Minneapolis to San José (Alajuela) (MSP–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

MSP Airport Page →
2,470 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 22 1-stop flights Verified 1mo ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
MCO Orlando 7h 14m DLLASY F9Q6WN Orlando (MCO) to San José (Alajuela) flights
ATL Atlanta 7h 22m AFAMDL DL Atlanta (ATL) to San José (Alajuela) flights
MIA Miami 7h 32m AADLG3 AAAVGB Miami (MIA) to San José (Alajuela) flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 7h 35m AAAFAM AAQR Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to San José (Alajuela) flights
CLT Charlotte 7h 38m AAAFBA AA Charlotte (CLT) to San José (Alajuela) flights
CUN Cancún 7h 53m DLSY Q6Y4 Cancún (CUN) to San José (Alajuela) flights
IAH Houston 8h 28m AMDLNZ ACUA Houston (IAH) to San José (Alajuela) flights
DEN Denver 8h 36m ACAFCM UAWN Denver (DEN) to San José (Alajuela) flights
YYZ Toronto 9h 19m ACDLEK AC Toronto (YYZ) to San José (Alajuela) flights
EWR Newark 9h 45m DLKESK UA Newark (EWR) to San José (Alajuela) flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Minneapolis to San José (Alajuela)
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
2 Airlines 2,470 mi 5h 12m nonstop -1h behind

MSP–SJO had nonstop service from Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines, last on the schedule in June 2026. There's no nonstop on it right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. The connecting options below are sorted by layover. Nonstop, it's about 2,470 miles in 5h 12m.

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop MSP–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
SY Sun Country Airlines 1 78%
DL Delta Air Lines 0 78% SkyTeam
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: SY (1 flights/wk, 100%)
SkyTeam: DL (0 flights/wk, 0%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for MSP to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
22
Hubs
~7h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,642
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
MSP → SJO
78%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
78%
Return
SJO → MSP
84%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Arriving
84%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. MSP delays →

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour behind Minneapolis.
MSP: CDT · SJO: CST

When it's 6:00 PM in Minneapolis, it's 5:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
Distance & Flight Time
2,470 mi / 3,974 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 12m gate to gate.
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 MSP

Metro Blue Line light rail runs from downtown Minneapolis (Warehouse District/Hennepin station) to T1-Lindbergh in 25–28 minutes ($2.50). The line also connects the Mall of America (Bloomington) in 13 minutes to the same station. T2-Humphrey (primarily Sun Country and charter flights) requires a free shuttle from T1 or a direct Blue Line stop at the Terminal 2-Humphrey station.Taxis and ride-hails from downtown Minneapolis cost $25–40 and take 15–30 minutes. The airport is conveniently close to both downtowns; St. Paul is 10–15 minutes by car.

MSP–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Minneapolis to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Distance2,470 mi / 3,974 km
Flight time5h 12m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)2
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: MSP
IATA / ICAOMSP / KMSP
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr36.1M
Elevation841 ft / 256 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MSP to SJO flights.
Nonstop flights from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field to Juan Santamaría International Airport take about 5h 12m gate to gate. The route covers 2,470 miles.
2 airlines operated the nonstop from MSP to SJO: Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The last scheduled nonstop was in June 2026. There's no nonstop right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. See the connection options above, ranked by layover.
Not right now. The last scheduled nonstop was in June 2026. You can still fly it with one stop, and the connecting options above are sorted by layover. Nonstop, the hop took about 5h 12m.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Orlando, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Miami.
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour behind Minneapolis.
Yes, return flights from SJO to MSP 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 MSP to SJO

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) had nonstop service from Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines, last on the schedule in June 2026. The nonstop is dormant right now, so the way to fly it today is one connection, and the options above are sorted by layover.

MSP to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from MSP to SJO is about 5 hours 12 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 2,470 miles (3,974 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Orlando, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Miami. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.