Airfare

[frettless]

Hi everyone!

If you have read some of my posts you will know that as part of my long term re-location plan I have partnered in a small business in Moravia. In the last year I've made three trips to Costa Rica and as you can imagine, I will be visiting more often to check on the business and start looking for property as well as to just enjoy this wonderful country which I have decided to eventually re-locate to and spend my early retirement in.

Before heading down for my first trip, friends had told me that there were some pretty good airfares out of my area is Sarasota FL. This has so far not been my experience. I can fly to Europe cheaper than to Costa Rica. No matter what search engine or airline I'm looking at about $600.00 for a flight leaving Tampa and connecting in Miami or from Sarasota connecting in Atlanta. Have fares gone up in the past year due to Costa Rica's increasing popularity as a vacation destination? Someone told me that Martinair out of Orlando was pretty cheap but a business associate just used them and the cost was in that $600 range again. I realize that I will be writing my flights off in the future but you before you get credit you still have to pay and i expect to be going to Costa Rica an awful lot before I make the big move.

[Russ]

I haven't flown or had relatives in since last year but $600 does sound expensive. The most recent people that I have met who came in from Florida actually drove down to Miami (either their own car or renting) then took the flight from there.

I checked some fares from Miami with Exito Travel (accessed from my handy dandy search form on Tamarindo.net )  and found $328 on Martin Air and $372 on AA. (but $400 and $440 including taxes and fees). 

[costaheel]

Martinair is your best bet out of Miami or Orlando.
And don't think that school getting out in June is a fact lost on the airline industry.

[frettless]

Thanks for your responses! It looks as though the flights from either Tampa or Sarasota to Miami are what is driving the price up. It's approx. a 5 hr drive from Sarasota. I'll check out rates from Orlando since that's only 2 1/2 hours. It's a shame that there is nothing direct out of Ft. Myers.