Aerolineas Argentinas Sydney-Buenos Aires to drop Auckland stop

Argentinian national airline Aerolineas Argentinas is cutting the Sydney-Buenos Aires stop in Auckland from 1 July, a blow for savvy travellers who used the flights for better seats and service across the Tasman.

Flight times will be shaken up from 1 July too, with South America-bound flight AR1183 departing Sydney at 1830 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving in Buenos Aires at 1910 the same day (after crossing the international date line).

AR1182 will leave Buenos Aires at 0830 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, arriving in Auckland for a brief refuelling stop at 1310 the next day. The flight will continue -- without dropping off or picking up passengers -- at 1440, arriving in Sydney at 1630.

Aerolineas Argentinas has a pretty spotty on-time record for these flights, so business travellers intending on heading to Argentina would be well to ensure that a delay to the 1910 arrival into Buenos Aires won't be too much of a problem.

Qantas today has started the move of its Buenos Aires flights for services to Santiago, home hub of its oneworld partner LAN, leaving Aerolineas Argentinas the only direct way to Argentina from Australia.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.