A good sale to Costa Rica. This fare has something we haven’t seen in a while — the ability to start your travels from Philadelphia 30th Station train station. If you start your journey on the train vs the airport, it is $20 cheaper.

Sample Travel Date:

• October 20th – 25th

Fare Availability:

• Valid for travel from October 15th – February, 2016. Availability is LIMITED in 2015 — it is significantly better in January, 2016 – February, 2016. Must purchase at least 3 days in advance of departure.

• Please note that while this fare is valid at time of posting, if this post is more than two days old, the fare is likely gone.

How to Search for Availability:

• Use ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search and use the following search criteria:
  • Departing from: ZFV
  • Outbound Advanced Routing Code: ewr /maxconnect 360
    • We are only showing availability for itineraries with connections under 6 hours. There is significantly more availability with overnight layovers in Newark.
  • Destination: SJO
  • Return Advanced Routing Code: ewr /maxconnect 360
  • (Click on Advanced Routing Codes link to enable advanced routing code input)
  • Select “See calendar of lowest fares”
  • Length of stay “3-10” (This is just a sample, you can use any 7 day date range like 3-10, 7-14 etc)
• Beginner’s Guide on How to Use Matrix by ITA Software
• How to Read Airfare Rules and Use It to Your Advantage

You cannot buy tickets using ITA. To buy, follow our instructions in the “How to Book” section below.

Fare Class:

• N

Elite Qualifying Dollars:

• $134.40

Routing:

• ZFV – EWR – SJO (San Jose) – EWR – ZFV

• ZFV is the the airport code for Philadelphia 30th Street Amtrak Station. The ZFV – EWR // EWR – ZFV segment is operated by Amtrak.
• A few things to remember about fares from ZFV from our reader Sean
  • You do NOT earn Premier Qualifying mileage on the ZFV-EWR and EWR-ZFV segments
  • You MUST take the train to start the reservation
  • In the case of a schedule change, you may be able to drop the ZFV-EWR segment. (Your Mileage May Vary)
  • You can only print out your Amtrak boarding pass the day the train departs from the departing terminal kiosk or ticket desk.
• United travel vouchers cannot be combined or used with fares from ZFV.
• Logistics of the train to plane transfer
  • From Newark:
    • Follow sign for AirTrain
    • Take AirTrain to Rail Link Stop (Past Terminal C and P4)
    • And exit using your Amtrak ticket. AirTrain fare is included
    • NJ Transit and Amtrak shares a platform, so look for the right departure platform
  • To Newark from Newark Amtrak Station:
    • The above reversed

Stopover:

• Not permitted
• How to Take Advantage of a Stopover

Mileage:

• Miles Flown: 4,548 miles or 5.5 cents per mile
  
  
• Elite Qualifying Miles: 4,402 miles or 5.7 cents per mile
• Base Redeemable Miles: 672 miles

How to Book:

• Book on United with dates found on ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search.

 

Accommodations

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Activities and Tours

• Viator – The world's largest marketplace for destination activities and tours

Background Information:

• Visa: US Citizens – Not Required. There is a departure tax of $29. Other nationals, check the TIMATIC Visa Database
• Currency: Costa Rican Colon (CRC). $1USD = 536 CRC

Tips for saving when using credit cards at international destinations:

• No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards to save on international purchases
• Don’t get hit with Dynamic Currency Conversion
• Get your taxes refunded when shopping
• How to Avoid International Data Roaming Charges

For more of the latest cheap Philadelphia Flight Deals:

• Go to the The Philadelphia Flight Deals page

* The Flight Deal will receive a commission if you use the accommodation, car rental, activities, or travel insurance affiliate links to make a booking. Thank you for your continuing support.

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