EZE - Aeropuertos Argentia 2000 VIP Concierge Service

One of my credit cards offers a couple of free passes to this VIP service... I decided to sign up for the outbound and return service and see what this is.... the service is available for purchase, so will report back once I know what they offer....

http://www.aeropuertosvipclub.com.ar/eng/index.html

Ok... so I was able to sample this VIP service today at Ezeiza.

Im at a loss of words to describe the absolute horrible value that this service offers.... and would have the head of the Corporate Bean Counter that allowed any well run company to flush down the toilet any sum that this "service" costs.

I dont know if the service I was offered is a watered down version, since I did not pay for it - I received a couple of invitations from the bank that issues a MasterCard Black that I carry, its part of the MasterCard Concierge Service.... but in any event, my service today did not include assistance with check-in, and no porter service upon arrival to EZE.

The email I received from MasterCard clearly stated that I had to take care of all check-in formalities before I presented myself at the Information Stand at Terminal A. I was dropped off by my remise service at the curbside of the terminal, and had to hail my own porter... and checked myself in. Good for me I had already done internet checkin, so I was spared the long line and sent along to the premium lane, which was empty.

After getting my bags tagged, I went over to the AA200 information booth. Called my name... and got an escort of a seniorita to the AA2000 VIP Lounge. At the reception, I was asked to produce my Boarding Card and Passport. Once my immigration card was filled out, I gave all the docs to another lady who cleared immigration for me while I waited in the reception area. Once this was completed, I was escorted to a "private" security screening area and then entered the actual Lounge. The lounge area is inside the sterile/secure boarding area, hence you must go through security before you can actually make it to the lounge.

Once inside the lounge... the dissapointment kicks into turbo mode. The general area and furniture is fine... its actually like the Ritz Carlton if you compare it to the Salones Basura that regular mortals have access to. However, even in this Eden of a Lounge, the EZE virus always comes back to bite you in your Pototo..... a closer look at the booze selection yields pathetic grades. Only wine available is from El Plonko producer from El Fin del Mundo...

I splurged into luxury as I opened a bottle of domestic Heineken.... heck, I guess I was glad it was at least very well chilled. Peanuts with that beer Sir.... hell no. No barperson.... no peanuts, no potato chips. Just a few stale looking bakery items and some horrible Club Social Crackers.

Food.... another missing in non-action. I guess I have to comment on the small exclusive duty free shop.... The selection is so pathetic and so small that I cant even properly begin to critique it...

I could write on and on.... but Im sure you all get the picture. If you can get in here on a freebie, then by all means.... remind yourself that this is not the Silver Kris lounge, but it sure is quieter and somewhat nicer than any of the Salones Basura.... however, please do not forget to manage your expectations.

To end on perhaps the only other positive note... when you are ready for boarding, a seniorita comes to where you are and escorts you to the gate, so you do get priority boarding regardless of your status with the airline and no matter if you are flying in front or back of the bus.

I will be sampling this service again on arrival..... will of course be back to report as soon as Im back in the saddle middle of next week.

Greetings from the Sumaq lounge in LIM.....

Cheers,
Gaucho

Out of morbid curiosity (in case I get really bored there one day, and can point and stare at the victims as they exit the salon), where does this fine room "dump out" into the main terminal area?

When you exit the lounge, you are escorted by AA2000 staff into a service elevator which deposits you inside the boarding area, after the pre-boarding room and right before the entrance of the jetway, this way, you get priority boarding together with the 1st class folk, so its somewhat valuable if you need to fight for overhead bin space.

So..... here is the report of the arrivals service for this "VIP Treatment".

I arrived on LAN from Lima at 0600hs. As I exited the aircraft, at the end of the Jetway there were 2 (two) Senioritas from AA2000, the company that runs the EZE airport, were waiting with my name on a sign.

I was escorted by these two ladies down to the immigration area, where the usual EZE Zoo was going on... the lines were horrid. I thought we would go to a special line (crew or diplomatic), but instead I was sent into a private waiting room where I could have had breakfast. One of the ladies took my passport and cleared immigration for me, which let me alone with the 'succulent' breakfast.....

Bad fake orange juice, a few canned drinks, some stale looking croissants and breads... and there was also coffee or tea. The only interesting thing was the days newspaper so I could catch up on the local politics... we have a presidential election coming up in 2 weeks. No bottled water... I could have used that as I was thirsty.

While I waited, the other AA Seniorita went off to fetch my bags.... some 5 minutes later, my passport came back - immigrasi cleared. Then, another 8-10 minutes later, one of the AA2000 ladies comes and announces that my bags were ready.

I was escorted out of the lounge and onto a separate customs line where a porter had my bags ready for inspection. 15 seconds later, after the xray machine was ignored by a tired looking customs official... the AA2000 porter walked me to my car service. There, both thanked me for using the VIP service, wished me a nice day... and sent me on my way.

I was very surprised when the AA2000 porter refused my tip... apparently they dont want them to accept any gratuity. I insisted, twice... but the guy said he didnt want to loose his job. I thought I was a decent tipper, after all I was handing him a US$20 bill... but he didnt take it.

Conclusion: the arrivals service is useful, and yes, after a long 16 hour flight it was nice to not have to cue up and play along with the zoo. The porter service is also handy... but all in all, paying even a hugely discounted price for this service is very very questionable. I will be using this service early next year with the family if we go to Brazil or the US again.... but aside from the free passes I get from my MasterCard accounts, there is certainly no chance in hell you will find me paying for this.

I just made a necessary correction to your post

agreed.... EZE is pretty much hell....

I will have a sequel trip report on this service in early FEB.... Im taking the family to Brazil and will use one of my credits for this "wonderful" service..... lets see how they handle the fusion-powered JF and AS (initials of my two kids)....

Don't start spoiling your kids TOO young - once they experience the finest in opulent splendor that EZE has to offer, they will have nowhere to go but up

Please keep that is perspective. Gaucho is risking his children's lives by transiting GRU and taking him to the sumptuous RCC. It is not clear to me that this is "up" unless you are referring to North as "up" in which case I can only agree,

What's the price for this service? Can you purchase arrivals and departures separately? I assume that elite or business class departures from EZE are not too bad, with separate check in and security lines and then some sort of lounges. It's too bad that their arrivals lounge doesn't have a shower while you wait since the breakfast is so bad and probably duplicates breakfast served on board if you are awake for it.

The prices are indicated at the AA2000 website, the link is in the second post of the thread. Remember, of course, that "$" represents Argentinean Pesos as well as US Dollars - for a moment when I looked at the prices I couldn't believe them. Still expensive for what was described, but the bypass of regular security/immigration and porter service at that airport are worth something, I suppose.

I dont remember the pricing on this... but I would not pay $5 for it.... Im just using the various free passes that my two MasterCard Black accounts offer me...

You cant spoil your kids enough.....

Ah.... so the GRU RCC is very much like the EZE dump.....?

How about giving a hint for someone who avoids clicking onto random websites?

For some reason when I click on it, or search it and then click from google or bing I get an authentication request, so I can't answer. I don't remember well enough to hazzard a guess. I'm sorry!

A hint of what exactly....?

Also, dont you have anti virus and firewall protection....? this should allow you to click away and not worry.

If you are looking for a hint of the current proper exchange rates... here you go...

AR$ 4.28/30 (buy)
AR$ 4.37/40 (sell)

For rates on this "service"... please click here:
http://www.aeropuertosvipclub.com.ar/eng/index.html#/tarifas/

and click with confidence..... I did and my system did not explode...

So about US$ 600 a year. Not sure if it's worth it for anybody but the most frequent of frequent travelers among those four airports. Admirals Club is only $500 (or less depending on elite status) a year with a lot more locations, though no security/señorita meet-and-greet service. The arrivals service IS tempting, though - how many times have we all been faced with the lines and thought, "I'd pay ANYTHING to avoid this!" Guess I'm not willing to pay anything after all.

My departure experiences are worse than my arrival ones.

Doode... dont even think of it, its absolutetly NOT NOT worth it.... the service is a joke, the beverages available make the Admirals Club booze feel like the Oak Room....

Which Oak Room?