IN SJO now
Aug 20, 2005, 12:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: OH & NV
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, WN CP, Latin Pass Bonus
Posts: 3,707
IN SJO now
Just flew TACA from LAX to SJO last night. Lines were not long, espec. forBusn.
Arrive 2 hr ahead and you will be ok. At least in Terminal 2 now, with shops, food, etc. in concourse. But not club for Busn.
Once off the plane, it was about 5 min to go through immigration and then out the door, as no bags to get. (we were in Business, so off first )
AT Hotel La Riviera for the 8 hr. layover before heading to LIM and then B.A.
This is a great day hotel. ONly $20 incl. transport to and from airport. BUT call ahead once you land to get shuttle tocome toget you. Best way, have the phone number handy and offer any of the cabdrivers outside of baggage claim to call for you on their cell and tip a buck. This is second time they did not show at airport at the time they said they would. About 10 min from airport... so not a long wait once they start.
If you are staying in CR a while, check out Tricolor Rental. I used them the last trip to CR and found them very good and cheaper than the standard. They are about 2 blocks from the Hampton, but will pick you up at SJO airport. Their cars were good and no problems at all. tricolorcarrental.com
On to B.A.
Arrive 2 hr ahead and you will be ok. At least in Terminal 2 now, with shops, food, etc. in concourse. But not club for Busn.
Once off the plane, it was about 5 min to go through immigration and then out the door, as no bags to get. (we were in Business, so off first )
AT Hotel La Riviera for the 8 hr. layover before heading to LIM and then B.A.
This is a great day hotel. ONly $20 incl. transport to and from airport. BUT call ahead once you land to get shuttle tocome toget you. Best way, have the phone number handy and offer any of the cabdrivers outside of baggage claim to call for you on their cell and tip a buck. This is second time they did not show at airport at the time they said they would. About 10 min from airport... so not a long wait once they start.
If you are staying in CR a while, check out Tricolor Rental. I used them the last trip to CR and found them very good and cheaper than the standard. They are about 2 blocks from the Hampton, but will pick you up at SJO airport. Their cars were good and no problems at all. tricolorcarrental.com
On to B.A.
Aug 20, 2005, 3:59 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
SAPMAN: do advise us of your hoefully successful experience getting into a CIP/VIP lounge at LIM and EZE. If you do get in, could you advise them of the difficulties others have been having and to ask them why some of the lounge wardens seem to think D tix aren't acceptable? would be great to have the name of someone at the lounge who already knows that we are allowed in. thanks.
Aug 20, 2005, 4:02 pm
#3
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 3,062
I'm at the Garden Court next to the SJO Hampton Inn now. We fly home to IAD via GUA tomorrow but didn't want to drive down from Arenal and fly the same day.
Aug 20, 2005, 8:06 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,055
I'm flying through SJO Monday morning on the redeye from ORD connecting on to BOG. First time visit to BOG the city (though was at the airport twice during the initial mileage run.) I'm looking forward to it, should be fun. Short connecting times in SJO both ways, so not much time to get out to Dennys. 
Aug 21, 2005, 4:00 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: OH & NV
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, WN CP, Latin Pass Bonus
Posts: 3,707
TACA VIP Lounge
I got into the LIMA VIP lounge on my D class boarding pass. The lounge is just down a short hallway about 10 steps to the left of where we entered the terminal when arriving from SJO.
At first they said ¨NO¨ as this is an upgrade. I told her it was no upgrade, but an AWARD ticket and that TACA said I could use the lounge. She sort of looked at ticket and saw no $$ paid, so shrugged and said ok.
As do not leave EZE for 3 weeks, do not know how EZE VIP lounge will be.
I did not get agents name in LIM.
It is a very nice lounge with snacks, drinks, telephones, TV going with headsets, etc. And yes, I saw the amazing orange juice machine. They announce the departure of my Taca flight to EZE (about 40 min before departure) and still had 10 min to wait at gate.
On my flights to and from Lima, we were bused in and out to plane. So business class did not help much. NOTE: When heading to terminal, get near the front door on the right of bus. There is a back door, but driver did not open it when we stopped. And you need to go thru a brief security to get into terminal (but no ID checked) -- and if you are off last, add 10 min to your wait.
Food on flights was good on business. But no breakfast coffee or roll coming into EZE at 3:30am. Guess better to let people sleep.
I stopped at the Green Turtle (store behind the rental car area) in SJO on return to terminal from LaRivera hotel (my day hotel). Just checked it out as will stop again on return. Cheaper than terminal. Then just hop a rental car shuttle or Hampton shuttle and give the driver a buck. No problem.
Went to another soccer match here in BA this afternoon. River Plate vs. Newells. Quite an evert and the fans sign non stop all game. Security is very stict. Game was suppposed to be at River, but moved to another stadium as I think they had some problems at their last game at River stadium. Met 2 guy at gate with extra season passes and they took my wife and I in. No reserved seats, but plenty of good seats in the more expensive sections. If here on a Sunday, do it!
Out for steak dinner tonight at one of my favorites, River Alba.
PS. SJO is a bit better. A few more stores and WI FI at all gates now!! Looks like they are actually working on the terminal. The place you get the Transit pass validation (when returning to terminal) so you pay no tax is in same area, but a new, modern cubicle. Parking area for planes is sort of torn up in front of some gates, so they take overloads out by bus to planes from the lower gates. Also, the downstairs VIP lounge is NOT Taca, but is Priority Pass or $25.
At first they said ¨NO¨ as this is an upgrade. I told her it was no upgrade, but an AWARD ticket and that TACA said I could use the lounge. She sort of looked at ticket and saw no $$ paid, so shrugged and said ok.
As do not leave EZE for 3 weeks, do not know how EZE VIP lounge will be.
I did not get agents name in LIM.
It is a very nice lounge with snacks, drinks, telephones, TV going with headsets, etc. And yes, I saw the amazing orange juice machine. They announce the departure of my Taca flight to EZE (about 40 min before departure) and still had 10 min to wait at gate.
On my flights to and from Lima, we were bused in and out to plane. So business class did not help much. NOTE: When heading to terminal, get near the front door on the right of bus. There is a back door, but driver did not open it when we stopped. And you need to go thru a brief security to get into terminal (but no ID checked) -- and if you are off last, add 10 min to your wait.
Food on flights was good on business. But no breakfast coffee or roll coming into EZE at 3:30am. Guess better to let people sleep.
I stopped at the Green Turtle (store behind the rental car area) in SJO on return to terminal from LaRivera hotel (my day hotel). Just checked it out as will stop again on return. Cheaper than terminal. Then just hop a rental car shuttle or Hampton shuttle and give the driver a buck. No problem.
Went to another soccer match here in BA this afternoon. River Plate vs. Newells. Quite an evert and the fans sign non stop all game. Security is very stict. Game was suppposed to be at River, but moved to another stadium as I think they had some problems at their last game at River stadium. Met 2 guy at gate with extra season passes and they took my wife and I in. No reserved seats, but plenty of good seats in the more expensive sections. If here on a Sunday, do it!
Out for steak dinner tonight at one of my favorites, River Alba.
PS. SJO is a bit better. A few more stores and WI FI at all gates now!! Looks like they are actually working on the terminal. The place you get the Transit pass validation (when returning to terminal) so you pay no tax is in same area, but a new, modern cubicle. Parking area for planes is sort of torn up in front of some gates, so they take overloads out by bus to planes from the lower gates. Also, the downstairs VIP lounge is NOT Taca, but is Priority Pass or $25.
Last edited by SAPMAN; Aug 21, 2005 at 4:09 pm Reason: update
Aug 22, 2005, 7:20 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,055
Through SJO this morning on the connect from ORD to BOG. I have to say that the departure time out of Chicago is pure hell. I parked at the Four Points O´Hare as they have a stay one nice 7 free days parking scheme, only $6 per day after that. It´s quite close to terminal 5 also. After checking with the front desk and parking the car I got a pass to use the pool area which has a nice shower-sauna area to freshen up in before the flight.
The flight was not that crowded, and I did manage to sleep some, but still. 45 minute stop in GUA, I stayed onboard the aircraft. Another hour ++ to SJO.
SJO is coming along....slowly. I don´t know about the wireless, but there is free coffee in all the Britt stores in the terminal. So I had my morning coffee for free. 2 hour flight to Bogota was fine, decent warm sandwich lunch and warm nuts too!!
BOG was quite rainy when we landed, but the formalities were quick and I was off in a cab into the city in no time. Staying in the north area by Hacienda Santa Fe, nice area, safe to walk, even at night.
The flight was not that crowded, and I did manage to sleep some, but still. 45 minute stop in GUA, I stayed onboard the aircraft. Another hour ++ to SJO.
SJO is coming along....slowly. I don´t know about the wireless, but there is free coffee in all the Britt stores in the terminal. So I had my morning coffee for free. 2 hour flight to Bogota was fine, decent warm sandwich lunch and warm nuts too!!
BOG was quite rainy when we landed, but the formalities were quick and I was off in a cab into the city in no time. Staying in the north area by Hacienda Santa Fe, nice area, safe to walk, even at night.
Aug 22, 2005, 8:03 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: OH & NV
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, WN CP, Latin Pass Bonus
Posts: 3,707
There are some hotels in ORD area that give you, I think, 14 days free parking. I used the, I think again, Radisson north of ORD with their park and fly rate for 1 night stay. I did same flight out of ORD at 1am or so, so I used the night´s stay for my return flight as I got back sort of late and had a 3 hr. dirve. I was gone 11 days. They let you park and record your Cr. Card in case you try to return and then not stay. A good deal considering the $13 or so parking fees at ORD.
By the way, Buenos Aires has been rainy in evening, but ok during the day with temps in the mid 60s. Salta tomorrow where it is warmer.
By the way, Buenos Aires has been rainy in evening, but ok during the day with temps in the mid 60s. Salta tomorrow where it is warmer.
