San Juan airport

[Bob]

I agree it's good to avoid AA through San Juan - last time all of our bags arrrived home at different times days later, covered in animal hair and one had a new tag implying it had been to Norway in the interim, though I found that hard to believe.

But they can be just as screwed up through Miami. Unfortunately there's enough places they're the only major airline or the only one with a decent routing from here that they're hard for me to avoid.

My bag looked like it had been part of the Normandy invasion of 1944 by the time it got home. Someone had wrapped it in duct tape. The bag was trashed and so were the things inside. Somewhere along the way it had sat out in the rain, or gotten wet somehow. It wasn't a pretty sight. I will never, ever fly AA again. almtree: Bob

 

[Doc]

Layover or not- are you willing to leave the transit lounge and enter the country, thereby going through customs... twice in one day?

 

[driftwood]

I think the theft problem there is very old news. I remember that from years ago when some employees were stealing cameras and sellling them on ebay. They were caught, fired, and prosecuted as I remember. I haven't heard a thing about problems at San Juan airport in years........ so let's not keep dissing them, unless there is proof that it is continuing.

robin

We went through San Juan in Sept 05 and on the return trip someone did go through one of our checked bags. So, as of the last time I was there it was still a problem. I hope that they have gotten better in the last three years. Personally, I fly Continental to get to Bonaire now.

 

[okiediver1]

We left our bags in San Juan last year in San Juan during a long layover, took a cab, went downtown and had a blast!

There are specific instructions on BonaireTalk if you do a search. It was very easy.

 

[salth2owannabe]

We took our carry-ons with us out of the airport. Of course if you are coming from the States you don't have to go through customs to enter San Juan and go to Old San Juan. Many things in Old San Juan worth seeing, 7 hours in the airport would be a killer. As late as AA is leaving for Bonaire it will probably be more like 8 or 9 hours.

 

[robint]

We went through San Juan in Sept 05 and on the return trip someone did go through one of our checked bags. So, as of the last time I was there it was still a problem. I hope that they have gotten better in the last three years. Personally, I fly Continental to get to Bonaire now.

Sept 05........ that is 3 years ago.

 

[tvictory]

We took our carry-ons with us out of the airport. Of course if you are coming from the States you don't have to go through customs to enter San Juan and go to Old San Juan. Many things in Old San Juan worth seeing, 7 hours in the airport would be a killer. As late as AA is leaving for Bonaire it will probably be more like 8 or 9 hours.

Also beware, that late AA flight to BON is routinely overbooked and the departure lounge often has a fair number of people who were bumped the night before nervously waiting to see if they'll get on tonight. Try to make sure you're checked in and (hopefully) have a seat assignment before you leave the airport for your San Juan tour, and don't push it in terms of getting back in time for the flight.

 

[tc_rain]

We left our bags in San Juan last year in San Juan during a long layover, took a cab, went downtown and had a blast!

There are specific instructions on BonaireTalk if you do a search. It was very easy.

I ran across that on a google search and it answered all of my questions. I think San Juan will be interesting.

 

[sandboader73]

I was in sa juan in oct 2008 and had no problems. Got thru the line very fast and no problems with luggage. I always recommend using tsa locks.

 

[sandboader73]

oh the airline i used was usairways