Star Alliance members Lufthansa, United Airlines and Air Canada are offering a deal from Europe to San José, Costa Rica starting at just €476. This price doesn’t include checked luggage. The cheapest fare including a 23 kg bag is available on Lufthansa’s website for €658 from Amsterdam. Departures are scattered from July 2025 to May 2026.
You can fly from the following airports for less than €560 (w/o checked bags):
- Frankfurt at €476
- Berlin at €477
- Brussels at €484
- Bilbao at €505
- Amsterdam at €505
- Madrid at €509
- Barcelona at €516
- Valencia at €527
- Dusseldorf at €528
- Munich at €535
- Athens at €555
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Lufthansa or Skyscanner with your selected flight dates. We recommend comparing the dates and choosing between Skyscanner and the operating airline (Lufthansa, Air Canada or United) to see which option offers you the best price, especially if you don’t need to check luggage.
If you fly with Lufthansa or Edelweiss, you will first take a feeder flight to Frankfurt or Zurich, where in both cases you will continue to Costa Rica on an Airbus A340 with a 2-4-2 configuration. You will also find options with Air Canada via Montreal or Toronto and with United, mainly via Newark. These options may be slightly cheaper, but you need to consider whether the extra time and managing the U.S. ESTA or the Canadian eTA are worth it.
Most European passport holders can stay in Costa Rica visa-free for up to 180 days.
Most European passport holders can stay in Canada for up to 180 days, but you must obtain an electronic travel authorization before your arrival in the country for transiting between Amsterdam and Costa Rica
Most Europeans need an electronic system for travel authorization (ESTA) to enter the USA for up to 90 days or for a transit flights. This costs US$21 (~€19) and you should apply for it a couple of days before your trip, at the latest.
There are some cases where you cannot apply for an ESTA, e.g. if you’ve been to Cuba since 2021 or to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, or North Korea since March 2011. In those cases, you’ll need to get a visa from a US embassy or consulate, which can take multiple weeks.
Search & Book
This deal does not have an expiration date, but it requires a minimum stay of one Saturday overnight and a maximum stay of twelve months. Departures are scattered from July 2025 to May 2026.
You can find suitable dates using our calendar above or with the help of Google Flights. We recommend booking directly on Lufthansa’s website, but you can find cheaper prices with Skyscanner.
On some dates, the cheapest possible option is offered by Air Canada and United Airlines. Tickets with such itineraries are up to €150 more expensive when booking them in Lufthansa’s website, so you better go to Air Canada’s website or United’s website to purchase these tickets – or the cheapest option on Skyscanner. However, booking with OTAs has its downsides.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Open Jaw Ticket with Liberia
We have found combinations for flying to San José and returning from Liberia or vice versa; however, unfortunately, the dates are quite limited and may increase the price of the flight. The best option is to return with Edelweiss, as the outbound flight has a stop in San José. There are also options with United, but they often require an overnight layover in the United States. You’ll need to play around with Google Flights and search for a combination that works for your dates.
Once you find the dates, you can use the search form with your dates, and it will direct you to Lufthansa (the most recommended if the flights are with the Lufthansa Group) or to Skyscanner (if your flights are with Air Canada or United).
Miles & Points
This ticket is issued in booking class K. Here are the miles and points you can earn from this deal from Amsterdam to San José with Lufthansa:
- 3,624 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 3,156 Miles on ITA Volare
- 3,020 Award Miles + 604 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 1,480 Award Miles + 160 Points on Miles&More
- Customize Calculation
Since routing options vary wildly, you might want to use our mileage calculator to see how many miles and points you can get:
Destination
Information & Tips for San José, Costa Rica
San José, the capital of Costa Rica, is a common starting point for travelers exploring the country. Key sights include the National Theatre, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, and the lively Central Market. The local currency is the Costa Rican colón (CRC), though U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Prices are moderate by Central American standards—cheaper than the U.S., but not budget-travel cheap, especially in tourist areas. The weather is generally mild year-round due to the city’s elevation, with a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November.
→ All Dealz for San José, Costa Rica
Cover Picture: Photo by Isabella Jusková on Unsplash