Con Avion - By Plane, Lima

It seemed to me that the basis of travel in Peru is by overnight. Those Andean passes take some getting through and those journey times are long, slow and usually at the most anti social hours of the day.

I took a look at air travel and the cheapest internal flights I seen by miles were peruvian airlines. I took a flight with them from Lima to Arequipa and it took 1.5 hours.

I took ill on the day of the flight and I have to say Peruvian were great with me. I rang them 3 times to change the flight date / time. Twice it was free, the 3rd time I had to pay for the difference in the price of the available seat I was taken.

Note their website is not .com, its .pe.

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Lima airport Jorge Chavez has been completely renovated. It opened it's new facilities 2 february 2005, I arrived there on that day, the first day it was in operation.....In the depature lounge all is modern and efficient, roomy, gates with jetways, plenty of shops and a bar. Yes, a complete change from the years before....Now, in January 2009, also the immigration procedures when arriving have very much improved, no more waiting in line for 1 hour (not exaggerating!). All the previous misery is over now. But when you get outside it is still chaotic. Not only all the people waiting for their loved ones. That is latin custom, get used to that. In fact I think it is quite moving. But the taxis. Chaotic. (Bogota airport is much better organised in that aspect). Best is to have your hotel or someone you know to meet you.
I arrived (and departed) at (from) Lima airport from international and domestic flights many times.
Departing Lima internationally can sometimes be trysome. First the security/drugs checks, then the check-in. Long lines because there are only 3 or max. 4 check-in desks open. That happens with every airline, Iberia, KLM, Avianca, you name it. So that's not the airport's fault....
Look at my Peru-transportation page for info on domestic flights.
Info January 2009

There is free Wifi throughout the airport provided by Telefonica but electrical outlets are scarce until you pass through immigration and reach the boarding gates.

At the entrance to the nice 4D Cafe on the second floor across from Starbucks you will find a single American style three prong plug outlet. The cafe provides there own secured Wifi(password "aereo") which you can enjoy if you buy a drink or icecream.

There is also a nice big food court on the second floor before you pass through immigration which is also available to non passengers which has McDonalds, Papa John's Pizza, Chinese, local fast food and more... but the prices are 2x and 3x higher than the rest of Peru.

The dining choice is much more limited once you pass through immigration(sandwiches, empanadas, and other snacks).

There are several Duty Free shops that accept a combination of US$ and any left over change in Soles which you might want to get rid of.

The departure tax(US$ only) is US$30 and they give you change in US$.

I paid 20 Soles total for a random taxi from the Plaza De Armas in historic Lima to the airport without haggling and there was no traffic delay all the way.

There only appears to be one international flight an hour so the security and immigration lines were non existant when I passed through on a Wednesday afternoon but there was a 10 minute wait at the departure tax counter before you pass through security and immigartions.

There is a nice view of the ocean once you reach the boarding gates.

All in all Lima has a great airport!

There is free Wifi throughout the airport provided by Telefonica but electrical outlets are scarce.

At the entrance to the nice 4D Cafe on the second floor across from Starbucks you will find a single American style three prong plug outlet. The cafe provides there own secured Wifi(password "aereo") which you can enjoy if you buy a drink or ice cream.

There is also a nice big food court on the second floor which has McDonalds, Papa John's Pizza, Chinese, local fast food and more... but the prices are 2x and 3x more than normal.

I paid 20 Soles total for a random taxi from the Plaza De Armas in historic Lima to the airport without haggling and there was no traffic delay all the way.

Ok, I notice that the bus rides takes 9 hours and that flights ranged from anywhere between 135 dollars and up.
We will most likely be flying, is it cheaper to buy the ticket at the airport in Lima or better to buy before showing up to the country?

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AEROCONDOR - I like this Peruvian airline very much - Tickets are cheaper than other companies and service is very nice. I made friends in the company.

If you want to fly in the routes Cusco, Arequipa, Iquitos, Tacna, Cajamarca, and fly over enigmatic Nazca Lines, please contact with me, It will be a pleasure to make the reservations, and all Travel Arrangements.

Most major US carriers have direct flights from Miami, Houston, Dallas, New York and Los Angeles. They are usually overnight flights. Here is a photo of the final approach to Lima's airport on a foggy day.

When landing at Jorge Chavez airport, one of the first things you'll notice is that you aren't going up to the gate. No jetway extends from the terminals in front of you, as in the illustrations on the airport's web site (there's a reason they're just drawings). Instead, tall staircases are placed beside the jet's front and back doors, and passengers disembark down the stairs, where they are loaded onto buses. The buses take you to the "under construction" international area - which apparently has been under construction for a decade. Once you're through customs, you'll be greeting by a throng of thousands. Huge families of Peruvians come to meet (or see off) a single traveler.

This is all actually the case when arriving and leaving for domestic flights, as well.

Keep this setup in mind for timing - after you're called to the "gate", you still have to take a bus ride to the plane sitting out on the tarmac, so get to the gate early (and beforehand, take advantage of the business class VIP lounge if you can - it's air conditioned). Also remember that there's about a US$5 domestic/$25 international airport tax payable in a separate area before going through security.

Flying is the most practical option. Lima is not located near a border, and while there are buses that run along the coast, they tend to be slow, overcrowded and not that reliable. And unless you're coming from somewhere on the coast, flying is your only option given the mountainous terrain that separates the jungle from the ocean.
Cabs are usually easy to catch and are very cheap compared with the US and Europe. If you're going somewhere and not sure of the location, this is probably your best option.
If you do have a general idea of how to get somewhere, you might also catch a bus. They're very frequent and cheap, although they don't look much like the buses I'm used to, more like a large van. If you want to get off somewhere, just yell out and the driver will pull over (and if he can't, he'll let you out in the middle of the street!). Buses are not the most pleasant means of transportation since they really pack you in, but it's a good way to meet people.

Flying is the best way to travel to and from Lima. Inter-Peruvian flights are inexpensive. Travel by car can be dangerous depending on the time of day you go and which travel routes you drive. Trains are very slow and bounce around a lot.
Taxi--set the price beforehand and get a phone number so you can call the same driver to pick you up later in the day.