I flew from Miami to Argentina on the country's flag carrier for the first time. I was thoroughly impressed with the A330 economy trip after low expectations.

When I was planning my November 2022 trip to Antarctica, I knew I'd have to get myself to Ushuaia, Argentina — the southern-most city in the world.

I spent $5,700 to travel to Antarctica on an expedition cruise ship. Here are 9 things I think everyone should know before going.

I found the best way to get there would be on Aerolineas Argentinas — the country's flag carrier.

See inside the Ocean Endeavor, a ship that sails to Antarctica. Rooms can go for over $10,000.

I preferred Aerolineas over low-cost options because the carrier flies to the South American city multiple times a day, meaning I had options if things went wrong.

Low-cost carriers like JetSmart only fly the route a few days a week, meaning if one flight was canceled, I might have to wait several days for the next one.

But, before I could hop to Ushuaia, I had to first take a long-haul trek to Buenos Aires. I booked my flight for about $1,000 roundtrip from Miami, with a few days' stay in the capital city.

After booking the flag airline, I started to do research and saw a lot of reviews knocking it for things like seat comfort and inflight entertainment.

However, users of travel website TripAdvisor named Aerolineas the best major airline in Latin America in 2019 and it was number seven on Skytrax's 2022 list of best airlines in South America.

Source: Aviacionline, Skytrax

Nevertheless, I was still a little concerned about my nine-hour trek from Miami to Buenos Aires — especially since I'd never flown the carrier before — so I went in with low expectations.

Source: Skytrax

But, I was pleasantly surprised, and I actually think the long-haul flight was a great experience comparable to US mainline carriers. Here's what it was like.

I arrived at Miami International Airport around 3:00 p.m. for a 6:00 p.m. departure. I couldn't check in online so I had to get my boarding pass from the ticket counter after showing my passport.

Source: Aerolineas Argentinas

Fortunately, the line was short and I only waited about five minutes. Passengers should pay attention to bag weight because the agent weighed mine at check-in.

I only had a carry-on, which could be up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds). Mine was about 11 and the agent let the extra kilogram slide, which was nice, but I wouldn't count on that every time.

I was off to security shortly after. Because I didn't get TSA PreCheck, I did have to wait about 30 minutes to clear the checkpoint.

Source: TSA

I finally got to the gate about an hour after arriving at the airport and patiently waited for boarding, which started right around 5:00 p.m.

I was assigned seat 16A, which was toward the front of the economy section. I took a gamble not paying for my seat in advance and I got lucky with the window.

Because the Airbus A330 cabin is configured in a 2x4x2 layout, I only had one person next to me in my row. I definitely prefer this layout for couples or pairs traveling together.

And, despite some reviews saying the seats were not that comfortable – I beg to differ. The economy seats were padded and easily on par with what is offered on carriers like Delta Air Lines or United Airlines.

Source: SeatGuru, I flew on United's aging Boeing 767-300ER from Boston to London in economy and the updated cabin made the plane feel like new,

Each reclining seat came with a plush, adjustable headrest…

…an inflight entertainment screen…

…a handheld remote…

…a light pillow…

…a foldable tray table…

…coat hooks...

...a large seatback pocket…

…and industry-standard legroom, offering 31 inches of pitch. The seat width was a little narrow at 17 inches — about one inch less than Delta.

Source: Condé Nest Traveler, SeatGuru

As a shorter traveler at 5'3" and on the smaller side, I easily fit in the seat. But, taller travelers may consider paying for an exit row seat for more space.

I flew on Delta's Boeing 767 from Sweden to New York in economy and it was the best transatlantic flight I've taken in a long time

The seat also came with a few added perks I don't commonly see in regular economy, like a footrest…

…as well as a cup holder. Granted, mine was broken and the airline couldn't fix it before my flight, which was a little disappointing.

But, it's rare to find a cup holder in economy in the first place — I've only seen it one other time on Singapore Airlines' A380.

The footrest was the most shocking though. Typically, this amenity is reserved for premium economy, like United's Polaris Plus cabin.

I also liked the space between the armrest and the fuselage. I was able to store my purse and jacket here instead of underneath the seat in front of me.

After boarding was complete, announcements were made in both Spanish and English and we pushed back right on time. Due to traffic in Miami, we were airborne about 30 minutes later — but we still arrived on time in Buenos Aires.

About an hour after takeoff, the flight attendants served dinner. My meal came with pasta, an egg and spinach muffin-looking dish, bread, and a caramel dessert.

We were also served drinks, like soda, juice, coffee, and wine — I opted for Diet Coke.

I thought the food was fine, but nothing to write home about.

It didn't have as much flavor as the long-haul economy meals I've tried on carriers like United, Delta, Air New Zealand, and Singapore...

I flew on the world's 4th longest flight in a 'Skycouch' — an economy seat that converts into a bed — and it was a lifesaver on the 16-hour journey

…but it was definitely better than on Air Canada. Overall, future flyers should expect an alright meal, equivalent to a high school lunch.

Fortunately, the comfort made up for the mediocre food. After dinner, I settled into my seat and started browsing the movie options. I was happy to find titles like "Knives Out" and "Les Miserables."

I thought there were plenty of movie and TV options to pass the time. But, it's still always a good idea to bring pre-downloaded content on a phone or laptop, just in case.

There is no WiFi on the plane — which I'm sure is a pain for business travelers — so make sure you have entertainment already downloaded before boarding.

I watched a movie before falling asleep for about four hours. While I can normally sleep on planes as long as there is a headrest, the footrest made the journey even more comfortable.

About an hour before landing, we were served breakfast, which came with a roll, a muffin, a granola bar, and yogurt.

The flight attendants also offered us drinks like juice and coffee with breakfast, the latter I desperately needed after only four hours of sleep.

Overall, I loved this meal because it was simple. The items were things I'd eat at home before an early-morning flight as they're light and easy on the body.

And, it was actually breakfast food. On my recent Singapore flight from New York to Frankfurt, I was offered a sandwich or pizza for breakfast — I couldn't stomach either on a red-eye.

I flew on Singapore's mammoth A380 in premium economy to Germany and the service was great, but the seat had one major flaw I couldn't overlook

After eating, I headed to the lavatory to freshen up before landing. I thought the bathroom was clean, and there was enough space to change clothes.

We touched down in Buenos Aires around 4 a.m. local time, and while I was tired — I didn't feel miserable. I got enough sleep to hold me over thanks to the padded seat, the headrest, and the footrest.

My only critique would be the dinner could offer stronger flavors, but that's hardly a dealbreaker on a nighttime flight when I planned to spend most of my time sleeping anyway.

Overall, after a comfortable and on-time flight, I think Aerolineas is a solid international airline. I would easily book the carrier again for long-haul travel, especially since it is often cheaper than competitors.

One note — I flew into Buenos Aires' main international airport (EZE), which is about 45-60 minutes away by car from the domestic airport (AEP).

If you have a domestic or shorter international flight after landing in Buenos Aires — like my second leg to Ushuaia — it could go out of AEP. So, be mindful of that when planning your travel day.