{
  "response": {
    "Key": "SFO-CR",
    "orig": {
      "code": "SFO",
      "type": "airport",
      "city": "San Francisco",
      "fullCity": "San Francisco, California",
      "airport": "San Francisco Intl Airport"
    },
    "dest": {
      "code": "CR",
      "type": "country",
      "country": "Costa Rica"
    },
    "faq": {
      "q0": {
        "question": "Which cities in Costa Rica can I fly to from San Francisco?",
        "answer": "From San Francisco you can fly non-stop to Liberia, which is closest to the Pacific beach resorts of Guanacaste. You can also fly one-stop into San José, the capital, which is the main hub for exploring the rest of the country including the Caribbean coast, volcanoes, and cloud forests. Liberia is best for beach vacations, while San José offers more connections to eco-adventures."
      },
      "q1": {
        "question": "How long is the flight from San Francisco to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "From San Francisco to San José, non-stop flights take about 6 hours 30 minutes southbound and roughly 7 hours northbound. One-stop connections to Liberia usually range from 8 to 11 hours depending on the layover."
      },
      "q2": {
        "question": "Are there direct flights from San Francisco to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "Yes, you can fly non-stop from San Francisco to Costa Rica. The main non-stop route is SFO to San José (SJO), typically operated by United Airlines with a flight time of about 6 to 6.5 hours. If non-stops are not available or you are heading to Liberia (LIR), one-stop options via Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta are common and total travel time ranges from about 8 to 11 hours."
      },
      "q3": {
        "question": "Which airlines fly from San Francisco to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "From SF to Costa Rica, Alaska, United, American, Delta, Copa, and Avianca offer flights, many with one stop via hubs."
      },
      "q4": {
        "question": "When is the cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "The cheapest months to fly from San Francisco to Costa Rica are May, April, and October, while peak summer (July–August) and the December holidays are the most expensive. Midweek departures, especially Tuesday, and late-night flights tend to offer the lowest fares. For the best price, book about 9 to 11 weeks ahead.",
        "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. 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. 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 San Francisco to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "For flights from San Francisco to Costa Rica, the optimal booking window is about 9 to 11 weeks before departure, when average fares drop to around $764.",
        "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": "Travelers to Costa Rica from the U.S. often fly into San José or Liberia, then visit La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano, Monteverde for cloud forests, and the Pacific beaches of Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio."
      },
      "q7": {
        "question": "Do I need a visa to travel from San Francisco to Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "For United States citizens, no visa is needed for a short tourist visit to Costa Rica from San Francisco. You may stay up to 180 days.\n\nA quick note: this is general guidance to help you plan, not official immigration advice — entry rules can change and can depend on your nationality and circumstances, so please confirm the current requirements with the relevant embassy or official government source before you travel.",
        "toolsUsed": [
          "article_lookup"
        ],
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Costa_Rica",
            "title": "Visa policy of Costa Rica",
            "favicon": "https://en.wikipedia.org/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/costa-rica/entry-requirements",
            "title": "Costa Rica entry requirements — GOV.UK",
            "favicon": "https://www.gov.uk/favicon.ico"
          }
        ],
        "preopenedReferences": true,
        "stageOnly": true
      },
      "q8": {
        "question": "Which airports in Costa Rica are best to fly into from San Francisco?",
        "answer": "From San Francisco to Costa Rica, Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José is the primary gateway with the most flight options and connections to domestic destinations. Liberia Guanacaste Airport is better for Pacific coast beaches and resorts like Tamarindo and Papagayo. There are no trains for onward travel; most visitors use shuttles, rental cars, or domestic flights."
      },
      "q12": {
        "question": "When is the best time of year to visit Costa Rica?",
        "answer": "The best time to visit Costa Rica is during the dry season from December to April, with sunny days ideal for beaches and outdoor activities. This period is peak tourist season, so prices and crowds are higher, especially around holidays. For a balance of lower prices and still decent weather, consider the green season from May to August, when afternoon showers bring lush landscapes and fewer tourists. September and October see the heaviest rains and are best avoided."
      },
      "q13": {
        "question": "How do I get to San Francisco Intl Airport from the city center?",
        "answer": "From downtown San Francisco, BART rapid rail is the fastest and most popular way to reach SFO, with trains running directly from the city to the airport's International Terminal. Ride-share services like Uber and Lyft pick up on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, while taxis are available at the center islands outside Arrivals. SamTrans bus Route 292 also stops at the terminals, and driving is straightforward with on-site parking garages and a free cell phone waiting lot for pickups. BART is the cheapest option, while taxis and ride-shares are more expensive but offer door-to-door convenience.",
        "toolsUsed": [
          "article_lookup"
        ],
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "https://flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation/public-transit",
            "title": "Public Transit | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2026-08-17T20:51:53Z"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation",
            "title": "Ground Transportation | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2026-08-17T22:27:43Z"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation/public-transit/ride-bart",
            "title": "BART | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://www.flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2025-06-26T22:28:56Z"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.flysfo.com/",
            "title": "San Francisco International Airport | SFO Official Site",
            "favicon": "https://www.flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation/getting-around-sfo",
            "title": "Getting Around SFO | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2026-08-11T21:48:22Z"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}