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3 hours needed to connect in BOG international to domestic AV to AV

3 hours needed to connect in BOG international to domestic AV to AV

Old Oct 5, 2016, 2:04 pm
  #1  
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3 hours needed to connect in BOG international to domestic AV to AV

Transiting from international to domestic in BOG, it took 2 h 15 min from arrival to the international gate to the domestic terminal. Extremely long queue at immigration; we had to wait 1 h 15. Then we had to queue again at custom control, and queue again at useless luggage xRay station. After all that queuing time, the way to get to the domestic terminal is badly signed (when signed at all) and one end up in a garage-like waiting room for the bus which is supposed to run every 10 minutes. It came already full after waiting 20 minutes.

I don't know how Colombia expect to get more tourists with such a setting. Instead of spending on advertising, money should be put into streamlining the immigration and connexion processes.

Avianca is a relatively good airline but their hub in BOG will have to be avoided.
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Old Oct 5, 2016, 3:25 pm
  #2  
 
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Originally Posted by ulyparis
...and queue again at useless luggage xRay station...
Why is an xray station useless at an airport?

I don't know how Colombia expect to get more tourists with such a setting. Instead of spending on advertising, money should be put into streamlining the immigration and connexion processes.
Maybe tourists should also lower their expectation, that in every country abroad life should work exactely the same way as at home?
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Old Oct 6, 2016, 12:08 am
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Originally Posted by ulyparis

Avianca is a relatively good airline but their hub in BOG will have to be avoided.
First-timer, I had just great experience of AV and BOG, but I did not have the int-domestic connection though. Just int-international and then another way immigration visiting Bogot, cierto.
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Old Oct 6, 2016, 1:06 am
  #4  
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Originally Posted by ulyparis
Transiting from international to domestic in BOG, it took 2 h 15 min from arrival to the international gate to the domestic terminal. Extremely long queue at immigration; we had to wait 1 h 15. Then we had to queue again at custom control, and queue again at useless luggage xRay station. After all that queuing time, the way to get to the domestic terminal is badly signed (when signed at all) and one end up in a garage-like waiting room for the bus which is supposed to run every 10 minutes. It came already full after waiting 20 minutes.
That pretty much sounds like JFK/ORD/EWR to me.
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Old Oct 6, 2016, 1:44 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
That pretty much sounds like JFK/ORD/EWR to me.
lol there is truth in that

Although I have to agree with OP, El Dorado can be an extremely annoying airport, with a real excess of pointless formalities. I counted seven separate document checks on my last BOG departure.
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Old Oct 9, 2016, 8:58 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by Air Rarotonga
Why is an xray station useless at an airport?

Xray at exit from custom, entering the city... like if the luggage was not already xrayed...

As for lowering the expectation, yes, that's what I say: allow 3 hours for connexion in BOG.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 1:33 am
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Originally Posted by Air Rarotonga
Maybe tourists should also lower their expectation, that in every country abroad life should work exactely the same way as at home?
No, actually "exactely" the opposite... If it takes 3 hours at home, maybe OP is hoping that it takes 1 hour in BOG.

Those who condone inefficiency will most likely win the race to the bottom.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 10:21 am
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I've had that happen -- long immigration line at a badly-staffed hour -- and had to sprint for domestic connection far away, but it was better recently, even with a long line moving through. And I think I remember that the exterior domestic terminal from a few years ago is now connected internally.

Prefer connecting through PTY if I can. And my few exits through BOG required stayover nights for early AM departure. Maybe someday I'll give BOG another chance and visit for a few more days. (Especially if the "guide" from there I met a few weeks ago is back home from New Jersey )
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 11:34 am
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Originally Posted by SEAfarer
And I think I remember that the exterior domestic terminal from a few years ago is now connected internally.
AV still uses Puente Aereo, requiring a bus transfer between terminals, for certain destinations.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 10:09 pm
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Originally Posted by Air Rarotonga
Why is an xray station useless at an airport?
I will get this. The xray machines to which the OP refers are the ones at customs. Every single bag gets xrayed nowadays and I am adamant they don't pay any attention to the screen. It is the customs equivalent of security theatre.

Colombia has strict rules about car parts (I have no idea why) and you are also not supposed to bring more than three of anything into the country.

Peru which has more draconian rules for electronics has a "traffic light" system for bag xrays and there is not normally the bottleneck that is found at Bogot

Flyertalk tip @:-) Go to the "Goods to Declare" channel and tell them you have nothing to declare. You will be waved through, no line and no xray machine.

That's why in this particular instance, an xray station in an airport is useless. It's bluster, they don't pay any attention to what's in your bags, and if you know what you are doing you can avoid it altogether

Originally Posted by Air Rarotonga
Maybe tourists should also lower their expectation, that in every country abroad life should work exactely the same way as at home?
Home or away aside. BOG is a modern airport, I think it opened about 5 years ago. It should excel at providing an excellent customer experience. It does a good job of being airy, modern looking and having decent dining options. But it is markedly slower than the airport it replaced. I have fond memories of arriving from LIM and regularly being outside having a smoke within 8 minutes flat. They also got rid of mandated taxi fares. Both speed and reliable taxis are important to me. Being able to buy a tiny sack of magnetic pebbles, less so
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 11:04 pm
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
That pretty much sounds like JFK/ORD/EWR to me.
SO TRUE! If BOG should be avoided, then ORD should not exist at all.
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Old Dec 11, 2016, 8:28 am
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
That pretty much sounds like JFK/ORD/EWR to me.
I have been successful at avoiding JFK/ORD/EWR for the past 15 years. Your comment confirms I made the right decision.
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