www.CostaRicaTicas.com

i wanted to know if anyone travelled to cr business class? i wanted to see if it worth spending the extra cash?

Where are you flying from? Maybe from London, but Houston or Atlanta not chance. It's a 4 hour flight. They don't call me pinche for nothing. Then again... to each their own.

Berk.....

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FRUITCAKE... and you thought it was something you eat! Not on CRT!

i'm flying from new york.

I flew business a lot on TACA out of JFK when I was able to get free upgrades before TACA changed their frequent flyer program. It's only a little over 4 hours, but it was worth it for free. I'm 6'1" and the extra legroom was great. The food is better. The seat reclines a lot further so if you have trouble sleeping in coach, you'll enjoy biz.

Based on the fares now, business could be only a couple hundred more than coach, so it'd be worth it. You can find biz class seats for $700-800 on Taca once in a while.

Is it worth the extra cash? Depends greatly on "how much" extra cash, along with "how long" the flight is from your home town. But for us here in S. Florida, IMO it's not worth the extra cash or FF miles, since the flight is only 2 hrs and 16 minutes out of Miami. I've flown Bus. class on numerous occasions, but it was only because I got the free upgrade, or it was too good of a deal to pass up with cash or miles. This being said - IMO, no matter where you're flying from, if you're over 250 lbs, it's probably worth it to upgrade, regardless of where you're flying from.

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

I always check the difference between the coach and business fares. As someone already stated, these are very close to the same right now. It only cost me about $200 to upgrade.
Besides the basic upgrade of amenities, I like flying business because you get to get off the plane first when you arrive, hopefully getting to immigration and customs before the masses. It is also great for those returning on the weekend as you can avoid those sometimes horrendous lines at the check in counters.

When I was USAIR preferred, I would get a bump on almost every trip from PHL to SJO. Years ago, USAIR had daily non-stops on this route with durations of 4+ hours. The First Class treatment was worth being a frequent flyer, but I was only slightly less happy when condemned to coach. IMO, the business / first class seat is not worth a lot of extra bucks for a relatively short trip.

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Blue Devil

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

I've been a ff at continental for almost ten years, but I only make a couple of trips a year? How would a pleab like me get upgraded? When I flew British air to Spain (twice) I simply asked for an exit row and was upgraded to business twice and first once the other time I was stuck with the cattle. Something tells me it's much harder with continental from iah to/ from SJO.

I fly business class from Atlanta all the time but it is because I almost always get the free upgrade from coach. I have never paid for a bIz class ticket. The only time I would consider it is if I was stuck in a middle seat on a 757.

Peace, Love, happiness for all,

Don Rico

Again, how are free upgrades obtained???

Believe it or not, Dan, they are often available at either the ticket counter or the gate - the overwhelming majority of the time, free upgrades are offered to the airlines "elite" flyers - but not always!

Some airlines have a set upgrade menu for flights that day whereby "today it will cost you (only) $200, or $150, or some such "reasonable" amount to upgrade"

The better way to go is ASK - you don't ask, you don't get - especially if you are a FF with that airline - you stand a better chance w/ just a basic FF card/status of getting upgraded.

We sometimes fly TACA out of Miami - I got to know the woman who checked us in - was always the same person - I have what could be described as an outgoing personality and I always spoke w/ her (not what you are thinking; she was older than me - I'm 56 - and it was just basic small talk) - I also always got upgraded (my 3 other friends never did) and I'm not a FF w/ them - so it happens, sometimes even when you don't ask!

Thanks for the info. I guess I need to start flying more in order to move up to a higher status. How long would it take a nonbuisiness flyer to move to an upper tier level of status?

That's annually I suppose. I think I have 19000 total for ten years.

In the last 7 yrs. I've gotten upgraded approx. 75% of the time as a silver or gold elite from houston to sjo & back but since the merger with United, It's gonna be a lot harder.

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

i fly american and use my miles for upgrades. i've never been turned down.
IMHO, it's the only way to use FF miles. if you use milage for a free flight, you don't get miles for that flight, purchase a ticket and get the miles for travel and use them for upgrades the next time.
if i'm running low on miles, i'll fly from chicago in coach and then BC on the return. BTW, it's so much easier getting thru check in in BC, it has a seperate line and it's own agent.
i do everything w/ my advantage visa to build miles. they're offering 30,000 miles just for getting the card and spending $600. thats a round trip upgrade from chicago.