Expatify

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Discount Flights to Costa Rica

Travelers who are researching discount flights to Costa Rica should be aware of a few factors, especially the different airports and seasons to travel.

Airports

There are two international airports located in Costa Rica. The first is the Juan Santamaria International Airport, which is located outside of the capital city San Jose. This is the biggest, busiest airport in the country, and travelers have more options of finding discount flights to Costa Rica by flying into here. There are daily flights from two cities in Europe (Frankfurt and Madrid), and over a dozen from different American cities. If you are traveling to elsewhere in Costa Rica, it is also much easier to connect to domestic flights from the Juan Santamaria Airport than from anywhere else. Travelers should be aware that this airport charges a $26 departure fee with the flights. For those who want to save money once they land, they have the option of boarding public buses that drive into San Jose from this airport.

Some airlines that may offer discount flights to San Jose include TACA/LACSA, Copa Airlines, Continental and American Airlines.

The other airport is the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport, which is located in the small city of Liberia. People fly into this airport if they are traveling to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, but not usually for other reasons. Many of the flights to this airport are seasonal, but there are some daily flights from cities in the United States and Canada. Airfares to Liberia are generally more expensive than to San Jose, so this is something to consider. This airport is undergoing renovations for expansion, so there will probably be more options of discount flights to Costa Rica within a few years.

Some airlines that may offer discount flights to Liberia include Air Canada, American, CanJet, Continental, Delta and US Airways.

High and Low Seasons

The “high season” for traveling to Costa Rica is from December through April; the “low season” is from May through October. The difference is that the “low season” is also the rainy season, where it can rain daily, and it is not a very desired time for traveling. There are more discount flights during “low season” just because these tickets do not get taken up as quickly as in high season.

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