Air Travel

Airlines traveling regularly to Costa Rica: Offering non-stop flights from various locations, TACA and LACSA are Costa Rican carriers, and some of the others also offer nonstops:  United Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Mexicana de Aviación, Copa Airlines, Aviateca, Martinair, American West, US Airways.  Yes, there is a departure tax for all foreigners, $26 accepted in U.S. dollars, colones, Euros, credit cards ....

Delta deals to Bahamas, Costa Rica, more

By CLARA BOSONETTO MAERZ For the Journal-Consitution: 04/23/08

Delta Air Lines offers up a handful of great vacation destinations at super affordable rates — and all of these rates are good on trips you plan to take through March 20, 2009. So grab your calendars and get yourself booked on one or more trips to spots guaranteed to bring a bit of adventure and enjoyment.

RELATED LINKS: DAILY DEALS Clara Bosonetto Maerz's column is published weekdays on ajc.com.

Rates are $109 to Freeport or Nassau in the Bahamas and $139 each way to Punta Cana or Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

These rates are not valid on July 3-5 or Dec. 21-Jan. 4.

One-way prices to San Jose, Costa Rica, are $139, and $149 to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands — with no blackout dates!

Trips to all destinations require a 28-day advance notice of travel. Also, these rates are valid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Add $30 each way for trips on other days of the week.

Because these special rates do not have a ticket-by date, act immediately on a purchase. Without that essential date, Delta could pull this offer at any time throughout the day.www.delta.com

 www.Kayak.com ? I find that to be a great
 site for finding low fares.

Also Try Yapta.com; we've had good luck with this site.

Great Deals on Airfare Frontier Airlines Offers Fares Starting at

San Jose, Costa Rica $ 169** Frontier is having a major seven-day sale running through Monday, April 21, 2008. Flyers can take advantage of fares across the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica as low as $49* each way. Sale-priced tickets must be purchased by 9:59 p.m. MDT on April 21, 2008, for travel through May 21, 2008.

Costa Rica: Service to/from these countries may be less than daily. Off-peak travel valid to/from Mexico and Costa Rica Monday through Thursday based on date of international flight segment. Maximum stay for Mexico travel is 120 days; For Costa Rica travel maximum stay is 90 days. All international fares are subject to U.S. arrival and departure taxes and agricultural, immigrations and customs fees of up to $50 round-trip which are not included in the fare amount. For travel to some countries, additional airport, transportation, embarkation, security, and passenger service taxes/surcharges of up to $170 will apply depending on destination. For return travel from Costa Rica, fares do not include airport and/or departure taxes of up to $45, which may be collected by the Costa Rican government. Passports are required for international travel.

Delta Announces Flights From JFK; Sansa Now Flies to David Feb. 21, 2008 Inside Costa Rica
The options of flying into and out of Costa Rica is getting wider and airlines add more regular flights with more destinations.

TACA's regional airline in Costa Rica just inaugurates its route to and from David, Panama from San José Juan Santamaría international airport. The flights will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from the "regional" terminal west of the main terminal.

Delta Airlines has also expanded service to Costa Rica, adding two new routes from New York's JFK airport to San José and Liberia.

The San José (SJO) flights from the Juan Santamaría direct to JFK will be on Mondays, Tuesdays,. Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, while the flights to Liberia's Daniel Oduber (LIB) will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Delta currently offers 31 flights a week to Costa Rica.

Third Daily Flight To San José From Miami Next Month Offered by ATA Airlines  Feb. 14, 2008 Inside Costa Rica
Next month visitors from the United States will have another alternative to fly directly to and from Costa Rica as another airline prepares for beginning of its regular service to San José from Miami.

ATA Airlines, marketed through LatinSKY,  will be offering directly daily flights from Miami to San José and Guatemala City on March 15.

The cost of the ticket will be us$190 return, plus taxes.

ATA says the price of the ticket will all depend on the demand for the route and competition and will offer meals, music, videos and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, ATA is now in its 35th year, serving major business centers and popular vacation destinations through its scheduled service and commercial charter operations. ATA Airlines, Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Aero Logistics Inc., whose other indirect subsidiaries include North American Airlines, Inc. and World Airways, Inc.

ATA will be the third airline to offer direct flights to and from Miami, joining American Airlines and Taca.

The daily flights are scheduled to leave the Juan Santamaría airport at 5:55pm, arriving in Miami at 10:00pm (local times). From Miami, ATA leaves at 3:50pm and arrives in San José at 4:40pm. (Miami is currently one hour behind Costa Rica time, two hours during daylight savings time).

The airline will be using Boeing 737-800's with a capacity of 160 passengers - 12 in first class and 148 in economy.

In the last several months a number of airlines started regular flights to and from San José: the Colombian airline Avianca (January); Air Caraibes from the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique (December); and Frontier Airlines (November).

On deck is AeroRepublica from Colombia that has yet to define a start date.

In the past week all the U.S. airlines have added more flights to Costa Rica. For example, Continental with three flights daily, offered five during the past weekend. Delta has added one more daily flight into San José, as well as newcomer Spirit Airlines with a dailyred eye from Fort Lauderdale. For now, American Airlines is keeping its daily flights to four, however, US Air added one extra flight this past week, meeting the demands of more U.S. vacationers who are choosing Costa Rica this year.  July 3, 2007 (Insidecostarica.com).

SPECIAL!   SPECIAL!  SPECIAL!     CHECK OUT  www.spiritair.com

Spirit Airlines Adds Flights To Costa Rica
Spirit Airlines today begins operating two flights daily between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and San José Costa Rica.

Spirit began operating its first flight to Costa Rica in March of this year.

The airline, with its low fares, has attracted customers quickly. A check of airlines online reservation has all flights to and from Costa Rican booked until June 6th.

The new flight leaves Fort Lauderdale at 11:00pm (ET) and arrives at the Juan Santamaría international airport at 11:45pm (CT). The flight then turns around one hour later headed back to Fort Lauderdale by 5:30am (ET)
The midnight flight has one advantage, its almost at half price - us$89.50 one way - of its noon flight and offers a "BIG FRONT SEAT" to those who are willing to pay more.

COSTA RICA'S MAIN AIRPORT (JUAN SANTAMARIA)AND AIRLINE INFORMATION:

There's now FREE WiFi/Wireless Internet throughout the Juan Santamaria Airport!!

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE INFO: www.alterra.co.cr/FIWS/index.aspx

AUTOMATED FLIGHT INFO: 437-2626 - English-9 Arrival-1 Departures-2
(I find it hasn’t worked properly 90% of the time for me)

GENERAL AIRPORT INFO - Client Services: 443-1737 / 443-1244-fax
(5am-10pm) (they speak GOOD English & are REALLY helpful with ANY
questions you have!!)

AIRPORT TAXI: www.TaxiAeroPuerto.com

AIRPORT PARKING (at terminal): $11/day / 890 colones/hour (440-6700 /
437-2400)

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
Air Canada - 441-8025-English-9 8am-1pm Mon.-Sat. / 0800-052-1988
/ www.AirCanada.ca
Air Comet - 291-0684 / www.AirComet.com
Air France - 220-4119 / www.AirFrance.com/cr
Air Madrid - 296-4559 / www.AirMadrid.com
Air Panama / Air Costa Rica - 296-8592 / www.FlyAirPanama.com
Air Transat - 441-9444 / www.AirTransat.com
America West - 430-6690 / 0800-0110888 / www.AmericaWest.com
American - 442-8800 / 257-1266 / www.AA.com
Continental - 442-1904 / 0800 044 0005 / www.Continental.com
Condor - 430-4787 (air panama) / 441-9444 / 243-1818 / www.Condor.com
Copa - 441-4742 / 223-2672 / www.CopaAir.com
Cubana - 430-4787 / 221-6918 / www.Cubana.cu
Delta - 440-4805 / 0800-056-2002 / www.Delta.com
Iberia - 441-5635 / 257-8266 / www.Iberia.com
KLM - 220-4111 / www.KLM.com
LACSA - 443-3555 / www.TACA.com
MartinAir - 440-8848 / 232-3246 / www.MartinAir.com
Mexicana - 441-9377 / 295-6969 / www.Mexicana.com
Nature Air - Pavas Airport-299-6070 / Res-299-6000 / www.NatureAir.com
SANSA - 221-9414 / www.FlyAansa.com
Spirit Airlines - 800-756-7117 / www.SpiritAir.com
TACA - 443-3555 / 296-9533 / www.TACA.com
United - 0-8000-521-243 / www.United.co.cr
USAir - 430-6690 / 520-0593 / www.USAirways.com
West Carribean - 291-0580 / www.WCA.com.co
www.alterra.co.cr/FIWS/contactAerolinea.aspx

Seniors (each airline has a different starting age for what
constitutes a Senior) are able to go to the head of the line in
security, immigration and customs. 

 

Domestic airlines that travel within the country
You can contact SANSA at ww.flysansa.com (506)221-9414 or Nature Air at www.natureair.net (506) 220-3054.

Customs

There are no customs duties charged on personal luggage, which includes items for personal and professional use, as long as they do not appear in such quantities that suggest commercial intent. Costa Rican law requires ALL baggage to be examined thoroughly and that travelers submit to customs regulations listing all articles entering Costa Rica including fruit, vegetables, meat, meat products, biological products such as vaccinations, serums, etc. In the case of ones family, one declaration may be filled out by the head of household.

No vaccines are required to enter Costa Rica.

One of the great things about Costa Rica are the many pharmacies, that do not require a prescription for most medicines.  And they will sell you a couple of pills instead of having to buy an entire box.  Some pharmacies will even give you shots. The idea is that the pharmacists are very well trained and this helps to take pressure off the overextended socialized Costa Rican medical system.

Yes you can buy those little blue pills without a prescription, ahem,

I've been told!

The Costa Rican currency is called Colon, however the plural (colones) is usually used and pronounced "co-LO-ness" . One thousand colones equals about $2.

YOU WILL ALWAYS NEED TO BRING YOUR PASSPORT TO CONVERT U.S. DOLLARS into Colones, even $10. Don't even bother trying to argue, it won't do any good.

US dollars are accepted in most tourist places only and $100 bills are not easy to cash,  thanks to counterfeiting.

Major credit cards are widely accepted,  VISA the most, then Mastercard, occasionally American Express.  Alternatively, many simply use their bank debit cards. If your card says "PLUS" or "CIRRUS" on the back, your card should work fine with many of the automatic tellers in the country. Major banks such as Scotiabank, Interfin, Banco Uno and others have tellers available. Also, the country is dotted with "ATH" cash machines (stands for: A Toda Hora or "at all hours"). These tellers accept international credit cards.

Some persons bring travelers checks as a protection against theft. Be aware, some small establishments do not accept travelers checks and it would be wise to change the checks at your hotel or at a bank before you go to remote places in Costa Rica. They will charge you for cashing your travelers checks.

Almost ideal year-round, the climate is a moderate 72 degrees in the highlands, while the lowlands and coastal areas range from the low 70's to the high 90's. Evenings in San Jose are free of humid heat, and beaches are cooled by ocean breezes. Rainy season occurs from the end of May to November, with the heaviest rainfall in October. The Atlantic or Caribbean side is driest from February thru April, with a short "summer" in June and July, and the wettest months from November thru January. However, you should be prepared for rain at any time during the year in this part of the country. The Pacific side and central parts of the country are driest from January through March.

A lot of people have a misconception of our "rainy season", imagining that it's "monsoon like" and that it never stops raining. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can normally be assured of sunny mornings followed by some rain in the afternoons or evenings, and even plenty of days without rain. The Caribbean experiences a "short summer" during this time, and their weather can be quite pleasant. Avg. highs are between 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit and avg. lows between 72-75 degrees.

Pets

Import  health requirements for dogs and cats 

Dogs and cats entering Costa Rica must have a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian, and endorsed by a Veterinary Service (VS) veterinarian.  The examination for the certificate must be conducted within the two weeks prior to travel to Costa Rica.

Health Certificate Statements

1. The dog/cat was examined and found to be healthy and free of any clinical signs of infectious disease.
2. The animals were vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus.

Vaccination Requirements

1. distemper
2. hepatitis
3. leptospirosis
4. parvovirus.
5. rabies – for animals 4 months or older

Requirement

1. The examination for the certificate must be conducted within the two weeks prior to travel to Costa Rica.

2. Please use a State of Federal  US Interstate and International Certificate for Small Animals.

3. Enclose rabies vaccination certificate.

Note

• The Health Certificate does NOT need to be signed by a Notary Public, nor does it have to be authenticated by the Consulate of Costa Rica.

• Animals exported in commercial lot numbers must be accompanied by an import permit.

• Goldfish are not required to have health certificates.

Car Rental Companies in Costa Rica Hide Information From Clients,  Government Study Reveals     (thanks to InsideCostaRica  20/07/07) A study by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio (MEIC), reveals that car rental companies hide important information from their clients. The study was made to compare prices offered by 14 car rental companies in San José. However, the study turned to verifying if the prices offered to consumers was final price, like including insurance, deposits and additional charges like for extra time, exchange rates, etc. The investigation took place during the past week and revealed that in many of the cases, the extra charges were not clearly spelled out to customers, especially in the area of the exchange rate being used. In only 36% of the cases, the renter explained the additional charges like if the vehicle was returned to a location other than where it was rented. In many of the cases, the guarantee deposit was not clearly spelled out and some companies did not indicate the cost of the driver if the vehicle was rented with a driver or the extra charge if the vehicle was not returned on time. According to the MEIC, only four of the fourteen companies complied with all the regulations. The MEIC says that the rental companies are involved in "price war" and a difference of up to 57% in the price was found in the rental of a similar vehicle. The MEiC found that a small passenger vehicle renting for us$40 at one rental company could cost as much as us$57 at another. The same SUV costing us$98 at one car rental could cost us$146.35 at another. The MEIC found that the rates published by the car rental companies are net, meaning they do not include the cost of insurance and other extras, like if renting a vehicle from the airport there is an additional 12% added to cost of the service. The following is an MEIC publishing of the daily "net" prices offered by the various car rental companies:   Economy Sedan Mapache us$40.00 Avis us$42.24 Toyota us$45.99 Hertz us$46.49 Tricolor us$49.00 Alamo us$50.95 Europcar us$50.98 Sixt us$51.75 Economy us$53.00 Budget us$55.90 National us$56.35 Payless us$59.11 Hola us$62.00 Dollar us$62.95     SUV Economy us$98.00 Tricolor us$99.00 Mapache us$100.00 Sixt us$103.75 Budget us$103.90 Avis us$105.24 Hertz us$106.49 Toyota us$107.99 Payless us$109.09 Europcar us$121.98 Dollar us$125.95 Alamo us$125.95 Hola us$138.00 National us$146.34 The study found that many customers prefer to rent vehicles at the airport paying the 12% additional airport fee only to find that the vehicles are not at the airport but at the lot close to the airport, where they could have rented the vehicle for less. In case of Alamo and National, ANC is the franchise holder and though they share the same operations, their rental prices are different. The MEIC advises consumers to review the rental contract carefully and ensure that all the costs are spelled out up front and the terms and conditions of the guarantee deposit as well as traffic tickets and in the event of an accident or theft involving the vehicle. Please note: CR Beach has worked out 20% discounts for our clients with 2 car rental companies!!  .

Most Banks are open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and do not close for lunch. Some Banks in tourist areas are open 9-6 everyday and saturdays 9-1.  Government offices are open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Most commercial business open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Stores and other businesses at commercial centers from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Most restaurants open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm but closed between 3-5. However most Costa Ricans eat dinner after 7:00.   Hotels and some restaurants are open 24 hours. There is a 13% sales tax at hotels, restaurants and most service industries, and an additional 3% tourist tax at hotels.

WARNING: CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR RESTAURANT CHECK ALREADY HAS THE 13% TAX PLUS THE 10% TIP (SERVICE CHARGE) ADDED (99.9% OF THEM WILL). 

MANY NEW CREDIT CARD CHARGES HAVE A LINE CALLED "PROPINA" BEFORE THE SIGNATURE SPACE.  THIS IS A SNEAKY WAY TO GET FOREIGNERS TO DOUBLE TIP!  I HATE THIS, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SERVICE IS USUALLY TERRIBLE, NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE THE RESTAURANT.

I ALSO URGE YOU TO BE GENEROUS IN TIPPING BECAUSE MOST WORKERS ONLY EARN $1 AN HOUR, $400 A MONTH WITH TIPS.  IN THE RARE CASE THAT YOU GET A GREAT WAITER/WAITRESS-

TIP WELL AND TELL THEM THAT THEIR EXCELLENT SERVICE IS THE REASON.

Land lines with direct-dial telephone services, fax, telex, radio (119 commercial and 17 public service institutions)

Approx. 80 TV Stations, Cable and Satellite are all available.

Bilingual operator assistance for international calls dial:116

Local information dial:113

Long distance information dial:124

Emergency dial:911

Internet cafes are available in most towns and hotels, high speed available in many locations.

National or official language: Spanish.

Literacy rate: 96% (2003).