Summary
- American Airlines has stopped accepting the Argentine peso and now lists prices in US Dollars attributable to economic instability.
- Argentina’s president outlined plans to shut down the Central Bank and move towards US Dollars as a part of his pre-election manifesto.
- American Airlines faces competition on its Buenos Aires routes from the likes of Delta Air Lines and Aerolíneas Argentinas.
American Airlines has stopped accepting the Argentine peso, with the carrier now listing all prices on its website for tickets from Argentina in US Dollars. The move comes following increasing instability in Argentina’s economy and the recent devaluation of the peso.
Ongoing economic uncertainty
Back in December, Argentina’s recent president, Javier Milei, cut the worth of the peso by 50% in a bid to tackle the rampant inflation that has been at the center of the country’s economic crisis. Inflation recently reached as high as 160%, and in consequence, it now takes around 810 Argentine pesos to purchase one US Dollar. Throughout his election campaign, President Milei made no secret of his desire to shut down the Central Bank of Argentina and move towards US Dollars.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
Easy Flying has reached out to American Airlines for comment. This just isn’t the primary time that the airline has stopped accepting the Argentine peso. In keeping with The Messenger, the carrier temporarily suspended payments in pesos in 2015, citing exchange problems with the US Dollar.
As much as five flights per day from the US to Buenos Aires
American Airlines flies to Buenos Aires (EZE) from two of its hubs on a year-round basis – Recent York (JFK) and Miami (MIA), and from Dallas (DFW) on a seasonal basis. The oneworld member deploys its Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft on the routes, which might carry between 234 and 304 passengers, depending on the configuration. Pre-pandemic, the carrier also flew from Los Angeles (LAX) to the Argentine capital. Today, American Airlines connects Buenos Aires with Recent York each day, and with Miami 3 times per day.
Photo: HMBSoFL Photography | Shutterstock
The airline faces competition on its Recent York route from Delta Air Lines and Aerolíneas Argentinas, and on its Miami route from Aerolíneas Argentinas. The Argentine flag carrier flies its 272-seater Airbus A330-200s on the route, of which there are currently ten in its fleet, based on ch-aviation, with a mean age of 12.9 years old. Other long-haul routes operated by the airline from Buenos Aires include Madrid (MAD), Punta Cana (PUJ), Cancún (CUN), and Havana (HAV).
Photo: Greg K__ca | Shutterstock
Last yr, Aerolíneas Argentinas returned to profit and carried more passengers than ever before (a complete of 16 million) – it stays to be seen what impact the peso’s devaluation could have on the SkyTeam member. Since assuming office on December tenth, President Milei has to date spoken out in favor of Argentina’s aviation industry, with plans to implement an Open Skies policy and privatize Aerolíneas Argentinas.
What do you make of American Airlines’ decision to stop accepting the Argentine peso? Do you’re thinking that other carriers will follow suit? Share your thoughts by commenting below.