I am stuck in Peru becuaes of corruption, Migrations and Lan Peru airlines, help!

On 6/07/06 I went to Lima airport for trip back to the states. There
had been a change to my flight, made by Cheaptickets.com over the
internet, but they did not provide me with a new paper ticket. Lan Peru
airlines refused to let me fly and said I didn't figure into their
system for the new flight and they said the email I brought from
Cheaptickets.com didn't mean I had paid for the flight. I spoke to
American airlines at the airport and they said I was in their system
for the connection flight from Miami to Chicago, but they had no
control over Lan airlines. I went to Lan Peru office in Lima, where
they are very malicious and unprofessional about this. Thier only
solution is EXTORTION (for me to be a scared foreigner) to buy a flight
to Quito, Ecuador for above $1,000.00 USD ONEWAY which would connect me
to the American flight, or pick another day to fly with Lan to Miami,
tickets limited to service, Monday through Thursday, putting me at an
illegal immigration status, as my Visa expired 06/11/06. And Lan will
change my tickets and charge me a penalty fee of $250.00 USD and the
difference of ticket price (I bought the tickets on Cheaptickets.com in
November 05). They want to charge me $200 for the change to Lan and
$50.00 for the change to American Airlines and whatever is the ticket
price difference the day I give in. That doesn't seem legitimate that
this airline would charge the fee for the American Airlines change. I
did not willingly make or ask for a change to my trip. I arrived with
plenty of time prior to boarding for the flight I was denied, and I had
paid for with Cheaptickets.com. I spent two hours struggling with
baggage weighing 45 kg up and down stairs, then back and forth down the
corridor of the airport, with a lot of chaos everywhere, looking for
offices to help me, only to find it didn't make any sense that person
has no idea how to help me; there was no order in that airport. They
were threatening me when there were ten minutes left to gate closing
time and I still had no answer. I have been here in South America,
mostly in Peru for six months, so now I have no money, and they won't
simply help me, let me travel back to the states. They want to force me
to buy another ticket, pay again, I have no money. There is no logic,
they just have a win-win situtation to make money under their false
pretexts.

I have diligently tried to work this out with Cheaptickets.com writing
like 20 emails, spending my last $20 for long distance call, put on
hold for 46 minutes and then disconnected. Each time I call, it
disconnects while on hold. They cannot give me the answer over the
internet and repeatedly say I must call them without providing a direct
line or a call collect line for foreign travelers in an emergency.

At the moment, I cannot leave Peru until I get a 30-day extension
stamped in my passport, which I have been denied daily at Migrations in
Lima. I went yesterday and today, same problem. I began the process for
a 30-day extension, Prorroga de Permanencia on Friday morning, the 9th
of June, 2006 (my 90-day Visa expired on Sunday, the 11th) and waiting
in terribly long lines, I received the application on Monday the 12th
(which I still have on hand, they didn't accept it). I have receipts
for payment (Banco de la Nacion) for this service, but absurd as it is,
they have used ludicrous excuses to postpone the stamp of approval.
They don't like the format of my single last name in my U.S. passport
with which I have traveled for 5 years abroad (including entry and
departure to and from Peru a total of 10 times), and it never raised a
question. As ridiculous as it is, I had to write an official, notarized
letter to the Director of Migrations, appologizing for my U.S.
passport, that I have an error in my name on my Migrant card, which
stays with them when I leave. This has to do with Americans having one
surname and the Spanish-speaking using two sunames.

I have been to Migrations, desperately on a daily basis ever since and
they look for any lame reason to refuse to give me the 30-day extension
(Prorroga de Permanencia). Yesterday and this morning, they said they
would call the Director of Migrations at the border with Ecuador,
Tumbes about the (ridiculous, I am sorry) letter I wrote and I may come
back again tomorrow to see if they accept this letter. They showed me a
stack of letters, with mine at the bottom. It is corrupt extortion, but
I am accompanied by Peruvian friends who are helping me avoid this. We
will return tomorrow and every day thereafter until I get the 30-day
extension I need to leave the country. They mentioned paying $1 per day
stayed beyond the 90-day Visa along with the airport departure tax of
$30.24, but I am told there is no Migratory office at the airport. Lan
told me to pay $10 per day.

Once I have the extension, hoping by the 27th, I am waiting for my
ticket back to Chicago that week. If Peruvian Migrations doesn't
concede, I might see about the U.S. Embassy getting involved because it
is ridiculously wrong. I already paid for the extension and they won't
give me a refund (then I would have money to call Cheaptickets.com).

I am working hard to get money to call again, yet I am not sure they
will have a solution. They might say they have no control over the Lan
segment of my flight. The problem here is flying with distinct airline
policies.

HELP!!!

Angela,
A solution to your problem is very easy go to the American Embassy. If
you have no money for the flight they will write you a small loan to
cover your flight, hotel and whatever else you need.

Joe

Money wouldn't be a problem; I have an emergency credit card; the
problem is being able to leave the country because of the corruption at
migrations. I don't know how much money they will suck from me and then
I wouldn't be able to pay the ticket out of here. Someone suggested
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I already know how the Embassy works with
their high interest loans. THANKS FOR YOUR INFORMATION.

Angela,

A seasoned traveler once told me that if I got into a real fix that I
should go to a British embassy or consulate (I'm an American as was
he). He said that the British consulate will embarass the American
consulate into putting the matter on a fast track. Otherwise, they
just fluff you off.

I don't know if there's any truth in it. But it sounds like you really
do need consular help.

Vernon

I really can't offer any help, and hope by now your ordeal is over.
What I want to add is my own recent experience with LAN. I had already
decided that I would never fly with them again...or buy tickets
on-line. Had my backpack stolen while waiting for a flight out of
Buenos Aires. The police were very efficient and it was almost immed.
recovered. The usual theft via a momentary distraction by one person
asking me for directions while an accomplice took the bag. However by
cooperating with the police, I missed my flight.
Police told me not to worry and that they had booked me onto another
flt. an hour later. However, when I went to LAN they very rudely
informed me that they had no info on this and I would have to pay $200.
to chg. the ticket...and fly the next day. The police eventually
convinced them not to charge me, but I still had to return to the city,
incurring taxi and hotel charges for the night. No more LAN, no more
Cheap Tickets, and no more cooperation with la policia. No good deed
goes unpunished!

John in Mexico

Yes, I am thinking of Chile to get consular help if this keeps getting
postponed at Migrations in Lima as I fear the ticket price will double
in July. I hope they don't fluff me off.

They can't keep me here forever; just frustrated, missing my family,
now it has been 7 months.

Be sure to tell everyone interested in travel to Peru that is isn't as
it seems (they have the city laid out as to avoid tourists seeing that
it is a very poor, dirty country, hiding the indignant along the ghetto
streets a tourist hardly has to see. The clean streets are along the
coast next to a mediocre shopping mall with the only sales being to
tourists because the Peruvians cannot afford the prices. Unfortunately,
the Peruvian police here are nothing but a gang of middle-aged, beer
belly, crack addicts terrorizing people on the streets to make money to
support their habit (no laws, no rehabilitation here apparently). It is
very disfunctional with no order and everyone is trying to make money
wrongfully. They use post-war minivans with Japanese writing (known as
"combi" or "micro"), driven by beastly men shouting out the sliding
door, with really bad exhaust, improvized seats and they jam pack 20
passengers inside (about 8 are not even sitting, just crammed inside
like slaves) the shouting man takes the coins and rides hanging outside
of the sliding door. There is no dignity and the people have no real
public transportation infrastructure. This is my only means of getting
back and forth to their Migrations bldg. That is the Peruvian tradition
and mindset. "Documento, documento!" Then the authorities look at your
document and then there is $20 missing from your wallet, no kidding. If
you try to report it to the other police or authority, he will take
another $20 and put you at fault. The upper class people (living along
the shore next to the mall) ignore all of this and their children grow
up like spoiled brats with a nanny. This is Peru!