The Traveling Better Blogs!

Continued from Chapter 2, Getting Around.

We arrive to SJO about 7:45am. It took about 10 minutes to get to Avis, who quickly checked us back in in 5 minutes, then another 10 minute ride to the departures terminal. In Costa Rica, one has to pay a US$26 departure tax, which is done before check-in so you have a receipt to show. They are happy to accept payment in USD, Colones, or a mix of both. The departures tax desk is immediate across from the AA counter, so navigation was easy. There is a separate check-in line on the far left of the AA counter (which itself is on the far left of the concourse) for J pax, which had no one in it and 2 agents working it. The Y line has perhaps 8 people, and 3 check-in agents. I decide to check in my bag this time (keep this in mind), and am done in less than 5 minutes. The SJO station provides Immigration forms inside your ticket jacket, which is a nice touch.

SJO’s ticket “screeners” are actually Policia de Aeropuerto, and the line is divided into two types: Adults only, and Families…. a very nice feature, as it speeds up the queue for us single males. There isn’t much of a line anyway (2 families in the other line) thanks to quick and efficient security screening. SJO is not a shoe carnival, but you can tell who the Americans are… the silly ones who take off their footware and put their laptops on the belt separately. I get through with no fuss.

I’ll admit – I wasn’t expecting much of SJO, and I’m pleasantly blown away by the facilities. There are some interesting souvenir shops (all seemingly run by the same outfit), whose highlight is free samples of COFFEE! And not just coffee… at least 6-8 different brews, along with an assortment of free chocolate-covered goodness. And this is repeated in all 3 stores, so I continue to get coffee and candy on my slow walk towards Gate 3. The food offerings seem pretty good too (though a complete waste of money, IMO, after eating so well locally). Church’s Chicken ($5.60 for a 2-pc meal), Burger King ($5 for a Whopper), Papa John’s, Schlotsky’s, a deli and a smoothie bar are all available. But I didn’t come all the way to Costa Rica for any of that.

The gate area is quite open, airy, modern and spacious. A guitarist plays live music, and best of all there’s free WiFi. They start boarding within 15 minutes of my arrival (even though I was hopped up on caffeine, I still took my time getting to the gate… no Club to access!). They make clear announcements asking not to form lines and to board by group number. I obviously board with J so I didn’t know if the announcements worked, but there were definitely no gate lice in the beginning.

AA2166 – SJO-DFW, 08/03, dep 10:10am, arr 3:15pm – 757-200, Seats 2EF

My upgrade had cleared 2 days prior, so no trading is necessary. The plane is nice and cold, which is great because the aircraft had overnighted in SJO. Boarding is through 2L so the FA was able to do a proper predeparture service. She offers “water, champaign, or OJ” but her face seems to light up when I asked for a mimosa. Our departure is held up for 10 minutes because there’s a problem with the aircraft’s A/C (we were plugged in earlier), but it’s a quick fix. We leave the gate 100% full, taxi, and take off immediately. I finally get to see Costa Rica from the air in daylight, and it’s beautiful… lush and green. Our flight path also takes us over some reef formations (I’m going to have to find out where… Belize maybe?).

We get the typical warm nuts/bev service/hot towel treatment, except the FA hands everyone double minis… terrific! The lunch service starts with a nice salad with a choice of vinaigrette or creamy French dressing (French is tasty). Entree options were grilled tenderloin with black beans, plantain and rice (muy typico), or tortellini. I go for the steak, and it’s very good, probably one of the best meals I’ve had on AA. The steak is perfectly medium rare, beans are flavorful especially when mixed with the rice. Dessert was another typical Tico offering, tres leche. Delish! The caterers at SJO are fantastic.

I watch a very funny Letterman segment (How many Spidermen can you fit into a Jamba Juice?) followed by Blades of Glory with Will Ferrell (3 thumbs up from me) while catching up on this trip report. We arrive to DFW on schedule and after a short taxi pull up to the D terminal.

We’re funneled to Immigration, which must have about 300 people waiting in the non-citizen queue, and about 50 in the US/Residents line. Once in front, I of course choose the line that doesn’t have 2 officers working it, and does have non-citizen residents, so while my friend is done in under 2 minutes, I’m standing there like a schmoe. At the carousel, bags don’t appear for 10 minutes. My bag is one of the first (but I do notice that bags without priority tags were present as well…. I just got lucky), but my friend’s took another 20 minutes to come out. It’s slow going but it finally appears (sans priority tag… hmm) and we head through customs then into this long line for rechecking bags! Aren’t you just supposed to drop off your bags? Well, you are, so the line was just humans turning into lemmings again… quite unfortunate for those running to make their connections. We make our way to security in no hurry, though I’m grateful for the elite line which was completely empty. For some reason, they saw a mystery knife in my backpack, so it got searched, but only caused me another 5 minute delay (though I had to ask the TSAer to change her gloves, which she did so happily and actually commented that I was the first pax to ever ask).

AA1505 – DFW-SJC, 08/03, dep 5:55pm, arr. 7:25pm – MD-80, Seats 4F and 21D.

Our next flight takes off from A16, so onto the Skylink to get to the AC in A for a shower to refresh and drinks. I also have to add myself to the airport upgrade list… and am #2! I’m behind a pax originating from MCO (who probably OLCI at T-24:00), with F sold out. Uh oh… oh well, I’m optimistic. We have a beer at the bar, then walk to A16, where I’m told that all have checked in, and Mr. MCO has arrived on his gate. I decide to wait in the seating area rather than board (good call… it’s hot out there!), and my buddy boards the plane without me, after I insist. Unfortunately, all of F boards full (earlier, I had to explain the difference of “checked in full” and “boarded full” to the GAs), so I board with the masses (I know, I know!). This is the first time since becoming EXP that I haven’t cleared a sticker upgrade under normal circumstances, though I blame this on the fact that I couldn’t OLCI (and that I was stupid enough to upgrade my buddy with my miles!).

The biggest loss was no meal, but I can hold out for a few hours. I have my apple juice and work away on my laptop. Pretty uneventful flight, but again at 100% capacity. Though it’s pretty funny when the FA does her arrival announcements and obviously is caught off-guard: “And, um, er… and I have connecting flight information (?) for those going to SNA, your flight is leaving out of A16B”

AA3153 – SJC-SNA, 08/03, dep 8:15pm, arr 9:35pm – Embraer 140, Seat 11A

Now, I normally travel without checking in my bags. Remember though how this time I figured, I didn’t need my bag, even if it was a couple days late. At SJC I’m reminded why I should never do it. I was scheduled for a 50-minute layover in SJC, which isn’t a problem. But as luck would have it, my flight is delayed another 45 minutes. The fun thing is that the previous flight to SNA (scheduled for a 6:45pm departure), was delayed until 7:50! The issue is that if I got on that flight, my bag would still be on my later flight, and either way I’d have to wait, as there wasn’t enough time to make it worth leaving SNA, and the AC there is closed early on Fridays. So I just hang out in the SJC AC. Not much to report for this Eagle flight… maybe 5 empty seats on board, and we arrive at the same time as delayed flights from ORD and IAH (CO)… and all those flights use the same baggage claim carousel! But the highlight is that my bag is the first to come off any of the just-arrived flights, so I skate away from the 2.5 planeloads of pax, waiting to start their weekend with the Mouse.

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Final Random Thoughts – These are some of my final impressions from this trip. And they will be random:

• 6 flights and only 5 free seats total?! Wow.
• Tico food is excellent, and probably pleasing to most palettes (I didn’t find any “weird” food there). Eat local whenever possible.
• Make sure to bring printed confirmations for hotels!
• We got lucky with the rain, as this is the wet (or “green”) season right now.
• During the high season, every source suggested going to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve instead of Monteverde. We did Monteverde since it was the low season.
• There really isn’t anything in San Jose… it’s just a starting point for your trip to the rest of Costa Rica.
• If you plan on renting a car, a midsize-and-up SUV 4×4 is HIGHLY recommended.
• Mosquitoes… not a problem!
• Most of the country took US$. There were even Europeans whipping out the greenback.

Go back go Chapter 1, Getting There.

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