www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I was a bit apprehensive about flying TACA on this recent trip from LAX to San Jose based on mixed comments I had read. I left LAX on the direct non-stop that leaves around 11:45 at night and returned on the direct non-stop to lAX that leaves San Jose around 5:50 in the afternoon. In both cases I made it a point to arrive 3 hours before departure. The check-in process both in LAX and SJO took LESS than 30 minutes. There were NO issues with my carry-on (even though I was really carrying 2 bags). The planes (Airbus 319) were modern and clean and comfortable. The flights were great and in BOTH cases the flights arrived slightly ahead of schedule--forgot to mention..both flights left on time as well. Overall..Two Thumbs up for TACA based on this experience.

I had the same identical experience and will always fly with them from LAX. The only thing that was strange was that the booze was free and you had to pay for the meal.They are the only airline out of LAX that flys directly to San Jose that I am awre of.

Cool, I'm glad to hear that.

I am flying them out of JFK in October. It's one of the only non-stop flights from NY and it's cheaper too.

-Orange

Actually, American Airlines also has (or had) a direct non-stop flight from LAX to SJO. It leaves LAX and SJO around the exact same time as the TACA flights. The thing is it is a "seasonal" flight and only runs from about December through May (I took that flight last December). If you're traveling during that time period I would check with them, although after my experience with TACA I'd just as soon fly them (besides that the stewardesses on TACA are hotter looking--American airlines have to hire older and more obese ladies now because of all this affirmative action crap).

Have to second the positive comments regarding Taca - I've flown them on three trips in a row out of LAX now, and no issues or bad experiences to speak of. Two of the flights have involved connections in Central America - specifically Guatemala and El Salvador - and no problems there either.

My experiences with Taca have been very good as well.On time usually early ,modern planes.So you have to pay for the meal .Airplane food is never anything to write home about.Had a good sandwich at the restaurant and bar at the El Salvador airport on my conection.I just wish they would have anouther sale out of Dallas.A lot of the US airfare search engines don't include them so best to check their web site.rbc100

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In Search of Fine Kittens,
Please... Bring back the Muff

Word of advice... in you are interested in flying TACA, check Travelocity first, then TACA website. Travelocity DOES include TACA if your city is served by them.

I booked for October on Travelocity JFK-SJO for $351 RT. TACA website for the EXACT same flights was $540. (I don't get it... I know that travelocity buys some spaces cheap and then resells them but it's still weird to see the TACA price $200 more)

-Orange

Do not what the competition offers from LAX but from MIA there only meal service is a bag of pretzels, free soft drinks, coffee, tea or $5.00 beer or alcohol mini.

LACSA (TACA) offers you the option to buy a meal ($8.00) better than you can buy at MIA for that price, free soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer or alcohol mini's.

All in all have been using LACSA for over 13 years and still prefer them over AA.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

My 2 cents : Taca (Lacsa) is far superior to AA in travel JFK (NY) to SJO.

AA only has flights with a layover in Miami both ways. On return flight you have to clear customs in Miami. This is no fun at all.

Taca (Lacsa) has a nonstop flight that puts you in San Jose at 10 am CR time. Total flying time is 5 hours and no stop in Miami.

Return flight to NY. Local time is 1:15 am. Breeze through customs and beat morning rush traffic.

Just a whole lot less stress using Taca.

Usually cheaper too!

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Tunaman

I hear that. I'm glad I was able to find a good fare. I paid $475 on Delta in June.

The key is to learn from your mistakes each trip. And that was the first mistake I made. Those buffoons messed up our bags in Atlanta and we waited for 1.5 hours to get our bags to go through customs (yes, a pain in the balls). My connecting flight was in 50 minutes. Needless to say, a lot of us missed our connecting flights. Mine was the last to NY that night, so I was stuck in Atlanta overnight. I will give them credit, they put me up in a pretty sweet hotel.

-Orange

On my first trip to CR on AA, we had to get our bags and get on a line for customs and passports. I am standing on this line and there is a customs guy going up and down the line looking at passports. He comes to me, I show my passport, he nods his head, and keeps going. When I finally get to the desk, the guy there says I am in the wrong line. I asked why the other guy said nothing and he shrugs and says to go to the line at the right for US citizens.

Then I go to this area that was pure chaos. The guy there says"Drop your bag and board the plane.

I thought I would never see my bag again, but somehow it managed to be in NY when I got there.

Nothing against my Florida amigos, but Miami International SUCKS BIG TIME! NEVER again will I fly with a layover there.

The flight down was not as bad. But, I still had to get off the plane, all the bags were taken off, then I was allowed to get back on the same plane. I did have to sit in a different seat for some reason.

This was only five months after 9/11, so maybe that is why they had their heads up their asses, but I am not going tto see if they got better.

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Tunaman

Nothing against my Florida amigos, but Miami International SUCKS BIG TIME! NEVER again will I fly with a layover there................................................(.no problem tunaman,in fact they had a report in the miami herald last week,where it is the worst airport in the usa for length of time, passing through immigration)......

The flight down was not as bad. But, I still had to get off the plane, all the bags were taken off, then I was allowed to get back on the same plane. I did have to sit in a different seat for some reason. .......................................................(.iberian airlines had to abandon "mia" due to this new restriction and they are the national airline of spain............madrid/mia/sjo flt, it was a great price too).....

Osgood that is not really why Iberia decided to change their routing.

The new regulations abolished the TWOV (Transit without visa program) For a foreign flagged carrier like Iberia to land in Miami before proceeding to San Jose all passengers would have to have a US visa. This obviously put a very major road block in their business plan so they eliminated the US stop.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

When I was in SJ last January I met a young businessman that uses TACA everytime because they let you change your flight dates for free. Any update or confirmation of that? Makes it nice if I want to spend a couple extra days.

I screwed up my dates first and had to change them. It cost me a $20 fee, but I don't know if that fee was to Taca or the online ticket sales who got the money.

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Tunaman