless using a credit card with strong fraud protection, since they'll most likely be bankrupt soon.

 

[sts7049]

https://www.thebubble.com/flybondi-...ailure-during-test-flight/?highlight=flybondi

https://www.thebubble.com/flybondi-crash/

https://www.thebubble.com/picardi-asks-suspension-flybondi-flights/

 

[elhombresinnombre]

For now, the domestic airline to watch is Norwegian. Though there are persistent rumors about them going bust.

They set up Norwegian Argentina as a separate business, didn't they? Are you referring to that only or the whole group? AIUI, IAG who, as Ben knows, own BA, Iberia et al, bought a small stake in Norwegian with a view to a merger or a takeover but haven't been impressed with the figures and have withdrawn their interest. Latest news I've heard about Norwegian (international) is that they are pulling out of a lot of the European domestic routes and concentrating on their popular long haul journeys such as LGW - JFK (three times a day) and LGW - EZE which are making money.