Connecting time in EZE

[sunnyday]

Hi,

I'm currently planning to holiday to Iguazu and Machu picchu. My last leg of the journey has me flying from CUZ-LIM-EZE-GRU-DOH-SIN.

CUZ-LIM-EZE will be on one ticket. CUZ-LIM will be on LAN Peru LA2022 1000-1125. LIM-EZE will be on LAN Argentina LA4641 1310-1925. Will the connecting times in LIM be sufficient? Should I take an earlier flight from CUZ-LIM? There are numerous flights between CUZ and LIM every 30-60 minutes.

EZE-GRU-DOH-SIN will be on Qatar. EZE-GRU departs at 2255. Will the 3 hours connecting time be sufficient at EZE? I'm assuming that I need to get out of the terminal and get my luggage and check in again at the Qatar counters.

I understand that LAN and Qatar are under one world. Is it possible for me to check the luggage through all the way to Singapore at CUZ?

Thanks in advance

[9V-JKL]

Don't know about the connecting times but QR is not a OW carrier till Oct '13. When exactly I don't know.

[SQflyergirl]

As luck would have; i took LA2060 to LA4641 two weeks ago. There was plenty of connection time in LIM. 2060 has a 1005 departure scheduled, slightly later than 2022.

LAN checkin in CUZ is a mess - i'm very doubtful they would want to/can tag your bags LA2022/4641/QR EZE-GRU-DOH-SIN.

A 3 hour EZE connection is sufficient though - if you need to come out and re-check.

You're looking at a MASSIVELY long journey.... hope you're in at least J :o

[sunnyday]

Don't know about the connecting times but QR is not a OW carrier till Oct '13. When exactly I don't know.

Didn't know that. Thought I read somewhere that they were one world.

As luck would have; i took LA2060 to LA4641 two weeks ago. There was plenty of connection time in LIM. 2060 has a 1005 departure scheduled, slightly later than 2022.

LAN checkin in CUZ is a mess - i'm very doubtful they would want to/can tag your bags LA2022/4641/QR EZE-GRU-DOH-SIN.

A 3 hour EZE connection is sufficient though - if you need to come out and re-check.

You're looking at a MASSIVELY long journey.... hope you're in at least J :o

I guess unless there's a massive delay somewhere, my plan should work. I think I'm looking at around 40+ hours gate to gate? 40+ hours either at the airport or in the airplane. I thought of staying in EZE for a night after CUZ-LIM-EZE but thought maybe I rather be on my way home after being 2 weeks away. I wish I was but I'm in Y.

Is it easy to navigate in EZE airport? Getting out to the luggage areas, then to the arrival area, then to the departure area?

Thanks once again

[SQflyergirl]

I guess unless there's a massive delay somewhere, my plan should work. I think I'm looking at around 40+ hours gate to gate? 40+ hours either at the airport or in the airplane. I thought of staying in EZE for a night after CUZ-LIM-EZE but thought maybe I rather be on my way home after being 2 weeks away. I wish I was but I'm in Y.

Is it easy to navigate in EZE airport? Getting out to the luggage areas, then to the arrival area, then to the departure area?

Thanks once again

EZE is not difficult, but the time I arrived on 4641 it was quite busy - so we had a bus gate, and it took a while through immigration, and customs also (they xrayed everything). 3 hours is sufficient - but only just so.

The lima connection you mentioned earlier does involve arriving in domestic, and then straight up again on the escalator back to departures (there's no airside transfer I recall) - I do believe that time was rather quiet so that connection is very doable, as you'll get your LIM-EZE boarding pass in CUZ.

[sunnyday]

Thanks once again

EZE is not difficult, but the time I arrived on 4641 it was quite busy - so we had a bus gate, and it took a while through immigration, and customs also (they xrayed everything). 3 hours is sufficient - but only just so.

The lima connection you mentioned earlier does involve arriving in domestic, and then straight up again on the escalator back to departures (there's no airside transfer I recall) - I do believe that time was rather quiet so that connection is very doable, as you'll get your LIM-EZE boarding pass in CUZ.

[MSPeconomist]

At EZE, I've seen long delays entering the country and going through customs. The locals say that there can also be bad delays at the airport at check in, passport control, and security so that they advise planning to arrive three hours before one's departing flight. By this metric, the EZE connection is tight but probably feasible unless EZE is having labor problems or an otherwise bad day. Your flight to GRU departs just after all of the USA departures that start around 8:30 pm.

I don't recall the locations of Qatar counters or gates, but the entire airport is connected airside, albeit with some long walks. Landside, the walk between A and C is long but on one level and reasonably well signed. Just don't be surprised to be forced to walk outside, through an apparently empty building, and then back outside in almost the opposite direction. Some airlines have moved within the last year, so if you find information or airport maps, make sure they are up to date.

Also, check whether are subject to a reciprocity fee (in lieu of visa) for Argentina. If so, you MUST pay it in advance by credit card on their website using InternetExplorer and you must bring a printed receipt (with bar code) from that transaction with you. The fee can no longer be paid at the airport upon arrival. I don't know whether there's an international to international transfer process that would enable you to avoid the reciprocity fee nor, if so, whether the fee could be waived with two separate tickets.