Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Los Angeles to San José to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.
If you are looking for a flight deal from Los Angeles to San José, look for departures on Tuesdays and avoid leaving on a Sunday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from San José, Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly and Monday is the most expensive.
The cheapest month for flights from Los Angeles to San José is October, where tickets cost $377 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $686 and $594 respectively.
Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $531 on average.
To get a below average price on the flight from Los Angeles to San José, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.
In the past 5 days, the cheapest round-trip tickets from Los Angeles to San José were found on JetBlue ($531) and Southwest ($532).
There are 8 airlines that fly nonstop from Los Angeles to San José. They are: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United Airlines and Volaris Costa Rica. The cheapest price of all airlines flying this route was found with Volaris Costa Rica at $173 for a round-trip flight. On average, the best prices for this route can be found at Volaris Costa Rica.
Weekly flights between Los Angeles and San José historically see delays in approximately 15% of cases, with the average delay over the past year being 107 minutes.
Typically, flights leaving in the early afternoon tend to face fewer delays, whereas flights in the morning have historically encountered delays more often.
Statistically, Thursday is the day of the week with the fewest delays on this flight route, while Sunday has typically experienced more delays than other days.
Based on our data, United Airlines have experienced the fewest delays on this route in the past 12 months, with only about 11% of their flights encountering any delays.
San Salvador (SAL) is the top choice – 41% of KAYAK users who clicked on 1-stop flights from Los Angeles to San José picked an itinerary connecting there.
Flights via Monterrey (MTY) offer the most affordable fares, with an average round-trip price of $413.
Consider flying via Guatemala City (GUA) for the shortest journey. The average one-way travel time for flights connecting there is 7h 51m.
If you prefer a quick connection, Guatemala City (GUA) often has the shortest layovers from Los Angeles to San José, with an average of 1h 36m.
There are 4 cabin class options for the route. These are First, Business, Economy and Prem Economy. Perform a search on KAYAK to find the latest prices and availability for all cabin fares, which differ across airlines.
Each day, there are between 1 and 2 nonstop flights that take off from Los Angeles and land in San José, with an average flight time of 5h 57m. The most common departure time is 4:00 pm and most flights take off in the afternoon. Each week, there are 9 flights. The most frequent day of departure is Friday, when 22% of all weekly flights depart. The fewest flights depart on a Monday.
A direct flight to San José will take on average 5h 31m to travel the 2,721 miles flying distance from Los Angeles.
Early birds can take the earliest flight from Los Angeles at 4:41 pm and will be landing in San José at 11:46 pm.
If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from Los Angeles to San José jets off at 10:41 pm and lands at 5:30 am.
Based on the flight data, it is generally cheapest to fly from Los Angeles to San José on a Tuesday in October.
Cheapest Route: The cheapest route is directly from Los Angeles (LAX) to San José (SJO).
Booking Advance: It is generally cheaper to book your flight around 176 days in advance.
Cheapest Airline: Spirit Airlines is generally the cheapest airline for this route.
Direct or Layover: It is significantly cheaper to fly with a layover than to fly direct.
AI-powered; AI can make mistakes.
| Low season | October |
|---|---|
| High season | December |
| Cheapest flight | $225 |
Direct departures
Los Angeles to San José Juan Santamaria Intl
Monday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Tuesday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Wednesday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Thursday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Friday
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Saturday
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Sunday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Direct returns
San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Los Angeles
Monday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Tuesday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Wednesday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Thursday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Friday
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Saturday
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Sunday
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
Alaska Airlines,United Airlines
It was nice this is not the first time flying with Alaska
It was nice this is not the first time flying with Alaska
Both flights were on time and without in-flight issues. Although we had to check our carry-on bags at the last minute (cabins were full, no more room), our bags were on the baggage carousel very quickly. (Happened both ways.) Staff was friendly. Boxed water tasted weird (a little like cardboard?) but not a huge deal. Overall good experience.
Flying into PAE was so easy because it’s baggage claim is quick and accesible. I had a car rental and the counter is inside the baggage claim area, very convenient.
I paid for the $8 WiFi for the flight and it never worked. The crew told me it goes in and out and to keep trying. I didn’t get to watch the show I had planned to watch, bummer that I paid for the service. The person next to me said she has never been successful with in flight WiFi.
The check in Process was a bit slow. The flight was smooth and comfortable,
It was very frustrating that the people that got in th plane before I did had all taken the storage area above my seat so I had to go all the way town to store my luggage. My seat was 7c and I had to go all the way to 16 to find a place for my carry on. How is that even allowed! The worst part was trying to get my luggage when we landed.. such a headache and so unnecessary. If I’m in row 7c I should be able to store my carry on above where I’m sitting. It’s ridiculous that o need to go all the way down and struggle at the end of the flight to get my carry on.
Liberia airport was a disaster -- as we were pretty close, they shut the runway and we were diverted. San Jose wouldn't accept us so we had to go all the way to San Salvador and refuel and wait. Crew itself communicated as best they could.
Just another flight. No food, no entertainment. Left/arrived on time.
The FA's were fabulous, attentive, cheery, take pride in their vocation. The check in process was fast, orderly, etc save weight adjusted seat changes which respected aisle, window preference. The plane seemed new, clean. No free included food, fee based food options were average, free beverage. Could not get the entertainment App to work on my device. It seems other passengers were having the same issue. All in all a pleasant, efficient, restful flight made memorable by a keen, efficient, professional and very nice group of flight attendants.
I’m surprised that there was no screens for an almost 6 hour flight! Alaska needs to step up in this department.
Smooth flight. Easy boarding. Come early. Check in line is long
Quick boarding and check in.. but premium seats don’t recline.. very hard to relax. But overall, it was a Great a satisfying experience.. Thank You
If they listen to you especially when there’s a problem with a passport now I lost my tickets and also my seat money
The worst airline I have ever experienced. Terrible customer service. Absolutely disgraceful
Checking bags at the airport, very confusing they make lines for different flights but they don’t have any signs, so if you are on the wrong line be aware they will send you to the end of the correct line. No priority for check in even if you pay and no priority to disabled persons and elderly persons.
Despite all the negative reviews, I took Volaris with a family of 4 (including a toddler and infant in arms). The only compliant was they charged me $70 to gate check our wagon (which we use as a stroller) and then it was not available for pickup at the gate (which is the entire point), so we had to get through customs and the airport with our luggage and no way to push our kids :(
Après avoir manqué l’avion aucune aide de la part des agents à l’aéroport pour trouver un autre vol
Más comida no cobrar tanto por los asientos y comida food
The departures screens in the airport showed the flight as canceled for some weird reason, but when I got to the gate just to double check, it showed it as on time, and not canceled. This was confusing, but ultimately I was able to get to where I needed to go.
For whatever reason, when I was in the San Jose airport, the flight from Volaris read as canceled on the Departures screens you'd find all over the terminal, it wasn't until I got to the gate that it showed it as on time and still on. It was confusing, but ultimately I did get to where I needed to go with the flight I was expecting.
Great staff. Clean plane, but we were delayed for more than an hour due to maintenance issues and had to board another plane.
I was very disappointed with my experience at the United Airlines baggage check. The representative was rude and unhelpful. I was required to remove approximately 1.5 pounds from my two checked bags, even though it was a very small amount over the limit. The interaction was unnecessarily unpleasant, and I expected much better customer service. I hope United will review this incident and provide additional customer service training to its staff.
The boarding process on the departure from LA was rather slow even though I was in Group 1. For first class, I was not expecting to have to pay for Wi-fi but I did and then the wi-fi was spotty. The entree was surprisingly good and so that was a pleasant surprise. However, once I got to Houston, it was terrible. Unfortunately there was bad weather but the constant gate changes for my connecting flight was difficult to manage due to having to navigate back and forth between different terminals.
I was promised by United Airline (operated by ANA) that I will be seated together with my kids as I am the only adult flying with two minors. We did not get seats together in our 11 hours flight from LA to Tokyo. When asked at the gate, ANA representative said United Airline should have informed them that there is a parent flying with two minors. He said they can’t do anything in the system as the flight is full. He ask me to ask passengers next to me and the kids if they are willing to change seats. This is ridiculous! However, I went in the flight and asked other passages but no one willing to change seats. 11 hours and we were seating separately. I was very disappointed with this. It made things super inconvenient for me.
Flight was delayed but more than 90 minutes. This caused me to miss my available windows for pick-up by a friend. I had to pay $125 for an uber back home from the airport which was an added expense that I had not budgeted for my trip. Staff was friendly.
Food was surprisingly delicious. Space in the seat is horrible when the seating front is reclined. Movie offerings were terrible. Crew was friendly and helpful.
The business class seat is exceptional. I wish the food is more palatable.
My flight was canceled a few hours before boarding. I was rebooked on Copa airlines and missed an important meeting .
My experience on this United Airlines flight was highly uncomfortable, primarily due to two issues: Cabin Temperature: The temperature on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was unacceptably high, feeling consistently around 80 degrees throughout the flight. This made sleeping impossible and significantly detracted from the experience. Seating Arrangement: Being stuck in a middle seat for a six-and-a-half-hour overnight flight compounded the discomfort. Moving forward, I will always purchase a seat assignment to avoid this situation.
I had very little time to change planes originally in Denver after my flight from Omaha. I had an hour and a half layover in Denver originally and my flight leaving Omaha was delayed an hour because they had to change a tire, which I can understand. When I reached Denver my other flight was late, fortunately, but I still had only 10 minutes to run about a mile through the airport to get to my flight. Again, fortunately, I am a healthy 71-year-old and was able to accomplish this feat. However, the stress was more than necessary to bear.
Crew was great! Food sub-bar, tepid & flavorless. No snack options on trans-atlantic flight. Premium Economy seats ok, leg rest wouldn’t stay in place.
Entertainment system did not function. USB ports did not function. Wi-Fi did not function. Terrible trifecta…
Luggage did not make it onto my plane. Business seats were economy with empty row seat. Just horrible experience. Why would the company allow for transfers that don’t give employees enough time to transfer luggages??
The gate experience at LAX was abysmal (same for the arrival experience two days prior). Despite the LAX -> SAT schedule of two flights daily, our departure gate was at a smaller hub that we had to be bussed to from Terminal 4. Fortunately, I arrived at LAX extra early and had time to spare, but if I had not known, I might have missed my flight. I looked at the LAX airport map in the AA app and there was no indication of the additional boarding process. Lastly the gate area we were bussed to was crowded with limited food and beverage options. On flight, the fight attendant was hospitable and attentive, the flight was smooth, and AA's free (and working) wifi for AA members were all on the positive side.
Our flight from JFK to Madrid was delayed. We had to go from one side of the Madrid airport (Terminal 4s to the far end of terminal 4 - Gate K98) to our gate in less than 30 minutes. Put passport control and security/baggage check and that’s very hard unless you’re Usain Bolt. I called Iberia Airlines and the telephone customer service told me that I was going to have to pay to re-book. Luckily the help desk in the airport (who was dealing with dozens of people from the same JFK-Madrid flight) did not charge us extra to reschedule to a flight 8 hours later. They also gave us a voucher for breakfast and lunch. Glad the actual person at the airport had some actual sense.
For an long range economy flight I feel more space and more meal options need to be offered for flights over 5 hours
The flight from LA to Chicago was smooth and service was very good overall.
It's a long flight and that is always difficult. I was comfortable and well. The movies available were great and the crew was good.
The crew was very attentive through out the flight. Seats were comfortable, nice flight bag with pillow and blanket. Food was okay, since it was a overnight flight seemed to go by fast.
A much better flight than our previous. The flight attendant took care of us and regularly checked in to see if we needed anything. Brought us drinks prior to the departure and then a couple more times. Totally makes the difference in how you travel when the crew is checking on their passengers. Great job on this leg of our trip.
They should provide water to passengers who ask for it
Here we have another airline flying to Guatemala but doesn't have a plus or a less, just in the middle. Why? Well, first we don't have even free water Movie selection is poor Seats don't recline in some places Food selection is carb based Forgot to mention, customer service on the web is the worst. Good things; Very reliable on schedule Kind crew
I had to go to the boarding counter for them to enter my return flight as it’s not with Avianca. There was a long queue as there were lots of people being called to the counter.
No water for a 5 hour flight entertainment not working seats with little room for knees when person in front of me reclined kept bumping my knees.
Awful. I checked in online and there was no option to pay for baggage, at the airport when I checked in my baggage was received and Iwas not charged. When I got to LA during the boarding process I was told I didn't pay for baggage, the crew resolved I was let in the plane. When I got to my final destination my baggage was not there. It took me two days to receive my baggage. Bad service ever!
There was no food or drink service, couldn’t even get a glass of water for free. It was a long and expensive flight to not offer food or beverage on the plane.
My experience was amazing! They helped my elderly mother board on early through a wheelchair and were accommodating to have us sit together since our seats were in different locations. When landing at the airport in GUA they were very helpful with full of hospitality.
They charge me $190.00 dollars for the baggage for the bag in side the plane and in the baggage compartment in the plane. The service I got bad bad bad they make wait for a log time and i got to the airport 4 hours before. I don't think I'm going to use you guys never never again no support . And I am going to tell all the guys and people i now to don' use KAYAK
Avianca is the worst most uncomfortable airline I've ever been in, the seats are incredibly small and offer no support, the worst experience I've had traveling ever, do not bother with Avianca
Voo longo nem mesmo água ou gelo é servido, se quiser tem que pagar. Embarque é péssimo, mau atendimento.