Medellin weekend - which airport?
Jul 19, 2016, 2:52 am
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
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Medellin weekend - which airport?
i want to start a trip (primarily) to Bogota with a weekend in Medellin. First time in Colombia so I'm looking forward to it.
I arrive BOG at 08:00-ish and note that I van fly to Medellin's mainstream airport, using serious aircraft and getting frequent flyer miles - or I can do a quirky flight on a rubber-band job with Satena into the downtown airport.
I'm guess it's a bit like the Rio de Janeiro set-up.
Question for those in the know is about the downsides and upsides of the choice. The fares seem about the same, but I'd imagine the transfer to my hotel from EOH will be way faster and much cheaper than it would be from MDE. The unknown (for me) is reliability, time-keeping cancellations etc.
Any views from the forum?
I arrive BOG at 08:00-ish and note that I van fly to Medellin's mainstream airport, using serious aircraft and getting frequent flyer miles - or I can do a quirky flight on a rubber-band job with Satena into the downtown airport.
I'm guess it's a bit like the Rio de Janeiro set-up.
Question for those in the know is about the downsides and upsides of the choice. The fares seem about the same, but I'd imagine the transfer to my hotel from EOH will be way faster and much cheaper than it would be from MDE. The unknown (for me) is reliability, time-keeping cancellations etc.
Any views from the forum?
Jul 20, 2016, 7:06 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,511
This would be a tough call for me. Though I live in Medellin, I have never used EOH. Overall, things will probably go smoother flying into MDE. There are a zillion flights daily, so if something goes wrong it's easy to be re-accommodated. Also, I feel much safer in a real jet then a puddle jumper. That said, I think it would be neat to fly over the city and land right in the center at least one time. And yes, you would save about 30 minutes and 50,000 pesos. If you don't mind risking a potential delay, I'd give it a try.
Jul 24, 2016, 4:14 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Medellín
Programs: LH SEN | UA 1K
Posts: 77
Frequent flyer miles for a trip that lasts only 30 minutes? Really? Take a Vivacolombia flight for 99.000 peos and simply find a taxi guy that gives you a ride for 60.000 pesos wherever in the city you want (most guys will try to drop you off at San Diego)
Jul 24, 2016, 4:51 pm
#4
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
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The flight is scheduled at over one-hour, covers 130 or so miles and earns 500 M&M miles round-trip. Not a king's ransom, but better than nothing.
I'd checked VivaColombia, and five weeks' out, they are COP130K against 150K for Avianca or very slightly more on Satena.
For me, avoiding additional charges for bags on a South American version of Ryanair, gaining 500 frequent-flyer miles and a measure of comfort in Avianca's lounges while getting fast-tracked is worth the additional £5
The question was solely one of time-saving and dependability between Satena and Avianca: thanks to Coolcoil I received a helpful reply.
In the end, I've given up on Avianca's *A advantages for the joy of flying into the downtown airport on a turbo-prop.