Check In and Security
There are two terminals at SJO, a Domestic terminal, and an International terminal. United, of course operates out of the International terminal.
I arrived at SJO at 7:00 am, about 2 hours ahead of my scheduled departure time of 9:05. I’d recommend arriving at least 90 minutes prior to departure, as exit immigration and security can take some time.
United has a two check in lanes, one for Premier Access and one for economy. The lines were not long for either. SJO also had a lot of self check in kiosks that are universal for all airlines, so you can use those as well. Because there was no line, I went to the Premier Access lane, and the agent very quickly printed my boarding passes and asked me if I needed any assistance with anything else. I asked her where the Copa Club was located, and she informed me. Though, she wasn’t proactive in telling me that, which is surprising as I’m in business class and it’s the lounge access that’s available for United business class passengers…
Security took very little time. I was surprised to find that CLEAR is available at SJO, and this is the first and only instance I’ve seen of CLEAR available outside of the US. After going through CLEAR, I was put at the front of the security line. So, if you’re a CLEAR member, this is an option.
The Lounge: Copa Club
The Copa Club at SJO is located near gate 17 at SJO. The lounge is on the upper level, so you’ll need to take the elevator or stairs to get there.
I would not go out of my way to come to this lounge early. It’s really not worth it.
First, the lounge shares a scan in desk with the Mastercard black lounge so it takes some time to get through. There was a line. Also, this lounge is a priority pass lounge, and even allows for other credit card access, so the line takes time and the lounge gets very crowded.
When I checked into the lounge, I presented my boarding pass. The agent informed me that drinks were not free in the lounge, including coffee. What? Coffee has to be paid for in a lounge? Really?
He then gave me three drink tickets. He said as a Star Alliance Gold member or as a business class passenger, you get free drinks you just have to present the tickets. He said “These tickets are unlimited, so if you need more, just come back and I’ll give you more.”
This made ME feel better, but if I had paid for access it was accessing through priority pass or something else, I would’ve been upset at the thought that I would have had to pay for coffee.
WiFi is also not available. So, that was a bummer.
The lounge is not that big for the amount of people in it. It does offer sweeping views of the ramp and the scenic mountains outside which is nice.
There’s a seating area by the widows, and a small seating area away from the windows.
The buffet is small and minimal. There were eggs and something called “traditional breakfast” which looked like some sort of meat. I didn’t get it because I really didn’t know what it was.
There was regular sliced bread available with guayaba and pineapple jelly available and a “chicken roll” which was some chicken in a puff pastry.
You can order drinks at the buffet which serves as the bar as well. I got some eggs, which were ok. There was no salt, pepper or any other seasoning available so it’s just plain scrambled eggs. The chicken roll was ok… it’s a shame when the highlight of the buffet was the toast.
I ordered a coffee and it was burnt. Which is embarrassing in Costa Rica, a country known for its coffee. This would’ve upset me even more if I was a priority pass member who had to pay for coffee.
Overall, this lounge although nicely decorated and having nice views, sucks. The food and drink offerings were terrible and the fact that there was no WiFi or power outlets available is just horrible. You’d be better off buying a drink or food in the terminal if you have to pay for it anyways.
Boarding, the Cabin, and Seat
I arrived at the gate just prior to boarding beginning at 8:25, about 7 minutes before boarding.
We started boarding early at 8:20. The , everyone lined up ti try to board when preboarding began. Because I’m 1K and can preboard, I cut in line and was glad I did because people behind me were in group 3 and pretended like they didn’t know that group 3 hadn’t been called yet. Nice try…
The First/Business class cabin on the 737 Max 8 for United is arranged in a 2-2 configuration.
I quickly found my seat, 4F, which is a window seat on the right side of the last row of the aircraft. When I sat down, I checked the upgrade list and seat map and found out that the seat next to me, 4D, was empty. So I put my personal item underneath that seat and put my jacket in that seat, so I could have some additional room.
The seats feature 4 inches of recline, 37 inches of pitch, and 20.4 inches of width.
All of United’s 737 MAX 8’s have the newest NEXT interior, which features the seatback IFE screens, which is nice. They offer Bluetooth connectivity, but I personally prefer to just plug in with my Bose headphones.
Pre-Departure
At 8:45, the flight attendant came around to offer a pre-departure beverage of orange juice or water.
A few minutes later, the purser came by and said “Mr. shivpilot14, thank you for your loyalty as a 1K! Lucky you! You’re getting the row to yourself! Can I hang your jacket for you?”
At 8:57, the safety video began.
They had to stop the safety video because some people were getting up and walking around the aisles and opening the overhead bins.
At 9:01, the captain came on to welcome us onboard and announce our flight time of 4 hours and 16 minutes and that we should be arriving at the far in Newark 25 minutes early.
At 9:02, they apologized and said that they had to restart the safety video, so it restarted.
At 9:06, the captain came on to say that people needed to sit down otherwise we could not push back, which meant that was still an issue…
Departure and Climb Out
At 9:10, we pushed back and began our taxi to the gate, 5 minutes past our scheduled departure time of 9:05.
Part of the problem with SJO is that there’s really only one taxiway and one runway, so taxi times can take quite a bit of time with the taxiways getting blocked by other aircraft.
At 9:31, we started our takeoff roll down runway 07.
The views on the climb out were amazing.
At 9:36, we reached 10,000 feet, indicating that we were well on our way to Newark.
Cruise
At 9:47, the purser came through to take/confirm meal orders. United allows you to preorder meals in premium cabins on most cabins within 5 days prior to departure. We had the option of either a cheese and chive omelette or pancakes with a raisin chutney. I’m usually not a fan of either pancakes/waffles or eggs on planes, but given the choice, I went with an omlette because pancakes reheated in an oven are usually not good and become hard. She also asked about drinks. Since it was still before 10:00 am, I went with an orange juice and decided that I’d have an alcoholic beverage a bit later in the flight, especially since the flight time was quite long.
At 9:49, hot towels were distributed.
At 9:50, the purser came around with blankets, which are thin but nice that it’s offered.
At 9:56, the captain came on to announce that we reached our cruising altitude of 34,000 feet.
At 10:03, my orange juice was brought out.
At 10:24, my meal was brought out and the purser offered me more orange juice.
You could tell that the meal was catered in Costa Rica because the fruit bowl included Papaya, which wouldn’t be available in the US. Also the yogurt and butter was in Spanish .
The Omlette was honestly too simple with not that much flavor. The potatoes and sautéed onions on the side were also good. It wasn’t the best meal I’ve had on a plane but it was ok. The Strawberry Yogurt was good and the fruit was fresh.
While I was eating, the purser came down the aisle and was checking to see if anyone needed anything.
At 10:35, my meal was cleared and the flight attendant asked if I wanted something else to drink.
At this point, I reclined my seat and at back and relaxed for a bit.
I noticed that the flight attendants told people who came to the Business lavatory from Economy to use the lavatories in the rear of the aircraft, as the lavatory up front is reserved for business class passengers. I’ve flown on hundreds of flights with United and this is one of the few times that I’ve seen this enforced on a short haul flight, and it’s good because it keeps the lavatory less crowded.
It was at this point that I decided to switch my clock to Eastern time.
At 11:44, we hit some rough air and the seat belt sign came on.
At 12:15, the seat belt sign came off and I decided to use the lavatory. The lavatory was not very clean. Probably because while the flight attendants were seated, they weren’t policing the number of people going in and out of the lavatory, and a lot of people, especially people from economy, going into the lavatory.
When I came out of the lavatory, the purser was in the galley and said “Mr. ShivPilot14, can I get you anything?” I said, “If it’s not too much trouble, can I please get a gin and tonic?” She replied “Sure, you can return to your seat and relax, I’ll bring it to you in a moment!”
And she did.
At 12:20, the seatbelt sign came back on as we hit some light chop.
At 12:47, the purser came by to take my empty glass and immediately brought me another one without even asking! I appreciate and love the proactivity!
At 1:59, I did the “call bell challenge” and it took less than 10 seconds for the purser to answer my call. I got some water.
Descent and Arrival
At 2:05, the captain came on to announce that we’d be starting our descent in about 10 minutes, so it was our last chance to move about the cabin. At 2:10, the purser came by to ask if I wanted anything else before landing. I declined, but the service on today’s flight was truly excellent!
At 2:15, I felt the aircraft begin to descend.
At 2:22, the captain came on to tell the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for landing. At that time, the purser brought me my jacket.
We touched down on runway 4R at 2:42 pm.
We parked at gate B53 at 2:57, for an early arrival!
