Latin Trade: Wagering on the Weather

FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER, FOG IN Buenos Aires delays flights at Ezeiza International Airport. But there are entertainment options to keep the thousands of stranded passengers occupied. According to Argentine newsletter Prensario, they include:

Interactive Games. Passengers with nowhere to sit and an abundance of time to kill often play "Guess when the planes arrive and depart." To make the game exciting, the flight information board is frozen for long periods of time. For example, if Air France flight 416 from Paris to Buenos Aires is rerouted to Montevideo because of fog, the information board continues to list the plaine's 8:45 a.m. arrival at Ezeiza. To spice up the challenge, some flight--like American Airlines 901 from Miami--aren't even put on the board. And, in the ultimate challenge, the board often goes completely blank.

Where's My Bag? Like roulette, this game is risky. A single conveyor belt is used to unload the luggage of several planes, creating a chaos that allows passengers to pick their favorite suitcase. The bag's contents determine how you've done in the game. Some passengers get so wrapped up in this challenge that, even after 12 or 16 hours aboard a plane, they remain an additional three hours in Ezeiza searching for luggage.

Phone Fun. This game is not limited to the stranded passengers. Anyone with a phone can play Simply call the airport at 44806111 (from outside Argentina, add the country code of 54 and Buenos Aires' code of 11). The goal is to reach the information office, beating out thousands of other callers. When the game is not in progress, the number's recorded message describes Ezeiza's marvelous technology and its concern for passenger comfort. Those who listen long enough may even hear a flight arrival time.