{
  "response": {
    "Key": "RDU-CR",
    "orig": {
      "code": "RDU",
      "type": "airport",
      "city": "Raleigh",
      "fullCity": "Raleigh, North Carolina",
      "airport": "Raleigh Durham Intl Airport"
    },
    "dest": {
      "code": "CR",
      "type": "country",
      "country": "Costa Rica"
    },
    "faq": {
      "q0": {
        "question": "Which cities in Costa Rica can I fly to from Raleigh?",
        "answer": "From Raleigh you will connect through a U.S. hub to either San José or Liberia. San José is the main international gateway, while Liberia serves the Pacific beaches of Guanacaste. Travelers choose San José for central highlands and Caribbean access, or Liberia for quicker beach arrivals."
      },
      "q1": {
        "question": "How long is the flight from Raleigh to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "From Raleigh to Costa Rica, non-stop flights to Liberia can take about 4 hours 15 minutes, while flights to San José are typically one-stop and range from 5½ to 7 hours. Return flights are similar in duration, as the north-south routing minimizes time differences."
      },
      "q2": {
        "question": "Are there direct flights from Raleigh to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "There are no non-stop flights from Raleigh-Durham to Costa Rica. Most itineraries involve one stop, typically through Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, or Atlanta, with total travel times ranging from about six to nine hours depending on the connection."
      },
      "q3": {
        "question": "Which airlines fly from Raleigh to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "From Raleigh to Costa Rica you can fly American, Delta, United, Southwest, and JetBlue, mostly with one stop via their hubs."
      },
      "q4": {
        "question": "When is the cheapest time to fly from Raleigh to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "The cheapest months to fly from Raleigh to Costa Rica are May, February, and October, when average fares dip well below summer and holiday peaks, while December and July are the most expensive. Booking around 23 to 26 weeks ahead (roughly 5–6 months) typically yields the best fares, and midweek departures tend to be cheaper than weekend flights, though specific day-of-week data isn't available for this route. Peak summer and major holiday periods like Christmas and New Year's see the highest prices, so avoiding those windows will save you the most.",
        "methodology": "This 'good deal' estimate shows a representative best price for each departure date across roughly a 12-month window (about 3 months back and 9 months forward). It is built from real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, accumulated into a price history for each departure date. Rather than weighting all of that history equally, we apply exponential time decay so recent prices dominate — a price seen yesterday counts almost in full, one from about a month ago roughly a third, and prices from a few months back very little — giving a figure that tracks today's market instead of a stale long-run average. Clear price outliers are removed before any calculation, departure dates with no observations are filled in from nearby dates, and the resulting curve is lightly smoothed so it reads as a clean seasonal trend rather than day-to-day noise. This booking-window guidance is built from the same real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, re-grouped by how many days before departure each price was seen (from the departure day out to about 180 days ahead) across the route's price history. At each booking lead time we report the 25th-percentile price — the cheaper end of what travelers were quoted, rather than the rock-bottom minimum (which can be a fluke) or the average (which is pulled up by expensive last-minute fares). The buy-or-wait advice then applies a risk premium that grows as departure approaches, since seat availability shrinks and prices become less predictable; using that adjusted curve we flag windows where waiting is likely to save a meaningful amount (at least $20 or 5%) versus windows where booking now is the better call. Isolated single-day recommendations are filtered out, so the advice only reflects a window that holds for several days in a row."
      },
      "q5": {
        "question": "How far in advance should I book flights from Raleigh to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "For flights from Raleigh to Costa Rica, the optimal booking window is about 23 to 26 weeks (roughly 5½ to 6 months) ahead of departure, when average fares are lowest at around $483.",
        "methodology": "This booking-window guidance is built from the same real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, re-grouped by how many days before departure each price was seen (from the departure day out to about 180 days ahead) across the route's price history. At each booking lead time we report the 25th-percentile price — the cheaper end of what travelers were quoted, rather than the rock-bottom minimum (which can be a fluke) or the average (which is pulled up by expensive last-minute fares). The buy-or-wait advice then applies a risk premium that grows as departure approaches, since seat availability shrinks and prices become less predictable; using that adjusted curve we flag windows where waiting is likely to save a meaningful amount (at least $20 or 5%) versus windows where booking now is the better call. Isolated single-day recommendations are filtered out, so the advice only reflects a window that holds for several days in a row."
      },
      "q6": {
        "question": "What are the most popular cities to visit in Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "In Costa Rica, most travelers head to San José for culture and as a hub, then visit Arenal for volcanoes and hot springs, Monteverde for cloud forests, Guanacaste for Pacific beaches like Tamarindo, and Manuel Antonio for wildlife and coastline. Domestic flights or shuttles connect these areas easily."
      },
      "q7": {
        "question": "Do I need a visa to travel from Raleigh to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays in Costa Rica of up to 180 days. No electronic travel authorization is required, but you must have a valid passport and proof of onward travel. Entry rules can change, so verify current requirements before your trip."
      },
      "q8": {
        "question": "Which airports in Costa Rica are best to fly into from Raleigh?",
        "answer": "From Raleigh to Costa Rica, you will most likely connect through a larger U.S. hub. Once in Costa Rica, Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José is the primary gateway with the most connections and is best for onward travel by bus or shuttle to most parts of the country. Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia is closer to Pacific beach resorts like Tamarindo and Papagayo, saving you a long drive from San José. There are no direct flights from Raleigh, but both airports are well-served via connections."
      },
      "q12": {
        "question": "When is the best time of year to visit Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "For Costa Rica, December to April is the dry season with the best weather but peak prices. The green season from May to November offers lower prices and fewer crowds, though rain is common. July and August have a brief dry spell, making them a good compromise."
      }
    }
  }
}