Expert: Juan Carlos Valencia - 7/22/2008

Question
Will be travelling from either Cali to Baranquilla OR Cali to Medellin then to Baranquilla.  Besides Avianca (very expensive) are there local airlines with cheaper fares?  If there are, and they have websites, could you please pass them along?

Answer
Dear Bill,

your question is one that we colombians, keep asking ourselves all the time. Why is it so expensive to travel here by air ? The answer lies in the Avianca monopoly defended by government after government. We've had a few budget carriers trying to enter the scene but they face stiff oposition and encounter a lot of dirty tricks and legislation passed to help Avianca.

There are a few other options and they could be a bit cheaper than Avianca but then, the schedules are not so wide and you must expect delays. Try checking Aerorepublica. You may also check Satena.

But I guess my advice is, resign yourself to the high airline prices, fly with Avianca and try to save on hotels and food.

You may go by land from Cali to Medellin. It does not take too long and the views are amazing. A shared intercity taxi should take 8 hours to travel that route.

Regards

JC