International transit @ BOG
#16
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
Not stuck if you arrive CTG on international flights: Sunwing, jetBlue, Spirit, Copa, Avianca. I keep looking as that as arrival to SA to have some fun time in Cartegena, Cafe del Mar for sunset beverages, before moving on southward but have yet to see anything that makes sense. One day though...
#17
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
Yea, I've looked at that too, but often the price to get to CTG, then getting myself to MDE is another night and then $100 or more so I might as well just pay the $80 and be done with it haha.
#18
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,624
You can still call it BS of course because as you point out, Colombians are getting a biometric check and in return they are doing nothing apart from setting up a booth to take your money. I presume it is 80 USD because CAD is not worth anything any more and probably the booth would be loss making.
I do not need to get a biometric check if I want to go to Canadia, I can just turn up I think, so maybe that is what rubbed the Colombians up the wrong way, they may have felt that they could swallow the visa fee but not the added inconvenience. It could even be that there was a clash of personalities between the Canadian embassy and the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, maybe even a love triangle that ended badly. Who knows?
I don't know why they picked on the Canadians. If you happen to be in Barranquilla and you want a USA visa I do not know whether it is possible to do it at their consulate up there, otherwise USA visa applicants have to come to Bogot too.
Reciprocal visa fees are inherently fair and just, but a country with a developing tourism industry and plenty of minerals probably ought to have thought it through better before sticking it to the Canadians
#19
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
LOL with you about the decline of the Cdn dollar. But it is pretty... and plastic, no?
The reciprocity fee is 160000 COP. I do not argue that Colooombia has the right to impose any silly fee they want to discourage Canadian tourism. The bs part is they claim the fee is for Canadians to use the Platinum System. Gosh, thanks. This Platinun System is simply to designate (not create) the last booth at the far end to collect the 160000 for doing what they do at any of the booths, excepting collecting the mandatory charge to use that booth.
160.000 (ciento sesenta mil pesos colombianos) por el uso de la Plataforma nica de Informacin Migratoria (Sistema Platinum) que utiliza Migracin Colombia durante el proceso de control...
bs
The reciprocity fee is 160000 COP. I do not argue that Colooombia has the right to impose any silly fee they want to discourage Canadian tourism. The bs part is they claim the fee is for Canadians to use the Platinum System. Gosh, thanks. This Platinun System is simply to designate (not create) the last booth at the far end to collect the 160000 for doing what they do at any of the booths, excepting collecting the mandatory charge to use that booth.
160.000 (ciento sesenta mil pesos colombianos) por el uso de la Plataforma nica de Informacin Migratoria (Sistema Platinum) que utiliza Migracin Colombia durante el proceso de control...
bs
#20
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
Yea I love the "platinum" name its so goofy. At least with the peso drop it's cheaper, I think after conversion I paid $71 last week, instead of the near $90 it started at.
I'm hopeful to get a visa one day, I just don't have any grounds for one currently.
I'm hopeful to get a visa one day, I just don't have any grounds for one currently.
#21
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,624
The bs part is they claim the fee is for Canadians to use the “Platinum System”. Gosh, thanks. This Platinun System is simply to designate (not create) the last booth at the far end to collect the 160000 for doing what they do at any of the booths, excepting collecting the mandatory charge to use that booth.
According to Stephen Harper who is apparently the King of Canada or something. It is to "stop terrorism" So given that "por motivos de seguridad" is the excuse for everything in Colombia, one would have to ask oneself who is trolling/reciprocating whom?
I am all for it. I would half like my country to reciprocate the ESTA questions and $14 fee for Americans
a) Between the years of 1775 and 1783 were you a combatant engaged against Great Britain in the American War of Independence?
b) Spell aluminium
c) etc.
If you do get a visa one day, then be sure to do it in Bogot- The Bogot offices of Migracin Colombia are in "Platinum House." Imagine that, a hole building of fila preferente and not just for Canadians.
#22
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
Actually, I agree with you.
I tried fact checking if Colooombians could get the biometric data done elsewhere other than Bogota. Maybe it seemed at Medallin, but the Canadian website was so terrible I gave up. Feeling sorry for anyone in Colombia trying to navigate that morass... with no Spanish version! It did show various VAC sites thoughout the country though.
Back to topic. To add ironic humour to my story about paying the fee to get my bag because on separate tix. The guy at the Platinum line with the silver tongue was sympathic and said he would raise the issue with his titanium boss (the issue of me being in transit yet he had to collect the fee even though they advertize Canadians are exempt if in transit). He suggested I just go back and use the in transit short cut and ask AV to fetch my bag for me. I did so. Got through the in transit secuity no problem. AV just laughed me. So I returned, paid the fee, went down for my bag – it wasn't there. LAN had left it in MIA! So all for naught.
I am thinking next time I'll just make sure my bag is tagged all the way to destination and simply abandon it in BOG, use in transit shortcut, and at destination claim my bag never showed up in BOG (can happen, did happen).
I tried fact checking if Colooombians could get the biometric data done elsewhere other than Bogota. Maybe it seemed at Medallin, but the Canadian website was so terrible I gave up. Feeling sorry for anyone in Colombia trying to navigate that morass... with no Spanish version! It did show various VAC sites thoughout the country though.
Back to topic. To add ironic humour to my story about paying the fee to get my bag because on separate tix. The guy at the Platinum line with the silver tongue was sympathic and said he would raise the issue with his titanium boss (the issue of me being in transit yet he had to collect the fee even though they advertize Canadians are exempt if in transit). He suggested I just go back and use the in transit short cut and ask AV to fetch my bag for me. I did so. Got through the in transit secuity no problem. AV just laughed me. So I returned, paid the fee, went down for my bag – it wasn't there. LAN had left it in MIA! So all for naught.
I am thinking next time I'll just make sure my bag is tagged all the way to destination and simply abandon it in BOG, use in transit shortcut, and at destination claim my bag never showed up in BOG (can happen, did happen).
#23
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
Colombian Candian Reciprocity fee tests
Given the information about reciprocity fee in transit exemptions are not well explained, I've tried to test the new system to glean more info.
Had a LIM-BOG-CTG trip. Went to the normal immigration line, not the Platinum line. She noticed the Canadian passport and I told her yes, but Canadians are exempt if going to CRT as per the announcement on website. Nope, you need the sticker. Oh, I have one and handed her a sticker from previous trip (they are all the same and no dates). Temporary pause then the teflon lady called over the silver tongued guy from the Platinum line and the jig was up. I am amassing a collection of those stickers.
Had a LIM-BOG-CTG trip. Went to the normal immigration line, not the Platinum line. She noticed the Canadian passport and I told her yes, but Canadians are exempt if going to CRT as per the announcement on website. Nope, you need the sticker. Oh, I have one and handed her a sticker from previous trip (they are all the same and no dates). Temporary pause then the teflon lady called over the silver tongued guy from the Platinum line and the jig was up. I am amassing a collection of those stickers.
#24
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
Bottom line is that whatever you think about the fairness of reciprocity fees, it is clearly unfair to charge a Canadian in transit at BOG the fee, no? They are doing that if on separate tix.
#25
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,624
a) Instinctively I am inclined to agree with you that Canadians that are not visiting Colombia should be able to transit without paying the fee. Do you actually pay the fee or only if you do some Bingo shenanigans? If you come MIA LIM via BOG on AV would you actually have to go through immigration?
b) Second answer is one of reciprocation again. Can Colombians transit through Toronto for free? If the answer is no, then in the spirit of reciprocation, I could see why Canadians would not be allowed to transit through BOG for free, but I suspect if Canadians were prevented from going YYZ SAL BOG LIM then AV might complain to someone.
#26
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
Well now, there you go, showing off how clear thinking you are.
I hadn't looked at it that way, just instinctively thought. So I checked. Colombians need a visa to transit Canada. So your thinking works. So all I am left with is that at BOG they do not have to but they have promised to allow me to transit without fee. Which I can if all on one tix, not if separate tix (if no interlining).
(Also checked if Colombians have to go to Bogota for the biometrics. They do not! ... they could alternatively go to Medallin LOL)
I hadn't looked at it that way, just instinctively thought. So I checked. Colombians need a visa to transit Canada. So your thinking works. So all I am left with is that at BOG they do not have to but they have promised to allow me to transit without fee. Which I can if all on one tix, not if separate tix (if no interlining).
(Also checked if Colombians have to go to Bogota for the biometrics. They do not! ... they could alternatively go to Medallin LOL)