"Utterly frustrated"
Eric Cheung (Australia)
Not Verified | We left Uyuni on 07Aug24 & transit La Paz to Lima. We landed in El Alto airport at 10:15am. At 10:30am, we went through security check, with our OB746 boarding pass scanned (Lima bound 7pm flight) by the airport staff. There was nobody at Immigration to give the departure stamp in our passport and the security bag scan (second scan) waved us through to the international boarding area. The boarding gate is R18 so we got a coffee at the cafe with the retail shop opposite international flight boarding gates R19 & R20. At 11am, the cafe & retail shop staff turned off all lights & left so we thought she was going to early lunch. At 11:30am, an airport staff (non-English speaking) escorted us out to the public area & asked us to return to security check at 4pm. At 4:10pm, we attempted to go through security checkpoint. Again the staff does not speak English & pointed to the Spanish sign with N3 to N6 (boarding gates for domestic flights). So I used Google Translate to ask when we can go through secutity check & his response was 4:30pm. At 4:45pm, we went to the queue with Spanish sign with gates R17 to R20. We went to that guy manning that queue, only to find out there was a Spanish sign with a QR code which we need to fill form 250 online (inbound to Bolivia, we filled in the paper 250 form which asked for our next destination & is a completely moot point). Utterly frustrated by a total lack of instructions on security check timing, filling in online declaration form & utter lack of communications or English signs, we finally entered the international boarding area at 5:30pm, after we pointed to the confused immigration staff that we had 2 boarding passes staples together by the Bolivian Airline staff in Uyuni as they thought our final destination was La Paz instead of Lima! In summary, the problems we encountered at La Paz El Alto airport: 1. “International boarding area is closed between 11am & 4pm (all shops are closed then) - no Spanish or English sign saying so 2. No departure instructions in English (eg. when to go through security check, what queue to use, online form 250 3. Inconsistent form 250 declaration form (we filled in paper inbound to Bolivia which included next destination, why is there no early instruction to fill in online 250 form for departure? 3. Lax security check to allow us through to international boarding area when they see our Bolivian Airlines OB746 flight departing 7pm!! 4. Embarassed us when we were escorted out through the security checkpoint, when nonody told us we could not enter international boarding area due to 11am to 4pm closure 5. Lack of communication & signs for international travellers - no English signs & English speaking staff - international indeed! 6. 2 queues at security checkpoint for passport & boarding passes - 1 for boarding gates N3 to N6 (domestic boarding gates) and 1 for R17 to R20 (international flight boarding gates - the guy at R17 to R20 queue rudely pointed us to the N3 to N6 queue so he & the R17 to R20 queue were totally redundant. 7. Incompetent immigration staff - they actually questioned us if our final destination is La Paz when there wee boarding passes to La Paz and Lima stapled together! 8. Unable to connect to NAABOL wifi at all - for the whole 8.5 hours duration at the airport! This airport ordeal will utterly overshadow memory of our beautiful tour experiences in Bolivia!
Experience At Airport | Transit |
Date Visit | August 2024 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"Nice and small airport"
1 reviews Mauricio Imana (United States)
Not Verified | Nice and small airport at El Alto, La Paz. The process to get my bags was average in time and customs was friendly and polite. There are a few cafes and a couple of restaurants I could see. Ground transpiration is readily available by taxi or "minibus". The airport is not a big building but it has wifi, it is clean and has many standard services.
Experience At Airport | Arrival Only |
Date Visit | December 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |