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From this mornings Inside Costa Rica. If you buy coffee outside the airport it must be in your checked baggage now,

Tighter Security Controls At Costa Rica's Airports For US Bound Flights

At the request of the United States the Dirección General de Aviación Civil (DGAC) has tightened its security protocols at the Juan Santamaría (San José) and Daniel Oduber (Libera) international airports on flights to the US.

The measure follows the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas day on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan.

Among the changes are that passengers will not be able to carry on their carry on any powdered substance. Items like coffee, sugar, salt, cacao or powdered milk are a no on, unless they are purchased within the terminal's retail stores.

Jorge Fernández, director of Aviación Civil, is emphatic that passengers travelling to the US should buy items like coffee only from stores in the airport terminal - these are the stores beyond the security checks, near the boarding gates.

The only exception to the rule, according to Fernández are prescribed medical items and infant formula and milk. However, these items will be closely inspected by the Policía Aeroportuaria (airport police) before boarding.

The restrictions on liquids, like gels, creams, toothpaste, etc, continues if they are in packaging over 100ml.

Also xray machines and metal detectors will continue to inspect carry on luggage.

Fernández said that in addition to all of this, passengers on US bound flights will have to submit to a final boarding inspection, this being done by the airlines, independent of the security checks and controsl of the DGAC.

Although the tightened security measures are geared towards US bound flihts, Copa airlines, part Continental airlines, said it would be adhering to the US security measures though Copa has no direct flights to the US from Costa Rica.

The director of the Policía de Vigilancia Aérea stationed at the Santamaría and Oduber airports, Glen Pacheco, said that passengers can expect more exhaustive checks to impede passengers from boarding with any dangerous substance or material.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Well that sucks.

I don't want to pay the high airport prices for Cafe Britt. I usually bring back 4 or 5 bags of different coffees bought from different sources, MasxMenos, Volio, Mercado Central etc.

Since I use carry-on only I guess, it's their financial loss & my drinking loss.

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"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969

muy obama

What has been the experience at SJO for returning to the US - how much more time does it take?

In the past year, I always try to book a return flight that leaves between 1 pm and 3 pm, that way I can get in one last session/leche in the morning before I leave to go to SJO.

If the new "Tighter Security Controls" require getting to SJO 3 to 4 hours before departure time, that would eliminate the last morning session/leche........and I would hate to have that happen!!!

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

And was making us take our shoes off in the aftermath of the shoe bomber incident "muy bush"? I thought we were supposed to leave partisan political commentary off the forum. The US govt. (which represents and is tasked to defend all of us) is simply doing what arguably it should have been doing all along. Is it unfortunate that it has to do this? Of course it is. Might they be handling in a more effective manner? Perhaps. But lets not misplace the blame for all this which should fall squarely on the shoulders of the muslim terrorist extremist wack-jobs who perpetrate that acts that force us to take some action. It is because of them that, however we go about it, we're forced to accept some level of inconvenience and/or invasion of privacy if we want to be able to get on a plane with some minimal level of insurance that the guy in the seat 2 rows back isn't one of those crazies intent on blowing us all up.

Sure, it sucks that the only coffee one can carry-on the plane now is the slightly more expensive stuff that they sell in the departure area. But how much more are we really talking about any way? A buck or 2 per bag? How many bags do you normally carry any way? You probably spent more than the difference on the overpriced orange cab from the airport. And if that is still seems too much to pay I guess your only other alternative is to bite the bullet and check a damned bag. What will that mean? An extra 10 minutes or so at the other end waiting for your bag. Woo-hoo.

And what about the extra time it may take going through security. If you had been looking for flight that left between 1-3PM so that you'd have the time for one last shot at an MP before you left, maybe now you'll just have to look for flights that leave between 2-4PM. And as the situation clarifies itself maybe it will turn out you won't even need to do that.

I'm not completely happy about these developments either, but the adjustments they might require are not impossible. Sometimes you guys sound like a bunch of old ladies who just like to hear themselves complain. So suck it up.

This would apply only to ground coffee ? or whole beans as well? I'm almost willing to risk it.. and yes, being able to just do carry-on is worth it to me

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Enzo

Now in High Definition!

They took all my stuff in my little travel case because they were not in that little 1 quart plastic bag.. on my last trip in December..

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"THE TRUTH IS' EVERYBODY IS GOING TO HURT YOU. YOU JUST GOTTA FIND THE ONE WORTH SUFFERING FOR"
Robert Nesta Marley

The guideline published was:



That should mean that whole bean coffee would be allowed. Howver, you are dealing with a rent-a-cop who is not being payed to make decisions. There is, in my mind, no reasonable expectation that they will differentiate between ground and whole bean. They will see the bag marked coffee and take it.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

This raises another question for me. What are they going to do with all the confiscated coffee? Throw it out, resell it to defray department operating costs, donate it to the poor, or will screeners snatch it to bring home for their own advantage?

You can always buy it online at www.cafebritt.com delivered to your door.

You can buy it at the airport and have it shipped or take it with you. The Britt stores are inside the security zone so taking it on-board is not a problem.

The questions being raised in this thread is for guys who buy the more reasonably priced coffee from the markets in San Jose.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

just came back on the 8th of January and got searched, wanded and patted down before boarding the plane. They through away my small liquids that would not fit into the plastic baggie and through away my extra safety razor blades (that was new for me). The security line moved just fine and I think I was randomly selected for the more thorough search (I either look suspicions or my reputation preceded me).

I don't think you need to allow more time for the airport process.

Peace, Love, and Putas for all,

Don Rico

Calm down y'all. I just went through SJO on Sunday and it was smoother and faster than ever and I took on three carry ons. No problems no hassles and the extra check that they have once you board has always been in place at SJO. I saw absolutely NO DIFFERENCE. so far......

Did any of your carry ons have a powered substance in them? That is what the new security is. Not the pre board search of your carry on at the gate. That has been in place, for flights to the U.S., for years now.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine