www.CostaRicaTicas.com

This sounds so crazy I am probably going to get laughed at for posting it, especially since I know my sorce isn't too good either. But I have been told by an unreliable sorce that one of the lines is advertising that they'll get you a hotel room for $30 bucks for an overnight layover.

I hate overnight layovers and would never take one. But now it seems most of the flights from Chicago to SJO have overnight layovers and it is getting more difficult to find a cheap flight with good times without an overnight layover on at least one of the legs of the trip. Has anyone heard anything about this?

Of course since I never look at an overnight layovers has there ever been anything like this?

I will quite often book an overnight layover on my way into SJO. I prefer to arrive in the afternoon, and I don't want to depart my origin city at the o-dark-thirty.

Priceline can be your friend. I've regularly booked a nice hotel near the airport (with a free shuttle) for about $40 to $60 a night.

The advantage of an overnight layover is pretty substantial - you can often leave your home town after work, stay near an airport for the layover & arrive SJO around noon & relaxed. I frequently do this. It also minimized lost luggage opportunities because if you check bags you can pick them up at the layover point then when you check them in in the morning there are no connections. Should it get lost on the first leg you have an opportunity to recover fromt he comfort of your hotel room before you ever leave the country.

I frequently schedule business trips to return "home" late in an afternoon, miss my connection home (darn!), spend the night at the layover point on business, then pick up my extra flights to SJO. I'll be leaving for SJO in the morning; my additional costs to add SJO (in business class) was about $190 over the original R/T fare.

/dddick

Talk about a slick MF gaming all manner of systems! Bother Triple D, you are my newest hero--no joke.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED