We booked our trip to Chile and Argentina using Delta SkyMiles which worked out fine for the flights to/from the US but making the best use of our miles intra-Argentina required some research.

We’ll start with a quick recap from our post on booking the itinerary (Delta SkyMiles to Argentina: How to book Aerolineas Argentinas Award Space). If you want to get from the U.S. to Argentina (and you’re using Delta SkyMiles, KLM/Air France Flying Blue points or other SkyTeam currency), you’ll have the following choices for the long-haul flights:

• Aerolineas Argentinas: 1x daily from New York-JFK to Buenos Aires-EZE
• Aerolineas Argentinas: 2x daily from Miami-MIA to Buenos Aires-EZE
• Delta Airlines: 1x daily from Atlanta-ATL to Buenos Aires-EZE

If you’re traveling with Delta SkyMiles to South America, you have lots of stopover choices. Here’s a list of some of the countries you can hit with a non-stop from the U.S.; this list also makes for a great brainstorming list on how to structure your open-jaw or stopover.

U.S. to South America

SkyTeam routes from the U.S. to South America:

• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Santiago, Chile (SCL) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (GIG) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Sao Paulo, Brazil – Guarulhos Intl (GRU) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Brasilia, DF, Brazil (BSB) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Lima, Peru (LIM) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Bogota, Colombia (BOG) on Delta
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Quito, Ecuador (UIO) on Delta
• Detroit, MI – Metro/Wayne County (DTW) to Sao Paulo, Brazil – Guarulhos Intl (GRU) on Delta
• New York, NY – Kennedy (JFK) to Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• New York, NY – Kennedy (JFK) to Sao Paulo, Brazil – Guarulhos Intl (GRU) on Delta
• New York, NY – Kennedy (JFK) to Bogota, Colombia (BOG) on Delta
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Sao Paulo, Brazil – Guarulhos Intl (GRU) on Korean Air
• Miami, FL – International (MIA) to Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) on Aerolíneas Argentinas

Intra-South America SkyTeam Routes

Next, you’ll need to book a flight from the intermediate South American city to Argentina; here are your options with SkyTeam partners:

• Manaus, AM, Brazil (MAO) to Sao Paulo, Brazil – Guarulhos Intl (GRU) on Varig-GOL (Delta Codeshare)
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Asuncion, Paraguay (ASU) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Belo Horizonte, Brazil – Tancredo Neves Intl. (CNF) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Curitiba, Brazil (CWB) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Florianopolis, Brazil (FLN) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (GIG) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Sao Paulo, Brazil – Guarulhos Intl (GRU) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Montevideo, Uruguay (MVD) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Punta Del Este, Uruguay (PDP) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil (POA) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Santiago, Chile (SCL) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Jorge Newbery (AEP) to Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil (POA) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Asuncion, Paraguay (ASU) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Bogota, Colombia (BOG) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Brasilia, DF, Brazil (BSB) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Caracas, Venezuela (CCS) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (GIG) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Montevideo, Uruguay (MVD) on Air France
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Santiago, Chile (SCL) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Santa Cruz, Bolivia (VVI) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil (POA) on Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Lima, Peru (LIM) to La Paz, Bolivia (LPB) on Aeroméxico – 5th Freedom Flight
• Lima, Peru (LIM) to Santa Cruz, Bolivia (VVI) on Aeroméxico – 5th Freedom Flight
• Santiago, Chile (SCL) to Buenos Aires, Argentina – Ministro Pistarini (EZE) on KLM – 5th Freedom Flight
• Salvadore, BA, Brazil (SSA) to Santiago, Chile (SCL) on Air Europa – 5th Freedom Flight

Domestic Argentina SkyTeam Routes

Here’s a map of all of the domestic Argentina routes to/from Buenos Aires (both AEP and EZE):

Keeping in mind that every single city in Argentina that has commercial air service flies to Buenos Aires, it’s also good to know of the few routes that bypass Buenos Aires, for the sake of convenience and time. Here are some helpful non-hub direct flights that can help in fleshing out an open-jaw or stopover itinerary.

• San Rafael, Argentina (AFA) to San Luis, SL, Argentina (LUQ)
• San Rafael, Argentina (AFA) to Santa Rosa, LP, Argentina (RSA)
• San Carlos, Argentina (BRC) to Cordoba, Argentina (COR)
• San Carlos, Argentina (BRC) to Mendoza, MD, Argentina (MDZ)
• Cordoba, Argentina (COR) to Jujuy, Argentina (JUJ)
• Cordoba, Argentina (COR) to Salta, Salta Province, Argentina (SLA)
• El Calafate, Argentina (FTE) to Ushuaia, TF, Argentina (USH)
• Mendoza, MD, Argentina (MDZ) to Cordoba, Argentina (COR)
• Mendoza, MD, Argentina (MDZ) to Salta, Salta Province, Argentina (SLA)
• Neuquen, NE, Argentina (NQN) to Camodoro, Argentina (CRD)
• Neuquen, NE, Argentina (NQN) to Mendoza, MD, Argentina (MDZ)
• Salta, Salta Province, Argentina (SLA) to Iguazu, Argentina (IGR)
• Viedma, RN, Argentina (VDM) to Trelew, CB, Argentina (REL)
• El Calafate, Argentina (FTE) to San Carlos, Argentina (BRC)

Searching Award Space on Aerolineas Argentinas with ExpertFlyer

Unfortunately, yet no surprise to anyone, Delta.com will not allow you to search AR award space. One way to search Aerolineas Argentinas is by using ExpertFlyer (expertflyer.com), here’s how:

1. Create an ExpertFlyer account (or ask us to help you with it in the comments below!). Because you’re checking award availability, you’ll need ExpertFlyer Pro, which is a paid service. If you’re just booking the one trip, signup for a free 5-day trial and you’ll likely be able to get all you need. Otherwise you can subscribe for $4.99-$9.99/month.
2. Search “Awards and Upgrades”
   
3. Enter your flight info –> ONLY “Economy – Promotional Award (X)”  and “Business – Award (O)” will be bookable using Delta SkyMiles; these book at the saver low price
   
4. Check to see all available award space. We see that for this flight (AR 1300 on Dec 6, 2014), there are 4 award seats available in Business class (“O” fare class) and 7 award seats available in Economy (“X” fare class).
   

NOTE: Any space that appears under the “X” fare class should be bookable with Delta SkyMiles at the “Saver Award” level. Please note that Delta will NOT allow you to mix and match Standard Award or Peak Award space with Aerolineas Argentinas “X” class award space, i.e. you cannot price out a Delta itinerary from ATL-EZE on Delta metal at the 77,500 SkyMiles rate and then return on Aerolineas Argentinas from EZE-JFK using the “X” class economy award space.

If ExpertFlyer proves to be too cumbersome or expensive, you can also try searching for available award space on Air France/KML’s Flying Blue website.

Searching Award Space on Aerolineas Argentinas with Flying Blue

Many might find this method easier:

1. Create an Air France Flying Blue account if you do not already have one. Head to: https://www.airfrance.us –> “Award Ticket Reservation”
   
2. With the Aerolineas Argentinas routes in mind, search for your desired flight. I suggest searching it segment by segment, i.e. just the JFK-EZE portion first. There’s a chance that, if you enter Chicago-ORD to Buenos Aires-EZE, the search will return a route via one of the Flying Blue hubs in Europe– not the most efficient way to get from the U.S. to South America. Make sure to select “My dates are flexible on the search.”
   
3. Flying Blue is actually a pretty good search tool; you’ll get a very nice-looking calendar with all of your potential flight dates in an easy-to-select format:
   
4. Drill down on a date that looks good for you –> “next, select flight.” We get a long list of all available flights on this date and, as predicted, a few route you from New York –> Rome, Italy –> Buenos Aires, no thanks! The flight below is the flight we’re looking for and they’re showing availability for at least 2 seats in economy and in business class. Both of these cabins will be bookable using Delta SkyMiles.
   

Booking Aerolineas Argentinas award space with Delta SkyMiles

Using either the ExpertFlyer, Flying Blue or native Delta award search methods above, you should have all the tools you need to search for available award space to Argentina. The next step is booking your award. As you might have guessed, because Delta doesn’t allow you to search for Aerolineas Argentinas online, they also don’t allow you to book award space online. So, you’ll want to completely piece together your itinerary by hand and then call them up: 800-323-2323. You should have ALL DETAILS of your desired award trip ready and available before calling, for example:

– Wed Dec 3 – CHS-JFK – 10:55am to 12:55pm – DL 6051
– Wed Dec 3 – JFK-EZE – 3:25pm to 4:40am – AR 1301
– Thur Dec 11 – EZE-MIA – 11:15pm to 6:25am – AR 1302
– Fri Dec 12 – MIA-ATL – 7:45am to 9:43am – DL 1460
– Fri Dec 12 – ATL-CHS – 10:45am to 12:01pm – DL 1463

Make sure you have all of these details ready! And, don’t forget that all Delta inventory will have to be at the “Saver Award” level if you want to mix in Aerolineas Argentinas flights.

Award Pricing

North America to Southern South America will cost you 60,000 SkyMiles roundtrip in Economy or 125,000 SkyMiles roundtrip in Business class: