IOM Media Release - A pilot group of 180 Cuban economic migrants stranded in Costa Rica since 14 November, 2015, left shelters provided by the Government of Costa Rica and departed the country as regular migrants. They have each paid USD 555 for a commercial plane and bus tickets in a package trip to reach Mexico via El Salvador and Guatemala. “The departure of the pilot group of Cubans should ...

Source: SWAmedia.com DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today published its initial flight schedule for international service at Terminal 2, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with daily service beginning Tuesday, April 12, 2016, from LAX to Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR) in Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica, subject to foreign governme...

Source: Red Cross of Costa Rica Miami, Jan 8 (EFE; additional reporting by The Costa Rica Star).- Mayor Tomas Regalado warned Friday that Miami does not have the necessary funds to deal with all the Cuban refugees expected to arrive in South Florida from Central America over the coming weeks. The municipal administration up to now has not been notified by the federal government about any pl...

File photo The iconic Imperial beer eagle has landed at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), the main hub for air travel in Costa Rica. According to a news report published by business daily La Republica, beverage giant Florida Ice & Farm has taken the unusual step of opening an airport bar right across from boarding gate #9 at SJO. The bar tentatively opened in early Decemb...

Guatemala/San Jose, Dec 28 (EFE).- The Central American Integration System agreed on Monday to carry out an initial "pilot humanitarian transfer" of thousands of Cuban migrants from Costa Rica to El Salvador, and later to Mexico, in January, after they were stranded in the region during their attempts to travel to the United States. The move was agreed to after a working group was set up that w...

Wikimedia Commons Beijing, Dec 27 (EFE).- The first direct flight between China and Cuba took off on Sunday from the international airport in Beijing for Havana, with state-owned carrier Air China aiming to promote Chinese tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean. The route is the first direct one linking China, the world's second-largest economy, and the Caribbean, as well as the first r...

Alta Gracia Boutique Hacienda Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica (PRWEB) December 14, 2015 - In response to the rising popularity of Costa Rica’s verdant Pérez Zeledón region as a tourist destination, Sansa Airlines, a local subsidiary of Latin American airline Avianca, will launch three weekly flights from San Jose International Airport to San Isidro airfield starting December 15, 2015. The new time-s...

CALGARY, Dec. 12, 2015 /CNW/ - WestJet will today launch new non-stop service from Calgary to Huatulco, its tenth destination in Mexico, and add new non-stop flights from Calgary to Liberia, Costa Rica, beginning on December 19. With these new services, WestJet will operate 109 daily departures to 47 destinations from Calgary International Airport this winter, an increase of 12 and 17 per cent ...

Source: SWAmedia.com DALLAS, Dec. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced plans to complement its growing portfolio of international routes by offering nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica beginning in April 2016. Southwest® expects to operate the service dai...

Wikimedia Commons NEW YORK, NEW YORK (PRWEB) DECEMBER 08, 2015 - CheapOair®, the first flights-focused hybrid travel agency, today announced its top ten most popular domestic and international destinations consumers are traveling to for the holiday season this year. The list of top ten international destinations includes several cities that are favored by tourists, such as San Juan, Cancun and ...

Fast Market Research Press Release - Costa Rica has a well-established tourism industry that benefits from the country's positive image as safe, peaceful and happy. The country's tourism products are diverse, with a wide variety of options for all traveler segments. While Costa Rica is known for its eco- and adventure tourism, the country is also developing its medical, holistic and educational se...

Source: United CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines is giving more passengers a taste of a new dining and beverage experience, with the expansion of complimentary meals and free wine and beer to more United Economy customers; the launch of a seasonal craft beer; and the introduction of modern, flavorful new entrees and snacks on many Latin America and Caribbean flights. Beg...

Moody's Global Credit Research - New York, November 30, 2015 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has assigned a definitive rating of Ba2 to Aeris Holdings Costa Rica S.A. de C.V.'s ("Aeris") senior notes issuance of US $127 million ("Notes"). The outlook is stable. On September 18, 2015 Moody's assigned a provisional (P) Ba2 rating based upon draft documentation. The definitive Ba2 rating is...

Wikimedia Commons Washington, Nov 30 (EFE).- The U.S. government on Monday announced changes in its visa policy, known as the Visa Waiver Program, or VWP, which benefits citizens from 38 countries, due to the recent Paris attacks and the "ongoing threat" represented by foreign terrorists. In a communique, the White House set forth the changes that will be introduced into the VWP program, wh...

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may represent the last opportunity of the year for frugal travelers to get significant discounts on their trips to Costa Rica. As the green (rainy) season comes to an end, the high season for tourism begins in Costa Rica, and all the discounts of the past few months seem to evaporate as the year-end holidays approach. The two major travel expenses, airfare and hote...

Sunwing Airlines Press Release - 25 Nov 2015 - Sunwing's Limited Time Black Friday Sale with Savings of up to 50% Kicks Off at Midnight. Orange is the new Black Friday with Sunwing Vacations' biggest sale of the year offering a wide selection of vacation packages at up to 50 per cent off! Back by popular demand, prospective sun-goers can once again take advantage of unbeatable Black Friday deal...

San Juan, Nov 25 (EFE).- A Puerto Rican pilot decided to land his small plane in a grassy area next to a McDonald's in northern town of Hatillo to buy himself and his passenger a coffee, island authorities confirmed Wednesday. The Puerto Rican Police said that personnel with the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action, or FURA, were dispatched to the site on Tuesday afternoon thinking that an ...

Source: MSP San Jose, Nov 19 (EFE; additional reporting by The Costa Rica Star).- Costa Rican police on Thursday arrested a Syrian woman who entered the country earlier this week on a stolen Greek passport, a case similar to the one that occurred this week in Honduras, where five Syrian men using Greek passports were taken into custody. The arrest was carried out by the Public Force (Fuerza...

US CBP Press Release - Additional Reporting by The Costa Rica Star / LOS ANGELES—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) seized 450 prohibited pork meat tamales discovered inside the luggage of a passenger arriving from Mexico, on November 2. The passenger, who was referred to agriculture examination, marked “YES” ...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Sunwing Canada Press Release - Sunwing Airlines is increasing the complimentary checked baggage allowance per passenger from 20 kg (44 lbs) to 23 kg (50 lbs) for travel as of November 01, 2015. Applicable on all services to Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, along with Florida cruise packages, the enhanced 23 kg baggage allowance applies to the first piece of ...

Indra Media Release - Indra has signed a contract with the Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA) to renew the air traffic management systems in the San José Air Control Center and the main international airports in Costa Rica for 12 million dollars. The company will upgrade the systems in the center for the coordination of air traffic in Costa Rica and the towers th...

Flickr Commons. User: puroticorico BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Nov 12, 2015) - Have you already noticed the Christmas lights and holiday decorations at local malls and stores? The snow hasn't even hit the ground and yet, like clockwork, the minute Halloween ends, Christmas begins. Planning for the holidays -- shopping, decorating, meal preparations -- can be fun, but it can also be stressful an...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Latin American air carrier Avianca is offering a special discount period on airfares to nine North American destinations in the United States and Canada from Costa Rica and other Central American nations. Ticket prices range between $399 and $549, and they include travel during the busy holiday season. According to a news report filed by Karla Madrigal of business ...

Wikimedia Commons Washington, Nov 6 (EFE).- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced Friday that new airport security measures are being introduced as a result of the ongoing investigation into the Russian airliner tragedy last week on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. President Barack Obama cited Thursday the possibility that an explosive device on board the aircraft caused the crash ...

It was a festive mood at the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia (LIR) this weekend and Monday as three airlines inaugurated new routes. The air carriers in question are Alaska Airlines, Southwest and Thomson Airways; the latter is from the United Kingdom and the former two from the United States. According to a news report filed by Variela Novo of daily tabloid Diario Extra, ...

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc., (Pink Sheets: PNOW), parent company of the Central American-Caribbean online travel Agency, Oveedia (www.Oveedia.com), announced today, that those Nicaraguan hotel properties not listed on major OTAs', will now see an influx of business opportunities, with this month's opening of the Costa Esmeralda Airport. This positively ...

ISIS fighters in Iraq. Source: Wikimedia Commons Cairo, Oct 31 (EFE).- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed "his most heartfelt condolences" to the Russian government and to the families of the victims of the plane crash Saturday in the northern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The crash of the commercial jet of the Russian company Kogalymavia, widely known as Metrojet, killed the 224 peo...

DALLAS, Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Employees of Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) launched a new international chapter today in a 45-year history of serving Houston by joining with Houston Airport System and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to open a new five-gate concourse, Federal Inspection Station for Customs and Border Protection, new concessions for travelers, and begin daily intern...

Source: Southwest DALLAS, Oct. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is launching a three-day domestic and international sale offering extra low fares for winter travel—hurry, this sale won't last long!  Customers may take advantage of low domestic fares starting at $49, $99, $129, and $149 one-way to select destinations today through Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, 11:59 p.m. in th...

Wikimedia Commons Air travelers in Costa Rica have a few options when flying to Europe, but none of them are as cheap as what an airline from Norway has in store for 2017. According to a recent Reuters report published by NBC News: Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA hopes to sell one-way tickets to Europe for $69 as early as 2017 by flying from U.S. airports that have low fees, Chief Executive Officer...

Wikimedia Commons Morelia, Mexico, Oct 9 (EFE).- A small plane loaded with packets of cocaine crashed and burst into flames in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, an accident in which two suspected drug traffickers were killed, officials said. The Cessna slammed into a mountain known as El Organito near the Pacific coast, the Michoacan state Attorney General's Office said Thursday. T...

Immigration officers assigned to the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), located in the province of Alajuela, detained a male traveler from the United States during the early hours of Friday. According to a news report filed by Josue Alvarado of online news daily Costa Rica Hoy, the U.S. man planned to enter our country for the purpose of tourism; however, he was denied entry at the passp...

Malinche Costa Rica Newrest Press Relase - Only three months after launching its operations in Costa Rica, the Newrest Group is proud to announce the inauguration of its first restaurant specifically created for Central America: the Deli'Malinche. This novel concept, now open at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), located in the province of Alajuela and not far from San Jose, w...

Source: MSP A 49-year old male tourist attempted to leave Costa Rica with a belly full of cocaine, but his skittish and queasy disposition caused him to vomit 64 packets filled with cocaine, right in front of officers from the Drug Control Police (Spanish initials: PCD) at the airport. According to a press release from the Ministry of Public Security (Spanish initials: MSP), the incident oc...

Source: Wikimedia Commons 28 Aug 2015 – Sunwing Press Release – Special, limited-time offer by Sunwing: Whether it’s seeking out the perfect Caribbean beach escape, visiting friends and family across the country for the holiday season or making a trip to Florida’s theme parks, winter travel planning just got easier with the announcement of Sunwing’s BOGO seat sale. Available from now until ...

"Hawker Hunter T7 'WV372 - R' (G-BXFI) (12863569924)" by Alan Wilson - Hawker Hunter T7 'WV372 / R' (G-BXFI). Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons A midair collision on Sunday afternoon killed a pilot during an airshow in the village of Dittingen in Switzerland. According to a Wikinews report, the crash occurred as three Ikarus C42 planes from the German Grasshopper display team flew tog...

Source: Southwest Airlines ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwired - August 11, 2015) - Southwest Vacations is offering travelers a savings of up to $200 off on vacation packages to all destinations including those in Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Orlando, and many others. Travelers who book a flight plus hotel vacation package to any destination offered by Southwest Vacations can save up...

Wikimedia Commons After published reports stated that suspected plane debris washed up on several Maldives islands, Malaysia will send a team of investigators to examine it. Investigators will try to determine if the debris came from a plane before taking any further action. "I urge all parties to allow for the verification process to take its due course. Once it is determined to be aircraf...

Immigration officers stationed at the Peñas Blancas border crossing checkpoint between Costa Rica and Nicaragua detained a male traveler from the United States on Thursday. According to a news report broadcast by national television network Teletica Channel 7, the 30-year old man was coming from Nicaragua in what seemed to be a “visa run” to extend his status as a perpetual tourist. The U.S. ma...

Since late May 2015, major airlines in North America have been announcing great deals on low airfares to Costa Rica, and this trend seems to be developing into an all-out war. The ongoing airfare battle has been reported on by The Costa Rica Star over the last few months. One of the first airlines to launch an initial salvo in this battle for cheap plane tickets was Volaris, which operates in M...