TICO BULL – I can just see it now, a Brit gets on a plane headed for Pura Vidalandia and ends up in Silicon Valley. It won’t be the first time. Nor the last.
I am talking about San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) and San Jose, California (SJC) and British Airway’s new flights to both cities starting next May.
Just last week I waited for over an hour at the airport waiting for my customer, which never arrive, later to learn that she was in Silicon Valley instead of right here in paradise.
The mistake made by many is not knowing there are two San Jose airports, both sharing a similar code, but worlds apart.
And you would think that travel agents should know better. I can excuse a person making the mistake when booking online, how many really read everything on their screens – San Jose – yep, that’s the one. But a travel agent.
In the case of my customer, she had booked through a travel agency. She did get the flight corrected and landed in San Jose, Costa Rica the following day. But at what cost? Besides the lost day, thousands of unnecessary miles of travel, there is the expenses airport transfers and last-minute hotel rooms. And more.
Years ago, the first time my family was visting me in Costa Rica, their travel agent also made the same mistake. Happy to let me know they had finally booked their flight, they sent me their flight info, when I was able to pick on the error. Fortunately they were able to change the destination before leaving.
Please, when booking your flight to Costa Rica make sure the destination is SJO and not SJC. Double check.
Article originally appeared at Ticobull.com
