Ah the insane procedures involved in returning home...

[Daxter]

Don, had to laugh, last year on my first trip to Coz I had my carry on checked at the door out to the plane. Had only ten people in line after me, by the time they were done everyone was on the plane. They started yelling at me to hurry up to the plane. Good times.

 

[alcina]

Hmm, when we left on the 12th January all checked luggage was hand searched. It was painless AND worked really well as the four of us were able to modify the cases so no one paid excess

 

[DandyDon]

Hmm, when we left on the 12th January all checked luggage was hand searched. It was painless AND worked really well as the four of us were able to modify the cases so no one paid excess

Yeah, I heard we just missed meeting y'all at the hotel by minutes. Dang it! Loved getting your room, tho: #101. Wireless internet in the room from the modem next door, no stairs.

Best wishes on the new marriage...!

 

[JessH]

When you go out those doors from where you recheck your bags, there are doors to the outside there where folks coming out of Customs but not continuing on can exit to be picked up, so I am pretty sure you are no longer in a secure area. I don't think the regs allow a secure area to be separated from the street by just a glass wall with doors in it.

The place you speak of people can exit but not enter. I don't remember exactly how it was setup in the past but I do know that it did not require going through TSA security again, just immigration and customs. I miss the days when things were simple and there were only two government organisations trying to make you miss your connecting flight.

I understand your frustration, though; many times have I had to sprint to the gate from the checkpoint of which you speak. It tends to really jam up because people coming through Customs to continuing flights get dumped onto that checkpoint in bunches from the arriving international flights, and you can't jump the line just because you have a tight connection.

Unfortunately sprinting wasn't enough for us to make our connection. If we had exited and gone to another security checkpoint that might have worked, but I don't think they would have liked us going through the exit after rechecking our bags.

~Jess

 

[JessH]

Nah, I check over 100# plus another 50# carryon. Not humping all that 100 yrds.

Oh, your one of them ;-) Seriously though, what do you need with 150#s of stuff?

On the way over there I carried on all of my luggage, I had one backpack that contained all of my scuba gear, and a smaller backpack (fits under the seat in front of me) that contained everything else.

The backpack with my scuba gear included a backplate and wing setup, jet fins, regulators(7ft hose included), wetsuit, hooded vest, booties, bottom timer, mask, camera, x-shorts, smb, 100ft spool, mirror, whistle, ems shears, a lot of bolt snaps and some misc. other things. This fit rather well into a backpack that fit easily into the overhead compartment. Just add a tank and 4# of lead from the dive op and I was ready to go. What else do you really need?

Of course if I had taken my video camera setup that would have more than doubled my load, but it is a bit of a beast.

~Jess

 

[MMM]

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I usually go with one large suitcase but with new weight limits I took two (no carry-on), in order to meet the 50# limit/bag. So I had about 70#, which included a bunch of Christmas gifts for friends on the island....and stuff to get me through a one-month stay. Both bags have handles and wheels, so are easy enough to move them without any carrying required. Which is a good thing since the big suitcase weighs about 20# when it's empty! And besides, that's what husbands are for. :blinking:

Seriously though, what do you need with 150#s of stuff?

~Jess

 

[CheddarChick]

"And besides, that's what husbands are for."

Yup...exactly....

 

[Ron Brandt]

At Christmas in the Cancun airport I was checked for.....nothing.
Absolutely nothing. I did have to pay for the ferry to Playa and the bus to the Cancun airport though...total $20.

Like Jessh I travel very light. One backpack carry on with clothing and one large roller bag with scuba gear...Wing/BP,reg with 7ft hose,two computers,reels,2 masks,boots,fins and wetsuit,thigh pocket etc. Less gear then when I go to the lake.

Might be a different story in Feb when I travel there with a lady friend.

Ron

 

[ggunn]

The place you speak of people can exit but not enter.

Still, a glass wall with unguarded doors (even those which only open from the inside) to the street is not sufficient security for the gate zone. I have not been in a US airport where one can get from a door to the street to a gate without going through a checkpoint.

I understand your frustration, but knowing this behooves you to look at your connection time in Houston on your return flight and if you can, allow for more time than you would for a domestic connection. The airline websites do not take this into consideration, nor will a lot of travel agents.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, I carry a lot of stuff: my BC is a beast in itself, a few times I have been happy to have my pony, many at the hotel envied us having our own 12 cup coffee maker & real cups, it was handy having breakfast rolls, after dive cookies, trail mix, I carry a lot of spare parts, and my first aid kit was used twice by others in 4 boat trips.

The place you speak of people can exit but not enter. I don't remember exactly how it was setup in the past but I do know that it did not require going through TSA security again, just immigration and customs.

I know that this extra TSA screening is often forgotten in the rush, but I watched for it this time. Its' there. And that was where I saw a guy forfeit a bottle of booze that he had purchased at the Coz airport and hand carried thru Customs, even after the airline agent announced on the plane that you couldn't do that. Don't try it.