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

MSP Airport Page →
2,470 mi airlines 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 2 flights Verified 6m ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
SY5500
SY Sun Country
738
11:30 AM
CDT
3:29 PM
CST
4h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
SY5507
SY Sun Country
738
8:11 AM
CST
2:38 PM
CDT
5h 27m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Minneapolis to San José (Alajuela)
2 carriers, 1 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 1 Flights/wk 2,470 mi 4h 59m nonstop -1h behind 43 1-stop hubs

MSP–SJO is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines lead the route. The flight covers 2,470 miles in approximately 4h 59m. Beyond nonstop, 43 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop MSP–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
SY Sun Country Airlines 1 738 4h59 100%
DL Delta Air Lines 0 100% SkyTeam
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – SY
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.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, MSP to SJO direction.
Mon
0
flights
Tue
1
flight
Wed
0
flights
Thu
0
flights
Fri
0
flights
Sat
0
flights
Sun
0
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
1
Nonstop flights
1
Outbound / wk
1
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for MSP to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
43
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,755
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.

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 4h 59m.
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 time4h 59m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights1 out / 1 return
1-stop connections43 hubs
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 approximately 4h 59m. The route covers 2,470 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines.
There are approximately 1 nonstop flights per week from MSP to SJO. The return direction has about 1 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through TYS, SRQ, TMB, DAL, PIE, CMH, OPF, PBI, ILM, LIR, CHS, TEB, MTY, BDL, MSY, BNA, SJU, IAD, VNY, CUN, SXM, SAN, OAK, MEX, JFK, FLL, DFW, IAH, HOU, MIA, ATL, SFO, YYZ, CLT, LAX, EWR, MCO, DEN, ORD, AMS, YUL, CDG and BWI. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
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) are connected by nonstop service from Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines. With 1 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

MSP to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from MSP to SJO ranges from 4 hours 59 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,470 miles (3,974 km). There are approximately 1 weekly flights outbound and 1 return, totaling 2 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

43 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via TYS. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.