“Alta en el cielo”
(Up high in the sky)
Skytrax rating: 3 stars
SkyTeam member (2012)
Operations
Globally
- More than 50 destinations
- Code-share with Delta and Air France-KLM
- Domestic/regional flights in Argentina/South America
South Africa
- Previously Johannesburg and Cape Town – may resume soon (contact us for more information)
General
Aerolineas Argentinas is the nationalised flag carrier of Argentina. The Argentine government owns a 99.4% stake in the airline and the remainder of the shares are held by the airline’s employees. The airline has had a turbulent last couple of decades in terms of ownership and also financially. In late 2011, the government has proposed an austerity strategy which features the route network. The airline has five subsidiaries, including a cargo operation.
Aerolineas Argentinas has only two code-share agreements, namely with:
- Air France-KLM
- Delta Air Lines
The purpose of these agreements is to provide flights to Europe and the USA (Delta) and in Europe mainly destinations in Spain (Air France-KLM).
Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 747, showing the present livery. It is to be replaced by a new design.
Aerolineas Argentinas offers three cabin classes, but they do not have conventional names:
- Club Condor (business)
- Club Economy (premium economy)
- Economy
Club Economy is going to replace Club Condor on domestic flights in Argentina and also on shorter international flights (less than four hours). Club Economy has the advantage that in the event of a ticket cancellation, the passenger gets a 100% refund (but not if you cancel after missing the flight). You can also make changes to a Club Economy ticket without paying extra. The seats in Club Condor are described by the airline as “Armchairs” and they are spacious, but they do not fold down into beds. Catering and electronic entertainment on Aerolineas Argentinas flights are not lavish or exceptionally extensive, but they are not substandard either.
The frequent flyer program is known as Aerolineas Plus.
Aerolineas Argentinas operates a fleet of 42 aircraft, mainly Boeings. At present, the airline is revamping its fleet, with 15 planes on order, including some Airbus models which it hopes to use to resume long-haul international flights on certain routes, such as Johannesburg.
Concerning safety, Aerolineas Argentinas had its last accident in 1970, and is regarded as one of the safest airlines internationally.
If you are interested in flying to or in Argentina and you are struggling to deal with the Spanish language or some other aspect of your booking, please contact us so that we can be of assistance to you.
