Mexico Security?
#2
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: Vanishing
Posts: 1,681
#4
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Inland Empire!
Programs: NW Plat (formerly), UA 1K, Hilton Silver, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 2,917
Which airport will you be flying from in Mexico?
From SJD, they still do the checked luggage by personal search... meaning they open up everyone's luggage at checkin and look inside.
For the WTMD part, they use the X ray to look at your bags contents, you can keep on your shoes and laptops can stay inside your bag. Can't remember if any baggies were molested, but I know I had lotion and other baggie liquids in my bag. Duty free allowed and delivered to gate. Then at gate before walking onto tarmac to the boarding stairs into the aircraft (yes, no jetways) another search of your carryon. Last time I didn't have any water bottles, but they were taking them away at the gate.
When you reach your US entry airport... you get the full TSA carneval with removed shoes, laptop, confiscation of any liquid item > 3 oz (I know cause I forgot I had lotion in my carryon, was a Christmas present too!) the whole nine yards of harassment.
Your airport may vary..
From SJD, they still do the checked luggage by personal search... meaning they open up everyone's luggage at checkin and look inside.
For the WTMD part, they use the X ray to look at your bags contents, you can keep on your shoes and laptops can stay inside your bag. Can't remember if any baggies were molested, but I know I had lotion and other baggie liquids in my bag. Duty free allowed and delivered to gate. Then at gate before walking onto tarmac to the boarding stairs into the aircraft (yes, no jetways) another search of your carryon. Last time I didn't have any water bottles, but they were taking them away at the gate.
When you reach your US entry airport... you get the full TSA carneval with removed shoes, laptop, confiscation of any liquid item > 3 oz (I know cause I forgot I had lotion in my carryon, was a Christmas present too!) the whole nine yards of harassment.
Your airport may vary..
#5
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: Vanishing
Posts: 1,681
#6




Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,583
Bumping up an elderly if not old thread, Mrs. Fredd and I were quite annoyed flying out of PVR yesterday when the bottle of water she bought next to the gate (after security of course) was confiscated at the gate, despite her explaining repeatedly that she requires water for medical reasons.
Our son-in-law's duty-free liquor was okay, and water for two grandbabies was okay, but water wasn't okay for a grandmother who requires copious amounts of H2O as a consequence of her prescription medication.
Not only that, Mrs. Fredd also was immediately accorded the privilege of being frisked and having to remove her shoes for close checking as a consequence of her attempt at "smuggling" or her attitude or whatever.
In fairness, the UA GAs had warned of this ban in their announcements and a sympathetic purser provided Mrs. Fredd with a personal bottle almost immediately after we were seated, but it did leave a slightly sour taste after an otherwise sane and even friendly security experience for our entire party of 11. We'd never noticed the water issue in four or five previous departures from PVR over the past six years but this was our first visit there in two years.
Should I feel better that another country's airport security commits at least one silly act that U.S. security doesn't? Would a note from her doctor enable her to carry water on, or should she try to bribe a duty-free employee to replace the tequila in the bottle with water next time?
Our son-in-law's duty-free liquor was okay, and water for two grandbabies was okay, but water wasn't okay for a grandmother who requires copious amounts of H2O as a consequence of her prescription medication.
Not only that, Mrs. Fredd also was immediately accorded the privilege of being frisked and having to remove her shoes for close checking as a consequence of her attempt at "smuggling" or her attitude or whatever.
In fairness, the UA GAs had warned of this ban in their announcements and a sympathetic purser provided Mrs. Fredd with a personal bottle almost immediately after we were seated, but it did leave a slightly sour taste after an otherwise sane and even friendly security experience for our entire party of 11. We'd never noticed the water issue in four or five previous departures from PVR over the past six years but this was our first visit there in two years.
Should I feel better that another country's airport security commits at least one silly act that U.S. security doesn't? Would a note from her doctor enable her to carry water on, or should she try to bribe a duty-free employee to replace the tequila in the bottle with water next time?
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 11,049
Mexico is similar to most airports in not allowing any liquids onboard (except duty free in sealed packages and delivered directly to the aircraft door), beyond the plastic baggie with 100mL-or-less containers inside. They do a 100% physical search of all carry-ons on the jetbridge to ensure compliance.
It's not really a big issue for me departing from Mexico for a 2-3 hour flight max to the States, but when departing from, say, SCL or EZE (with a 9-10 hour flight ahead of me), I find it incredibly irritating that I cannot bring my own bottle of water, even if I filled it inside security.
I would recommend carrying a doctor note explaining, in both English and Spanish, the medical need for water with which to take prescription medication, or for any other specific condition. The airlines cannot take away your water if you have such proof.
It's not really a big issue for me departing from Mexico for a 2-3 hour flight max to the States, but when departing from, say, SCL or EZE (with a 9-10 hour flight ahead of me), I find it incredibly irritating that I cannot bring my own bottle of water, even if I filled it inside security.
I would recommend carrying a doctor note explaining, in both English and Spanish, the medical need for water with which to take prescription medication, or for any other specific condition. The airlines cannot take away your water if you have such proof.
#8




Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,583
Mexico is similar to most airports in not allowing any liquids onboard (except duty free in sealed packages and delivered directly to the aircraft door), beyond the plastic baggie with 100mL-or-less containers inside. They do a 100% physical search of all carry-ons on the jetbridge to ensure compliance.
It's not really a big issue for me departing from Mexico for a 2-3 hour flight max to the States, but when departing from, say, SCL or EZE (with a 9-10 hour flight ahead of me), I find it incredibly irritating that I cannot bring my own bottle of water, even if I filled it inside security.
I would recommend carrying a doctor note explaining, in both English and Spanish, the medical need for water with which to take prescription medication, or for any other specific condition. The airlines cannot take away your water if you have such proof.
It's not really a big issue for me departing from Mexico for a 2-3 hour flight max to the States, but when departing from, say, SCL or EZE (with a 9-10 hour flight ahead of me), I find it incredibly irritating that I cannot bring my own bottle of water, even if I filled it inside security.
I would recommend carrying a doctor note explaining, in both English and Spanish, the medical need for water with which to take prescription medication, or for any other specific condition. The airlines cannot take away your water if you have such proof.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 18,069
Which airport will you be flying from in Mexico?
From SJD, they still do the checked luggage by personal search... meaning they open up everyone's luggage at checkin and look inside.
For the WTMD part, they use the X ray to look at your bags contents, you can keep on your shoes and laptops can stay inside your bag. Can't remember if any baggies were molested, but I know I had lotion and other baggie liquids in my bag. Duty free allowed and delivered to gate. Then at gate before walking onto tarmac to the boarding stairs into the aircraft (yes, no jetways) another search of your carryon. Last time I didn't have any water bottles, but they were taking them away at the gate.
When you reach your US entry airport... you get the full TSA carneval with removed shoes, laptop, confiscation of any liquid item > 3 oz (I know cause I forgot I had lotion in my carryon, was a Christmas present too!) the whole nine yards of harassment.
Your airport may vary..
From SJD, they still do the checked luggage by personal search... meaning they open up everyone's luggage at checkin and look inside.
For the WTMD part, they use the X ray to look at your bags contents, you can keep on your shoes and laptops can stay inside your bag. Can't remember if any baggies were molested, but I know I had lotion and other baggie liquids in my bag. Duty free allowed and delivered to gate. Then at gate before walking onto tarmac to the boarding stairs into the aircraft (yes, no jetways) another search of your carryon. Last time I didn't have any water bottles, but they were taking them away at the gate.
When you reach your US entry airport... you get the full TSA carneval with removed shoes, laptop, confiscation of any liquid item > 3 oz (I know cause I forgot I had lotion in my carryon, was a Christmas present too!) the whole nine yards of harassment.
Your airport may vary..
Terminal one does as described above. We were permitted to take liquids though the initial checkpoint (handheld) but they were confiscating at the gate rape table.
Terminal three requires you to discard all liquids at a special table well before the metal detectors, but once you are in the main terminal you can buy all the liquids you want and there is no gate rape. We boarded the plane with a 1.5 liter bottle.
Once in US you will get no harassment, unless of course you are connecting.
#10




Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,583

