www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I booked an Oct flight from Houston to SJO on United/Continental that has a stop in Guatemala City for 90 minutes for a plane change to a "partner airline" to continue on to SJO.
Has anyone done this. Is there any customs issue in Guatemala City? Is the time frame doable. I am somewhat concerned.
Fortunately I have a direct return flight.

90 minutes is about 60 minutes more than needed (assuming you arrive in GUA on time). You literally get off the plane and walk over a few gates down and board the next plane. This Guatemala City, not JFK or O'Hare afterall. No security, no bag checks, easy peasy.

Going the other way is a little more involved due to the carry-on check for liquids, but still nothing major.

United/continental flys direct from IAH-SJO about 3 times a day so how did you get a stop over in Guat? A cheaper flt?

Hank, I think there are two CO direct flights daily, one am and one pm. There are also a bunch of twelve hour flights to Newark and then on to SJO. No way I would take that option.
However I am using one pass miles with the 20% discount and the Guatemala City one stop was my best option available for that mode of payment. Time of travel difference is less than two hours.
Bright side, I get to see a little bit more of the world. Down side, with one stop in a third world county there are more possibilities for something to go wrong.

Consider booking it then calling Copa directly to overnight in GUA. Hotels are cheap there (though there is no more Marriott....). Copa will usually do the swap for free. It'll also give you a chance to visit a local MP and add Guatamalteca [sp?] to your list of "have-dones"' (I'm at 18 different countries on my have-done list, not really good since I've visited more that 70....)

/dddick

My spouse who is accompaning me is not likely to approve any such side trips. But thanks for the suggestion.

Ninetyniner: Every time I have connected through GUA from Panama or SJO, I have had to pass back through security, but not immigration. I recommend you don't pack any duty free liquor in your carry-on if you connect through GUA. I've had a couple items snagged in the past there.
CH

If you buy duty free in Guat airport, they'll have it, like in CR, at the airplane door for you to bring it on board, and no problem in CR bringing it in thru customs--they will recognize the box and tell you to not even bother putting it thru the scanner. I've done it ten times. Guat duty free does, like CR, have a purchase cut off timeline per flight departure time, like 30 minutes before flight, a little smaller airport, unlike CR where if you can't have it packaged at duty free shops 1 hr before departure, they won't sell it to you.