American Airlines eliminates international change fees, including on flights to Costa Rica

American Airlines has eliminated change fees for most international tickets, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier announced Friday via a press release.

The new policy applies immediately to all fare types except basic economy. It includes “all long-haul international flying when travel originates in North or South America” and follows a previous elimination of change fees on American Airlines’s domestic and short-haul international routes.

“We are committed to making travel easier for our customers who fly on American,” the airline’s Chief Revenue Officer, Vasu Raja, said in a statement. “By eliminating change fees, we’re giving customers more flexibility no matter when or where they plan to travel.”

Previously, American Airlines charged a change fee of $200 per ticket.

In addition to ticket change fees, the airline says that in 2020, it has eliminated mileage reinstatement fees, standby fees and phone-booking service fees.

The customer-friendly moves come as airlines struggle with depressed demand during the coronavirus pandemic. In October, American announced a third-quarter net loss of $2.4 billion on revenue that dropped 73% compared to the same period in 2019.

Requirements for tourists entering Costa Rica

Tourists wishing to enter Costa Rica via a flight must comply with these requirements:

• Complete the online “Health Pass” epidemiological form: https://salud.go.cr.
• Obtain travel insurance. This can be either a pre-approved Costa Rican policy from INS or Sagicor, or an international policy that covers COVID-19 medical expenses of at least $50,000 and $2,000 for lodging.

Visitors do not have to quarantine after arriving in Costa Rica.

Click here for a detailed breakdown of requirements and authorized states/countries, as detailed by the Costa Rica Tourism Board.