I posted this also in the Avianca forum but any insight from the experts here would also be much appreciated. Thank you.

I am traveling in Feb from Lima to Puerto Maldonado on Avianca Flight AV 809 which has a Refueling Stop in Cusco for 41min. Flight number AV809 is the same for both flights. I will only have Hand Baggage, no Checked Baggage. Later in the week, I have a return flight with Avianca as part of the same ticket.

08:40 LimaJorge Chavez International (LIM)
09:59 CuscoA Velasco Astete International (CUZ) Duration: 01h19m
Airline: Avianca (AV 809) Operated By TRANS AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A320*

Technical Stop 00h41m A Velasco Astete International (CUZ)

10:40 Cusco A Velasco Astete International (CUZ)
11:38 Puerto Maldonado Padre Aldamiz International (PEM) Duration: 00h58m
Airline: Avianca (AV 809) Operated By TRANS AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A320*

My question is:

- Will I get only 1 Boarding Pass for the flight(s) from Lima to Puerto Maldonado (PEM)... or 2 Boarding passes? Do all passengers need to deplane for the Technical Stop at Cusco or those who are going to PEM stay on?
- Can I get off at Cusco? My plans changed. I now have no need to go to Puerto Maldonado on my onward journey.
- If Avianca gives me only 1 Boarding Pass at Lima and allows passengers who are going to PEM to stay on the flight, how will they know that I got off the flight at Cusco?
- Will my getting off at Cusco have any implications on my return flight with Avianca later in the week...i.e. will they cancel the return booking.

As expected, Avianca's official response is I need to redo the ticket. But trying to understand how this will play out before I redo the ticket. Thank you.

TB

Never flown AV 1-stop flights. Other airlines check BPs on disembarking and do a head count and ask people to identify their carry-on luggage to ensure that only those that are expected to get off - get off.

Quick answer is that for any stop, if you do not fly all parts of the outbound they will cancel the return.

This is cross-posted and hopefully the Mods will close or move this in due course.

The answer here is the same as on AV.

This is not a fuel stop, it is a scheduled stop on a route and AV sells tickets on the route. If you are permitted to disembark and do not reboard, the remainder of your ticket, including the return, will be cancelled and will retain whatever value it retains under your fare rules.

AV, just like all carriers, does a head count before departure and compares that to the boarding count it should have. This is done for safety (weight & balance) and security purposes. Having to recalculate the W&B will take a good while and will delay departure. Very unlikely that this passes unnoticed.

As others have told you, you will need to have your ticket reissued to the new destination.

Thanks folks. Appreciate the quick response.

The cheaper option for me would be to just fly to PEM on the existing ticket and get a new one way ticket (PEM to CUZ) and fly back to CUZ on same day immediately after landing. AV809 (CUZ to PEM) turns around in 1hr 20min and comes back as AV808 (PEM to CUZ).

Not sure how PEM airport is set up. Do I need to redo security at PEM if I do the back to back option or can I just be airside and board the same aircraft back? Do you folks think the back to back option would work with AV / PEM? Thank you

TB

If there's weather at CUZ - you'll be SOL.

Understood that weather can throw a monkey wrench but is the back to back even feasible in PEM?

If I recall correctly from my one visit to PEM (which was several years ago), you'll deplane on the tarmac via stairs and be directed into the arrivals area, which is separate from the departures area. I very much doubt you'd be able to talk your way into the departures area of the terminal, meaning in all likelihood you'd have to reclear security. Check-in at PEM was maddeningly slow when I was there, so if you aren't able to obtain your boarding pass in advance for some reason, you'd be in a very difficult spot.

As far as weather goes, on that route I'd be most concerned about the CUZ-PEM leg being delayed enough to impact the turn at PEM -- it's very likely that you'd have less than 1h20m to work with. When I was there, for example, the weather conditions at PEM deteriorated as we were on final approach, no more than 1000ft off the ground. We climbed sharply and headed right back to CUZ, where we sat in the terminal for two hours before reboarding and trying again. When we finally arrived at PEM, the return flight to CUZ began boarding very shortly after everyone had deplaned.

If you end up in PEM after all, for what it's worth, Refugio Amazonas or Posada Amazonas would be well worth a visit (I stayed at the former and my wife's cousins have stayed at the latter).

Thank you Captain Flush. You outline the risk I feared. If the incoming flight into PEM is delayed, that will make the back to back pretty risky.

Am thinking of just taking the back to back risk, with the fall back being that we might have to stay overnight in PEM and take a flight to CUZ next day.

TB