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Edit 9/3/14: Readers are reporting that Air France and Delta cannot ticket all the space shown on airfrance.us. There may be some sort of glitch. I’ll try to get to the bottom of this.

Award space is wide open in economy and business class between the United States and Argentina for the next 11 months, including award space over the peak December to March summer period.

You can book this award space on wide-open Aerolineas Argentinas flights with your Delta or Flying Blue miles. You can fly the awards into cities other than Buenos Aires to explore more of one of my favorite countries.

Whether you’re interested in tango, steak, wine, Patagonia, or Iguazu Falls, you can get there for as little as 50,000 miles + $120 roundtrip.

This award space even extends over Christmas and New Year’s and for 2+ people.

Plus right now Delta miles and Flying Blue miles are even easier than usual to accumulate.

• What is the award space picture?
• How is Aerolineas Argentinas Business Class space?
• What costly mistake do you need to avoid while booking?
• How can you book the awards?

Aerolineas Argentinas

Aerolineas Argentinas is the flag carrier of Argentina. It is a member of SkyTeam, so its flights can be booked with Delta miles and Flying Blue miles.

It has daily flights between Miami and Buenos Aires.

Beyond Miami and Buenos Aires

Delta flies to Miami from all the following cities, including both New York airports.

Adding on any of these domestic flights at the Saver level will cost zero extra miles whether you book a Delta or Flying Blue award. You can connect from anywhere else in the country also if you’re willing to add another connection in Atlanta or another Delta hub.

Aerolineas Argentinas serves the entire country from Buenos Aires, but Buenos Aires has two major airports.

The international airport (EZE, Ezeiza) has scheduled flights to these destinations.

The domestic airport (AEP, Aeroparque) has more frequent domestic flights to more destinations.

Note very carefully in your search results which airports are coming up. Airfrance.us did not add any warning that this itinerary from Miami to Mendoza had an airport change in both directions. (The red arrows are mine.)

If you have to change airports, the drive is 40 minutes to well over an hour depending on traffic in my experience. (I lived in Buenos Aires for six months last year.)

Searching the Award Space

Delta.com does not display award space on Aerolineas Argentinas. Search airfrance.us instead (here’s how.) Any award space on airfrance.us will be bookable with Delta miles.

I searched for two passengers over peak times. The Saver award space shows up in green.

Economy Award Space

In economy, there is award space almost every day in January and February in both directions.

Miami to BsAs

BsAs to Miami

I like January the best because of the long days around the summer solstice, but some people will prefer the cooler weather in April with a daily high of 73 degrees.

In that case, award space is open almost every day in March and April for two passengers in economy.

Miami to BsAs

BsAs to Miami

Business Class Award Space

Business Class award space is even more widely available for two people. While there is some economy award space right around Christmas and New Year’s–the absolute peak time on the route–there is Business Class award space almost every day in that time frame.

The return shows a lot of award space starting January 1. That means you could easily book something like December 18 – January 3 and have your kids miss very little school.

How to Book Award Space

Once you’ve found the award space on airfrance.us, you book with the airline whose miles you’re using. The miles you choose affects the miles price you pay.

Flying Blue charges 25,000 miles each way in economy from the United States to Argentina. Delta charges 60,000 miles roundtrip in economy from the United States to Argentina.

Flying Blue charges 62,500 miles one way, and Delta charges 125,000 miles roundtrip in business class to Argentina. Business Class on Aerolineas Argentinas should be avoided because it is just a bigger recliner seat, not a bed of any sort as is the international standard.

To book a Flying Blue award, book right on airfrance.us.

This two passenger award for an economy roundtrip cost 100,000 Flying Blue miles + $244, or 50k miles + $122 per person.

To book a Delta award, call 800-323-2323 and feed the agent the date, flight number, and cabin of each flight you found on airfrance.us. The award will cost 60,000 miles roundtrip in economy and about the same in taxes and fees. (Delta will collect a few dollars less in taxes but charges a $25 phone fee.)

Delta awards allow one stopover and one open jaw. In my mind, the best way to use these would be:

• Your home airport to Buenos Aires (EZE)
• A second Argentine city (Iguazu, Mendoza, Bariloche, etc) to Buenos Aires (AEP or EZE) (stopover)
• Buenos Aires (EZE) to your home airport

This leaves out how you get from Buenos Aires to the other Argentine cities you want to visit. You’d use paid flights or separate awards to book those flights.

Getting Delta and Flying Blue Miles

There are three Delta cards with 50,000 mile bonuses that expire 9/8/14. You can get one personal and one business card. (SPG points and Membership Rewards also transfer to Delta.)

• The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express offers 50,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. You get a $50 statement credit after your first Delta purchase in the first 3 months. The card’s annual fee is waived the first year, then $95. This is the basic personal card.
• The Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express offers 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles toward Delta status and 50,000 bonus award miles after you spend $1,000 on your new card in your first 3 months. You earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new card within your first 3 months. This card has a $195 annual fee that is NOT waived. This is the personal card to get if you want Delta status because of the MQMs you can earn.
• The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express offers 50,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. You get a $50 statement credit after your first Delta purchase in the first 3 months. The card’s annual fee is waived the first year, then $95.

Flying Blue is a 1:1 transfer partner of ThankYou Points, Membership Rewards and Starpoints.

You can get 40,000 bonus ThankYou Points from the Citi ThankYou® Premier Card after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

My Review of the Citi ThankYou® Premier Rewards Card

Bottom Line

If you want to go to one of my favorite countries during the best time of year, Argentina in December to April, award space is wide open right now with Delta miles and Flying Blue miles on Aerolineas Argentinas flights.

Both types of miles are easy to get right now with a number of limited time offers and transfer partners.

Maximize the trip with stopovers and open jaws, and enjoy the many regions of Argentina like the Patagonian Lake District and Iguazu Falls.