{
  "response": {
    "Key": "AUS-CR",
    "orig": {
      "code": "AUS",
      "type": "airport",
      "city": "Austin",
      "fullCity": "Austin, Texas",
      "airport": "Bergstrom Intl Airport"
    },
    "dest": {
      "code": "CR",
      "type": "country",
      "country": "Costa Rica"
    },
    "faq": {
      "q0": {
        "question": "Which cities in Costa Rica can I fly to from Austin?",
        "answer": "From Austin you typically connect through Houston, Dallas or Miami to reach the two main Costa Rican airports. San José is the capital gateway for culture and cloud forests, while Liberia in Guanacaste puts you closer to Pacific coast beaches and dry tropical landscapes."
      },
      "q1": {
        "question": "How long is the flight from Austin to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "From Austin to San José, Costa Rica, non-stop flights typically take around 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes southbound and about 4 hours 15 minutes northbound. One-stop routes to Liberia often run 6 to 8 hours total depending on the connection."
      },
      "q2": {
        "question": "Are there direct flights from Austin to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "There are no non-stop flights from Austin to Costa Rica. The most common one-stop routings connect through Houston, Dallas, Miami or Atlanta, with total travel times typically ranging from 5½ to 8 hours depending on the layover."
      },
      "q3": {
        "question": "Which airlines fly from Austin to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "From Austin to Costa Rica, common options include American via Dallas or Miami, United via Houston, Delta via Atlanta, and Southwest via Houston or Baltimore."
      },
      "q4": {
        "question": "When is the cheapest time to fly from Austin to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "The cheapest months to fly from Austin to Costa Rica are May, April, June, and September, when fares are seasonally lowest; peak summer (July) and December holidays are notably more expensive. Book about 9–12 weeks ahead for the best rates, and aim to depart on a Wednesday or in the afternoon for lower prices. Sundays tend to be the priciest day to fly, and early morning departures can also run higher.",
        "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. The cheapest day of the week and time of day to depart are drawn from the same large sample of real fares Priceline users found on this route in the last 72 hours, grouped by the day of the week and by the time-of-day window of the outbound departure, with the lowest and average price reported for each."
      },
      "q5": {
        "question": "How far in advance should I book flights from Austin to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "For flights from Austin to Costa Rica, the optimal booking window is about 9 to 12 weeks ahead, when average fares drop to around $460.",
        "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": "Popular spots in Costa Rica include San José as the entry hub, Arenal for volcanoes and hot springs, Manuel Antonio for beaches and wildlife, Monteverde for cloud forests and Guanacaste for Pacific coast resorts."
      },
      "q7": {
        "question": "Do I need a visa to travel from Austin to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days in Costa Rica. You will need a valid passport and proof of onward travel. Entry rules can change, so verify current requirements before departure."
      },
      "q8": {
        "question": "Which airports in Costa Rica are best to fly into from Austin?",
        "answer": "From Austin to Costa Rica, San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport is the main gateway with the most flight options and easy access to the Central Valley. Liberia’s Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport is a great alternative if you are heading to Pacific beaches like Tamarindo or Papagayo. Costa Rica has no trains for onward travel, so both airports rely on road 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 sunny weather but higher prices. May to mid-August offers a balance of lower crowds and brief afternoon showers, especially in San José and Liberia."
      }
    }
  }
}