Ken and Ngaire #320
Marcie & Tom # 321
Ralph & June # 412
Mary Ellen & Jim
Helen & Jerry # 315
Maddy & Paul # 417

Mary Ellen and Jim

Ralph and June 412

Ken and Ngaire #320

We actually have 30 people in the group.

Helen and Jerry #315

Changed Ralph & June's cabin #. Any more Updates?

Just booked the air for June and I . We leave AKL on 12/31/15 and travel on Lan Chile , AKL to SCL to EZE, arrive Buenos Aires on 12/31/15 around 6 pm. Was able to use BA AVIOS to book business class air all the way through. Very happy camper I am. Will celebrate New Years Eve in Buenos Aires. Suspect after all that travel we will make it an early night in Buenos Aires.

Really looking forward to this experience with June. Brayden and I did this cruise in 2012 and it was the greatest.

Wow that's great, Ralph. How do I get LAN tickets using BA miles? I often get KLM or air France from delta site but BA website just came up that it does not fly the requested route (lax to Eze)?
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Helen

Some things to remember. LAN as well as many other airlines do not open schedules until 330 days out. So 12/31/15 flight was only open today. I actually have been tracking the opening of my schedule for three plus weeks. LAN is part of ONE WORLD which is the alliance that American and BA are part of.

Always try to figure out the connections and search by segment. Then try to combine. Sometimes a call to airline is needed to combine. I actually tracked AKL to SCL for weeks and only in last few days tried to add EZE. Was surprised when It came up. Was prepared to book two tickets.

The BA site can act funny at times. You do need to be an Exective Club member to access. Assume you are.

Above has been gleaned from the various blog site I visit from time to time. It can be a pain to use miles but in the end can be worth it. My recent flights would have been over $11,000 for June and i.

Hopefully this helps.

Thanks Ralph. I am member and have a truckload of ba miles. I will wait a few more days and try to segment before I give up and call the points guys. Although I checked random dates in December and biz class from lax was only $3400, so if that holds true for January dates, maybe I will hold onto my miles?
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Helen

Maddy & Paul are in 417

We have a direct flight in Business Class on LAN from LAX to Lima (2 hour stopover) and then on to EZE. It cost 60,000 Avios BA miles pp (120,00 total plus $11.20 tax compared with AA and UAL wanting 150,000 miles pp ONE way-OUCH) . Flight wasn’t available to book through BA on line so I wasn’t charged any booking fee.

We leave LAX 12/30/15 @ 11:20pm and arrive EZE 12/31/15 @ 7:40pm. We're staying at Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt (free nights getting the credit card) in Recoleta for 3 nights.

Marcie,
El Mirasol is an excellent Argentinian steak restaurant in Recoleta. There is also one in Puerto Madero along the waterfront.
Jim

In 2012, Andi, Doug and I went to Juana M's for dinner. Address is Carlos Pellegrini 1535 and walked from Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt. We loved our meal there. A few of the TripAdvisor reviews are mixed right now. If I remember correctly, a group of us met at El Mirasol and enjoyed our meal there as well. My introduction to Malbecs.........

Marcie, the Palacio Duhau is a beautiful hotel. I hope you love it as much as we all did.

Thanks for the good recommendations. We really are so excited to finally get to Antarctica and look forward to our stay in Buenos Aires as well. We'll be there NYEve, maybe we'll have better luck staying up until midnight there than we do at home.

I didn't realize that you hadn't been to Antarctica, Marcie. This will be heaven for you. I can't wait to read your reports and see the photos!

Donna, nor can I, after all the cruising they do. I know Marcie and Tom will love it. They don't get seasick!

Booked my return today. Using Delta Sky Pesos, we are flying LAX to ATL to EZE in biz class on 12/30, arriving 12/31 and return is 1/21 leaving EZE at 925 pm to atl and on to lax. My husband is using a FF ticket but I paid for mine, someone should get all these miles, right?
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Helen

Good job Helen. Glad you're all squared away with your RT. It's a good feeling. I look forward to meeting you.

Thanks to Ralph's great suggestion, we too have our RT booked on LAN in Biz Class. Our return flight to LAX is on 1/22. If anyone has BA miles, I'd recommend using them to get to Buenos Aires as it's only 120,000 f.f. miles p.p. for a RT in Biz Class (they're part of One World Alliance).

June and I have our air all booked for the Antarctica cruise also. We used BA Avios from AKL to EZE via SCL. Arrive EZE on 12/31. Staying at the Park Tower where I have stayed before.

We depart on 1/22 after overnighting at EZE. Our flight is at 7pm and did not want to chance missing the flight so are doing an overnight. Our return uses BA Avios also and goes to MIA via SCL where we will stay for a week with friends in Naples FL.

I have had very good luck using BA Avios this last year that I have become a big fan of BA. I understand the flights from the US can be hard to find but I have had very good fortune using them from AKL and back to AKL. Also from DFW to LHR. Loved the AMEX transfer bonus of 40% that was in effect for a while earlier this year.

Our air is booked. We are arriving on 12/31 and we are leaving on the 9:30 flight out of EZE to JFK on 1/21.

I have not yet booked a hotel..........

I look forward to meeting you too, Marcie, especially since we are neighbors! I always feel more "committed" to a trip once I have air booked.

We are going to book a pre- cruise to Iquazu Falls through Ker & Downey, so I think our hotel is pre- ordained.

Can't wait to return to Antarctica.
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Helen

Doc dancing in So Cal! Got my silver box this morning.
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Helen

Testing the video capabilities of Flickr. Gentoo penguins on the Falkland Islands:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133995071@N04/22470967113/in/dateposted-public/

Falkland Island Gentoo Penguins

OK, did the tutorial.

Our silver box arrived too....sure is a cute penguin video Maddy & Paul. Thanks for sharing.

The silver box has arrived in Boston. This will be our first Silversea cruise. We are looking forward to seeing everyone. And the penguins - great video Paul and Maddy.

The Malvinas Hotel has the best lunch menu in Port Stanley, much better then the greasy foods in the overcrowded Globe & Victory pubs.

I never leave home wo a few dollars worth of local currency but I have not been able to buy argentine pesos anywhere. Anybody know why this is so? I am leaving tomorrow for Vienna for a few days and will try to get some at the airport but am wondering if there is some reason for this?
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Helen

The Argentine peso just fell from 10 to a dollar to 13 to a dollar yesterday!! Bring dollars to BA.

Thanks Paul I think that is what we will do. FWIW Travelex at LAX said they don't sell it because it is too volatile.
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Helen

Just get some pesos at an ATM when you arrive. Any left over you can convert at the last Argentine airport before you fly out.

Always hesitant about ATMs In third world countries. I had a friend who had 30k wiped out after using an ATM in so Africa. His friend who used the same machine also had his account hacked. But there doesn't seem to be any other option in this instance. I guess all of life is a gamble!
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Helen

I've used ATMs all over Argentina & Chile with no problems. I usually use ones in the airport or at banks.

We are landing in BA on January 1. When I contacted taxiezeiza (a safe taxi company at the airport) for a prepaid ride, this is the reply I received:

"Thank you for contacting us.
Unfortunately, we cannot book for that day, as we still do not know how many cars will be working.
However, you can come to our stand directly and ask for the taxi.
There will be delays, as in every other company."

Yikes. Using bandit cabs NOT A GOOD IDEA. Lots of scam stories on the web.

Paul may be a lot on the web about the taxis but I have been to Buenos Aries more times than I can remember and never had any problems.

Viator is a big tour company all over the world. If you are concerned here is their web address for transfers just set one up then you will be more comfortable with your plans.

http://www.viator.com/Buenos-Aires-...amp;activities=all&sortBy=PRICE_FROM

Paul I just booked with another company Black Lane I will send you an email with more details. $70 for the transfer.

www.blacklane.com

Easy to do on line.

I have used Black Lane several times in many parts of the world and have been very pleased with them.

I just read this today: Currency Exchange

With the December 2015 election, the new President has lifted currency controls and the official rate has gone up (or should say slid) to about 14/US$. The blue rate still exists, but the spread is only about 1 peso. Thus getting money exchanged on the street (which can be risky) is not as profitable as previously.

Thus this following paragraph is no longer applicable, but was accurate in March.

Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, DO NOT exchange $ US for Argentine pesos at the airport, or anywhere else for that matter. As of 1 March 2015 the official bank and credit card rate was just over 8 to the dollar. The "blue market" money changers in the street gave 11 (but keep an eye out for counterfeits). The hotel front desk gave 11, but many merchants gave 12 on purchases. Most businesses don't take credit cards, or only do so reluctantly, because of the exchange rate difference. The currency preferred by most locals is the $ US, followed by Euros. If you aren't an American, exchange your currency for $ US before you go to Argentina.

The current inflation rate in Argentina is about 40%, so all numbers quoted here are "subject to change without notice."

I think I will bring USD in new-ish small bills and use that. (I don't think I would ever exchange on the street).
We are doing the pre cruise to Iguassu Falls. So will see everyone on the flight to Ushuaia!
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Helen