Southwest Airlines Adds Costa Rica As a Destination
Many people like Southwest Airlines miles due to their ease in redemption. There is no award hunting and each Southwest Rapid Rewards point is worth exactly 1.43 cents toward Wanna Get Away fares. When the fare is higher, you pay more points. When the fare is lower, you pay fewer points. It’s just like cash in real life except with Rapid Rewards points. The other excellent value is the Southwest Companion Pass. After one earns 110,000 eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards points in a single calendar year, one receives a Companion Pass to bring along a previously designated companion on all flights, miles or paid, for just the cost of taxes.
One downside of Southwest Airlines, however, is the relatively limited number of destinations. It’s been traditionally an airline that only flies within the US. However, with its merger with AirTran, it’s been adding a number of international destinations, mostly in Mexico and the Caribbean. Southwest Airlines plans to fly to a limited number of international cities, some of which are in the Caribbean. You can check out this post by Giddy for Points some maps of when service to these destinations will be launched from various cities.
- Aruba
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Cabo San Lucas
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Cancun
While this does cover many nice islands and international destinations, we’re all hoping to see more options to use miles and the Southwest Companion Pass. Well, Southwest Airlines just announced it plans to fly to Costa Rica as well beginning on March 7, 2015. This is definitely good news for those who have secured a Companion Pass for 2015 or are planning on getting one. It opens up a two for one deal on even more destinations.
While I haven’t been to Costa Rica myself, I am hoping to visit sometime soon. Is anyone planning to visit Costa Rica in the near future?
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Southwest will only fly to SJO airport, which is far from the Andaz :(. I’m flying to LIR to visit the Andaz :)
Costa Rica is my favorite place in the world! Are you able to book a flight on points to LIR? I’ve been 5 times now and always through SJO. I’d encourage readers to get to the guanacasta region. 1 hour from SJO to Puntarenas ferry, an hour ferry ride and then a very “adventurous” drive through montezuma where you can grab a great lunch and do a hike to some pretty special waterfalls. Continue on and stay in Malpais/Santa Teresa area for a few days then make the hour drive along the coast (in the dry season) north to Nosara- that place is magical! Not the kind of place you can do on points but it’s cheap enough that it doens’t even matter- such a special place!
You can book flights with points to Liberia, but unfortunately, Southwest will only be flying to San Jose. Thank you for all the travel tips on Costa Rica!