Originally Posted by
Repooc17
Delta has a cheap fare to CTG; with the return flight scheduled an hour from the arrival (less accounting for boarding time)
Has anyone transited there? Would it be realistic to return to the gate prior to boarding the flight back to the US? Assume both flights are operated by the same plane.
As nobody else has answered, I will to the best of my knowledge. I've only flown through CTG once, so my experience is based on that and a lot of experience at other Colombian airports.
CTG is a small airport that would not have a lot of int'l-to-int'l connecting travelers, so I think it is likely that you would have to go through immigration and check in again at the Delta desk. There is a high likelihood that the Delta desk would be deserted by that time. Even if it were not, it would be extremely tight to check in and go through security and the exit immigration process.
Note: You will probably be able to check in for the return flight on line, but the process in Colombia usually requires that you go to the desk even if you have your BP and no luggage as they have to do the security stuff. You might be able to get away with going right back in through security, but then you would have to check in at the boarding gate. They won't be happy that you circumvented the system.
Bottom line: Possibly doable, but very high risk. On the other hand, Cartagena is a great place to visit.