Los Angeles to San José (Alajuela) (LAX–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

LAX Airport Page →
2,723 mi airlines 12/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 9 flights Verified 10h ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
SY8711
SY Sun Country
738
10:00 AM
PDT T1
4:45 PM
CST
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1352
AS Alaska
7M8
5:23 PM
PDT
12:08 AM+1
CST
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1560
AS Alaska
5:25 PM
PDT
12:00 AM+1
CST
5h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1202
UA United
B38M
10:44 PM
PDT T7
5:25 AM+1
CST
5h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2168
AF Air France
757
11:19 PM
PDT T3
7:00 AM+1
CST
5h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL1974
DL Delta
752
11:44 PM
PDT T2
6:15 AM+1
CST
5h 31m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1351
AS Alaska
7M8
1:28 AM
CST TM
7:09 AM
PDT
6h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1553
UA United
B38M
5:40 AM
CST TM
11:08 AM
PDT
6h 28m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL1972
DL Delta
752
7:40 AM
CST TM
1:14 PM
PDT
6h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
Los Angeles to San José (Alajuela)
5 carriers, 12 flights/week nonstop.
5 Airlines 12 Flights/wk 2,723 mi 5h 31m nonstop +1h ahead 41 1-stop hubs

LAX–SJO is served by 5 airlines with nonstop service. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Air France lead the route. The flight covers 2,723 miles in approximately 5h 31m. Beyond nonstop, 41 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop LAX–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AS Alaska Airlines 7 7M8 5h35-5h45 82% Oneworld
UA United Airlines 2 B38M 5h41 82% Star Alliance
AF Air France 1 757 5h41 82% SkyTeam
DL Delta Air Lines 1 752 5h31 82% SkyTeam
SY Sun Country Airlines 1 738 5h45 82%
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – SY
752 Boeing 757-200 – DL
757 Boeing 757 – AF
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AS
B38MUA
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 58%)
SkyTeam: AF + DL (2 flights/wk, 17%)
Star Alliance: UA (2 flights/wk, 17%)
Unaffiliated: SY (1 flights/wk, 8%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, LAX to SJO direction.
Mon
1
flight
Tue
1
flight
Wed
2
flights
Thu
1
flight
Fri
4
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
6
Nonstop flights
12
Outbound / wk
10
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for LAX to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
41
Hubs
~7h
Fastest
~44h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,088
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
LAX → SJO
82%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
82%
Return
SJO → LAX
82%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Arriving
82%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. LAX delays →

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+1h
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles.
LAX: PDT · SJO: CST

When it's 6:00 PM in Los Angeles, it's 7:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
Distance & Flight Time
2,723 mi / 4,382 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 31m to 5h 45m.
Visa & Entry

US passport holders enter Costa Rica visa-free for stays up to 180 days. No advance application is needed. Passport must be valid for at least one day beyond the date of entry. A return or onward ticket is required and airlines will check before boarding. Proof of funds (USD 100 per month of stay) may be requested at immigration.

Getting to LAX

FlyAway bus runs from Van Nuys and Union Station ($9.75, 30–50 min depending on traffic). LA Metro C Line connects to Aviation/LAX station; a free shuttle covers the last mile to terminals. Ride-shares cost $20–50 from downtown. Long-term parking lots A/B are walkable; remote Lot E requires a shuttle.

LAX–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Los Angeles to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Distance2,723 mi / 4,382 km
Flight time5h 31m to 5h 45m
Time difference+1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)5
Weekly flights12 out / 10 return
1-stop connections41 hubs
Origin: LAX
IATA / ICAOLAX / KLAX
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr76.6M
Elevation125 ft / 38 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LAX to SJO flights.
Nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport take approximately 5h 31m to 5h 45m. The route covers 2,723 miles.
There are approximately 12 nonstop flights per week from LAX to SJO. The return direction has about 10 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through DAL, PBI, PIE, OPF, MSY, CMH, MSP, TEB, SXM, LTN, GDL, CLT, SFO, IAD, GUA, SAL, HOU, PTY, MCO, MEX, DFW, IAH, BOG, FLL, MIA, YYZ, ORD, EWR, JFK, DEN, YUL, ATL, BNA, BWI, FRA, CUN, LIM, AMS, CDG, ZRH and MAD. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles.
Yes, return flights from SJO to LAX are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from LAX to SJO

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) are connected by nonstop service from Air France, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Sun Country Airlines and United Airlines. With 12 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

LAX to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from LAX to SJO ranges from 5 hours 31 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,723 miles (4,382 km). There are approximately 12 weekly flights outbound and 10 return, totaling 22 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

41 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 7 hours via DAL. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.