MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Foreigners pay extra on Argentine flights

If you are a tourist flying in Argentina, you risk paying twice as much for a ticket as an Argentine passenger.

The extra fee for foreigners is charged on domestic flights by national airliner Aerolineas Argentinas, which handles 80 percent of all domestic air traffic.

Aerolineas Argentinas said a national law introduced as a result of the country's chaotic economic situation forces it to charge higher prices to foreigners. The law requires fixed prices on certain domestic flights for Argentine citizens, and the airline says the fixed prices don't meet its costs. So non-Argentines have to pay more to make up the airline's losses.

Aerolineas Argentinas is the only Argentine carrier imposing extra fees for foreigners. Rival Lan Argentina says it has no plans for introducing differentiated fares. IATA, the International Air Transport Association, deplores such fares.

By Morten Szygenda The Santiago Times