Is it me or have airfare rates went up since last year? If you've observed the same thing what do you think accounts for it? If you have not observed this, where are you searching? Thanks!

For me, from Austin Tx., the price has gone up every year for at least the last 3 years. It's a bummer. I think maybe it's because it's becoming a more popular area to visit....supply and demand.

I've actually noticed prices out of Tampa have gone down or the same as last year. A couple weeks ago it was $267 and I am kicking myself for not buying then, now up to $330. But this isn't til May 2006 so I can wait & hope.

For us as well, flying out of Dallas, bargains are hard to come by. Sometime during the last 6-9 months, rates got really low (or perhaps it was last fall)--I mean in the $250-$300 range, but generally speaking, they are higher. I agree that popularity influences the cost. Everything about travel to Costa Rica has become more expensive. 5 years ago, it was quite a bargain!

Actually, thinking back, it WAS last fall. My daughter and I decided on a quickie (4 night) trip down there end of October and that was the reason--low airfare. Everytime it gets that low, we try like heck to finagle (sp?) a way to get there.

I'm not sure what last year's rates were, but I am trying to book a flight for my son during Christmas week so he can join us since we'll be there at that time but the flight is $1050 from Boston!!!!! I am trying to decide what to do and only have 2 more hours on hold. I can't believe it could be this much 4 months away!!! It's really making me rethink this whole trip!

Check out all your options. We ran into that a couple of years ago and found that if we adjusted our travel dates to less desirable ones, we could cut the fare in half. Not exactly what we would have chosen to do, but there wasn't another option.

So we flew on Christmas Day (few want to do that) and returned New Year's Eve (most people want to spend that night there as well).

Perhaps you can play with the arrival/departure days a little and come out ahead. Well, not ahead, but you know what I mean!

Shillmac,
Thanks for your suggestions, but the rest of my family already had tickets which were purchased a few months ago. We have scheduled a driver to pick us up in San Jose and bring us to MA, and it would have been somewhat complicated (and I would have had to spend more) for our other son to get down to MA on his own. Plus airfare anytime during that week was so expensive!!! So, last night I bit the bullet and bought his ticket, which was the LAST seat left on that flight!!!

I wish I could have visited CR before it became such a hot spot!! But, now that I did it, I'm thrilled my entire family will be together in CR for New Year's Eve!!

Good for you! You'll have a fabulous time, don't ever doubt it!