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Deal alert: Fly to Costa Rica from Miami, Baltimore and Washington, DC, from $212 round-trip

Aug. 06, 2024
5 min read
Rio Celeste waterfall, Tenorio volcano national park, Costa Rica
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A new fare deal is now offering the chance to fly to Costa Rica at a huge discount. Several airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, have flights to the tropical nation available for as low as $212 round-trip.

Thanks to its wildly diverse landscapes, Costa Rica offers travelers a wide variety of things to do. Whether hiking or zip lining through its lush rainforests or surfing some of its most beautiful beaches, you'll find no shortage of activities to pursue in Costa Rica. As an added bonus, the country is also known as an ecotourism pioneer.

This sale includes flights to both San Jose (Costa Rica's capital) and Liberia, Costa Rica. San Jose is the country's geographic and cultural center, with plenty of museums, theaters and other attractions to build an itinerary around. Adventure tourists and beach lovers, on the other hand, will likely be intrigued by the sale fares to Liberia, which is in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province near lush rainforests and popular spots like Playa Hermosa. If you want to indulge in the "pura vida" mantra that defines Costa Rica, Liberia is the place to visit.

The travel window for the discounted fares is from late August through February of next year, but the best availability is in fall of 2024. The flights in this deal from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., have layovers and are basic economy tickets. There are also nonstop flights from Miami.

All fares except those from United include a carry-on bag. Checked luggage costs $35 to $40 per bag. Some of the lowest fares spotlighted in this deal may have to be booked through an online travel agency.

A surfer catches a wave at a beach in Liberia, Costa Rica. JOHN SEATON CALLAHAN/GETTY IMAGES

Deal basics

Airlines: American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines

Routes: From Miami, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., to Liberia and San Jose, Costa Rica

How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline

Travel dates: From now through February 2025

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This deal was originally sent out by the deal alert company Going. Sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year to access all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.

You can also sign up for a free trial through this link.

Sample flights

Let's start with the nonstop offerings out of Miami. American has good availability on nonstop routes from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose in September and October. For these round-trip options, you'll find prices start from $212.

If you live in Baltimore and can take a trip on relatively short notice, you can get a great deal on flights to Liberia, Costa Rica. American has itineraries from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Guanacaste Airport (LIR) in Liberia in late August for only $239 round-trip.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Yes, this itinerary includes a layover each way, but this is a fantastic price for this route, per Google Flights data.

United also has round-trip fares from Baltimore to Liberia in December for $263. That's a particularly great time to visit Costa Rica because the weather is typically mild and dry.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Flights to Liberia from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., are available on United from $246 round-trip. Like the Baltimore routes, this also includes a layover each way.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

This route has solid availability in December, too. We found this itinerary with United for $263 round-trip.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Related: The 13 best all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica for beach visits or hiking trips

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

Bottom line

The very best prices in this deal are for itineraries taking place in September and October, especially for the nonstop fares out of Miami. However, travelers in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area also have some nice options in November and December. As always: The more flexible your travel schedule, the better your chance of securing the lowest prices.

Related reading:

Featured image by MATTEO COLOMBO/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Annual Fee

    $325
  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.