www.CostaRicaTicas.com

After searching for weeks for a decent flight to SJO I tried http://www.lan.com. On all the previous search engines (kayak, Sidestep, airline websites,,etc) the fares were all over $700. Lan quoted a $423 rate (inclusive) on the exact same AA flights I usually take. I tried booking it on line but kept getting a message telling me to try again,,,something about unavailable or try new itineraries. I finally called their toll free number, waited on hold for about 20 minutes and finally reached a live person (from Santiago, Chile). After having to spell the word PHOENIX three times (slowly)she finally found the itinerary I wanted for about $50 more than the site quoted. It still was only $489 total,, about $225 less than the same flights on AA. I verified two confirmation numbers, one for LAN, the other for AA. Lan is part of the Global Alliance so I was also able to use my FF # as well.

What a great feeling,, to actually find a discounted airfare. Hard to believe that we have to contact someone in South America to do it vs. the local U.S options,,, a crazy world.

We all miss the low fares from a few years ago, this same flight cost me $230 total in 2005-2006. Its currently over $700 on the AA website!

Jefe,
Great tip on this website, I had never heard of it before. In comparing fares from DFW to San Jose, the same AA flights are almost $300 less on Lan.com.

I was skeptical at first, especially when I couldn't confirm the reservation on line. Once I booked the flight using their toll free service AND getting a AA confirmation number I felt much better about using this service.

Just checked the DFW-SJO route and found out that my Phoenix to SJO itinerary (using the exact same DFW-SJO flights, dates, and times) is actually cheaper than flying just from Dallas. Confirmed the entire itinerary on AA and can change seats, etc...

This is really insane,,,but I love it!

Wow, you're right.. it's almost $100 cheaper to fly from anywhere other than dalls, even though it connects through dallas. That's bizarre.

Delta does the same thing all the time.

About a year ago it was $225 from JFK to SJO , connecting in ATL.

It was over $400 directly from ATL to SJO.

So I booked a "Multi Leg" ticket - ATL to SJO , And for the return, SJO to JFK.

This saved about 35% and I just didn't use the last leg of the ticket.

This only works if you have no checked baggage.

Not bizarre, really. If they offered flights priced by mileage flown alone, then the people who live in Dallas would buy the tickets to CR and there would be no space available for travelers connecting in Dallas. By "protecting" the seat with a higher price from Dallas, they ensure that a seat will be available for the hub connection.

_________________
"Your love gives me such a thrill
but your love don't pay my bills,
I NEED THE MONEY!" - John Lee Hooker

Disclaimer: The above is merely the opinion of the author unless specific scientific data is included.
Your mileage may vary. https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 978#206978

great info jefe..... Do they fly out of san diego?

I have been watching this site since Senordos mentioned it earlier this month. There is a $500 difference if I just drive for 2 1/2 hrs to Houston. I think this is the way I will be going on my trip in February. Gotta love a Chilean airline with no fuel surcharge.

Just checked the lan.com website vs. AA.com website. lan.com price for DFW-SJO 8-27 - 9-2 is $497.00 while AA.com price for the exact same AA flts is $798.00 da*m this is great taxes included

If you check the link Paco posted you'll see that I posted this "LAN.COM" loophole 10 days ago. Unfortunately excessive "dumpster diving" activity pushed it off the front page.

I'll reiterate that the loophole exists because their software is not adding the "YQ" Fuel Surcharge. This is a mistake that works in your favor.

Please DO NOT make reservations by telephone or contact LAN AA BA etc., this will only kill the deal sooner as they become aware of and fix the glitch and ruin it for everybody else.

Senordos,

Thanks or the updates, I heard about this site from a friend and never read your post.

Anyway, I tried (unsuccessfully) many times to book on line but kept receiving a message stating it was not available. I ended up using the toll free number and confirmed the flights I wanted.

I checked again today, same fares and same messages... any suggestions on how someone could do this any other way?

Lets not start a long thread on the semantics,, good information for CRT'rs that are trying to save some $$$ for the upcoming party,,

Lets have a toast at the HDR or SL and spend the money on some Ticas!

EL_Jefe I would refer your question to flyertalk, but the thread with 278 posts has been locked due to too many of them being off topic. However It's possible your answer is already there if you want to read through all 19 pages:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=834300&page=19

In any case, if your last resort is to call, please don't draw any special attention to the nature of the fare.

Senordos

If this was such a secret why did you post about it? Whether we purchase on-line or via a reservation agent will not raise a "red flag" with this airline. If they see a run on purchases (supply vs. demand) the prices will go up regardless of how we do it.