SAN - SJO

$187 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego to San José - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Diego to San José departing on 8/21. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$396
Typical prices: $398-$603
Copa Airlines
Fri 8/14Fri 8/21
SAN - SJO • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$187
Typical prices: $170-$201
Multiple Airlines
Fri 8/21
SAN - SJO • 2 stops
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $396 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
Not available
There are currently no direct flights between San Diego and San José. You'll need at least 1 connection.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $380 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 7h 45m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 32% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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We hope you love your trip to San José!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Diego to San José (SAN-SJO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Diego to San José that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Diego to San José

Fri, Aug 14 - Fri, Aug 21
Copa Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 8:19 am
SAN
-
SJO
9h 19m
1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
4:08 am - 6:30 pm
SJO
-
SAN
15h 22m
1 stop
$396Copa Airlines
Mon, Nov 16 - Fri, Nov 20
Copa Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 9:07 am
SAN
-
SJO
9h 07m
1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
3:59 am - 5:15 pm
SJO
-
SAN
15h 16m
1 stop
$408Copa Airlines
Sat, Oct 31 - Sun, Nov 8
United Airlines Logo
8:45 am - 9:00 pm
SAN
-
SJO
11h 15m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 9:26 pm
SJO
-
SAN
9h 01m
1 stop
$410United Airlines
Wed, Sep 30 - Sun, Oct 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:20 pm - 8:30 am
SAN
-
SJO
17h 10m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 7:12 pm
SJO
-
SAN
27h 37m
2 stops
$418Multiple Airlines
Fri, Aug 21 - Thu, Aug 27
United Airlines Logo
10:13 am - 7:37 pm
SAN
-
SJO
8h 24m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:45 am - 10:47 pm
SJO
-
SAN
15h 02m
1 stop
$420United Airlines
Fri, Nov 13 - Sun, Nov 22
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:47 am - 9:35 am
SAN
-
SJO
20h 48m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 9:05 am
SJO
-
SAN
18h 50m
2 stops
$426Multiple Airlines
Mon, Nov 9 - Mon, Nov 16
United Airlines Logo
7:41 pm - 8:32 am
SAN
-
SJO
10h 51m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
9:40 am - 8:37 pm
SJO
-
SAN
12h 57m
1 stop
$433United Airlines
Sun, Nov 8 - Sun, Nov 15
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 9:35 am
SAN
-
SJO
24h 35m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 6:59 pm
SJO
-
SAN
28h 44m
2 stops
$436Multiple Airlines
Wed, Sep 30 - Sun, Oct 11
Copa Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 9:04 am
SAN
-
SJO
10h 04m
1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
8:45 am - 6:30 pm
SJO
-
SAN
10h 45m
1 stop
$438Copa Airlines
Thu, Aug 27 - Fri, Sep 4
Southwest Logo
6:20 am - 6:40 pm
SAN
-
SJO
11h 20m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
1:40 pm - 10:05 pm
SJO
-
SAN
9h 25m
1 stop
$442Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Diego to San José flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Diego to San José to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from San Diego to San José?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from San Diego to San José departing in August.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Diego to San José?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Diego to San José, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San Diego to San José is October, where tickets cost $311 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $654 and $582 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Diego to San José?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Diego to San José, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San Diego to San José, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 3 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

August

Cheapest flight

$187
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 5% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 10% lower on average.
Flight from San Diego to San José

When to book flights from San Diego to San José

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Diego to San José based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San Diego to San José

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Diego to San José?

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Diego to San José was $187 for a one-way ticket and $396 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San Diego and San José?

    Yes, you’ll need a passport to travel to San José from San Diego.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Diego to San José?

    When flying out of San Diego you will be using San Diego. You will be landing at San José, also known as San José Juan Santamaria Intl.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San Diego to San José?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Diego to San José?

    oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between San Diego and San José, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to San José from San Diego?

    Houston is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Diego to San José.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Diego to San José, Southwest or Copa Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Diego to San José are Southwest and Copa Airlines. With an average price for the route of $791 and an overall rating of 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. Copa Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $374 and an overall rating of 7.6.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Diego to San José?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Diego to San José.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Diego to San José?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San José from San Diego is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Diego to San José?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to San José with an airline and back to San Diego with another airline. Booking your flights between San Diego and SJO can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Diego to San José?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to San José from San Diego up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Diego to San José

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Diego to San José. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Diego to San José? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4242 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

Great job Southwest! My family doesn't fly often but we felt safe the whole time.

10.0 ExcellentK, Jun 2026
SAN - AUS
Read more Southwest reviews

Great job Southwest! My family doesn't fly often but we felt safe the whole time.

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

The seats are now more narrow. I paid for front row the seats in the front are even more narrow than before.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

No trays in our seats, we sat in first row, purchased a business class fare. Had to hold our drinks and snack in our hands. No plugs for our cell phones. Had to pay for it a drink cocktail each. Seats so uncomfortable.

There was over a 9 hour delay for one thing after another. A toilet problem, they had to change the brakes, they had to refuel, three pilots times out, etc. We had to sit on the plane at the gate for over 5 hours with no air.

Unfortunately it was not a good experience. There was a rude stewardess.

No problems with the flight, my issue is with the terminal at SAN airport. I’ve never seen a dirtier, worse equipped terminal. No power plugs worked, but you could of course buy a fuel rod battery from the kiosk (seemingly the only thing that worked).

It would have been better if they don't separate families in seating. We were seated in the aile row in the middle of a family of four. It would have been better if they they seat the family of four together than separated.

It was good, plane is a bit older so seats are somewhat flat

Check in person said there would be lunch. We were first class passengers and lunch was chips.

Very good flight and crew Food was a surprise on a short flight

Biggest issue was that they only had two restrooms in the back of the aircraft. Too many people for only two restrooms. The trash was overflowing and there was paper on the floor too. Long lines in the isle to use it. Food was also a bit meh. They don’t offer snacks with drinks, so you might want to buy a snack to hold you off on a longer trip, since the meals are very small.

Everything was smooth and crew was very polite and friendly.

I like that they served a mail, I’m not sure about the in-flight entertainment. I didn’t really check. staff helped me with my luggage. Smooth boarding smooth takeoff smooth flight

The seats had plenty of leg room and the staff were very nice.

Copa performed as expected for the amount of money I was willing to spend for the flight; it wasn’t exceptional but it was not bad in any way either. The crew was good; friendly and straightforward. The food was airplane food, so no expectations there and the entertainment was lacking but that was my fault for owning an IPhone with a charging port that’s not compatible with the rest of the world. I’d fly Copa again.

Left my bags in origin city on a business class ticket , spent about 2-3 days in the same clothes plus the flight .

Service was professional and quick. Premium economy seat was comfortable given the class

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Over 2.5 hour maintenance delay on first morning flight with no acknowledgement, compensation or even gesture of good will. Aircraft had overnighted at airport so issue should have been addressed prior to boarding. Over 3.5 hours before first slow and deliberate beverage service.

Complimentary light meal would be appreciated. But great flight crew service on all legs

The food was terrible this time. Otherwise pleasant, quiet, on-time.

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 was in first class. The outlets at my seat did not work. The plane was shabby and run down. I had prepurchsed a day subscription for internet that was not redeemable. I had to repurchase the internet for my flight and then it didn’t work anyway. Quite disappointed in what was supposed to be the launch of a great vacation.

As usual, United scheduling is completely misleading. A 54-minute layover at O’Hare is too short to make a lot of connections, especially since the flight landed “on time” but had to wait on the taxiway 15 minutes for a gate to open up. Then it takes another 10 minutes to exit the plane before one can run to another concourse to catch a connecting flight.

Flight was ok. Unfortunately it was a Boeing 737, which is a cramped / tight airplane. I prefer the Airbus as they are a more comfortable flight experience.

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.

Was given all 3 boarding passes. Was refused boarding to Brasilia in Miami even though I had up to date Brazilian Visa and US passport. Had to return to Phoenix as trip was cancelled. Waiting for refund of the fare. Missed my son's birthday and visit with him and his wife.

The pilots landing and taking off was very bad on the first flight, the second one taking off was great but landing was also rough

The check in and on the ground experience is very poor. Their online check and trip management is the worst I have ever seen and they have long lines to check in at the airport, technology is glitchy/unusable and have exorbitant baggage fees. The flight itself is fine, although the food is about what you would expect and their was no functioning entertainment for an international flight.

My experience with this flight was extremely negative and resulted in serious financial and personal consequences. The flight departed with a significant delay, which caused me to miss my international connecting flight. As a direct result of this delay — which was entirely beyond my control — I was unable to reach my final destination on time, causing me to lose a previously scheduled hair transplant surgery that had been arranged months in advance. This was not a minor inconvenience. The surgery involved: • A reserved operating room • Medical and technical staff scheduled specifically for that date • Surgical instruments prepared in advance • Strict scheduling that does not allow for easy rescheduling Due to the airline’s delay and poor handling of the situation: • I lost already paid international flight tickets • I was forced to purchase new tickets, incurring duplicate expenses • I spent over six additional hours in airports, under stressful conditions • I incurred unexpected costs for meals and transportation • I lost a medical opportunity that cannot be easily recovered, along with the emotional distress associated with it Although the airline covered one night of hotel accommodation, this did not address the real impact of the delay, nor the significant damages caused by missing a critical medical procedure. The lack of punctuality, planning, and effective solutions reflects a serious lack of responsibility toward passengers, especially when international connections and time-sensitive medical commitments are involved. I do not recommend this airline for travelers with important schedules, medical appointments, or critical connections. In my case, the delay did not merely cause inconvenience — it resulted in the loss of a surgery and substantial financial damage.

I was not able to get on the flight due to delays out of Philadelphia. I arrived in MIA at 10:30pm and there was no one at the GOL Desk. Is there any flight credit available for this flight?

Unfortunately it was very disappointed experience. Our first flight our was delayed 2 hours, as a consequence we missed our connecting international flight. Customer server at Miami American Airlines was very disrespectful, gave us the worst replace itenarary for the next day that we had to spend 2 hours calling Gol to get a better itinerary otherwise we wouldn't make it on time to fulfill our trip purpose. We would have missed the reason to travel all the way to Brazil if we didn't change for a better itinerary. The worst thing is that our baggage was missing for 4 days. We had no cloths for all this time, plus the aggravation to locate our baggage. Nobody knew where our baggage was. We ended up picking it up at the airport when they said that they will bring them home. Unfortunately our experience was very dissatisfied.

Lost luggage, people are not very nice to help you , I was just instructed to fill out a baggage claim online, they were not helpful when I had additional questions after I completed the form on my phone.

Horrible. I was never able to board the e flight as they had a glitch in their system that didn’t showed me as a passenger. I waited 2 hours at the front desk till they closed the flight, and they were not able to board me in it. They didn’t offer any sort of solution or refund. Such a disappointment. I would never flight with them again.

It was really bad. Inexperienced and rude people during check-in in Miami, a small and uncomfortable airplane, and problems with the airline caused me to lose my connection flight in Brasilia. Terrible experience!

American rescheduled with GOL. An error was made that caused significant issues including nit being able to checkin not having assigned seats, not getting seats together, arriving late, and the crew made no attempt to help.

Was not able to do a online check-in because the American Airlines system doesn't store our visa or other passport information, allowing us to have a trouble-free check-in. We were forced to have to check-in at the counter which Changes are upgrade status given that we were not able to check in much earlier.

The entertainment package was vast and the selections were very current. Keep updating it was great.

The seat was so hard my tailbone was aching The crew was kind of a b**** because I made a joke that I didn't care if they close the door I total c*** when she was trying to f****** act like she was mad at me because I said that The flight was bumpy. Sure you didnt have control over that.

Cramped seats. FAA should make airlines have more legroom, for even short people complain

Flight was full, and would have preferred an aisle seat, but due to getting a late ticket ,the seat I had was adequate. The flight crew were very help full and hard working. Food and drink were excellent for the 11hr flight. Overall I was pleased with flight, and would recommend British Airways again.

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

Had to wait on pilot and crew to depart and had to wait to arrive at the gate because they only had 2 crews working. Delays, delays....Planes just keep getting smaller and tighter and they nickle and dime for everything. When will an airline actually wake up and make flying more enjoyable?

I paid for what I got which was cheap, I brought my own entertainment. I knew what to expect, so I could be prepared. If you’re flying economy, check in early like me. I have no problems with my flight, was on time, staff were friendly, and overall good experience.

Multiple maintenance delays and the missed and rebooked connection changed gates at least 6 times including one which had us walking 20 minutes to another terminal and then back again. Seated our family of three in different middle seats throughout the plane and then there was an empty seat next to me. Very long travel day which I would have never agreed to if I knew the itinerary would be changed at 5 am, 2 hours before takeoff.

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.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Diego to San José

Information on your arrival and departure airports