Exiting Santiago Airport

[anotman]

How long does it take from landing time to get through customs, luggage and reciprocity fee to exit the airport. We are landing at 5:a.m. midweek in march and will have a private transfer meeting us. We would like to give them an idea about the time to pick us up. Thanks for any help.

anotman

[Duane T]

How long does it take from landing time to get through customs, luggage and reciprocity fee to exit the airport. We are landing at 5:a.m. midweek in march and will have a private transfer meeting us. We would like to give them an idea about the time to pick us up. Thanks for any help.

anotman

 

We just got off a cruisetour that took us through Santiago International Airport twice this month. When we arrived at the terminal, it took about 15 minutes for us to get off the plane. We were on the 2nd level of the terminal. Follow the signs to Immigration and Reciprocity Fee desks.

 

You'll also see signs to pay the Reciprocity Fee (they'll also stand out because they'll have the flags of the countries that need to pay the reciprocity fee). As you approach the escalators to go down to Immigration, keep an eye out for the first set of desks to Pay the Reciprocity Fee at the top of the escalator. If they are closed or no one is there, take the escalator down to the first floor. At the bottom of the first floor escalator IMMEDIATELY to your left will be another set of desks that you can pay the reciprocity fee. You can pay the reciprocity fee in CASH (clean, unmarked, untorn bills will be accepted). Any money that is blemished in anyway was rejected. Or pay with a credit card. I paid with a credit card and we waited less than 1 minutes. Another cruisetour passenger spent over 10-15 minutes trying to find clean bills in her purse or from other passengers waiting in line...finally ended up paying with a credit card and got nasty stares from the people in the line behind her (there were 3 desks open to handle a plane with about 40 Americans who had to pay the Reciprocity Fee). Even though half the plane disembarked before we did, we ended up being the 2nd ones to the Reciprocity desk because a lot of Americans went straight to the Immigration line first...then were told to go back to the Reciprocity desk/line to pay the Reciprocity Fee. The Reciprocity desk will staple the payment to a page on your passport which is good for the life of your passport.

 

Once you've gone through the Reciprocity desk, then you have to stand in line for Immigration. If you go straight to the Immigration line/desk without the Reciprocity Fee receipt attached to you passport, you will be redirected back to the Reciprocity desk (about 50 feet away but sometimes with a long line). Going through the Immigration line took about 20 minutes, but it was longer for others who were stuck in the Reciprocity Fee line.

 

Then proceed to the baggage claim for your flight. By the time we made it off the plane, walked to the Reciprocity Desk then through Immigration and walked over to our baggage carousel, our checked luggage/bags were already available. Going through customs was no problem and we met our tour guides on the other side of customs.

 

All in all, I'd estimate we spent about 50 minutes from the time the plane landed to meeting our guides outside of customs....but we did have to wait another 20 minutes for the rest of our tour group to get through the same process but somehow ended up way behind us in all the lines.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Duane T

[flamomo]

We just got off a cruisetour that took us through Santiago International Airport twice this month. When we arrived at the terminal, it took about 15 minutes for us to get off the plane. We were on the 2nd level of the terminal. Follow the signs to Immigration and Reciprocity Fee desks.

 

You'll also see signs to pay the Reciprocity Fee (they'll also stand out because they'll have the flags of the countries that need to pay the reciprocity fee). As you approach the escalators to go down to Immigration, keep an eye out for the first set of desks to Pay the Reciprocity Fee at the top of the escalator. If they are closed or no one is there, take the escalator down to the first floor. At the bottom of the first floor escalator IMMEDIATELY to your left will be another set of desks that you can pay the reciprocity fee. You can pay the reciprocity fee in CASH (clean, unmarked, untorn bills will be accepted). Any money that is blemished in anyway was rejected. Or pay with a credit card. I paid with a credit card and we waited less than 1 minutes. Another cruisetour passenger spent over 10-15 minutes trying to find clean bills in her purse or from other passengers waiting in line...finally ended up paying with a credit card and got nasty stares from the people in the line behind her (there were 3 desks open to handle a plane with about 40 Americans who had to pay the Reciprocity Fee). Even though half the plane disembarked before we did, we ended up being the 2nd ones to the Reciprocity desk because a lot of Americans went straight to the Immigration line first...then were told to go back to the Reciprocity desk/line to pay the Reciprocity Fee. The Reciprocity desk will staple the payment to a page on your passport which is good for the life of your passport.

 

Once you've gone through the Reciprocity desk, then you have to stand in line for Immigration. If you go straight to the Immigration line/desk without the Reciprocity Fee receipt attached to you passport, you will be redirected back to the Reciprocity desk (about 50 feet away but sometimes with a long line). Going through the Immigration line took about 20 minutes, but it was longer for others who were stuck in the Reciprocity Fee line.

 

Then proceed to the baggage claim for your flight. By the time we made it off the plane, walked to the Reciprocity Desk then through Immigration and walked over to our baggage carousel, our checked luggage/bags were already available. Going through customs was no problem and we met our tour guides on the other side of customs.

 

All in all, I'd estimate we spent about 50 minutes from the time the plane landed to meeting our guides outside of customs....but we did have to wait another 20 minutes for the rest of our tour group to get through the same process but somehow ended up way behind us in all the lines.

 

Excellent and clear information. Thank you!!!

[flamomo]

I have another question for Duane T .....

 

My flight will arrive a couple of hours before my cruise buddy's flight. Is there an area past the baggage claim area where one can sit and wait, and maybe get a cup of coffee and/or something to eat?

[Duane T]

I have another question for Duane T .....

 

My flight will arrive a couple of hours before my cruise buddy's flight. Is there an area past the baggage claim area where one can sit and wait, and maybe get a cup of coffee and/or something to eat?

 

You probably have 2 options.

 

1. Once past customs/baggage claim, there wasn't a lot of places in that immediate area...a lot of tour reps and taxi's soliciting passengers. I saw a few chairs and one food/deli area on the far end, near the checkin areas, but it was crowded...not very tranquil or peaceful area to relax.

 

2. Outside baggage claim and immediately across the street is a Holiday Inn hotel. It has a restaurant/lounge where, if open, you can sit, eat and relax. Free wifi.

 

There is a third option...there was an American Airlines Admirals lounge in the International terminal (in the secure area of the terminal next to the departure gate American Airlines planes are parked) with food, TV, showers, wifi. But if you have luggage to claim, you'll probably want to go and get it at baggage claim instead of staying in the International Terminal to wait for your companions. If you're not an Admirals Club member, you can get a daypass. But this would be a last option since I'm not sure I would want to leave my suitcase unattended in baggage claim for a couple of hours.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Duane T

[flamomo]

Thanks, that's helpful info too.

 

I would never consider leaving my bags in the claim area unattended. That's why I was wondering if there was a place to wait after retreiving my luggage.

[anotman]

Duane,

Thank you very much for the info on leaving the airport. I think it will make the trip a lot easier.

anotman

[Fattony]

Any good private transfer service with much experience will be able to judge, and will know where to get info on flight delays, etc. Giving them a time estimate won't hurt, but if they've done this much before, they'll hopefully have an even better estimate than you will, and will have checked in advance to see if your flight is on time.