<EDITED TO ADD: Details on our transits through SAP are now below in Post #5.>
We'll be passing thru SAP on our way to and from RTB in early July. With a couple long layovers in SAP, I was wondering if anyone has info on this airport? I can't seem to find anything online.
How big is it? Is it air-conditioned? Are there good places to sit and kill time? Restaurants/bars? Ever been in the Las Americas Lounge? (will try to access on our return via oneWorld rules).
TIA!
(A search for 'SAP' in this forum turned up zilch :( )
MrHalliday
Jun 24, 08, 2:25 pm
The departure lounge is AC, and reasonably big,
with the typical duty free shop.
Everything seemed quite efficient.
TacaCopaFlyer
Jun 24, 08, 7:34 pm
They are remodleing again there. The A/C is getting better in the departure area. The only lounge available is the TACA VIP, and Priority Pass could get you in there if you are not traveling in F on TACA. There is a snack shop on the secure side, and a Wendy's out in the ticket counters. With the construction, the extra traffic due to TGU closure and the lack of any good restaurants, I would place this low on the list of places I would like to spend more than 45 minutes.
I will be there Thursday and Saturday this week.
Thanks, guys! We'll be stuck there for several hours each way - will bring movies for the laptop and look for an outlet!
Any notes about rechecking bags & reclearing security after Customs & Immigration? Our routing is LGA-(AA)-MIA-(AA)-SAP-(TA/WC)-RTB and return. I assume we clear in SAP on the way in (and MIA on the way home), based what I've read.
Just returned from our trip and transited SAP both ways. I thought I'd share the experiences here as there are a few things that are helpful to know in advance.
Terminal Layout
The terminal is essentially a long rectangle, northwest of the runway, running northeast-southwest, and divided lengthwise into airside and landside sections. [Google Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=sap&safe=active&ie=UTF8&ll=15.453049,-87.925944&spn=0.013629,0.010815&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr)] There are two floors accessible to passengers. The Arrivals/Departures corridor on the 2nd floor is separated from the Departure lounge by a glass wall with sliding doors for 'gates'. Airside baggage claims and landside ticket counters are located on the ground floor.
Second Floor (//// escalator; :1: gate; === landside/airside)
tarmac and jetbridges
–––––––––––––––––––––––| |–––––––––––| |––––––––––| |–––––––––––
| ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES CORRIDOR //// |
| //// |
|–––––––:7:–––:6:–––:5:–––:4:–––:3:–––:2:–––:1:––– –––––––––––––|
| DEPARTURE LOUNGE snack bar |
| bathrooms Taca coffee stand gift stand |
| lounge duty free shop |
|================================================= ==| security |
| //// passport control |
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––
Ground Floor (BC baggage claim)
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––
<– tarmac door domestic | intl immigration //// |
| //// BC | BC customs |
|================| exit |===================| exit |===========|
| //// bathrooms | |
| departure tax TICKET COUNTERS | rental cars |
| DL, AA, CO, TA/WC, P4, ZF |–––––––| exit |–––|
| restaurant |
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––| entrance |––––––
International Arrivals
Inbound, we arrived on AA 941 SAP-MIA by jetbridge and proceeded to the left and downstairs to Immigration. The residents' line is on the far right, non-citizens' lines are in the middle with yellow lettered signs. We were not asked any questions, but had entry cards stapled into our passports. After your clear Immigration, the baggage carousel is immediately to your right. If the carousel is already running, be sure to check the end where they pull all bags off. After retrieving your checked bags, proceed back to the left and pass all of your bags through the Customs x-ray machines. Someone will collect your Customs Declaration card and your baggage claim checks will also be checked prior to exiting. You will be dumped out into a room with a crowd of people waiting for arriving pax. There is a bollard on the floor that can be lifted up to pull your bags through. You must exit the terminal completely and circle around to the right back to the main entrance to access the ticket counters and recheck bags for connecting flights.
Domestic Arrivals
Outbound, we arrived on TA 151 RTB-LCE-SAP by the tarmac door and proceeded straight down the hallway to the domestic baggage claim. After retrieving your checked bags, your baggage claim checks will be checked as you exit directly into the terminal. Ticket counters are on your left.
We were connecting interline from TA domestic to AA international. However, if you are connecting from TA domestic to another TA flight, you will remain airside and proceed directly to your departure gate. Presumably, you do not need to claim and recheck in this situation.
Checkin
At the ticket counters, there are elite/premium checkin lines available for the U.S. carriers. Taca Regional (Islena / WC) is at the left end of the Taca section of the ticket counter; note that Islena has open seating, so you will receive only a laminated card for your boarding pass. Baggage scales read in kg. There is no kiosk checkin at this airport.
Departure Tax
After you checkin, proceed to the left end of the terminal, and enter the maze leading to the windows where you pay departure tax. L28.82 / $1.53 for domestic departures (may be rounded up to $2; you may also receive change in US bills + Lempira in place of US coinage), and $34.04 for international departures (may be rounded up to $35). Present your boarding passes and the clerk will staple receipts to the back of your ticket jacket. Then proceed to the uniformed officers to the left of the window, who will scan and stamp your receipts.
Security
After paying your departure tax, proceed up the escalator to the second level, and back to the right end of the building to the sign marked "International Departures" (there is no separate entrance for domestic departures). Your passport will be checked and you'll proceed through x-ray. Laptops out, shoes off, belts off (WTMD is more sensitive than in the US).
Departure Lounge
The Departure Lounge is on the second floor past Security and is well air-conditioned (actually a bit on the cool side). Boarding announcements are made in both Spanish and English but the PA system can be difficult to hear. The 'gates' are just sliding doors in the glass wall that faces the tarmac. There is a small snack bar and a large duty free shop. There is no longer a third party OneWorld lounge in this airport, just the Taca VIP lounge. There is a standard US 120V outlet available by the tables near the snack bar under the public phones, and another at the other end of the terminal under the seats by gate 7 near the defunct bar. Bathrooms are also down by gate 7. I think there is fee-based wifi access available, although I didn't try it.
A note on Taca Regional / Islena Flights
These flights seem to be subject to lots of advance and last-minute changes. Our inbound SAP-LCE-RTB flight was showing 2 hours earlier than our original (twice rescheduled) departure time when we arrived at the airport, but actually left 1 hour earlier and was rerouted SAP-RTB-LCE because the runway lights were not working at RTB. Our outbound flight RTB-LCE-SAP (also twice rescheduled) departed an hour late. Fortunately, we had long 4 and 5 hour connections scheduled in both cases. I wouldn't risk anything <2 hrs.
Hope this is helpful. Corrections/additions welcome. :)