Montréal to San José (Alajuela) (YUL–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

YUL Airport Page →
2,529 mi airlines 10/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 4 flights Verified 15m ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
AC959
AC Air Canada
789
6:25 PM
EDT
10:10 PM
CST
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
TS196
TS Air Transat
A21N
6:55 PM
EDT
10:55 PM
CST
6h
M T W T F S S
Prices
TS197
TS Air Transat
32Q
12:15 AM
CST TM
7:55 AM
EDT
5h 40m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC958
AC Air Canada
333
7:50 AM
CST TM
3:30 PM
EDT
5h 40m
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...
Montréal to San José (Alajuela)
2 carriers, 10 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 10 Flights/wk 2,529 mi 5h 45m nonstop -2h behind 44 1-stop hubs

YUL–SJO is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. Air Canada and Air Transat lead the route. The flight covers 2,529 miles in approximately 5h 45m. Beyond nonstop, 44 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop YUL–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AC Air Canada 6 789 5h45 68% Star Alliance
TS Air Transat 4 A21N 6h 68%
Aircraft on this route
789 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – AC
A21NTS
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: AC (6 flights/wk, 60%)
Unaffiliated: TS (4 flights/wk, 40%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

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

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for YUL to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
44
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~30h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,622
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
YUL → SJO
68%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
68%
Return
SJO → YUL
47%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Arriving
47%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. YUL delays →

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Montréal, it's 4:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
Distance & Flight Time
2,529 mi / 4,069 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 45m to 6h 0m.
Visa & Entry

Canadian passport holders enter Costa Rica visa-free for up to 180 days. Immigration officers may grant fewer days at their discretion. Visitors must show proof of at least USD 100 per month of stay and hold a return or onward ticket. Passport must be machine-readable and compliant with ICAO standards.

Getting to YUL

The 747 Express bus runs 24/7 from downtown Montréal (Berri-UQAM and Lionel-Groulx métro stations) to Trudeau in 45–60 minutes for CAD $11 with a OPUS card or $11 cash. STM métro does not reach the airport; the 747 Express bus handles the city-airport connection. Taxis from downtown are metered at roughly CAD $45–55.Uber and Lyft operate from designated pick-up zones at departures level. Driving via Highway 20 West is straightforward; the airport has structured parking directly attached to the terminal starting at CAD $5/30 min, with economy lots farther out.

YUL–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Montréal to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Distance2,529 mi / 4,069 km
Flight time5h 45m to 6h
Time difference-2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights10 out / 12 return
1-stop connections44 hubs
Origin: YUL
IATA / ICAOYUL / CYUL
TimezoneAmerica/Toronto
Passengers/yr21.0M
Elevation118 ft / 36 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about YUL to SJO flights.
Nonstop flights from Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport take approximately 5h 45m to 6h. The route covers 2,529 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Air Canada and Air Transat.
There are approximately 10 nonstop flights per week from YUL to SJO. The return direction has about 12 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through PBI, ILM, YHM, TEB, CMH, OPF, BWI, MSY, BDA, MGA, SJU, HOU, MSP, SXM, LAX, SFO, GUA, YYZ, BOG, CTG, ATL, SAL, LIM, MIA, ZRH, CDG, MCO, MAD, IAD, FLL, EWR, MEX, AMS, ORD, CUN, DEN, PTY, BNA, FRA, IAH, CLT, DFW, GDL and JFK. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San José (Alajuela) is 2 hours behind Montréal.
Yes, return flights from SJO to YUL 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 YUL to SJO

Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) are connected by nonstop service from Air Canada and Air Transat. With 10 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

YUL to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from YUL to SJO ranges from 5 hours 45 minutes to 6 hours 0 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,529 miles (4,069 km). There are approximately 10 weekly flights outbound and 12 return, totaling 22 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

44 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via PBI. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.