Booking flights

When you are booking your flights you will need to check your trip dates and any accommodation inclusions carefully, to ensure you are arriving in plenty of time for the first day of your itinerary. Make sure to check your day-by-day itinerary as there are suggestions on when to arrive at each destination, as well as some recommended arrival times.

Airlines release flights around 11 months to a year before the travel date. Booking early usually secures the best availability of flight options and often the best prices. However, airlines do also price ‘dynamically' to maximise revenue. This makes it difficult to predict when the best flight pricing will be on offer, though generally remaining seat prices increase as the plane fills up.

The timing for booking your international flights – and domestic flights, where relevant – will depend on your personal circumstances. However, given that you have fixed dates for your trip, Swoop recommends getting your flights pinned down sooner rather than later, to ensure you have got seats on the best-suited flights. If you have any specific queries regarding fares or purchasing tickets, we recommend that you seek the advice of the airline or contact a flight specialist agency.

Changeable/refundable tickets will give you peace of mind and flexibility should anything unexpected happen. Since the pandemic many airlines are now offering flexible fares either as standard or for a slightly increased price; it is important to check the terms and conditions for the tickets you are purchasing. Whatever flights you choose, we strongly recommend that you opt for flexible ticket options. Additionally, depending on your insurance policy coverage, having flexible flights may be a real financial benefit if you need to cancel or amend your trip.

Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini Airport (EZE)
In Buenos Aires, there are two main airports. Ministro Pistarini is the main international airport in Argentina and is 30km to the south of the main part of town. To differentiate it from the domestic airport, the main airport is often known as Ezeiza due to its location. This is reflected in its airport code EZE.

Immigration in Buenos Aires can be a lengthy process depending on when your flight arrives. Argentine immigration authorities are no longer stamping tourists’ passports at the point of entry, but instead issuing a QR code that is sent to your email. You will need to be able to show this as proof of your tourist status in hotels and other places where required. We recommended you store this QR code safely and consider printing off a copy soon after arrival, in case you cannot produce the electronic version when required. 

When departing EZE for an international flight, a minimum check-in time of 3 hours prior to the flight is suggested. For domestic flights, a minimum check-in time of 2 hours is suggested.

Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP)
Jorge Newbery is mainly used for domestic flights and is only a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the nicest parts of the city. From here, you can get internal flights to El Calafate, and travel onwards by bus or transfer to areas such as El Chalten and Puerto Natales, as well as the widest range of internal flights to Ushuaia. 

Connecting between airports
International flights will typically arrive at the main Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini Airport (EZE), whereas most flights to Patagonia will depart from the smaller domestic Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP). Customs, immigration, and baggage reclaim in EZE can take a while. Then, transferring between the two airports can take well over an hour, depending on traffic, especially around rush hour when the city’s roads are very congested.

There is no train/metro link between EZE airport and the city centre. We do not recommend travellers take the public bus service as this passes through some undesirable districts of the greater Buenos Aires area and takes a long time, but instead use the variety of the airport’s mini-bus, shuttle or taxi services.

The transfer between Ministro Pistarini (EZE) Airport and Jorge Newbery (AEP) Airport can only be done by road/vehicle as there are no train/subway links between the two airports. AEP has no train/metro links with the city.

Once you arrive at AEP check-in for domestic flights is a minimum of 2 hours (3 hours is recommended by Aerolineas Argentinas) prior to the flight. The airport departures terminal itself is often extremely busy, with both Argentines and tourists flying out all over the country. There can often be long lines for check-in, despite the introduction of self-check-in desks, as most then also need to drop their baggage off too.

As such, we recommend having 5 hours of connection time between arriving at one airport and departing from the other. If you can afford the time, we recommend having a night between your international and onward domestic flight to Patagonia, just in case of any delays.

Santiago de Chile Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) Airport
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, also known as Nuevo Pudahuel (airport code SCL), is the main international airport in Chile. It also has a domestic terminal, which connects you to Patagonia and the rest of the country. From here you will be able to take internal flights south to Punta Arenas (PUQ), Puerto Natales (PNT), Aysen, Puerto Montt, etc. and travel onwards by bus to reach more remote areas.

Immigration can be a lengthy process. On arrival, you may need to pay your reciprocity fee (if required) and you will have to fill out two forms: a customs declaration and an entrance slip which will be stamped, and you will return upon leaving the country.

Customs are very strict in Chile, so be sure to declare any items you are unsure of, including any food, as you may be charged if you do not. You can read more about this affidavit (online declaration) and can see a copy of the document.

Connection times
Despite operating from the same airport, we recommend allowing a minimum connection time of 3-4 hours between flights in this airport, especially on your inbound journey. This allows for time to process through immigration along with paperwork checks and on to luggage reclaim. It is essential to build in sufficient time to check in for your onward flight as the lines to check in for domestic flights can be lengthy and slow-moving.

A minimum of 3 hours of check-in time is recommended for international flights and at least 2 hours for domestic flights.

Airport taxes
Argentina and Chile require people of certain nationalities to pay an entry fee on arrival in the country, known as a reciprocity fee. Find out more in our guides about Getting to Chilean Patagonia and Getting to Argentinian Patagonia and check if you will be required to pay this in anticipation of your trip to either/both countries.

There are departure taxes of approximately $30 per person for leaving both Chile and Argentina. It is usually included in the price of your airline ticket. Domestic departure taxes are also generally built into your internal flight tickets.

Transfers
Upon arrival at either EZE or SCL or AEP airports, we always recommend taking an official taxi or pre-booked transfer through Swoop. Scams are frequent with people pretending to be an official taxi and then people being charged exorbitant prices for their lift. If you have not contracted a transfer service pre-arranged then you can pay for an official taxi in advance in the terminal building.