Being travel savvy in Buenos Aires doesn’t just mean knowing your Guía T inside-out or know the best way to hail a cab in the rain — the cream of the crop know how to get to and from Ezeiza Airport without breaking a sweat.

When the city airport closed a couple of months ago for work on the runway, thousands more travellers were heading out to Ezeiza on a daily basis, with many of them left with little choice to forking out a whopping $130 or higher for a taxi. But whilst there is no public shuttle service, there are alternatives to taking a cab, as Rosalind Walters discovers.

1. HI Travel Shuttle Service

HI Travel provides a service to and from the Ezeiza Airport five times daily. The shuttle service costs US$11 and can take you from Ezeiza to one of the many drop-off points throughout Buenos Aires.

Shuttles leaving Ezeiza to Buenos Aires begin at 8am and the last one leaves for the city at 6.30pm, whereas shuttles from Buenos Aires to Ezeiza depart starting at 7am with the last shuttle of the day leaving for the airport at 5pm. Their pick-up/drop-off points can be found at the HI affiliated hostels and a clearly marked area at the Ezeiza airport. Arrival and departure times vary on traffic, though most trips will take between 1h15 and 1h30 travel time.

Guests and those looking to reserve a shuttle space are at the liberty to book online, over the phone, through email, or at one of the many hostels with which they work between two hours to 48 hours in advance. Booking can also be made directly at their office on Florida 835.

For the full list of shuttle times, hostel lists and how to book your shuttle pick-up, visit www.hostelshuttle.com.ar

2. Silver Star Car

Not a fan of crowded public transportation or stumbling through Spanish with bus terminals or taxi drivers? Private car company, Silver Star Car, is a more personal alternative to airport transportation. Founded in 2009 by husband and wife couple, Fred Badagnani and Karina Zurita, this personal car service is not only provided in English and recommended by Lonely Planet, but also gives your arrival or departure into Buenos Aires a celebrity feel.

Being a private service, Silver Star Car can have arrangements or bookings made on their website or by phone as to the time, date and location of your pick-up and drop off. You can ride in style to the airport for US$92 and picked up from Ezeiza for US$132. Their prices for pickups, drop offs, tours and more include parking and tolls.

The luxury service has three cars insured and certified for your airport arrival, the Citroen C6 Sedan, a Lincoln Town Car and a Citroen C4. Their website provides photos, details, testimonials and prices to the service of their Silver Star Cars.

If you ever decide to make that grand entrance or exit from Buenos Aires, Silver Star Car sets apart from the average public bus, van or taxi.

For more information regarding their other tour services, cars and standard prices, visit www.silverstarcar.com. All prices are correct as of December 2010.

3. Mini Bus S.R.I.

The Mini Bus S.R.I service provides a small shuttle serving 4-19 passengers depending on the vehicle and operates right outside of Paseo Colón Avenue in Monserrat. For $21 you can travel with Mini Bus to Ezeiza.

Shuttles run between Buenos Aires and Ezeiza Monday to Friday beginning at 8.30am until 6.30pm, every 15 minutes. Packages of prepaid tickets can be purchased at a discount, depending on the number of tickets purchased, however there is no need to make a reservation for a standard ticket – all you have to do is show up to the pick-up point and pay the chauffer with cash.

The Mini Bus picks up passengers heading to the airport at Av. Paseo Colón and Av. Belgrano. The website also offers assistance and information in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

Monday-Friday, for package prices, postal and other information check out www.minibusezeiza.com.ar. Prices increase with luggage.

4. Number 8 Bus

Number 8 bus (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

Public transport afficionados – and those with more time than money – will be happy to know that there is a public bus that heads to the airport.

For only $2 (with a SUBE, $4 without) you can have a frills-free ride to the airport on the most basic and unexpected forms of public transportation. While all of the #8’s have airport written on the top, if you are headed to the airport, make sure that it’s written on the bottom half of the sign as well.

The route and stops of the bus heading to and from the Ezeiza International Airport to Hospital Argerich is more fine-tuned in the Guía T, the guidebook to Buenos Aires public transportation. Sure places to catch the #8 are as it travels up Av. Independencia, Perú and Av. Belgrano before hitting Av. De Mayo and Av. Rivadavia and on to the highway.

However, as true with all public buses in Argentina, the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to find a seat and relax, and be sure to give yourself a good couple of hours to get there.

For those who are not familiar with the Guía T guidebook to public transportation, Como Viajo is a good place to find your way around Buenos Aires from the comfort of your chair. For more information in the #8 bus, make sure to check www.comoviajo.com

5. Manuel Tienda León

Manuel Tienda León prides themselves in the security of their ride to and from Ezeiza airport to their station, Terminal Madero. With a bus running at least every hour, coming and going from the airport has never been so easy.

For $70 Manuel will take you to the airport in their air-conditioned buses with a secure luggage area and large reclining seats for the ride in. All pick-ups and drop-offs to and from Ezeiza are stationed at the Terminal Madero at Av. Madero and San Martín. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time as well as at their counter at the Ezeiza terminal, online and the Terminal Madero station.

Prices vary depending on the type of vehicle you choose from Manuel, whether it is the bus or the Remis, four-seater vehicle. Still, this very straightforward method of airport transit is staple for both Argentines and travelers alike.

Prices, locations and hours of transit are available at Manuel Tienda León’s website www.tiendaleon.com.ar

Flights at the Aeroparque Airport have been affected since yesterday by an unofficial air controllers’ strike. The National Administration of Civil Aviation (ANAC) announced that 20 % of today’s flights at Aeroparque need to be re-scheduled. There have been several cancellations and delays, and some flights have been re-directed to Ezeiza Airport.

The strike, while not an official measure approved by the air controllers’ union, was called for by a group of these workers as an act of solidarity with employees who were fired from the control towers at Aeroparque and at the Taravella Airport in Cordoba, Argentina.

The Association of Aeronautical Personnel (APTA) condones the strike and denounces the arbitrary and negligent actions of the Argentine Air Force, as well as the lack of proper government investment in airports. The official air controllers’ union (Atepsa), on the other hand, denies that there is an official strike and blames the delays and cancellations on a group of disgruntled workers.

A statement released by APTA and posted on their website accuses the Air Force and the ANAC of their role in firing “indispensable employees…with much experience” and of “not creating the necessary conditions that would allow employees to work in a safe environment.”

A piquet of cleaners and security workers on strike blocked the access to Ezeiza International Airport early this morning, threatening to cause further disturbances if their requests aren’t met.

Some 900 protesters demanded better salaries and working conditions, and are additionally promising to block the airport’s gates tonight from 5pm to 7pm.

“We are obliged to be on duty for 12-hour shifts from Sunday to Sunday, with a day off every two weeks,” the workers declared through their union in a letter.

Employees of Securitas and Serza companies—in charge of security and cleaning, respectively—denounced episodes of mistreatments and starvation wages.

Protesters claim that being in charge of security and cleaning checks at the same time don’t allow them to be affiliated with appropriate trade unions. This would make them more likely to be exploited. Hence, they are now pushing to be affiliated to an aeronautical syndicate instead.

At the time of writing, talks are being held at the general office for Labour Relations between government officials and worker representatives.

Hundreds of passengers already experienced various degrees of service disruptions today from 8.30am to 11am. Protesters said they were getting organised to carry on with the strike in case a deal won’t be stricken in today’s consultations.

The airport in Bariloche will be closed from the 24^th October until the 20^th December, while workers make renovations and improvements to the runways and other facilities. The project had been scheduled for later in 2012, but airport representatives say it was moved forward because of the activity of Chilean volcano Puyehue.

Furthermore, new eruptions from the volcano are once again affecting residents of San Carlos de Bariloche and other areas in Patagonia. Sanitation authorities are recommending that people use facemasks to protect themselves from the ash and to stay inside when possible.

The latest report from Chile’s National Service of Geology and Mining (SERNAGEOMIN) recorded a change in the seismic activity of the volcano, causing an increase in minor eruptions and the release of a small quantity of lava.

According to officials, water vapour is being released along with the ash. This material is being suspended in the air by strong winds. The sun then dries the material, leaving a massive ash cloud that hovers instead of falling or dissipating.

Experts at SERNAGEOMIN said, “Given the current characteristics of the volcano’s activity, this phenomenon could continue for months”.

There are additional concerns that more eruptions may occur because of obstructions in the exit path inside the volcano by the lava that has been produced since June.

After last night’s return of ash from the Chilean Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain, Ezeiza and Aeroparque will be shut until at least 5pm today. Following a week of disruptions to flights, 40 international and national flights have been cancelled. With affects being felt as far away as Australia and New Zealand.

Cancellations occurred last night after The National Aviation Administration (ANAC) announced that air operations were limited due to heavy presence of ash in the centre of the country.

Aerolíneas Argentinas, Austral, LAN and other airlines announced last night via their websites that they would cancel flights until at least this afternoon. All flights were affected.

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) defended their decision to suspend operations by stating that they were “acting in accordance with the established protocols and recommendations for safety in this type of event”. They continued to say that services would remain limited whilst there remained heavy concentrations of ash in the atmosphere.

For delayed passengers there is much uncertainty over their future journeys. To compensate Aerolíneas Argentinas has stated that “those passengers affected by the delays will be given open tickets for one year from date of issue without any charge.”

A meeting is being held at 3pm at Ezeiza to re-assess the situation. Passengers planning on travelling in the next few days are advised to consult their airline about any possible changes or cancellations before they travel.

It was the end of our first visit to Buenos Aires, and my wife and I were taking a cab to the airport. We felt mixed emotions. We were sad to say good-bye to our son who is living in the city, already nostalgic about the charming place we were leaving and – all of a sudden – fear for our lives!

Our driver, who had been cruising along in the left lane at a fast clip, started looking in his rear-view mirror and getting agitated. I looked back and saw a white van riding our tail (is there an equivalent expression in Spanish?). Our cab couldn’t get over to the right lane because of traffic. When our driver sped up, so did the van and the car on the right.

Photo by Edgar Zuniga Jr.

As soon as there was an opening in the right lane our driver moved into it. Then the white van pulled up beside us on the left and pressed right into our lane. At the same time the car on the right reappeared and closed in! All three cars were going very fast by now, and only inches of ever-shrinking space separated us on any side.

As our driver deftly avoided the van, he could not resist rolling down his window to give the wayward van driver a piece of his mind and an emphatic gesture of his arm. The van sped ahead, but now there was a small white car on our left repeating the van’s invasion of our lane. Again our driver avoided getting sideswiped, and then, without slowing down a bit, he grabbed his cell phone.

Photo by Alexander Wipf

All of this happened very fast. We still are replaying the event in our minds, trying to figure out if the van was acting alone or if the cars around us were enacting a choreographed plan.

Pulling up behind the van as close as he could, and while avoiding the cars on both sides as if he knew the dance, our driver furiously called the police, described the scene and read them its license-plate number. Perhaps influenced by the sight of the driver on the phone, the van swung over to take the next exit off the highway and space appeared around us. Our driver told us with disgust that this game of bumper cars with the cab had happened before on the way to the airport. Could this be a way for algunos maliciosos to say adios to tourists – by relieving them of their souvenirs and remaining cash if they can get them off the airport road?

In any event, my wife and I were very happy that we arrived at the airport without further incident and with enough cash on us to give our adroit driver a well-deserved tip.

On Friday the director of customs at Ezeiza International Airport, Charles Mechetti, was arrested. He is accused of accepting bribes to allow the smuggling of contraband items through the airport. During a raid of his house, airport security police found large amounts of money in a safety deposit box and shoe boxes: they also found Rolex watches, perfume and plasma televisions.

The BBC correspondent in Buenos Aires, Candice Piette, reported that, “The head of customs was arrested along with nine others who allegedly turned a blind eye when entering smuggled products for sale online.” Most of the arrested are accused of smuggling, bribery and conspiracy: there are still two people who the police are looking for.

The case is being handled by Judge Meirovich Gustvo and began last year when he was investigating the illegal entry of Chinese individuals into Argentina. Wiretaps were used for this case and picked up information about the smuggling.

Mechetto is also a director of the Argentine football team Boca Juniors and is responsible for their public relations. He was released on bail for health reason: he suffers from emphysema. He must not leave the country and has to report to the court every 20 days.

On Monday, an Air France flight travelling from Rio de Janero to Paris disappeared over the Atlantic. It is now known that there were two Argentine citizens aboard the Airbus 330 which is believed to have suffered from an electrical fault whilst flying through a storm.

One of the dead is 39-year-old Pablo Dreyfus, a gun specialist from Buenos Aires, was with his Brazilian wife on their way to a holiday in Paris. He is the son of well-known advertising executive Gabriel Dreyfus. Mr Dreyfus only found out about the fate of the plane when one if his sons called him from Brazil advising him of the situation.

“I contacted the relatives attention centre in Paris and they told me that unfortunately Pablo was one of the passengers,” he said late last night.

Also on the flight was cabin crew member, 32-year-old Clara Mar Amado, who lived in Córdoba but had dual nationality with Spain. She was not working on the flight but returning to her home in Paris. Her family have admitted that they do not hold much hope for her safe return, but thanked the rescue efforts going on in the Atlantic Ocean.

Last night, a full 24 hours after the plane disappeared from the radars, there was still no sign of it. Only this morning were small pieces of wreckage spotted by rescue planes in the Atlantic. The Brazilian government were reluctant to confirm that the wreckage belonged to the doomed flight, but did so this afternoon.

Brazilian naval forces confirmed that they had spotted an orange buoy, an airline seat and signs of fuel. The government later confirmed that they had found metalic pieces of the plane.

A 23-year-old Portuguese man was caught at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires this morning carrying more than 22,000 ecstasy tablets. 

Argentine customs reported that the man arrived at Terminal A of the international airport having stopped over in Paris and succeeded in taking the drugs through French customs. His journey had started in Amsterdam.

Officials’ suspicions were alerted by the excessive weight of his case relative to its size as it passed through their scanner.

The man was detained and the Drugs Division called. The bag was opened and was soon found to have a false bottom, under which was a compartment in which the pills were concealed. The secret compartment had concealed 22,093 tablets from the scrutiny of the X-ray machine. The trafficker has been held and his load seized.