FincaEstrellita

Hi All - first time posting here. If anyone can offer their opinion on the following issue I'd be very grateful.

Short version: Roundtrip prices for a 90-day trip to Costa Rica (BOS-SJO) seem to be highly inflated if I set the return date in the first week of the new year. It being still a ways in the future, does anybody know if more flights typically get added and the price typically goes down? Is it worth waiting?

Long version: I fly BOS-SJO a couple times a year, normally on American Airlines, and the prices are typically $450-550 roundtrip - very reasonable. Normally I'd go down at the end of Sept and come back to the states for Christmas. This winter I'd like to delay my southbound trip (limited to 90 days on the tourist visa) in order to be there for Christmas and the New Year with my girlfriend. I was thinking something like Oct 4 - Jan 2.

But when I've searched on all the typical places (Google Flights, Vayama, Kayak, etc) the only 'normally'-priced options are on the crappy airlines like Spirit. I'd like to fly Delta or American (being Alaska Air partners for my mileage) but the prices for having my return date in the first week of the New Year are all about $200 or more higher than the typical $500 average.

I'm wondering if anyone knows how those prices might typically change, if at all, over the coming months. Do they end up adding flights and do the prices come down? As an example, a trip on Delta from Sept 30 - Dec 28 is only $478 but if you made each date a week later (Oct 7 - Jan 4) it jumps up to $887 - seems ludicrous.

I'd appreciate any helpful info, including letting me know if this would be better posted elsewhere.

Thanks!

SJOGuy

No. I doubt you'll find more flights added between now and then.

Jan. 4 is the first Monday of the new year. Of course, it's going to be a busy travel day. Anyone who comes to Costa Rica for the holidays is probably not going to fly home Dec. 28. I bet that's why you're finding such good prices. It'll be a slower travel day.

You know, $478 is a bargain. If you can find a fare like that and it means late Sept.-late Dec (It's still three months in Costa Rica!), grab it.

FincaEstrellita

Hmm... well what's strange is that it's not just the 4th - it's that whole first week of January that's super expensive while all the dates leading up to and after Christmas are the 'normal' cheap price. I think in the end I'll do something like Oct 8 - Jan 4 and pay around $600-$620 on American Airlines. At least it will allow me to be there for New Year's with my girlfriend's family. And after spending most of January in the states I'll be back for another 90 days until early May on a regularly-priced ticket.

Thanks for your response - I appreciate it!

Darian

I book about 30-40 clients a year into and back from SJO, and a $200 premium for returning at the end of Christmas break is not that much at all. Wait and the price will go up, probably by a lot. That fare will be $1000 r/t by September.

SJOGuy

For a stay of three months and coming back at the height of the high season, $600 is a bargain. Grab it.

FincaEstrellita

Good to know - thanks so much!

FincaEstrellita

The Oct 6 - Jan 4th trip went down to $575 yesterday so I just jumped on it. Not too shabby!

FincaEstrellita

I thought I'd update this thread incase the information helps anyone else in the future. I bought my ticket that day for $576 and by some stroke of extreme luck that was the best day to buy, by a long shot. I'll include an image showing what the price has done in the 70 days since then - shot up to $1369 at one point!