Although everyone seems to be focusing on where their families are going this holiday season, you may want to also start to make plans for next year if you want to get a good, if not a great deal, on airfare to Costa Rica.
To that end, The Points Guy has compiled a list of bargain airfares between the United States to both San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) airports for the months of January to May, that can be booked starting at just over $300 from some of the main departure cities as well as smaller airports in the United States.
Sample Cities and Prices:
- Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) to San Jose(SJO) starting at $308 on American
- New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Liberia (LIR), starting at $309 with Jetblue
- Greensboro International Airport (GSO) to San Jose (SJO), starting at $321 with American
- Austin International Airport (AUS) to San Jose (SJO) starting at $336 with American
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to SJO, starting at $350 with Delta (ex May 2 – May 10)
- New York City’s La Guardia Airport (LGA) to Liberia (LIR), starting at $323 with American
- Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to San Jose (SJO) starting at $366 with Avianca
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to Liberia (LIR), Costa Rica, starting at $371 with American
If you find a price that works for you, make sure you book quickly as the number of seats at these prices are limited and rates could change quickly.
These rates are the base fare so their may be (i.e. probably will be) extra charges for luggage, seats etc. You should also check other airports that may be closer to where you live as lower-than-normal fares may also be available from there.
If you do book you may want to also look into getting travel insurance in case something unforeseen should happen and you need to cancel or change your dates of travel.
Keep in mind that most of these cheap fares may not be direct flights (especially from the smaller airports) and could include a stop.
Use a website like Google Flights or Expedia to look around and find the cheapest dates and prices. If all the prices are the same you may want to consider booking your flights directly with the airlines as if there are cancellations or delays, talking with the airline directly is much easier.
Some of the airlines that currently offer flights between the United States to either San Jose (SJO) or Liberia (LIR) Costa Rica are: Avianca, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier and Southwest.
Tourists must meet Costa Rica’s general visa requirements and visitors must have a valid passport and proof of intent to exit the country (an outbound ticket) within 90 days.
For further details, the ICT lists all the current entry requirements for tourists on its website.