Seattle to San José (Alajuela) (SEA–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SEA Airport Page →
airlines charter/private
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 17 1-stop flights
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
HOU Houston 9h 25m WN WN Houston (HOU) to San José (Alajuela) flights
SFO San Francisco 9h 43m AFASAV UA San Francisco (SFO) to San José (Alajuela) flights
MIA Miami 9h 44m AAASDL AAAVGB Miami (MIA) to San José (Alajuela) flights
MCO Orlando 9h 50m ASDLJL F9Q6WN Orlando (MCO) to San José (Alajuela) flights
LAX Los Angeles 9h 55m AAAFAM AS Los Angeles (LAX) to San José (Alajuela) flights
ATL Atlanta 11h 11m AFAMAS DL Atlanta (ATL) to San José (Alajuela) flights
MEX Mexico City 11h 26m AMSK AMAVLA Mexico City (MEX) to San José (Alajuela) flights
IAH Houston 11h 28m 8CASAY UA Houston (IAH) to San José (Alajuela) flights
EWR Newark 11h 53m ASTPUA UA Newark (EWR) to San José (Alajuela) flights
JFK New York 12h 29m AFAMAS B6 New York (JFK) to San José (Alajuela) flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Seattle to San José (Alajuela)
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
+1h ahead

While no nonstop service exists between SEA and SJO, 1-stop connecting options are available.

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for SEA to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
17
Hubs
~9h
Fastest
~26h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,365
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
SEA → SJO
59%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
59%
Return
SJO → SEA
73%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Arriving
73%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SEA delays →

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Seattle, it's 7:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
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 SEA

Link Light Rail runs from downtown Seattle (Westlake station) to the airport in 38 minutes ($3.50 peak). Trains run every 6–12 minutes during peak hours from 5am to 1am. Ride-shares run $30–50 from downtown; SR-99 and I-5 can be heavily congested southbound during afternoon rush (3–7pm).

Sound Transit 574 express bus serves Tacoma ($2.50–4). Sounder commuter rail connects Tacoma to the airport area via a shuttle.

SEA–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Seattle to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Time difference+1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)0
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SEA
IATA / ICAOSEA / KSEA
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr50.8M
Elevation433 ft / 132 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SEA to SJO flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include William P. Hobby, San Francisco and Miami.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to SJO and move between planes without you. On two separate tickets you collect your bags at the connecting airport and recheck them, so build in extra layover time.
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour ahead of Seattle.
Yes, return flights from SJO to SEA 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.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via William P. Hobby, San Francisco and Miami. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.