JohnnyColombia

Coolcoil is right, I now need to go fix some tours we sold with pick ups from the wrong terminal

Kacee

I have booked a sub-3 hour D-I connection through Puente Aereo on separate tickets before (and made it), but I'm not sure it's the smartest thing to do. If you get a remote stand arrival from SMR, followed by a wait for the intra-terminal bus, followed by the somewhat confusing walk to the international terminal, and finally the usual BOG chaos at international departures (including the visit to get your exit tax exemption stamp), it could be a problem. So I'd probably suggest a minimum of three hours for that connection.

coolcoil

I'm sitting in the AV lounge in Puente Aereo right now. I just asked the agents here about the bus, and they told me the internal bus runs 24 hours. I do know from my experience with very early morning arrivals that you should be prepared to wait 15-20 minutes for it if you are unlucky in your timing.

drvannostren

Just to clarify for anyone wondering...

AV Flights departing El Dorado - Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, Medellin, Pereira (as of late Oct 2014 and this looks right as of my recent experience).

AV Flights departing Puente Aereo - Armenia, Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja, Cucuta, Florencia, Ibague, Leticia, Manizales, Monteria, Neiva, Pasto, Popayan, Riohacha, San Andres, Santa Marta, Valledupar, Villavicencio, Yopal.

It's still pretty painless though to be honest, I did both systems last week. BGA-BOG-MDE and then MDE-BOG-IAH. Both are pretty easy.

I will say THIS though...upon arrival from Medellin, we parked at a parking stand, not at a gate. So we were bussed to El Dorado, I asked if the bus would stop at Puente and the answer was no, so I had to bus to El Dorado, walk inside, turn around, then walk back outside to a different bus.

That's about the worst thing they can do is when you have to park at a stand. I don't think it happens much now but at the old El Dorado I know flying in on Air Canada I parked out there twice and with 300 people on board it's a real drag.

Kacee

Domestic-domestic (e.g., BGA-BOG-MDE) is not the same as domestic-international. I'd leave at least an hour extra for the international connection. BOG is one of the worst airports I know for navigating an international departure. Especially if you are flying without status.

drvannostren

You'll note though I also included MDE-BOG-IAH.

I can't say I've done international-international. But I've done US/Canada/Mexico-Domestic and vice versa. It used to be bad. But with the major domestic flights having been moved to El Dorado, I breeze through BOG.

Would I allow for a short connection? No effing way. I know customs can be a zoo, but departing is a cake walk imo. I've never seen more than 10 people in line at DIAN exiting the country. The bigger line is usually getting past the 2 security guards outside DIAN, but most of the time those people are just saying goodbye to loved ones, so I walk right past them.

My biggest piece of advice, if at all possible, get your exit stamp elsewhere. I'm not sure if there's anywhere to do that in Bogota outside of the airport (I doubt it) but, if you are coming from any airport that offers it (which I believe would be any airport with international service) then get the stamp there. At MDE, they don't usually give me the option to wait, but they did one day she said I could get the stamp in BOG, but it's better to get it at MDE. That's what I always do, get the stamp done and then transit in Bogota like I've done many times before.

If you've never been there, and/or don't speak Spanish, then obviously you'll need more time. But honestly I walk through BOG on a b-line every time and breeze through El Dorado now, when I need to use Puente Aereo it's slower of course, but still not difficult.

Kacee

Presumably your MDE flight arrived at El Dorado, not P.A.

So there are two reasons I would caution against using that experience as a yardstick here, the second being that OP is transferring from an AV domestic flight to an AA international departure at BOG. Which means he will have to visit the AA check-in counter at BOG and deal with that whole mess. Which can be horrific if you're flying economy without status (although I see OP is EXP which should make things considerably easier).

drvannostren

You always have to allow more time for an international connection. All I'm saying is the airport isn't complicated. It used to be a real pain but it's much more streamlined now than before.

Also any time you switch alliances, have to wait for bags, re-check in etc etc those also all require more time. I'm not saying "oh yea 30 minutes is fine" the timing is up to each individual, all I'm saying is the airport is not hard to navigate and I get through there quickly. Be it P.A or El Dorado, or both.

AlexMC

In the next few days, I'll be flying GRU BOG ADZ in C on the night flight leaving GRU at 01:30am on the 787, which means a very early arrival at BOG.

BOG ADZ has changed the schedule and now departs from Puente Aereo terminal one hour later, almost 10am. That means more than 4 hours at BOG. To be sincere, I haven't noticed the change of terminals before and I was planning to kill some time at the duty free shops of El Dourado before picking my domestic connection, although I know realize that this doesn't make much sense. Any suggestions for a 4 hours connection in BOG? Can I spend some time in the international area before hitting domestic departures? Will my luggage go through ADZ directly?

On the return leg, the problem is the opposite. As I need to be in GRU as early as possible, I'll be flying ADZ BOG LIM GRU, but the connection in BOG (from Puente Aereo to El Dourado) is of 1:25. Is this feasible and safe? Will I have some time to relax or probably not?

Thank you very much in advance!

Alex

coolcoil

AV should transfer your luggage in both directions, so you almost certainly not have to pick it up in BOG either inbound or outbound. That said, sometimes San Andreas gets treated a little differently than the rest of the country, so listen carefully to any announcements in flight about whether you need to pick up. It's unlikely to be the case, but possible.

Somebody may correct me on this, but I think you need to go straight to immigration after deplaning. I don't remember seeing any way to get from the international departures section, where the shops are, to immigration. If nobody else on this forum has definitive information, I would ask at the airport. There are some duty free shops right after immigration and before you leave customs. It is not the same selection as the main shops, but you can pick up liquor and some other stuff. FWIW, I've never seen anything in a duty free shop, except for booze and cigarettes, that I could not buy for the same price elsewhere.

On the return, 1:25 is tight. You should make it, but you won't have time for much else. It is certainly safe, as you take the internal airport bus. You will probably have to collect your tax exemption form, take that to check in to collect your boarding pass, and go through immigration/security.

I say "probably" in the paragraph above because it may be possible to get your tax exemption form at ADZ and get your BP there. I don't think that will be the case, but it's possible.

Kacee

No it's not possible. If entering Colombia, you're kept in a sanitized area.

I wouldn't book that connection. Definite risk of a misconnect. Inbound ground delays are very very common at BOG.

AlexMC

Thank you very much for your comments, coolcoil. I'll search for the tax exemption form at ADZ and inform back here. It might be usefull for future reference.

Thanks, Kacee. It is a legal connection as the system created it but I see your point. There is a later flight leaving from BOG to GRU, in case of misconnection, but this is definietely not the best solution as I'll end up facing another long layover at BOG (+5h). If I take the decision to catch this direct flight, I would prefer to leave ADZ later than I'm leaving now.

Per Brazilian regulation rules, the change AV made on my inbound BOG ADZ entitles me to make any change in a certain timeframe for all the flights in the e-tckt with no penalty. I might change my return to ADZ BOG GRU, as that will give me a programmed time of 1:50 at BOG (and a later depart from ADZ).

Kacee

The new AV lounge at BOG is pretty nice if you're stuck on a layover.

btw, you won't be missing anything at BOG duty free. No bargains there. And San Andres is a special shopping zone within Colombia - the whole island is basically duty free. Although again, you're not going to find any great bargains.

Have a great time in San Andres.

coolcoil

I suspect that even if you can get the form at ADZ, you will still have to present it at check in at BOG to get your BP. I'm pretty sure the airlines are required to have the forms in their hands a the airport from which the international flight departs. That said, get it in ADZ if you can, because that will save you a step at BOG. I recall now that in my pre-resident days I did collect mine at MDE when I was connecting through BOG, but still had to do the BOG check in.

As for the 1:50 connection, there is always a risk of a delay that would make you miss. I inferred from what you said that it would be important for you to make the connection. If you can't afford to miss that later flight, then I would not make the change. Of course if you can afford to take the chance, then by all means, do so. Have a good time in San Andreas!

AlexMC

Thanks! I've been in BOG last november and I agree the lounge is nice - don't know if that was a mistake or because I was flying C, but I was able to reach the Diamond section. Anyway, the duty free might always help to kill some time. As far as I understand there is a nice lounge in Puente Aereo so I'll figure out something...

Well, I just changed my return from ADZ BOG LIM GRU to ADZ LIM GRU on a later flight. In fact, I hope this 1:50 will be enough! If not, AV is going to pay me a nice hotel in BOG!

Two minor downsides: I'll have almost less 1.000 miles in my TK account and I'll have no chance to buy some pisco in LIM (that thing that they sell in LIM airport to mix is quite fair IMO). Thanks again!