traveler1323

I will be flying from Buenos Aires to New York with the following ticket: EZE (Buenos Aires) -> LIM (Lima) -> MIA (Miami) -> LGA (NYC). I have several questions:

1. Will I have to go through immigrations/customs in Lima?
2. Will I be able to re-check my bags easily (aka, at customs) if I do have to go through customs in Lima?
2. Will I have to pay a fee to enter Peru, if there is one? (I am a U.S. citizen.)

I know I will have to go through customs in Miami. So, what I am thinking now is that I will have to claim my baggage after each of my three flights. Is that correct?

jmday4

I guess it depends on whether your ticket is booked as EZE to LGA and if it's all on one carrier or at least code-share carriers.
I haven't done this trip but when I've flown from say BEY-BOS with a layover and plane switch at CDG, I've never had to go through customs, just straight to the next terminal and through security again to the gate. I didn't see my bags until BOS and went through customs there...
I bet the first time you'll see your bags will probably be in Miami and you'll go through customs there before you board your flight for LGA...
also, I would bet that you won't have to pay a fee to enter Lima if you don't leave the secure area at the airport, but I don't know for sure...
Good luck!

sharie

I had the same questions as 1 and 2 for my trip - email the airline and they will respond to you

Jeff_Costa_Rica

If this is all on one ticket, your bags should be checked all the way through to LGA. The first time you'll see them is at international baggage claim in MIA when you have to go through U.S. Customs, but immediately after that there should be a counter where you drop them off again with your airline. At that point, you'll have left the secure area and will have to go through security again to get to your gate for your last flight.

You'll never officially enter Peru, so just go to your transfer gate at LIM. That part will be easy. No baggage claim, no customs, no airport fees, no airport security.

Of course, you do claim your bags at LGA.

gail

Jeff - I thought I had this figured out and now I am even more confused. You gave me a wonderful explanation in past for bags to/from EZE from Boston via IAD/Dulles. How are bags, in above question, checked all the way thru to LGA if you have to pick them up in MIA and go thru Customs? That sounds like they are checked to MIA and then re-checked to LGA. I may be doomed to be permanently confused on this bags and Customs issue

Jeff_Costa_Rica

The bag is checked all the way through to the final destination and in this case will have a tag that says LGA. But since everyone has to clear customs and immigration at their first port of entry in the United States, the bags get unloaded from the plane at MIA. Every passenger has to retreive them and go through customs with theirs. (The OP's bag will still have an LGA tag on it.) After exiting customs, there's a baggage transfer counter to just drop that bag off. (Not the airport check-in counters.) The OP does that, goes back through airport security and to the gate for the final flight to New York.

Many countries don't make you do this. The U.S. does.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I suppose it's a matter of semantics and how you define "checked through."

traveler1323

Thanks for the wonderful explanation, Jeff!

traveler1323

One more question: Will I have to go through customs a second time when I arrive at LGA?

kayd

No immigration and customs at LGA -- you are on a domestic flight from Florida to New York.