General Info

[Nypher]

I'm trying to find how time in advance will be a lotted to complete the Colombian migration docs before departure?

Last I flew it was only 24 hours in advance and link was sent from carrier (JetBlue).

I almost missed my last flight because of the difficulties I had at airport trying to complete form at airport -.

If your not to hip with the phones and apps I would make sure you complete this before arrival at airport.

I've never used the link from JetBlue and always went to the site directly.

https://apps.migracioncolombia.gov.c...reregistro.jsf

When you access the site after selecting language and mean of transport the disclaimer pops up letting users know it can be done 72 hours before departure and up to 1 hour before the trip closes.

I usually travel with my laptop and it makes it much easier than doing it on a phone and I normally fill it out the night before the flight before going out to party as I'm usually too messed up to want to do anything in the morning. So the more I do the night before while I'm sober the less I have to worry about I may have forgotten in the morning of when I'm hung over LOL.

I would suggest filling it out 48 hours before your departure date as it gives you one less thing to worry about on departure date.

I've seen many battle this hurdle at the airport in CTG after they pass the passport control and going to the Immigration Officer only to be sent back out to complete it and they are scrambling to try completing it on their phone or don't understand what they are supposed to do.

[Adinga]

I'm trying to find how time in advance will be a lotted to complete the Colombian migration docs before departure?

Last I flew it was only 24 hours in advance and link was sent from carrier (JetBlue).

I almost missed my last flight because of the difficulties I had at airport trying to complete form at airport -.

If your not to hip with the phones and apps I would make sure you complete this before arrival at airport.

[Adinga]

Avianca also charges $45 for a carry on. I purchased over the phone with credit card. The Avianca telecommunications system is a nightmare with 5 of my calls being disconnected in one hour. Its the SOS "please go to the website".

[Cucumber]

Thanks to all who replied to my questions about Southeast Asia vs Colombia. The Colombia thread seems friendly and helpful.

[Elvis 2008]

Thanks all for your insights. My home destination is Denver. Leaving MDE on September 29. I bought the Spirit with 6 h layover in MIA. I know I'll be tired enough to not willing to risk to miss the connection and have to fight during the night to find the a new one. In a 6 h layover I have 3 h for all the security checks and then only 3 h waiting idle on a seat.

Spirit is expensive on bags: Carry-On=$46.20 Checked bag=$40.95. The checked bag is only for 40 lb instead of 50. I guess they hope on travelers error to charge the extra at the airport. The one-way went up to $330, bought directly on their site.

I use Skyscanner for searching, are you aware of any better search engine?

Kayak allows you to do +/- 3 days on fares. It is not better than skyscanner as a search engine but it allows you to find different fares more easily. It also lets you more easily pick two one way fares more easily than skyscanner does.

As for your layover, Miami has a really nice Amex Centurion club, but you need an Amex Platinum to get in, and it is a $695 annual fee, but here is the thing. You can get 4 cards for $865 so you can get them for a little over $200 if you have people you can trust with a credit card.

The food at these clubs is great. They have a full bar, and time flies when you are there. $695 seems like a lot but when you add up all the perks it is quite the value: https://www.cnbc.com/select/is-the-a...inum-worth-it/.

The real kicker though is the points offer up front. https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-ca...rd/100k-offer/.

So if you use the card and get the points, that will pay for anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks of a free stay at a nice hotel in Colombia. In essence, you are paying nothing for the card the first year.

Unfortunately, FLL does not have a centurion club like Miami.

Amex allows you a credit on baggage fees, but Spirit, Avianca, and Viva are not a part of their network, so you are stuck with those fees even if you use Amex. I have gotten around baggage fees by using a United credit card for United flights and having gold status with American in addition to having the Amex card. Thing is that even with the baggage fees Spirit and Viva are often way cheaper. Avianca seems just as expensive as the American airlines.

If you can get the global entry, do it. With the included TSA precheck and global entry, I get through security at most airports in less than 5 minutes and through American customs in less than 2.

If you travel more than 3 times a year, these perks are well worth it. They seem expensive until you are in a crowded airport for hours at a time.

[Fun Luvr]

Thanks all for your insights. My home destination is Denver. Leaving MDE on September 29. I bought the Spirit with 6 h layover in MIA. I know I'll be tired enough to not willing to risk to miss the connection and have to fight during the night to find the a new one. In a 6 h layover I have 3 h for all the security checks and then only 3 h waiting idle on a seat.

Spirit is expensive on bags: Carry-On=$46.20 Checked bag=$40.95. The checked bag is only for 40 lb instead of 50. I guess they hope on travelers error to charge the extra at the airport. The one-way went up to $330, bought directly on their site.

I use Skyscanner for searching, are you aware of any better search engine?

Copa has a flight on September 29 for $392, which includes seat selection, carry-on bag, and one checked bag (50 lbs). You also get a hot meal. Connection is in Panama.

[Arthur62]

But only if you buy the Blue fare for about an extra 70/80 bucks. The base ticket called Blue Basic does not include any of that.

Thanks all for your insights. My home destination is Denver. Leaving MDE on September 29. I bought the Spirit with 6 h layover in MIA. I know I'll be tired enough to not willing to risk to miss the connection and have to fight during the night to find the a new one. In a 6 h layover I have 3 h for all the security checks and then only 3 h waiting idle on a seat.

Spirit is expensive on bags: Carry-On=$46.20 Checked bag=$40.95. The checked bag is only for 40 lb instead of 50. I guess they hope on travelers error to charge the extra at the airport. The one-way went up to $330, bought directly on their site.

I use Skyscanner for searching, are you aware of any better search engine?

[LatinaLover#1]

Not true at all. I flew JetBlue Monday last week from Cuba to Fort Lauderdale, FL and a carry-on bag was included. I did not have to pay for it and it was and international flight. I also flew Viva from Medellin to Miami and carry-on was included. Spirit does charge for carry-on as well as Frontier.

But only if you buy the Blue fare for about an extra 70/80 bucks. The base ticket called Blue Basic does not include any of that.

[MongerHunger]

Flew a lot on Jetblue they had good fares and did a great job but now under the new regulations they have become another Spirit. Pay for everything, carry on, check bag international, pay for a seat etc.

Not true at all. I flew JetBlue Monday last week from Cuba to Fort Lauderdale, FL and a carry-on bag was included. I did not have to pay for it and it was and international flight. I also flew Viva from Medellin to Miami and carry-on was included. Spirit does charge for carry-on as well as Frontier.

[LatinaLover#1]

If you are near a city serviced by Copa, you might try them. I think all their flights have a connection in Panama, but I haven't had any problems there. I have flown more than 30 trips on Copa to Medellin during the past six and a half years. I don't think Copa makes any connections in the US, so that possible headache is avoided.

I like Copa and they are a member of the Mileage plus program which is always a good plus. Prices from the mid-atlantic area are crazy high sometimes. I used to be a card carrying member on Continental RIP but for the last decade or so I look for the best deal without any loyalty to any airline. Flew a lot on Jetblue they had good fares and did a great job but now under the new regulations they have become another Spirit. Pay for everything, carry on, check bag international, pay for a seat etc. Air travel was once fun and reasonable, no more.

[Fun Luvr]

I'm going back to Bogota next month and I will choose driving a long to the airport and paying double for a direct flight to Colombia to avoid all the shit. Good Luck.

If you are near a city serviced by Copa, you might try them. I think all their flights have a connection in Panama, but I haven't had any problems there. I have flown more than 30 trips on Copa to Medellin during the past six and a half years. I don't think Copa makes any connections in the US, so that possible headache is avoided.

[RacShack]

Is a layover 1 H 40 m in Fort Lauderdale enough for passport control and for taking the connection?

Medellin to FLL to Denver with Spirit.

My other option has layover for 6 h 41 m, not nice, but no risk to miss the connection.

Thank you.

Your flying spirit and flying from Fort Lauderdale, good luck, but once you get their it's all worth it! Travel safe have fun! If not book yet do jet blue from fll, worth its weight in gold!

[LatinaLover#1]

I definitely don't want to spend 6 hours in FLL. If the flight leaving MDE is on time, you should be okay with 1 hour 40 min. The problem you can run into is going back through check-in after going through immigration and customs. Sometimes that line extends out onto the sidewalk for a ways. It has been many years since I went through FLL. The times I went through there, getting your bags, then re-checking them was very slow.

Been through FLL many times but not for the last year or so. Lots of construction going on but it has been one of my least favorite connections. The passport control area is archaic if it hasn't been updated yet, with lots of foreigners passing through. A bit of a walk, with your checked baggage in tow to get to connecting flights. As was mentioned, you need to go up the escalator and pass through TSA again to get to your gate. My girl returned to Colombia twice in the last 3 months nd both trips were a night mare. What should have been a 7 hour trip back to El Dorado from the east coast took almost 48 hours both times, with a closure of DFW for a 1 hour storm, refueling in bum fuck west Texas airport, only to miss her connecting flight back to Bogota, had to sleep overnight in DFW and then a new connection to Mia and finally an evening flight to Bogota, arrive at 1 AM the third day. And this was just on the last trip 3 weeks ago, the one before that was another similar disaster. There is so much disarray in air travel nowadays you can't count on anything. Also the time of day is important, if it's not a first flight for the day it gets very dicy. Afternoon thunder storms are frequent in S Florida so more possibilities to get fucked over. Under the current situation in air travel I would opt for the safer long layover. You want to talk about long. , try the line at the help desk trying to get rebooked on a missed or cancelled flight. I'm going back to Bogota next month and I will choose driving a long to the airport and paying double for a direct flight to Colombia to avoid all the shit. Good Luck.

[Fun Luvr]

Is a layover 1 H 40 m in Fort Lauderdale enough for passport control and for taking the connection?

Medellin to FLL to Denver with Spirit.

My other option has layover for 6 h 41 m, not nice, but no risk to miss the connection.

Thank you.

I definitely don't want to spend 6 hours in FLL. If the flight leaving MDE is on time, you should be okay with 1 hour 40 min. The problem you can run into is going back through check-in after going through immigration and customs. Sometimes that line extends out onto the sidewalk for a ways. It has been many years since I went through FLL. The times I went through there, getting your bags, then re-checking them was very slow.

[Chicago85]

In Medellin chicks whoar off facebook. Foreigners search for and add the hookers to their friends list before they arrive, then when they get there they call the girl to come over for a session and / or to hangout for no less than 150,000 pesos. In Bogota the facebook hooker deal is not a thing.

100% agree with Mr. E. I've tried, but have never found the FB dynamic to work anywhere else to level it does in MDE. Not Bogota, Cali, Barranquilla, Panama City, the DR, or CR. It's ridiculously easy.