It seems that airfare to anywhere, much less Costa Rica, is getting more and more expensive these days with prices being especially expensive during the high season.
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel as The Points Guy has compiled a list of bargain airfares between the United States to both San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) airports (not including the holidays, of course) that can be booked starting at just $265 from some of the main airports as well as smaller ones in the United States.
Sample Cities and Prices:
- Newark International Airport (EWR) to San Jose (SJO) starting at $265 on American (includes a layover in Dallas)
- New York City’s La Guardia International Airport (LGA) to San Jose (SJO), starting at $265 with American (includes a layover in Miami).
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to San Jose (SJO), starting at $359 with American (includes a layover in Dallas)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to San Jose (SJO), starting at $322 (includes a layover in Charlotte) with American
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to San Jose (SJO), starting at $348 (includes a layover in Charlotte) with American
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Guanacaste Airport (LIR), starting at $273 with JetBlue
If you want more information on which airport to fly into, read this article.
If you find a price that works for you, make sure you book quickly as the number of seats at these prices you should book as soon as possible.
These rates are the base fare so there 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.
Keep in mind that most of these cheap fares may not be direct flights (especially from the smaller airports) and will most likely, as the sample fares indicate, 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.
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.
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.
