Orlando to San José (Alajuela) (MCO–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

MCO Airport Page →
1,288 mi airlines 35/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 10 flights Verified 52m ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
B61695
B6 JetBlue
A21N
9:30 AM
EDT TC
10:51 AM
CST
3h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NK1309
NK Spirit
320
9:31 AM
EDT
10:42 AM
CST
3h 11m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN501
WN Southwest
7S7
10:40 AM
EDT TA
12:50 PM
CST
3h 10m
M T W T F S S
Prices
Q64001
Q6 Vuela Aviacion
A20N
1:54 PM
EDT TB
3:06 PM
CST
3h 12m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN181
WN Southwest
B38M
1:56 PM
EDT TA
3:04 PM
CST
3h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
Q64000
Q6 Vuela Aviacion
32N
7:05 AM
CST
12:20 PM
EDT
3h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN502
WN Southwest
B38M
11:25 AM
CST TM
4:40 PM
EDT
3h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NK1310
NK Spirit
320
11:38 AM
CST TM
4:55 PM
EDT
3h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN182
WN Southwest
7S7
1:45 PM
CST TM
5:50 PM
EDT
3h 5m
M T W T F S S
Prices
B61696
B6 JetBlue
321
5:02 PM
CST TM
9:43 PM
EDT
2h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
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Orlando to San José (Alajuela)
4 carriers, 35 flights/week nonstop.
4 Airlines 35 Flights/wk 1,288 mi 3h 8m nonstop -2h behind 50 1-stop hubs

MCO–SJO is served by 4 airlines with nonstop service. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 1,288 miles in approximately 3h 8m. Beyond nonstop, 50 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop MCO–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
WN Southwest Airlines 14 7S7, B38M 3h08-3h10 88%
B6 JetBlue 7 A21N 3h21 88%
NK Spirit Airlines 7 320 3h11 88%
Q6 Vuela Aviacion, S.A. 7 A20N 3h12 88%
Aircraft on this route
320 Airbus A320 – NK
7S7 Boeing 737 MAX 7 – WN
A20NQ6
A21NB6
B38MWN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: B6 + NK + Q6 + WN (35 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, MCO to SJO direction.
Mon
5
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
5
flights
Thu
5
flights
Fri
5
flights
Sat
5
flights
Sun
5
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
5
Nonstop flights
35
Outbound / wk
35
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for MCO to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
50
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~42h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,055
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
MCO → SJO
88%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
88%
Return
SJO → MCO
67%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Arriving
67%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. MCO delays →

Other ways to reach San José (Alajuela) from Orlando

Nearby airports with service to Juan Santamaría International Airport.
Metric MCO→SJO PIE→SJO SRQ→SJO
Distance from MCO 91 mi 104 mi
Nonstop airlines 4 2 1
Weekly flights 35 1
Flight time 3h 8m 2h 20m 2h 58m
Departure OTP 88%
Airports within 200 miles of MCO with service to Juan Santamaría International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-2h
San José (Alajuela) is 2 hours behind Orlando.
MCO: EDT · SJO: CST

When it's 6:00 PM in Orlando, it's 4:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
Distance & Flight Time
1,288 mi / 2,072 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 8m to 3h 21m.
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 MCO

SunRail commuter rail connects downtown Orlando to the Sand Lake Road station (not at the airport). A shuttle or ride-hail covers the remaining 4 miles; the full trip takes 50–70 minutes and costs around $8–15 total. Brightline high-speed rail (launched 2023) runs from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to MCO's Terminal C, with one-way fares from $30–80.Ride-hails (Uber/Lyft) from International Drive cost $18–30; from Walt Disney World resort area $25–40. Taxis are metered. Park-and-ride options are limited; most long-term parking is in the airport's own garages ($15–25/day).

MCO–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Orlando to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Distance1,288 mi / 2,072 km
Flight time3h 8m to 3h 21m
Time difference-2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)4
Weekly flights35 out / 35 return
1-stop connections50 hubs
Origin: MCO
IATA / ICAOMCO / KMCO
TimezoneAmerica/Kentucky/Monticello
Passengers/yr55.7M
Elevation96 ft / 29 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MCO to SJO flights.
Nonstop flights from Orlando International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport take approximately 3h 8m to 3h 21m. The route covers 1,288 miles.
4 airlines operate nonstop service: JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Vuela Aviacion, S.A. and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 35 nonstop flights per week from MCO to SJO. The return direction has about 35 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through PBI, PIE, TMB, OPF, SRQ, SJU, ILM, SAL, DAL, CMH, MSY, TEB, SUS, SXM, BDA, CUN, YHM, MSP, GDL, LTN, SDQ, JFK, YUL, FLL, YYZ, HOU, BOG, MIA, PTY, DFW, ATL, IAH, MDE, MEX, AMS, BWI, LAX, BNA, LGW, FRA, CLT, ORD, GUA, LIM, IAD, EWR, DEN, SFO, MAD and CDG. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San José (Alajuela) is 2 hours behind Orlando.
Yes, return flights from SJO to MCO are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include PIE and SRQ. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
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 MCO to SJO

Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) are connected by nonstop service from JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Vuela Aviacion, S.A. and Southwest Airlines. With 35 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

MCO to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from MCO to SJO ranges from 3 hours 8 minutes to 3 hours 21 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,288 miles (2,072 km). There are approximately 35 weekly flights outbound and 35 return, totaling 70 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

50 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 3 hours via PBI. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Pinellas Park (PIE) and Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ).