<p>It has been confirmed all round that he checks in in SFO and bags go to Costa Rica if all works well. Of course there is always the losing of the luggage possibility…cross fingers.</p>
<p>The lucky guy is traveling business class to Costa Rica because it was the only fare available. So I think maybe he can use that Delta lounge…</p>
<p>And binx I meant, what do the words, Chik-fil-A mean? What does it refer to?</p>
<p>I’m only Premier Exec on UA, so I don’t think that gets him into a lounge.</p>
<p>Love the advice to look up cheers. So apropos. And if I could photocopy his butt so he doesn’t lose that I would.</p>
<p>He absolutely can use the lounge with a business class ticket–and in the lounge he can email mum to let her know that all is well.</p>
<p>your S can buy t-shirts and flip flops and shorts in Costa Rica so lost luggae shouldn’t be a deal killer. It will show up eventually. (This from a mum whose son did not have any luggage for the first five days of a volunteer stint on Mount Kilmanjaro. When his luggage finally arrived–it was sans the front pack–the one that contained all the meds his nervous mum had packed. Didn’t worry him. He lived).</p>
<p>Now…is AluS going to be near snorkeling opportunities? Do you guys own your own snorkelling gear? Might be worth getting the mask, snorkel and fins–and a carry bag. That is a worthy lifetime investment. We’ve used ours for 15 years.</p>
<p>Oh! And i know you’ve done this–but it could be that with that one business class flight your S will be eligible for lounge access on the return. Again, sounds crazy, but my youngest attained lounge status in the middle of his latest trip–and had lounge access on the way home from Europe (in UAE). After his shower in the lounge, he wrote the summary email that I’d been asking about. For weeks. ;)</p>
<p>We got a debit card for DS1 and 2 through our credit card provider – we can transfer funds from our checking account directly to their cards, and the cash shows up instantly – so it’s great if they are stuck somewhere and need money fast. It looks just like a credit card (the guys’ cards are MC), only they can only charge what’s been deposited for it. There was no fee.</p>
<p>DH had access to the lounge in Frankfurt recently on his trip to India (premiere exec on UA). He was <em>so</em> appreciative of the showers on a 20-hour trip! </p>
<p>I guess Chik-Fil-A hasn’t gone national yet (for those outside the South, it’s a chicken fast food place – good food, fabulous lemonade!). We get commercials for Sonic all the time up here – and there are none within three hours of us. TORTURE!!!</p>
<p>Cheers - you are years ahead of me literally and figuratively with teenage boys. Bribing them to communicate with a hot shower and food. High probability of success. And no clothes on Mt. Kilimanjaro is the Advanced Placement of boy parenting.</p>
<p>Monday I will deal with the debit card issue…</p>
<p>Today he ostensibly went to the Cingular store to figure out how he can use his phone in Costa Rica and at what cost. We will see.</p>
<p>Now…here’s another useless subject I have familiarity with…SIM cards. It is my primitive understanding that US SIM cards cannot be interchanged. </p>
<p>The best option, according to my sons, is USUALLY to buy a cheap phone and top-able SIM card in the host country. One of mine had a cheap (stolen?) phone within 24 hours of arriving in Nairobi. Like a dummy, I assumed he was borrowing a phone to text around planet earth but no…he bought one on the street for $25 and topped it up as he travelled through East Africa.</p>
<p>(Remind me…why does he need $200K worth of univeristy?)</p>
<p>Anyway, Costa Rica has prepaid phone deals–the phone offered by dealers is usually cheap–or your son might spot a super cheap one in the market–and he can onsell it as he leaves.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Prepaid mobile telephones, which are estimated to be introduced in CR February 2006, will be easier to obtain than postpaid. For a prepaid you will only need to fill out an application form and present identification such as passport or c</p>
