Does Avianca actually check your residency status if you fly on a residents-only fare in Peru?
When booking flights with Avianca directly,
and when arriving via Google Flights,
clicking the Purchase conditions link followed by the Full Rule Text brings up this condition:
SR.SALES RESTRICT BETWEEN LIM AND JUL FOR SZY07TNQ TYPE FARES
TICKETS MAY ONLY BE SOLD IN PERU.
NOTE - PROMOTION - APPLIES FOR PERUVIAN RESIDENTS
RESIDENCE IN PERU SHALL BE ACCREDITED WITH PERUVIAN ID OR ALIEN CARD OTHERWISE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF USD 178.5 WILL BE APPLIED OR BOARDING WILL BE DENIED.
Some other places where people are querying or complaining about this discrimination in fare prices include this Trip Advisor discussion and this Flyer Talk dicussion.
What would happen if I lived in a state of blissful ignorance - are they actually enforcing this fee?
Currently the difference in price is in the region of $178.5, so a 10% chance of slipping through makes it worthwhile (low risk, high reward). Therefore it is also helpful to know, is the penalty per booking or per leg?
Best Answer
I'm a dual Peruvian-American citizen having taken my American friends to Peru I can attest that, while controversial, that the cheaper fares are meant to encourage Peruvian citizens who may not otherwise be able to afford air travel on their modest incomes. This is along the lines of Florida resident discounts at Disney World etc.
So to answer your question, the fine is per leg of the flight. You may be denied boarding of the flight all together. I know this is an old question but this can serve as future reference for anyone having this dilemma in the future.
Lastly, yes they check your residency status. If you hand them a US passport, they will automatically scrutinize you because the main proof of residence is the DNI (Documeno Nacional de Identificacion). If you don't have that, or the foreign residence card, you will be assumed to not be a citizen of Peru. Of course, your ticketing agent may ignore it but you're essentially handing the information at check-in to get caught. Should you do an online check-in, then it is probably possible.
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Answer 2
FYI, for fares booked after February 4, 2018, the residency restriction is no longer in place for booking discounted domestic airfares in Peru.
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