Traveling to Cusco ? Beware of cancelled flights

We are used to a world where many services are available 24/24 and 7/7. Cancelled flight is a bummer but hey, “they” will have to fix it, rebook you, pay your money back. Well, not always and quite unlikely when you travel in wet season to Cusco.

To avoid disappointment, missed onwards flights, unnecessary queues and extra cost – consider this one simple recommendation: between December and January, and sometimes neighbouring months, don’t book flights that land in, or take off from Cusco before (roughly !) 10am. During these months the morning mist is oftentimes so thick it doesn’t allow the planes to safely navigate and land in the imperial nest.

This picture was taken on January 2, 2020. The situation was exactly the same last year and every single early January ever since I started travelling this itinerary. My flight number was 2012, the first plane to be allowed to fly. It left on the ground a stressed mass of visitors frantically trying to secure expensive tickets for the next flight – the next day or even the day after…