One Lucky Dogg wrote:
I can tell you why most charge you more for pickup's. When they pick you up at the airport and park at the parking deck, it's cost them $2.85 an hour. Regardless if it's 1 minute or 59 minutes. I always use the parking deck and have always paid for parking. It makes it covenant for my guys. I have never asked a guy to pay for parking or asked for a fare. Most just tip me what they think my services are worth. As far as flight delays, I track my clients flights on my computer and Iphone so I know if their flight is delayed of canceled. If you are not in a hurry or a spend thrift, you can take the bus to San Jose for about .90 cents. I only recommend doing this in daylight hours.
Great advice - more guys should take the bus
(and its easy - you don't even have to be a world traveler to do it - simply exit out of the airport to the right, and look for the stop - there will likely be people waiting; bus comes by frequently - you can - and should - ask "Directo" to make sure the bus goes directly to San Jose vs a stop first in Alajuale - not the end of the world if it does - you can take a cab to your hotel; total fare for me is around $3 - so the $25 +/- you save buys your meals for the day, pays 1/2 of my hotel bill for the day, among other things - if you look at from that perspective, the bus makes a ton of sense)
Another thing to consider; ask guys on your plane if they are going down town - you don't have to all be going to the same place, either - if you have 3 total in the cab, it works out to <$10 each - good deal.
Another way to save a few $$$ is go over to the bank side of the airport - located in the ticket lobby, across the way from baggage claim - change money; buy your exit visa (you were planning to do this before you left the airport vs finding a bank in SJ, and carring the money all over town - or depending on your hotel - and buying the exit visa before you leave the airport is just smart; one less thing to worry about, no problems with lines the day you are leaving, no worries that the few hotels who sell them have their computer down or are out of the forms - yes, this was on your list.....right
)What you do is look for a red cab letting people out - offer the driver $15 or so - he might take it; he by law is prohibited from picking up fares at the airport, so vs having to deadhead back to SJ, he might gladly take your offer vs zero.
You will NOT find him "crusing the baggage claim area" - but you will at departures.
Also, for a conventional pick up, $20 - 25 should still work - but you have other options to like Shuttlebus.co.com - good option if they get going right away; not so much if you have to wait for other guys and their flight is delayed - too, the constant assholes who work there with thir hands out for a tim gets to me and makes a good deal not so much - so long as its daylight, you are not carrying $$$$$$$, the best option is either to share a cab w/ 2 other guys or take the bus.