Business Class can be had for the price of a coach fare, and a one-bedroom suite for less than the price of a standard room.
If you’re getting itchy bare feet for a different kind of tropical vacation, then consider the world’s happiest country. According to the Happy Planet Index, Costa Rica ranks number one. The U.S. (we know you’re wondering) ranks 108th.
SPECIAL REPORT AT A GLANCE:
- Why you should consider Costa Rica for a vacation, sooner or later
- Fare and Mile Comparisons
- Cost-on-the-Ground Comparisons
Been there, done that?
Hawaii is great, but maybe there’s another option right “under” America’s nose (or panhandle), and that’s Costa Rica. It’s not only a beautiful vacation destination, it also offers great value for your travel dollar. I’m talking Business Class for the price of coach. And remember, in Business Class your vacation starts when you get to the airport, relatively speaking.
I love Hawaii. What’s so great about Costa Rica?
What’s so great? All the reasons you probably love Hawaii, and a few more.
- Spectacular rainforests
- Majestic volcanoes
- Amazing zip-lining
- Unspoiled beaches
- Water sport heaven
- Great coffee
Gotta go to Guanacaste.
The particular tourist favorite in Costa Rica is a province called Guanacaste, abundant with magnificent beaches, beautiful mountain ranges, a number of volcanoes, and luxury resorts and restaurants. To get there you fly nonstop to Liberia (the city in Costa Rica, not the country in Africa) from Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, or Miami, or via Costa Rica’s capital city, San José from Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Newark, or Miami.
[aside headline="How Far Is Costa Rica?" alignment="aligncenter" width="big" headline_size="default"] New York to San José, Costa Rica: 2,215 miles, 5:15 flight time Los Angeles to San José: 2,725 miles, 5:55 flight time Dallas to San José: 1772 miles, 4:10 flight time
How Far Is Hawaii?
New York to Honolulu: 4,957 miles, 09:30 flight time Los Angeles to Honolulu: 2,555 miles, 05:50 flight time Dallas to Honolulu: 3,787 miles, 08:10 flight time [/aside]
Costa: Notta Lotta
The cost to fly to Hawaii is almost double that to Costa Rica. For example, New York-Maui in Business Class with American, Delta, or United, fares range from $1,800 to $2,300. (In coach the range is $600 to $700.)
Fares from New York to San José CR or Liberia CR in Business Class with American, Delta, or United can range from $880 to $1,100.
What’s the Costa Miles?
Mile-meisters should consider that most of the time, low-cost (80,000 to 100,000 miles) awards are not available to Hawaii, so you end up paying rates ranging from 130,000 to 180,000—and sometimes even more, depending on the airline.
For example, the screen shots below attest to this for October. For two passengers traveling to Maui from Los Angeles nonstop on American, there were no low-cost Business Class award rates available for departure, and just one day coming home, October 7.
To Costa Rica, low-cost awards start at only 50,000 miles round-trip in Business Class on American (United is 60,000, and Delta is 75,000).
And look at the screen shots below to see all the low-cost Business Class availability on American’s on its nonstop route from Miami to San José CR for two passengers—it’s a different picture, with half the month showing that nice shade of Costa Rican tropical blue.
So, with American, for example, you are looking at 130,000 miles per person for round-trip in Business Class to Maui, but to San José CR with American the cost is only 50,000 miles round-trip.
50,000 miles versus 130,000? That’s a knockout. Better than two-for-one.
What If I Don’t Have Any Points?
No problemo, amigo.
American: Transfer Marriott/SPG points
Delta: Transfer Marriott/SPG or Amex Rewards points
United: Transfer Chase or Marriott/SPG points
FOUR-STAR COSTA RICA HOTELS AT TWO-STAR HAWAII PRICES
Saving money and/or miles on flights is one thing, but Costa Rica brings another benefit: hotel prices. You can stay at a four-star hotel such as the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa and pay hundreds less per night than you would for a hotel of comparable quality in Hawaii.
The JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa, for example, starts at $150 per night for a standard room, while the Wailea Beach Resort Marriott, Maui starts at $350 per night or more.
Stay at a one-bedroom garden suite at the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa, and prices start as low as $250 per/night, while the Wailea Beach Resort Marriott, Maui starts at $750 per night or more—Guanacaste gives you three nights for the price of one.
A five-star hotel such as The Four Seasons Resort in Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo costs $400+ per night, while the Four Seasons in Wailea, Maui will easily cost $600+ per night.
NEXT (BAREFOOT) STEPS
The moral of this story is that rather than making a default vacation decision, ponder other locations. Do a little Google research about some tropical destinations (this can be fun)—then in the future when a great deal comes up to, say, Costa Rica in Business Class for the price of coach, you can say, “hey, that place looked pretty cool when I checked it out.”
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