Aerolineas Crap-gentinas

I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the early hours of 30th December after a 7 hour delay from Buenos Aires thanks to Aerolineas Argentinas who really are the worst airline with whom i’ve ever flown. Not only were we so badly delayed, but there wasn’t any level of customer service at any point – not even any water for the passengers.

All was fine until 15mins before departure when the board displayed ‘delayed 1hr’. Then, each hour that passed, the time of delay increased by one more hour. After three hours, the flight dropped completely from the screen, and the plane which had been sat at our gate number 11 pulled away. After five hours, I, along with several others, now got a little angry and went to speak with customer services. The lone guy at the desk offered no apology, had no idea when the plane would be leaving or from which gate, and behaved like we were mosquitos biting at his legs.

I stood staring at the empty departures screen with a similarly angry American chap in Physics-teacher-style tweed jacket with leather arm patches, who showed me his ticket, which had been stamped to say he would get a free taxi once we landed in Rio. I re-approached the customer service desk to ask for the same thing, but was told there were no free taxis and it wasn’t their responsibility.

Eventually, at around hour seven, I noticed a herd of people suddenly passing through gate A and went to see on the off-chance what plane it was. Of course, it was my plane to Rio (no announcement, no plane on departures board). Thanks Aerolineas Argentinas. When we landed in Rio International Airport at 2.30am, the only people still working were immigration officials – no-one with whom I could discuss my potential ‘free taxi’. I lost the tweed-clad American at baggage reclaim so had to grin and bear the £25 taxi to town (as opposed to planned £2 bus had we been on time)

I guess people delayed with Ryanair know how it must feel. I’ve just been lucky enough never to have been inconvenienced by Mr O’Leary’s notoriously crap airline. One thing I can now tell you now through experience is if you are unlucky to have to fly with and be delayed by Aerolineas Argentinas, expect to receive a TERRIBLE service.

Despite the bad journey to rain soaked Rio, all was forgotten on arrival at the 4-star Windsor Guanabana hotel in Centro, Rio, as I met beautiful Marju after 4 months of broken Skype conversations and long nights away. You’re lucky she put me in a good mood Aerolineas Argentinas!