Which return flight ticket to Colombia is fully refundable?

Hi there,

I’m flying to Bogotá with a one-way ticket in early January. A friend told me that I’ll likely have trouble boarding in France if I can’t show a return (or onward) flight out of Colombia. He was in the same situation but from the US and had to buy one at the airport before leaving.

So, I’m thinking of buying a ticket that I can get refunded once I’m there. Are there still airlines that offer full refunds without any reason? Is there a legal timeframe within which I can do this?

Thanks!

Levelo.

Hi there,

To return with a one-way ticket, Colombia must allow it, or you need to comply with their requirements (visa, financial proof, etc.).

Yes, there are refundable fares, but make sure to check the conditions—those are obviously the most expensive. Consider booking an exit ticket from Colombia to another country. You can check options, for example, on the Avianca website.

The issue will likely come up at check-in for the flight to Colombia, in my home country, at the airline counter.

I can (and will) buy this exit ticket, but I’m trying to find out about refund legislation here in the EU. In the US, there’s a 5-day cooling-off period for a full refund (free cancellation with no justification needed).

L.

The right of withdrawal does not apply in France for the purchase of flight tickets.

Parliamentary question | Consumer rights when purchasing airline tickets | E-001772/2022 | European Parliament

So, make sure to carefully check the ticket sales conditions. For example, on Avianca for this Bogotá/Lima flight on February 12th, there are 3 fares but only one is refundable. It’s worth looking into other destinations where it might be cheaper.

Hello,

I’m flying to Bogotá with a one-way ticket in early January. A friend told me that I’ll likely have trouble boarding in France if I can’t show a return (or onward) flight from Colombia. He was in the same situation but flying from the US and had to buy one at the airport before departure. So, the idea is to buy a ticket that I can get fully refunded once I’m there. Are there still airlines that offer full refunds with no questions asked? Is there a legal timeframe for doing this? Thanks.

Levelo.

Hey, you can rent a continuation ticket that’ll be canceled afterward. This service costs 19 € on this reliable site: https://onewayfly.com/

If you were worried about losing money, you could buy the cheapest flight ticket from Colombia to a neighboring country.

@Erjome: Thanks a lot for those details. That’s exactly the info I was looking for (I’ll admit, digging through airline regulations and purchase terms is exhausting in advance 🤪). Avianca seems like a good idea because if there’s an issue with canceling, I’ll be on-site to handle it. However, for the flight you mentioned, it clearly says that "refund" is "allowed with restrictions," without specifying what those are...

@Mithron: I already used one of those sites that sell "real fake tickets" last year to get to Buenos Aires with a one-way. They didn’t ask for it either when boarding in France or upon arrival in Argentina, and thankfully so—it was just a basic piece of paper with my name and flight details (no QR code to scan, which would’ve made it look sketchy to me).

@Pierroro: I’ve thought about it, but it’s really a last resort.

However, for the flight you mentioned, it does say "refund is allowed with restrictions," without specifying what those are...

To be safe, don’t hesitate to contact Avianca.

I looked up the details on Avianca’s website.

From Colombia, you can’t cancel ("withdrawal") a flight in any fare class except the most expensive one (Business) up to 5 days before departure, which costs around 500 € one-way, with a minimum 10% loss on the price. The site mentions the option to buy cancellation insurance, but there are no details...

L.

hi there,

I’m leaving for Bogotá with a one-way ticket in early January.

why leave with a one-way ticket? What everyone knows is that a one-way ticket costs as much as a round-trip one. Then, once you arrive in Colombia—let’s say Bogotá—you risk getting sent back to square one. After that, you’re free to do what you want...

The idea would be to buy a ticket that I could get refunded once I’m there.

when it comes to flight pricing, most airlines charge penalties. So yeah, unless you go for a premium fare, I don’t see another option. You’ve been warned...

Hi, I don’t know if you’ve already looked into the possibility of crossing from Colombia to Panama with your bike, but a long time ago I went to Sapzurro on the Caribbean coast near the Panama border. A great place far from everything... There were boats that made the crossing between Sapzurro and Panama. I can’t remember the name of the town on the Panama coast anymore. https://monvoyageencolombie.com/capurgana-perle-caraibe-colombie/

Hi there,

I’ve just spent a lot of time in South America (2 years). I came back to France FROM Colombia for the holidays and I’m heading back there in January. So it’s a round-trip ticket, but reversed compared to the usual Western logic 😉. After that, I’ll continue my trip in Central America.

@Djalma: Yep, I’m aware of the challenges posed by the Darién Gap. I’ll figure it out on the spot with boats—things tend to come together last-minute down there. There are several possible routes.

L.

The easiest way is to go on sites like onewardticket where you buy a "fake" one-way ticket valid for 48 hours, just for the duration of your trip, which serves as proof of exit. That’s what I did to enter Mexico and then Colombia (they asked for it for Colombia). The upside is it only costs $16. As for getting a refund, I stopped bothering because now several airlines (Avianca, Wingo, Volaris) require documentation if you want to get your flight refunded.

That does seem like the simplest and least expensive option. Yeah, I tried to find a refundable flight on Avianco and Wingo. No luck. So buy a provisional ticket the day before departure?

Yeah, bought it the day before.

Hi there,

I’m glad I bought that "fake" return ticket from bestonwardticket.com—it was actually requested (and checked) at boarding for Bogotá in Madrid Barajas...

L.