www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Taca is cutting back service on the nonstop flight from DAILY to 3-4 per week. Flight #661 won't be running Tuesday-Thursday, and some Fridays. I don't know when this begin/began, I just looked at the schedule in the future.

That’s bad news in the 20 or so times over the last 10 years that I have taken 661 it was never delayed the return 660 however is another story but it still is my favorite flight to a Costa Rica.

I noticed the change in mid January but that was down to 6 days a week so it’s seems they are reducing the schedule little by little. Last year they had two direct flights on Tuesday or Wednesday I don’t remember which so eight flights a week total.

Last month when I took the Copa flight to PTY then Cartagana the Taca counter looked disserted compared to years ago when you used to see 100 or more people on line with what seemed like all their worldly possessions as checked bags. At JFK Taca and Copa are right across from one and other for those unfamiliar with the terminal.

I don’t know if EWR is an option for you but Continental has two or three direct flights from there to SJO depending on the day of the week.

seems like they are cutting back all the nonstops out of LAX too.

Tourism from the states is definitely down and they are reacting to market conditions. Since their fleet basically consist of A319/320/321 aircraft it hard to adjust by changing equipment as AA did when they replaced their MIA/SJO A300 flights with smaller B757 equipment.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

That's the sense I'm getting from speaking with tourism providers (fishing and hotels) in Quepos. I just booked an all-day fishing charter on a 37' boat for $950 and got 5 hotel rooms on the beach in Manuel Antonio for $50 each per night. There is a silver lining in every cloud for those of us who can still make a trip.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

I don't feel your pain. Sorry, I live a whopping hour away and Taca doesn't fly direct out of here. Pisses me off that I can't go direct to anywhere in Central/South America.

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[url=http://www.amishrakefight.org/gfy/]

ID,
Your info is a bit old. As of late last year, TACA started flying some 100-seat Embraer E190's. It's comparable to A318. They bought 11 new E190's in 2008.

They are being used on these routes:
San Jose-Cuba
Panama-San Jose
Guatemala-Managua-San Jose
San Jose-Managua-El Salvador
Guatemala-San Pedro Sula-San Jose
San Pedro Sula-San Jose

My info is up to date as I am well aware of the acquisition of the E190 to the fleet.

What is lacking is your knowledge of the range of the E190. It is not suitable for JFK/SJO or LAX/SJO which are the routes being discussed in this thread.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Try again.

what hotel in MA on the beach for $50 a night BD? i booked karahe but not for that price

I had nothing better to do, so I looked up the range of the Embraer 190. In case anyone is interested, the E-190 has a max range of 2761 miles, and the air distance between JFK and SJO is 2210 statute miles.* That leaves a little more than a 20% reserve...not sure if this would fly with the FAA.

* Note: I converted from nautical miles to statute miles.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

OK. I will try again to explain to you some basic facts about aviation.

E190 maximum range 2400 NM

JFK/SJO 2204 NM

LAX/SJO 2721 NM

With out going into a long dissertation about manufacturers maximum range figures and air carrier/FAA operational requirements for alternates, temperature, weight, runway length and gradient, etc. it is obvious the E190 can not be used on either JFK-LAX/SJO routes.

If you do not believe me, a FAA licensed flight dispatcher, check with a guys like PAC55 who was an FAA ATC or some of the FAA ATR licensed guys on the board.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

That would be Villa Prats : www.villapratscr.com . The Family rooms (with a kitchenette) normally go for $70 during high season, the owner offered $60. For the simple rooms which go for $60 during high, he accepted $50. The owner, Franklin (Frank) seems like a nice guy, and willing to take care of his guests. He speaks English as well. On the website, there is a North Jersey phone number that is tied into CR phone. My tica gf spent a couple of days there over the holidays, and told me about this place.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

Not sure which model has a range of 2761 and which has a range of 2400 NM
or which model TACA has. In any case manufacturers figures do not take into account the various configurations that individual carriers use and the various things they add to increase the weight of the airframe and reduce its maximum range. In any case the manufacturers figures are based on optimal conditions which are rarely present in day to day operations. Their numbers are somewhat analogous to a car manufacturers MPG claims.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

2400 NM max range is what I came up with. I just converted it to miles which is 2761.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...