Aerolineas Argentinas is Argentina's flag carrier and has a fleet of Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
I flew for nine hours on the A330 from Miami to Buenos Aires and went in with low expectations.
While the food was nothing to write home about, the economy product had unexpected perks.
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.Standing at the port in Ushuaia with the Ocean Endeavour — the expedition ship that took me to Antarctica.
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.Inside Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737. This aircraft had thinner seats than the one I took to Ushuaia, but both were perfectly comfortable.
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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.
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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.The BA sign in Buenos Aires.
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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.
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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.Granted, Aerolineas still lost to low-cost competitors, like JetSmart and Chile's Sky Airline, which come in third and fourth, respectively.
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.The check-in line at Ushuaia airport for my flight back.
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.
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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.Aerolineas and Delta Air Lines are codeshare partners.
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.
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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.My carry-on was a 35L Cotopaxi backpack.
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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.According to the TSA's website, Aerolineas Argentineas is not enrolled in TSA PreCheck.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.The regular economy seats on United's long-haul Boeing 767-300.
Each reclining seat came with a plush, adjustable headrest…
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…an inflight entertainment screen…
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…a handheld remote…
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…a light pillow…The pillow was thin but it did the job.
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…a foldable tray table…
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…coat hooks...
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...a large seatback pocket…
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…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.United's 767 offers 31 inches of pitch and 17.3-18.5 inches of width. Delta's A330 economy offers 31-32 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width.
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.
The seat also came with a few added perks I don't commonly see in regular economy, like a footrest…
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…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.Mine was the one on the left.
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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 cupholder on Singapore Airlines A380 in economy.
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The footrest was the most shocking though. Typically, this amenity is reserved for premium economy, like United's Polaris Plus cabin.United Airlines' Polar Plus cabin on its Boeing 787 has a footrest and legrest. Singapore's premium economy also had a footrest, but not its regular economy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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We were also served drinks, like soda, juice, coffee, and wine — I opted for Diet Coke.
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I thought the food was fine, but nothing to write home about.
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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...My economy meal on Air New Zealand from Auckland to New York was much more flavorful with more creative options.
…but it was definitely better than on Air Canada. Overall, future flyers should expect an alright meal, equivalent to a high school lunch.My Air Canada meal did not taste good, in my opinion.
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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."
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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.My neighbor used her laptop for entertainment the entire flight.
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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.
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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.My economy seat with my feet on the footrest on Aerolineas Argentineas in November.
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About an hour before landing, we were served breakfast, which came with a roll, a muffin, a granola bar, and yogurt.
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The flight attendants also offered us drinks like juice and coffee with breakfast, the latter I desperately needed after only four hours of sleep.
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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.
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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.The pizza in Singapore's A380 premium economy from New York to Frankfurt.
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.
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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.
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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.I also ate at the lounge right before boarding, so I wasn't worried about being hungry.
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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.
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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).Onboard Aerolineas Boeing 737 at AEP bound for Ushuaia.
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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.The seats on my Aerolineas flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
В Москве прошел региональный этап чемпионата по футболу «Будущее зависит от тебя» между воспитанниками детских домов и школ-интернатов центральной России
