How reliable are flights within Peru?
 

Hi! A few questions about air travel in Peru ( we will be there late June)

How early should we get to the airport for domestic flights? Does this differ between the bigger airports like Lima and Cusco and the smaller locations like Puerto Maldonado and Juliaca?

How reliable are these flights? We are flying into Lima and then 7 hours later hopefully flying Star to Puerto Maldonado. There is only one flight per day on this airline so there aren't many options if the flight is cancelled.

Is it true that you should arrive 3 hours before your flight when flying home from Lima?

Thanks! We're just putting together an itinerary and want to make sure we are being realistic about travel times. Also, if this makes a difference, we will be in Peru during Inti Raymi so it will probably be extra crowded :-)

You all have been a big help with planning this trip so far - many thanks.

The Lima airport going back to the USA was the only bad airport experience in our travels in Peru. The lines moved very slowly and u need to go thru several before you get to the flight area. We got to the airport 3.5 hours b4 our flight and needed that much time. We did not experience any problem flying Lima to Arequipa or Arequipa to Cusco. We got to the airport about an hour in adavance of the lfights and that was plenty of time. Our flight Cusco to Arequipa was about an hour late leaving.

We had been warned that flights from Cusco often get cancelled due to weather. The morning we flew from Cusco to Lima all the early morning flights had been cancelled. Our flight which was around 11 am or so was the first flight to go out that day.

The *usual* rule of thumb is that morning flights in and out of Cusco are okay. The winds start to pick up in the afternoon, and there's a better chance those flights could be delayed or cancelled. That's the only airport in the world I've ever been in where they specifically post signs warning you of possible weather delays. We all instinctively know that's a possibility anytime we fly. This airport wants you to know. :) It usually works out though, and the weather is better in June than this time of year.

You should check in three hours before your international flight out of Lima to be on the safe side. The lines move slowly. There's a food court to get something to eat and some nice shops.

My morning flight from Cuzco to Lima was also cancelled. If the afternoon flights from Lima to Cuzco are cancelled the day prior, the first flights in the morning from Cuzco to Lima will not be able to leave until the airplanes arrive in the morning.

As I was using LAN's South American Airpass, I was rescheduled onto the first flight out.

An hour is fine for the inter-Peru flights. From Lima, you do need 3 hours for an international flight.

If you're stuck at Lima airport for a while, try the gelato at "4-D" on the upper level..it was fantastic!

I've mentioned this here before. It's about three years away, but there are plans to move Cusco's airport out to the Sacred Valley, between Chinchero and Urubamba. It will allow for a larger terminal, a longer runway and bigger planes. It would eliminate the funny approach through the mountains and a lot of the weather issues that the current airport has. They're hoping it will even mean direct flights from the United States that could bypass the connection in Lima.

Our flight from Lima to Iquitos was delayed almost 13 hours due to fog. Other flights Lima to Cusco and then to Arequippa went off smoothly. Flights are on time and easy airports to encounter.
Buy your tickets through a local tour agency. They will get them cheaper for you. We used Sun God Peru tour company and dealt with the owner, Alex.
Enjoy...Peru is one of my favorite countries...we've been to over 25.

Will a tour company book flights for you if you aren't using them for anything else? Also, this is off the subject of this post, but can anybody recommend a good company to use as a guide for Inti Raymi?