JC1976

I changed my ticket to Copa since I know from experience that international connections don't need to pass through immigration at PTY. Copa's counter was next to AV so I asked was told that I would not need to pass immigration at BOG if I have an international connection.
What erks me is why the supervisors at cs can't answer this question nor can they call anyone at the counter at the airport. Really terrible
What I do like is their site has covid restrictions info if making connecting flights.

Etheereal

You did well. BOG airport has generally bad weather, specially at night. And as of late we've been in a very rainy/thunderstorm season, so you'd have been very delayed on the inboud or outbound, and at risk of losing your connection.

benitz8

Hello.

As part of a RTW ticket, my wife and I will be flying into Bogota on Avianca from Madrid arriving 04:50am. I plan to purchase a separate Bogota to Rio de Janeiro ticket departing 07:20am. This makes for a 2:20 international-international connection.

I would like to ask if Avianca agents in Madrid will check our bags through to Rio de Janiero even though they are separate tickets, since both will be Avianca operated flights.

Should they check the bags though, we should not need to pass through immigration in Bogota since we are not entering Colombia, right?

Any real world experience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

YULJetSet

Air Canada wouldn’t interline my connecting ticket bag on Avianca from BOG to CTG. Is there a special connection bag drop when I collect my non-interlined bag after clearing customs in BOG? Or do I need to exit the security zone, carry my bag to the domestic check in - and recheck it - and go through domestic security? Any help would be appreciated.

YULJetSet

Made it. No special bag drop line for connections after clearing immigration, picking up bag and customs. Had to exit arrivals section and take elevator up to departures. Luckily domestic and intl in same building/terminal. automated bag tagging and drop off at Avianca domestic counter was quick, as was domestic security.

the main time sucker was massive line for Colombian immigration on arrival in BOG. Desperately and persistently made our way to the front by begging other passengers to cut line so to not miss connection (due to late arrival by arriving 1st flight by 2h). Kindness of strangers.

paranoiatx

When arriving into BOG, it's my understanding that there is a path for intl connections to stay airside and not go through Colombian immigration. Does that involve an extra boarding pass and/or security check? Or do you just end up in the intl area like at many Schengen airports?

My actual connection will be to CTG, but I have a 5:45am arrival and would like to hit up the Wait N' Rest (which is in the intl area), then take a connection later in the morning.

Follow-up question: If there IS a boarding pass check and I were to book a dummy flight to get through that, is there a path to EXIT the intl area? In some countries doing that is highly irregular and requires an escort (Japan for example).

SK AAR

Just to understand your inquiry correctly: You have a int. flight to BOG and onward domestic flight to CTG? Why do you think you can remain airside? There are no domestic flights from the international part of the terminal (domestic and international flights are separated), so upon arrival BOG you follow the crowds for immigration and enter Colombia in BOG. If your bag is checked to BOG only, you pick up the bag at the luggage carousels, exit through customs and proceed upstairs in the landside part of the terminal to the check-in counters + boarding pass and security checks to enter the domestic part of the terminal. If your bags are checked through to CTG, you pick-up the bag at CTG, but you still clear immigration in BOG and proceeds through BP and security checks to get into the domestic airside part.

I suggest that you don't book a dummy ticket just to get access to int. airside part of the terminal. Not worth the hassle and I'm not convinced that the Colombian security staff or officials will approve of such conduct; you don't want to get into troubles in Colombia.

paranoiatx

I understand the normal flow and that in order to get to my connecting flight I will go through immigration, exit security and re-clear security in the domestic area. There will not be any checked bags.

There are many airports where, upon deplaning, you end up in the intl boarding area with access to all the stores, lounges, etc that a departing pax would have access to. This is common in EU/Schengen for example. If you are connecting intl, you simply go to your next gate or to connect to a domestic flight you make your way to immigration and "exit" the intl area. I'm basically trying to determine if this is possible in BOG and if I can simply delay going through immigration for a few hours.

yvr1971

Being through BOG airport on connecting flights many times, I can say that if you arrive on an international flight you cannot take the "International Flight Connections" route if you are connecting to a domestic flight. The reason, is that if you were you exit the arrival corridor for international arrivals, and then attempt to go upstairs (bypass customs) there will be someone there to want to see your onward boarding pass for the international flight. Even if you could get past this checkpoint, once in the International departures area, there is no way to get back to the international arrivals corridor to clear customs and then go to your domestic flight.

On a side note, there are plenty of things see and do on the domestic councourses (shopping, restaurant, lounges).

SK AAR

All correct, but BOG airport is not like such airports in EU/it doesn't work like this.

paranoiatx

Thanks for the replies/clarifications! I expected the above answers, but was just making sure.

The hope was to go to the "Wait N' Rest" and get a few hours of sleep on an actual bed. Do any of the domestic lounges have daybeds? (My research says no.)

yvr1971

None of the AV lounges have day beds unfortunately