Hi,

I know there's some great information on the Hubb on this subject but it appears to become out of date very quickly.

I crossed from Panama to Colombia on one of the tourist yachts 18 months ago and I can only describe my experience as being miserable. Certainly not something I would want to do again unless I absolutely had to.

18 months ago the combined cost of crossing the Darien Gap by yacht was $375pp & $375 for a bike, now the price appears to have topped the $400 each mark, which I thought might be a comparable price for shipping by air so I sent an email to Verinica at LynCargo, Bogota (full contact detail at the bottom of this message) The quote I received was for an eye watering $1,120!. The breakdown was as follows:

MAA Agency Fee USD 35.00
DGA / DGC Dangerous Goods USD 150.00
Flete Rate per position USD 800.00
MCC Due carrier USD 25.00
SCA Security USD 35.00
AWA Due Agent USD 45.00
RPA Re packing USD 30.00
TOTALS USD 1,120.00

So here's my question. Does anyone have any recent experience of shipping by air?

I have seen that the Colombian budget airline Aires offers freight services now:

AIRES - ServiAires

Has anyone made contact with them to know how competitive their prices are? Unfortunately being a budget airline information only appears to be available from contacting a call centre... doesn't sound so reassuring.

Anyway, if you do have any information you can add, or know any agents offering more competitive rates I would really appreciate it.

Thanks again.


VERÓNICA MOSQUERA OVIEDO
GERENTE / MANAGER
LYNCARGO S.A
veronicam@lyncargo.com
info@lyncargo.com.co

PH. (57-1) 742 5850
FX: (57-1) 413 1632
Address: Kra 103 No. 25B-96 2do Piso
Bogotá, Colombia

Just to add to my own thread. I emailed Aires via their freight hub in Pereira and they've responded that they transport very little international freight and that they wouldn't transport a machine with an engine internationally.

GIRAG flew two klr's from Bogota to Colombia for me at the beginning of April for USD 650 per bike.

Contact Nicolas Landinez at
♫
reservas@girag.com

GIRAG was very professional - they knew exactly what they were doing at both ends! Highly recommended.

We flew our 1200 GSA from Panama to Bogota with Girag last year for US 900. Just after that Copa Airlines started freight services again and from what I can remember they were cheaper than Girag.

Thanks to the previous message I made contact with Girag, here is their response:

Dear Graham,

The cost is USD 675.00 per motorcycle (only cash), this cost include:

Customs clearance in BOG
Advice to police
Air freight BOG-PTY
Check DGR (dangerous goods restrictions)
We have wednesday, thursday, friday and saturday flights to Panama City at 04:am

Additional, you should be here at 8:00 am, The address is : Av. ElDorado Nº 116-87 Warehouse # 10,, this is international cargo terminal, in addition the vehicle has to be almost empty with gas.

The docs that we require to the operation are:

-Passport copy.

-Copy of the customs documentation used to enter to Colombia.

-the property card of the vehicle.

- Package list (if its required)

Finally, you should know that the procedure lasts for about 6 hours.

Pls Inform us when are you planning send the motorcycle to Panama.

I hope that all your doubts are solved.

brgds


Nicol

More to add:

I have contacted Copa and they explained that they don't transport motorcycles on the Colombia - Panama route.

Peter (from a previous post) has followed up with some more information on the process with Girag:

Process was dead easy! Made an appointment with Nico via GIRAG's website, showed up the morning of the flight, walked back and forth from Aduana to GIRAG to National Police about a dozen times with GIRAG representatives - rode the bikes into the warehouse and onto the scales to confirm weight - then picked them up in Panama 4 days later!

By the way, the 4 day delay was as a result of the Easter Holidays (i.e. customs closure in Panama) and not due to any delay on GIRAG's part. If not for Easter, we could have picked up the bikes the next day in Panama.

Process in Panama was also easy, but SLOOOOOW...waited in line for Aduana stamps for about 5 hours.

In conclusion:

Boat from Cartagena to Panama - 5 days, limited availability
Motorcycle $400
Person $400
Total $800

Flight from Bogota to Panama - 1 day either end for customs clearance, availability wed, thurs, fri & sat
Motorcycle Girag Cargo - $675
Person flying on Aires - $135 (some promotional prices are lower - there maybe additional taxes)
Total $810

The boat vs flight comparison isn't really fair tho'... price is only one part of the equation.

Having my bike canoed to and from a sailboat, manhandled precariously on/off board...and then in some cases sneaking ashore in Cartagena might be adventurous! Certainly, seeing the San Blas, meeting the Kuna people, and chilling on a cruise for a few days would be a wonderful experience.

...my issue was timing, and a need for certainty so GIRAG was the only option

I've just shipped my motorcycle from Colombia to Panama so can give some current pricing and information for the trip.

To start with my contact with Girag Carga in Bogota was Olga Mendoza:
Tel: 428 0344 Ext 109
olga.mendoza@girag.com

Although many other bikers have had positive experiences with Nicolas Landinez
PBX. 571 4147010 Opc # 4
Cel: 57 3212025393

So here is a breakdown of costs:

Transport of motorcycle $650USD (I understand the same trip from Panama to Colombia is $900)
Flight Bogota - Panama with Aires airline (departure tax is INCLUDED in ticket price): $235
Bus back to town after dropping m/cycle at airport: $1
Taxi to airport in Bogota: $8
Taxi from airport to Girag Carga in Panama: $8
Total cost of travel: $902 USD

The arrangement with Girag was typically Latin and laid back. I was warned that it would take about 6 hours to check the motorcycle in, the truth is there was about 1 hours worth of work strung out over 5 hours. If you have a good grasp of Spanish then you could easily reduce this time, if you're like me (with basic conversational Spanish) you need to be patient.

The process should be:

1. Present yourself to Girag Carga at gate #10 in Bogota with paperwork emailed to you by Olga or Nicolas
2. Once Girag have completed their necessary paperwork go to the police next to the Cargo Terminal for additional paperwork. This will invoke the police check back at the cargo depot where all your luggage will be searched
3. Present yourself to Aduana (blue building near Girag Carga - 3rd floor) with paperwork and photocopies from Girag

They will advice you to take your wing mirrors off before transporting your motorcycle. I asked about the windshield but they told me it wouldn't be necessary. When my m/cycle arrived in Panama the windshield was broken. These things happen and I should have removed the screen, but in fairness to Girag they admitted responsibility and compensated me for the full value.

At Panama the process was:

1. Make payment and get receipt- they will hand you a pile of paperwork to inspected by Girag
2. Take inspected paperwork to Aduana at the entrance to the Cargo Terminal to complete the importation of your motorcycle
3. Return to Girag for final certificate that allows you to leave the airport

Total time spent with Girag Panama: 4 hours

I've over simplified this in the same way that Latino's appear to like to over complicate things, but in essence unless you are fluent in Spanish remain patient and everything will work out just fine.

I found the Panamanian side to be a much more frustrating experience to the Colombian side; I felt like I was treated with utter indifference in Panama.

Having shipped by boat and by plane I would fly the bike again versus the boat in a heart beat.

I hope this information helps some of you

To:FRED CARPENTER <fredec88@yahoo.ca>


MOTOS BOG- MIA.xls (23KB)
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Thanks for your confirmation.

Please find attached rates for handling the bike Bogotá to Miami.

Please notice that bikes are going always on chargeable weight, not net weight. Chargeable weight is taken having in mind the dimensions of the bikes.

Attached is the quote having in mind an standard of dimensions we have already handled.

Please notice that the idea is that you e mail your docs in advanced so that we will arrange all the documentation. Then you will come to my office and sing the documentation needed. The idea is that you come in the morning so that we can start the process early. Working days from Monday to Friday and the bike will fly one or two days after the bike is delivered at the airport, depending on the peak season .

Example if you deliver the bike on Monday, it will flight on Tuesday flight, but Tuesday flight will depart on Wednesday at about 4:00 a.m . But sometimes if you deliver the bike on Monday, it will flight on Wednesday flight, but Wednesday flight will depart on Thursday at about 4:00 a.m.

Thanks and waiting for your confirmation.




VERÓNICA MOSQUERA OVIEDO
GERENTE / MANAGER
LYNCARGO S.A
veronicam@lyncargo.com
info@lyncargo.com.co

PH. (57-1) 742 5850
FX: (57-1) 413 1632
Address: Kra 103 No. 25B-96 2do Piso
Bogotá, Colombia