Updated November 8, 2017

In the last four years, I've spent about 18 months total in Argentina, so I wanted to give a quick update on the money situation down there.

From 2010 until December 2015, Argentina had an official exchange rate that was a complete fiction.

Last week, during President Obama's visit to Argentina, Argentina suspended the $160 fee required for Americans to visit.

While this is, for the moment, a temporary suspension of the fee (which you can check the official status of here), this is widely expected to lead to a permanent elimination of the fee.

This follows a series of sane decisions by the newly elected government, like letting the currency float freely to eliminate the black market for dollars and terrible distortion to the economy and possibilities for theft by well-connected people.

I paid the reciprocity fee, which is good for ten

I recently booked myself an award from Chicago to Buenos Aires in Business Class on a Dreamliner for 45,000 Alaska Airlines miles and $19 in taxes and fees.

AeroMexico releases a ton of award space from United States to Mexico City and from there to Buenos Aires (or elsewhere in Central and South America) in economy and Business Class.

Fresno only has a direct flight to Guadalajara from where you can connect to Mexico City and beyond.