Frontier Airlines on July 1 landed at San Jose’s Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO), marking the airline’s return to Costa Rica with nonstop flights to Miami International Airport (MIA) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) beginning this week.
New Routes from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO):
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SERVICE TO: |
SERVICE START: |
SERVICE FREQUENCY: |
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Orlando (MCO) |
July 1, 2021 |
2x Weekly |
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Miami (MIA) |
July 2, 2021 |
2x Weekly |
Air Transat YVR-SJO Inaugural Flight (CNW Group/Transat A.T. Inc.)
Air Transat on December 18 inaugurated a service between Vancouver and Costa Rica, consisting of a direct flight to San José and a second flight segment to Liberia. The route is available twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, until April 18.
After its initial stop in San José, the aircraft landed at Daniel-Oduber-Quirós International Airport in Liberia to a traditional water cannon salute. Disembarking passengers watched a ribbon-cutting celebration and enjoyed snacks in the company of César Jaramillo, CEO of the airport.
Air Transit is operating flights between Vancouver and Costa Rica using its brand-new A321neo LR.
Air Transat aircraft photo gallery:
KLM is expanding its network with the opening of Guanacaste-Liberia (LIR) in Costa Rica. As per the start of the winter 2019 schedule, this region on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica will be served four times per week with a direct KLM flight from Amsterdam. On the southbound sector, this flight will make an intermediate landing in San José (Costa Rica), a destination that is currently already served by KLM in its winter schedule.
KLM will commence service on October 29, 2019 on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between Amsterdam-Schiphol, San José and Guanacaste-Liberia. The flights will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with 30 seats in World Business Class, 45 seats in Economy Comfort and 219 seats in Economy Class.
It is possible to arrive in San José, and depart from Liberia on the same ticket, making it an ideal combination for all travelers that want to discover the beautiful nature and pura vida of Costa Rica. Likewise, passengers originating in Costa Rica can start and end their journey in either San José or Guanacaste Liberia in both directions on the same ticket.
Map: Google Maps.
About Guanacaste
Guanacaste is a region in the northwest of Costa Rica, bordering the Pacific Ocean and lies at approximately 150 miles from the capital San José. The region is known for its beautiful coastline, with quiet inlets, pristine beaches and small islands that dot the coastline. The climate in Guanacaste is unique in Costa Rica, since the region receives little to no rain from November to April; which makes it a popular holiday destination. Also in terms of nature the region has a lot to offer, jungles around the volcanos in the interior form a green backdrop for hikers and flora and fauna enthusiasts alike. The capital of Guanacaste is Liberia, with 60.000 inhabitant. The modern international airport of Guanacaste Liberia is situated less than 15 miles from the nearest beach.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by KLM): KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner PH-BHE (msn 38765) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 932107.
KLM aircraft slide show:
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Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has announced plans to complement its growing portfolio of international routes by offering nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica beginning in April 2016. Southwest® expects to operate the service daily from LAX Terminal 2, adjacent the carrier’s domestic operation in LAX Terminal 1.
The new international service comes as Southwest achieves several milestones in a revitalization of its LAX facilities at Terminal 1. As part of the $508 million modernization project unfolding now in partnership with Los Angeles World Airports, a new ticketing lobby and baggage claim facility is set to open early next year. Additional facility construction will bring new entrances, additional capacity in the security checkpoint expected to open in 2017, new food options, and an overall enhanced Customer experience. The project is expected to be completed fully by 2018.
Southwest Airlines began flying to California in 1982 and now serves nine airports in the Golden State, offering more daily departures in California than any other airline. 143 of those flights takeoff and land within the state, connecting 18 unique city-pair combinations within California. By summer 2016, Southwest’s nine California airports will offer Customers a combined peak weekday schedule of 678 departures to destinations across the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Following its launch of service in April 2013 to the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Southwest began its international journey in July 2014 with service to three Caribbean nations and, after adding service points across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, will end 2015 ‘twelve for twelve,’ so to speak: the carrier now serves a dozen destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean from a dozen gateway airports on the U.S. mainland. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will become the carrier’s thirteenth gateway airport in the 48 contiguous states.
Southwest Airlines Gateway Cities within the 48 contiguous states (as of 12/31/2015, listed alphabetically):
• Atlanta
• Austin
• Baltimore/Washington
• Chicago Midway
• Denver
• Ft. Lauderdale
• Houston Hobby
• Milwaukee
• Orange County/Santa Ana
• Orlando
• San Antonio
• Tampa Bay
Southwest Airlines Service across Latin America and the Caribbean (as of 12/31/2015, listed chronologically by start of service):
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
(began Apr. 14, 2013)
• Oranjestad, Aruba
(began July 1, 2014)
• Nassau, The Bahamas
(began July 1, 2014)
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
(began July 1, 2014)
• Cancun, Mexico
(began Aug. 10, 2014)
• San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos, Mexico
(began Aug. 10, 2014)
• Mexico City, Mexico
(began Nov. 2, 2014)
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
(began Nov. 2, 2014)
• San Jose, Costa Rica
(began Mar. 10, 2015)
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
(began June 7, 2015)
• Belize City, Belize
(began Oct. 15, 2015)
• Liberia, Costa Rica
(began Nov. 1, 2015)
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-76N N7706A (msn 32661) departs from Los Angeles International Airport.
Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show: 
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) inaugurated new service between Los Angeles International Airport and Costa Rica’s two major international airports. The eight weekly flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to San Jose (SJO) and Liberia/Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica, started Saturday and Sunday respectively, and is the first international destination Alaska has launched since 1991, when the Seattle-based airline introduced seasonal service to Magadan, Russia.
The new flights will be operated with fuel-efficient, next generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines.
Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:
WestJet (Calgary) has announced it is launching new nonstop service to Florida, Mexico and Costa Rica, as well as adding more than 85 flights across its growing domestic and international network as part of its winter 2015-2016 flight schedule. WestJet’s regional airline, WestJet Encore (Calgary), will also begin service three times a day to Boston, its first U.S. destination.
WestJet will launch new nonstop service between Toronto (Pearson) and West Palm Beach and Toronto (Pearson) and Sarasota/Bradenton, as well as between Toronto (Pearson) and Boston and Halifax and Boston.
The airline will also introduce new service to Mexico between Toronto (Pearson) and Huatulco, Toronto (Pearson) and Merida, and Toronto (Pearson) and Cabo San Lucas, as well as additional service to Costa Rica between Toronto (Pearson) and San Jose (SJO). WestJet already serves Liberia.
Guests flying from the Region of Waterloo International Airport and Charlottetown Airport will see new weekly nonstop flights to Orlando.
Details of WestJet’s new routes from Central and Eastern Canada for the winter of 2015-2016:
WestJet is also increasing service from a number of destinations within Central and Eastern Canada including Toronto (Pearson), Halifax, St. John’s, Deer Lake and Charlottetown, as well as from Toronto (Pearson) to Liberia, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana.
The airline will also add new nonstop flights between Calgary and Florida, Costa Rica and Mexico, and between Vancouver and Orlando.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. WestJet’s Boeing 737-76N C-GWSH (msn 29886) taxies to the gate at the Calgary hub.
WestJet aircraft slide show:
WestJet Encore aircraft slide show:
United Airlines (Chicago) is adding three seasonal routes from both Chicago (O’Hare) and Denver. The carrier will launched weekly Chicago (O’Hare) – Providenciales (Provo) service with Boeing 737-800s starting on December 19 per Airline Route.
Additionally from Denver its is also starting weekly flights to San Jose and Liberia in Costa Rica.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-824 N77296 (msn 34002) with APB Split Scimitar Winglets departs from Los Angeles.
United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):
Volaris (Mexico City) has announced their expansion into the Costa Rica market with the launch of two new flights from Cancun, Quintana Roo and Guadalajara, Jalisco to Costa Rica’s capital city, San Jose, starting on September 10 with two flights per week.
Volaris is expanding its presence to Costa Rica as part of the carrier’s international growth plans, seeking to increase the country’s connectivity to Mexico’s most important cities as well the US market. Volaris CEO, Enrique Beltranena said: “We are extremely proud to announce flights to Costa Rica, a destination special not only as a natural and adventure tourism location, but also for their history and cultural heritage”.
“Two new services plus our innovative business framework make visiting Costa Rica easier than ever for our Customers in Mexico”, Beltranena added.
Separately, Costa Rica Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura said, “Mexico is Latin America’s top issuing market for tourism by air, which is why Volaris’ bet strengthens the work we’ve done towards attracting more airlines and opening our markets by increasing the number of seats available to the destination and becoming a complement to traditional offerings with an option that provides good service at an affordable price,” the official said. “This also introduces an element of competitiveness in terms of fares to Costa Rica.”
To date, Volaris is the airline with the widest route network servicing Mexico and the US. The carrier has transported nearly 50 million passengers since it started operating in 2006, and this number continues on the rise as a result of more than 240 daily flights operated to 61 leading destinations, including 38 in Mexico and 23 internationally.
For those interested in the new service, flight schedules, including dates and times of operation, are announced as follows:
San Jose, Costa Rica – Guadalajara, Jalisco
(Effective September 10. Thursday and Sunday)
Departing Guadalajara, Jalisco at 7:20 hrs., arriving San Jose, Costa Rica at 9:55 hrs.
Departing San Jose, Costa Rica at 19:05 hrs., arriving Guadalajara, Jalisco at 23:30 hrs.
San Jose, Costa Rica- Cancun, Quintana Roo
(Effective September 10. Thursday and Sunday)
Departing San Jose, Costa Rica at 11:25 hrs., arriving Cancun, Quintana Roo at 14:40 hrs.
Departing Cancun, Quintana Roo at 16:15 hrs., arriving San Jose, Costa Rica at 17:35 hrs.
Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney/AirlinersGallery.com. Volaris Airbus A319-133 XA-VOE (msn 3069) (Erick) arrives in Las Vegas.
Volaris aircraft slide show:
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will chart new territory this fall when it adds new service between Los Angeles and Costa Rica’s two major international airports, further strengthening its southern California focus city. The eight weekly flights from Los Angeles to San Jose (SJO) and Liberia/Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica, are scheduled to begin October 31 and November 1 respectively, and are in addition to new daily service the carrier will add on September 9 between Los Angeles and Baltimore.
Summary of new Los Angeles (LAX) service:
Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 ER N435AS (msn 43292) with APB Split Scimitar Winglets lands at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
Frontier Airlines aircraft slide show:
Southwest Airlines (Dallas) yesterday (March 7) inaugurated two international routes from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston. Each of the new routes is longer than 2,000 miles each-way and marks historic milestones for the carrier both by connecting Central America to the Southwest network of destinations and by offering its longest-ever nonstop scheduled service from any of Southwest’s Texas Triangle of original cities of Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston.
Southwest Airlines now operates nonstop service between:
San Jose, Costa Rica, and Baltimore/Washington on a once daily basis, and
Aruba and Houston (Hobby) seasonally, once every Saturday through Aug. 8, 2015
At Houston’s Hobby Airport, Southwest Employees celebrated the first Aruba-bound morning departure. Later, Customers on the first inbound international flight deplaned directly into a celebration in the main domestic concourse, following their U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance processed prior to departing the Caribbean island. This is the first-ever international flying offered from Houston Hobby. This October, Southwest is scheduled to complete the construction of a $156 million international terminal project which will give Houstonians and Southwest Customers from across the network access to more international destinations.
Southwest Airlines flight 602 from Baltimore/Washington to San Jose, Costa Rica, brought 143 Customers and the Company’s legendary personality and value to Central America for the first time in the 44-year history of the largest domestic carrier* in the United States. Dozens of people came to Juan Santamaria International Airport outside San Jose at the invitation of the Costa Rica Tourism Board to welcome the historic arrival in the lush country known for its natural beauty and adventure tourism.
For an in-depth review of the first arrival at Houston Hobby from Aruba, read the Airways News feature article: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Derin Allard/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-7AD N798SW (msn 28436) taxies into position at Santa Ana (Orange County).
Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show:
