Aerolineas Announces Daily Flights from BA To San Rafael, Mendoza

The Bonarda Shuttle: Austral flight and passengers on the tarmac at San Rafael, Mendoza

Great news for one of our favorite destinations in Mendoza: Beginning this Sunday, Aerolineas will begin daily direct service between Buenos Aires and San Rafael. We fell in love with San Rafael (aka Bonarda Country) during last year’s wine harvest, and the only impediment to return visits from BA has been the infrequency of daily flights to San Rafael. Problem solved.

According to MensajeroWeb, the announcement was made in response to the growing demand from foreign visitors and business travelers who want to make the quick two-hour trip to San Rafael. In order to be eligible for daily service, San Rafael undertook major upgrades to the Santiago Germano Airport’s safety infrastructure including the purchase of new runway lighting and fire trucks.

While Aerolineas recently raised fares on several domestic routes, the new BA to San Rafael flights will not see any fare hikes. According to MensajeroWeb, round-trip tickets purchased one month in advance will cost around $220. The paper says the daily service announcement will be a huge boost for tourism and regional development in San Rafael. Last year, CNN/Money named San Rafael one of the World’s Great Places to Retire. (Full Story in Spanish)

For more information about luxury living and private vineyards in San Rafael, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.