Direct flights to Costa Rica from Florida take about three hours and a bit for the shorter flights to about three-and-a-half for slightly longer ones.
Flight duration depends upon the airport of departure.
In this article, I will discuss which airlines fly the route, from which airport, and what sort of things you might want to take into consideration before settling on a carrier.
What Airlines Fly to Costa Rica from Florida?
Seven airlines currently offer flights from Florida to Costa Rica: American Airlines, Avianca Costa Rica, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Spirit Airlines. Two airline companies, Allegiant Air and TACA, once offered direct flights to Costa Rica from Florida, but apparently discontinued it recently.
Departure Points: Flights from Florida to Costa Rica
Two international airports grace Costa Rica: Guanacaste Airport in Liberia and Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose.
Watch out: Even Wikipedia claims there are 4 Costa Rican international airports.
As of late October 2021, this is false. As detailed in this article, there are only two airports in Costa Rica serving the country.
Direct flights to Costa Rica depart Florida from the following airports.
Below, I have provided an entire section on airport codes to help you should you eventually decide to book a flight.
Flights to Juan Santamaría International Airport, San Jose (SJO)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Delta Air Lines (Sun-Sat)
- JetBlue (Sun-Sat)
- Spirit Airlines (Sun-Sat)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
- American Airlines (Sun-Sat)
- Avianca (Sun-Sat)
- Frontier Airlines (Mon, Fri, Sat)
- Spirit Airlines (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Frontier Airlines (Sun, Tue, Thu)
- JetBlue (Sun-Sat)
- Spirit Airlines (Sun-Sat)
Flights to Guanacaste Airport (aka Liberia International Airport), Liberia (LIR)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Frontier Airlines (Sun, Thu)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
- American Airlines (Sun-Sat)
Tip: It can be pretty horrid trying to navigate various cowboy sites all trying to get you to buy airline tickets.
The best site I have found is flightconnections.com. It takes some getting used to, but it is a handy tool once you’ve figured it out.
A Word about TACA and Allegiant Air Airlines
TACA and Allegiant Air seem to have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic.
While some websites still advertise direct flights on these airlines to Costa Rica from various Floridian airports, further investigation reveals that these flights are not currently in service:
- TACA from MIA to SJO
- Allegiant Air from FLL to SJO
- Allegiant Air from PGD to SJO
- Allegiant Air from PIE to SJO
- Allegiant Air from SFB to SJO
Flying to Costa Rica from Florida: Relevant Airports and Airport Codes
Florida
- FLL is the airport code for Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, Broward County.
- MCO is the airport code for Orlando International Airport, six miles (about ten kilometers) southeast of downtown Orlando.
- MIA is the airport code for Miami International Airport (previously known as Wilcox Field), Miami.
- PGD is the airport code for Punta Gorda Airport, Punta Gorda, Charlotte County.
- PIE is the airport code for St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, Pinellas County.
- The airport code for Orlando Sanford International Airport, Sanford, is SFB.
Costa Rica
LIR is the airport code for Guanacaste Airport (previously known as Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, aka Liberia International Airport), Liberia, Guanacaste Province.
SJO is the airport code for Juan Santamaría International Airport, San José, Costa Rica’s capital.
Flying to Costa Rica from Florida: Departure Airports Compared
Note: I took all the reviews that follow from SkyTrax’s Airport Reviews.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Overall review rating: 2/10
Comments: Several travelers describe the airport as unorganized and incompetent.
Baggage handling seems to be a particular sore point with many visitors, with one person claiming that “Customs and baggage [seem] worse than a third-world country.”
Most reviewers do not recommend this airport.
In brief:
- Terminal Seating: 2/5
- Terminal Cleanliness: 2/5
- Queuing Times: 2/5
Orlando International Airport
Overall review rating: 2/10
Comments: Popular comments made about this airport reveal general disgruntlement with the airport and its facilities.
One reviewer suggested he would “next time, drive to Florida.” On the other hand, another reviewer wrote succinctly, “What an awful airport.”
Most reviewers do not recommend this airport.
In brief:
- Terminal Seating: 2/5
- Terminal Cleanliness: 3/5
- Queuing Times: 2/5
Miami International Airport
Overall review rating: 2/10.
Comments: With reviewers commenting “dirty and unorganized (sic)” and “Worst airport [ever].” I think it’s fair to say that visitors were generally unimpressed by Miami International.
One worrying thing I noticed about this airport that was different from the others is that I detected an unusual number of reviewers complaining about the rudeness of this airport’s staff.
Most reviewers do not recommend this airport.
In brief:
- Terminal Seating: 2/5
- Terminal Cleanliness: 3/5
- Queuing Times: 2/5
Flying to Costa Rica from Florida: Arrival Airports Compared
San Jose International Airport
Overall review rating: 5/10
Comments: Comments indicate that this airport has improved its services over the years.
One reviewer wrote, “gotten much better”, and another noted: “Check-in and security very fast and efficient”.
However, the airport still got its share of negative comments, with one visitor noting the “criminal price of food” inside the airport.
Tip: Based on the common complaint, I strongly advise that you eat your fill before going to the airport.
You might also want to take some water with you in a disposable bottle to keep you hydrated without having to pay exorbitant prices for the privilege.
Also, don’t change money at the airport! Go into town and change it there where you will get much better rates.
Most reviewers recommend this airport.
In brief:
- Terminal Seating: 4/5
- Terminal Cleanliness: 4/5
- Airport Shopping: 4/5
Guanacaste (Liberia International) Airport
Overall review rating: 5/10
Comments: One visitor commented: “crowded and expensive”, and another complained: “food is limited and expensive.”
Another decried the “lack of seating in both departure and arrival areas.”
However, visitors were impressed by customs and immigration staff, who they said were “efficient and courteous.”
Tip: Prepay your departure tax at this airport to avoid long queues.
Half of the reviewers recommend this airport, and the other half do not recommendthe airport.
In brief:
- Terminal Seating: 1/5
- Terminal Cleanliness: 4/5
- Queuing Times: 3/5
Frequently Asked Questions about What Airlines Fly to Costa Rica from Florida
Why are the flights mentioned in this article all nonstop flights?
Amazingly, there’s no financial incentive to take a longer route. It can be more expensive when adding stops to a flight. With a longer time in the air, the hassle of changing planes at an airport or two yet without the compensation of making a significant saving, what’s the point?
Why do all the departure airports get such bad reviews?
I don’t know for sure, but it could be it’s because they are uniformly awful. The good news is, choosing which airport to use seems irrelevant.
Hey guys! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of carry-on-baggage.com. I am dealing with hand luggage related issues on a daily basis and I own several websites in this niche. Travelling is one of my biggest passions in life and I, therefore, happen to know a thing or two about hand luggage. I hope you all have a safe trip! Take care and thanks for the support. I really appreciate it.