Costa Rica Domestic Airlines
Costa Rica is a country that recognizes and revels in travel. A large part of the economy relise on the tourism industry and it is in the best interest of the country to make sure that tourist travel is available and easy.
There are two international airports, which make for great airports for domestic airline hubs; San Jose & Liberia.
Over the past few years there has been a shake up on domestic airlines, from only two a few years ago to currently four airlines doing daily scheduled flights. You might be surprised to find how strong the domestic air travel infrastructure is!
Flying is a great and easy way to travel throughout Costa Rica, especially to the regions that are more remote. These off the beaten path areas, such as the Osa Peninsula, are often hard to get to.
If you are looking for a convenient way to travel while you are in Costa Rica, consider using one of the domestic airlines that provides not only reasonably priced domestic air travel, but also offer scheduled daily flights.
Domestic Air Travel in Costa Rica
The four regularly operating airlines in Costa Rica are Skyway, Sansa, Aerobell & Air Caribe. Between these four airlines, you’ll be able to travel to at least 14 different destinations across the country, all linked from the major hubs, San Jose & Liberia.
While you won’t find large jumbo jet airplane in these domestic airlines, you’ll discover that there are other ways to fly! These airlines operate a variety of small single & double prop planes that are never too crowded since they can only carry between 9 and 25 passengers at a time.
With these airlines you can fly not only to major cities like Tamarindo domestic airport or the Quepos / Manuel Antonio domestic airport, but you can get flights to remote regions such as the Puerto Jiménez domestic airport in South Puntarenas or the La Fortuna / Arenal Volcano domestic airport in Alajuela.
It is important to note that most of the airlines main hub is the San Jose International Airport.
When planning your trip to Costa Rica, you should definitely consider whether you want to use domestic flights, since it will have an impact on your budget.
Most of the domestic flights are moderately priced at as low as $80 one way per person; you’d likely need just a one-way for most of your flights, since a typical Costa Rica tourist itinerary will have you going to many new places and only back to your main travel hub when you are ready to leave for good.
Keep in mind that, like with most things, the peak tourist season will cause more demand on these domestic airlines and prices will go up. Book in advance to secure your seat and lock in a great price.
Costa Rica Domestic Airline Map
Things to Consider
Some important things that you need to keep in mind when traveling by a domestic airline are:
- Infants and children up to the age of 2 typically fly for free but check with your airline for specific rules.
- The planes are small so your weight limit on your baggage is going to be much less that that on the large jumbo jet airplanes, again check with your airline for these guidelines.
- Surfboards are often treated as excess baggage, so it is best contact the airline before hand. Make sure when you book to ask if they can take your surfboard, some flights don't have room.
Another great way to fly is to charter a flight to get to the destination of your choice, while they are more costly they are a great alternative to traveling on your own schedule.
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