www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I am starting to browse for a future CR trip for late May/early June, possibly Memorial Day weekend.

I am seeing fares of $550-638 on Taca. I was there last June for under $400. I know fuel costs have increased, but this is ridiculous.

Are these price going to remain this high? I think they will go down, otherwise I am staying home. Maybe if enough mongers (not just CRT) stop going to CR (Yeah, like that's gonna happen), the airlines will realize that prices are too high. A few light planes and they will start to get it.

Orange,

Yeah, even flights out of EWR and PHL are starting out in the low $500 range. It seems like prices jumped $100 overnight across the board...but, then again, pricing volatility is the nature of a very competitive airline industry.

Keep in mind that those complex airline pricing models are based on supply and demand...and airline customers who travel for pleasure are very price sensitive. As demand dips because prices are high...and with the Low or Green season approaching in May, we may see prices drop back to an affordable level as winter progresses. My advice, for what it's worth...don't despair...sit tight for a few months, but keep your eyes glued to the ticketing websites.

_________________
Blue Devil

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

Orange a couple of us down here got word from leepuff about 209.00 RT from BWI in the spring and booked.

These were probaly promotional from the new usair air west merger. I would check their prices from around NY. Air west is a sucessfull cheapy from out west who bought usair. That has been in Bankrupcty several times latley. I am sure they must have had something out of one of the NY area airports.

Redman,

I just checked USAIR pricing out of EWR and JFK...lowest fare today is $630- EWR-SJO. PHL is about $100 cheaper.

USAIRWAYS always seems to have very good deals out of BWI and National (via Charlotte), but it is a long-haul and a logistical nightmare to get to these airports from NY/NJ. Transportation costs and possible hotel stays can eat up price savings pretty quickly. (I've considered departing from the DC airports several times, but the additional costs made ticket savings a wash).

_________________
Blue Devil

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

Miami to Rio is $900 right now.

Unreal.

Good news is Cathay Pacific has a $800 Bangkok special from NY and less from LA.

http://www.cathay-usa.com/dotm/dotm.asp?&ATT=dotm

AA & TACA are over $450.00 from Miami to San Jose. I never paid over $300.00 and usually much less than that. No matter what dates you punch in the fare remains in that range.

Hopefully it will come down in a month or two but that certainly is not guaranteed.

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

It looks like a universal increase across the board.

If it stays like this, will you go back to CR? I will not.

I book my trip last November for this coming April. I am only paying the $27 tax fee. I hope the cheap fares come back soon!!!!

Ive been seeing the same thing, kind of.

When I booked my flight for November, I paid 740$CDN from Halifax - JFK - MIA - SJO. I had seen some for 600 and some before that, but the deals must have ended when it was time for me to book.

Now, Ive been looking for the past 2 months at the March- April time frame of this year. So far the cheapest I can find from New York is 530$ CDN.

I know its still alot cheaper then what I paid for my first trip, but I remember Miami flights being 300$, and flights from JFK for 400$ easy.


I dont get why all of the flights to Central and South America have taken on a 25% increase?

A flight to Thailand or Philippines would run me about 850$CDN or 700ish US . How does that make sense? 22 hours of flight VS 5 hours, and only 200$ differnce?

As it stands, a vacation to either of those Asian countries, would cost less. Im talking a ST and LT per day, hotel, food, drinks.

Interesting comment Orange. Am not being critical or judgemental just curious where will you go instead and are the air fares any better there?

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

It's cool, I don't know, probably nowhere. Stay home and monger, if needed.

From your post, I'm inferring that you'll continue to go no matter what the airfares are. Is that true? If so, that's what the airlines are hoping for, they will keep raising fares to the point where demand bends all the way but doesn't break.

Isnt airfare regulated?

None the less, times like this always happen, then some "new" airline comes and steals all the customer base with low prices. Then the other airlines battle back with low prices and put the other out of business.

CRT airlines. Maybe if we up the memberships a bit we can pick up a private jet?

Orange wrote:



Fortunately the air fares are really not that big a thing with me. I live in San Jose The only effect on me is it curtails my trips back to the states which is no big deal since I have residency and do not need to leave every 90 days

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

Oh.

Absolutely. But I write-off all my trips anyway !!!

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