Find cheap Volaris Costa Rica flights

Volaris Costa Rica is a is a subsidiary of Volaris, a super low-cost airline based in Mexico City. They pride themselves on selling a low base fare from which you can pay extra for any additional needs you might have. I have used this airline often to get around Central America – especially some harder to reach destinations – and also to make the short hop from Los Angeles to Mexico City.

Volaris Costa Rica is often the best option not only for the very low prices but also for flight departure times and convenient arrival into Mexico City. The majority of routes on Volaris Costa Rica are within Costa Rica, but the airline also flies to Mexico, Guatemala and a few key destinations in America, including Los Angeles and Miami.

Fare categories, baggage and seating

There is only economy class seating on Volaris Costa Rica – the most premium offering on this airline is choosing a better seat with extra legroom. There are 3 fare categories when purchasing a ticket – Zero, Basic and Plus – and allowances can vary slightly depending on whether you’re flying international or domestic.

Zero is the lowest price category and it allows you to bring just a small personal item – no carry-on or checked luggage. Basic fares come with a personal item and one carry-on, but no checked bags. This one also entitles you to change your flight to an earlier one on the same day, if available.

Plus fares come with a personal item, a carry-on bag and a checked bag, plus you can change your flight to an earlier same-day flight and you are entitled to a full refund if you cancel the ticket. You can also make unlimited flight changes and receive priority boarding at the airport.

Volaris Costa Rica has a few different seat options available, and these are selected when purchasing your ticket. They are Premium (row one, with extra space and quickest exit), More Space (emergency exit rows), First-off (seats in rows two to five) and Standard (the rest of the plane, basically). These each come with a different cost for more premium selections and are calculated per passenger per leg.

Check-in process

Volaris Costa Rica has mastered the check-in process and made it extremely easy. You can check in online at the airline website, and you can take a screenshot of the boarding pass to use. Another option is the Volaris app, where you can generate a boarding pass for easy use at the airport.

Lastly, there is also a WhatsApp messaging option. Using the chatbot, you can request check-in assistance and receive your boarding pass, but this is only available for flights within Mexico. There are check-in options at the airport as well, but these come at an additional fee. I recommend avoiding this unnecessary fee by simply planning ahead.

Changes and cancellations

Since changes of plans are so often a part of travel, the airline has a host of options available to travelers. You can easily make changes on the airline website or in the app, but there is a fee for some fare categories and you’ll always have to pay the fare difference if your new choice is more expensive.

Volaris Costa Rica allows you to change the itinerary and passenger name, but these need to occur at least 4 hours before departure. In terms of canceling a flight, they offer the standard 24-hour-after-purchase rule that gives a full refund if canceled. After that, refunds are granted on a case-by-case basis and customer service will determine whether you receive a voucher or get a monetary refund.

One clear rule for all is that international flights need to be canceled at least 7 days before the flight and domestic itineraries must be canceled at least 24 hours in advance.

Membership and credit cards

V.Club is a membership program that Volaris started as a perk for frequent fliers. For a small annual fee you will have access to special offers and discounts. Every Thursday Volaris releases a host of special deals which you can snag immediately.

V.Club also gives access to packages, hotels, transfers, car rentals, insurance and a host of experiences. If you’re a frequent flier with Volaris Costa Rica and you love the airline, I would recommend this for sure.

V.Business is a similar program but aimed at work travelers. With this membership, there are many benefits, including unlimited changes, priority boarding, holding a fare price and free carry-on baggage at any level.

If you plan to fly Volaris Costa Rica a lot, I would recommend getting one of the three credit cards offered by the airline. They come with several benefits, including earning actual money (not just points or miles), free baggage for you and your travel companions, priority boarding and discounts on food and drinks on the plane. These offers change frequently.

Flight combo deals

Volaris Costa Rica sells bundles that allow you to add travel perks for a discount over the standard cost, and these are called combos. They come with unlimited time or date changes for your flight, and you can add combos to your purchase when making your booking.

With Business Combo, you get unlimited changes, a fare hold for 24 hours, a standard seat selection and one carry-on bag included. There is a More Baggage combo that gets you a carry-on bag plus an extra checked bag, and also one piece of sports equipment or a musical instrument to be checked free.

Finally, there is the More Speed combo that grants priority boarding, access to express lanes at security and standard seat selection. Premium seats like emergency exit rows are not included in this.

Eating and drinking in the sky

Volaris Costa Rica does not offer anything complimentary on flights. Therefore, all drinks and snacks are for purchase only. The snack program onboard is called Entre Nubes and there is an extensive menu. You’ll find sandwiches (including some vegetarian options) along with lots of snacks like chips, nuts, candy and chocolate. Drinks include hot beverages like coffee and tea, as well soda and an array of alcoholic drinks.

I usually bring my own snacks to save on the higher prices on these short flights.

Flying with a pet

Since getting to Mexico is so simple from California, I have taken my pup along on these short flights and found Volaris Costa Rica easy to deal with. They do require some paperwork, but the airline allows dogs in the plane cabins – some breeds are not allowed, so always check directly with the airline before booking.

Your pet is required to have updated vaccination records, and you also need to fill out a pet travel form, which can be found on the airline website. I have also volunteered to accompany adopted dogs from Mexico to their new owners in California, and Volaris Costa Rica was a breeze to work with each time.

In-cabin pets must be contained in a carrier that fits fully underneath the seat in front of you. There is also an option to check dogs into the hold below.

Cross border perk for San Diego

Volaris Costa Rica takes part in the CBX (Cross Border Xpress) program, which allows you to cross the US border between Tijuana and San Diego. On your return, fly to Tijuana and walk across the border within 24 hours of landing. It’s a fast way to get into California, but you need to have the correct paperwork, of course.

You can add this crossing to your ticket when purchasing. I have done this multiple times and found it can save a lot of time, especially if you just park your car on the American side of the border and travel this way to Mexico. Just be sure to read all the requirements for this type of crossing when booking and come properly prepared.