www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Brothers:

I know all of us try to find the best airfares to our destinations. I was recently looking for a trip to Chile and found the days I could go were prohibitively expensive.

I am a loyal Continental flyer. I try to bank as many elite miles as I can, as I usually get upgraded 75% of the time. Unfortunately, Continental wanted $2600 for a flight to Chile...so I call up COPA.

Usually, I book online, but Continental and COPA's websites don't talk too well to each other. I figured since I had the time, I might as well stop off in SJO for a couple of days. After about an hour of chatting with the COPA agent, I had a PHX-SJO-SCL-PHX ticket for $1930. This is still steep, but booked separately would cost $3200.

Although my favoritas will be expensive in SJO, I will make it up on the back end in Santiago...I actually found an $11 bbbjcim there, and the hotel is about $27/night.

Dean: I'll try to remember to take a lot of pics.

Trip report to follow.
CH

$1900 is a lot of dough. Do you really need the stop in sjo? I know you can fly Continental to to Buenos Aires for $1200 or so which will get ya lots of ff miles. Then you can take whatever airline for the short hop from BsAs to Santiago & back to BsAs. Just a thought.

_________________
"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969

SinCity: I know...it is a lot of $ but several things are at play here. First and foremost, my addiction to SJO. I have a couple of chits to call in there. Second...work schedule. If I went the following week, the fare would be a total of $1100...but I can't go the following week

I was merely trying to inform the bretheren as to how I worked my way around the Continental/COPA web reservation system to get a lower fare. I have had similar good luck booking multi-stop Central/South American trips via TACA...I just don't like flying the scarebus much....If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going...
CH

you're freakin me out about my upcoming journey to the far east on the Thai Air Airbus A340-500

_________________
"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969