05/03/2021 19:44
Clarín.com
Travels
Updated 05/03/2021 19:44
The images of the
tents vaccination
against
coronavirus
on the beaches of
Miami
, the
United States, or people having to be vaccinated in a pharmacy and chose this or that vaccine enough to understand the increase in demand for flights to the
United States.
Just look at the average occupancy of Aerolineas Argentinas.
In the first quarter of the year it was 52%;
during April, an average 61%, but in the
last week it already reached 74%
.
To contextualize: during the past month this company had between 4 and 6 weekly flights.
And for May they anticipate that they will have 6 weekly flights.
"We have the
peak of sales
for the
week of May 21
, just one week with an extra large weekend", says Nicolás Posse, commercial manager of the Avantrip agency and highlights one fact: the anticipation of purchase is 25 to 30 days average .
"That, in terms of Argentine tourism, corresponds to domestic flights. You almost always take a flight abroad 60 days in advance. Now it has dropped to less than half," Posse explains.
A vaccination poster in Miami, in front of Little Havana's Domino Park.
Photo EFE / EPA / CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Little place
As explained in the agency, for
departures in May and June
-which is what is being sold now- Miami has rates that range on average from ARS 99,125 upwards.
But be careful, "these cheaper options are flying with
Boliviana de Aviación
, which since it has few departures, the availability of the cheapest rate
is already exhausted
. There are some alternatives with very little availability that for 77,269 pesos (June 11 to July 10) You have an offer for the Miami route, "says Posse.
The truth is that if you start looking for tickets for May, already at this point the prices are much higher and it is very difficult to find a place.
In Almundo they confirm that only the most expensive options remain for May.
"We noticed that more than 70% of international sales, which doubled in the last week, are concentrated in Miami and its nearby alternatives such as Fort Lauderdale and Orlando," says Dolores Silva Font, Head of Flights in Almundo.
He adds that "everything that is available is being purchased, with any airline, both flying direct and with stopovers. The offer is not much due to the restriction of entry to Argentina from abroad of 2,000 passengers per day, which limits the authorization of flights. But all that is sold is to travel now (May / June) ".
For May there are few places left and only in the most expensive fare bands on flights to Miami.
Photo: Shutterstock.
The phenomenon is clearly explained by Cecilia Vignolo, Biblos Travel sales manager: "
If in February you bought tickets
to travel in May, the fares were around 70 thousand pesos round trip. Today we are talking about between 200 and 300 thousand pesos (what is achieved) and by June, between 160,000 and 200,000 ".
Vignolo adds that it is already
very difficult to find a place
for May, but it is also true that same-day or overnight opportunities can open up due to last-minute cancellations.
And he points out that those who don't make it to Miami turn to
Dallas and Houston
.
And also to New York - which recently canceled the quarantine requirement for travelers and launched a campaign in search of tourists - although it is not yet clear whether in this city it is possible to get vaccinated without being a resident.
"It is also more difficult to stay three weeks - in case of opting for a two-dose vaccine - in places like Dallas or Houston. Miami is more comfortable. It is not cheap, but it is the most chosen," adds Vignolo.
Curiously, what was previously a super high season, such as
July
- due to the winter holidays in the case of Argentina - due to this phenomenon means that today there are better prices to travel in that month of school break than now.
Passages in the sights
In a first search on the Aerolineas Argentinas website carried out on May 3, a one-way flight for May 24 costs 207,127 pesos and the return on May 28, 273,949.
Leaving a few days later, on May 27, it costs 207,092 and the return on May 31, 199,030 pesos.
The further you "zoom out" in your search for dates, the prices start to drop a bit.
The departure on June 7 costs 121,232 pesos and the return on June 11, 133,330;
or on June 14, 113,170 pesos.
Arrival of passengers at Ezeiza Airport.
Photo Luciano Thieberger.
In July, for example, to travel on July 16, the one-way price is 108,327 and the return price on July 23, 104,529 pesos.
On the American Airlines website, a ticket to fly on May 25 with return on June 7, roundtrip to Miami without stopovers, with one piece of luggage and the possibility of exchange without penalty (fare difference may apply), costs 2,652 Dollars.
In a search
for June
and with another destination in its sights, we found that United Airlines has, for example, a flight departing on June 7 direct to Houston and returning on June 14, also direct, without luggage.
from 291,663.60 pesos.
In the Despegar agency, they point out that
Miami is
always in the rankings of
international destinations most chosen
by Argentines. "One of the keys is that this city always maintained
minimum entry restrictions
.
However, they also highlight that
if compared to the pre-pandemic era
, the destination has a 70% drop versus April 2019, due to the impact of the coronavirus on the interest of travelers.
As for
average rates
for roundtrip tickets thinking of staying a week in May, they cost from $ 210,327 per person, with a stopover, carry on included and up to 12 installments without interest.
The same but in June, from $ 102,295 per person, with 2 stopovers with carry on included.
In a search carried out on the agency's website, all kinds of prices appear.
Whether on the airline pages or agency websites, it is always advisable to
try dates and combinations
.
And read carefully the commercial policies including
returns and cancellations
, something essential in these times of pandemic.
We are looking, for example, to leave on May 8 and return on May 15. The first option is one-way with Boliviana de Aviación and return with Copa Airlines, in both cases with a stopover.
Final price: 348,714 pesos.
But by moving the dates a little, you can get different connections and prices: a flight on May 20 with Avianca (one stop) and return on May 27 with Copa (two stops), 309,444 pesos.
Round trip with Avianca, one stopover, 372,412 pesos.
Beyond the ticket that one gets or is willing to pay, what is important to keep in mind is that although the United States does not have great restrictions for travelers, it is
mandatory to have a negative test certificate
up to 72 hours before the flight and
visa current
to enter.
Look also
A trip back in time at the Dauer Classic Car Museum in South Florida
Tourism to get vaccinated: 20,000 Argentines will fly to the US during May
