$283 Find Cheap Flights from San José to San Salvador - Compare and Save

Among airlines operating San José to San Salvador flights:

• Avianca: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

Only Avianca operates flights between San José and San Salvador.

Flights from San José to San Salvador usually depart from San José Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO) and arrive at San Salvador El Salvador Intl (SAL).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Avianca: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so travelers should check the fare details before booking.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from San José to San Salvador:

• Economy Class
• Business Class

On this route, nonstop flights are cheaper than layover options on average. Nonstop fares average $223 round-trip, compared to $265 via a layover through Guatemala City La Aurora (GUA).

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $68–$100 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The Airbus A320neo family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Avianca and Volaris Costa Rica. Other aircraft seen on the route include Airbus A320-100/200 variants.

One-stop flights from San José to San Salvador most commonly connect through:

• Panama City Tocumen Intl (PTY) - 92% of one-stop connections
• Guatemala City La Aurora (GUA) - 6% of one-stop connections
• Miami (MIA) - 1% of one-stop connections
• Mexico City Benito Juarez (MEX) - 0% of one-stop connections

Panama City Tocumen Intl (PTY) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 9% on the San José to San Salvador route. Wednesday is the cheapest departure day at $219 round-trip on average, while Saturday is the most expensive at $240, a difference of $21. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the San José to San Salvador route, 6% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1 hour 30 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on San José to San Salvador flights, with 50% of flights leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 25%, evening flights for 25%, and night flights for 0%.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from San José to San Salvador:

• Earliest: departs at 5:00 am and lands at 6:19 am
• Latest: departs at 7:45 pm and lands at 9:04 pm.

The flight takes about 1h 19m.

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 1% below the route average of $228. Booking late can sometimes save money on this route, but inventory is limited.

A nonstop flight from San José to San Salvador takes 1h 19m, covering 405 miles.

Yes, a valid passport is required for this international route. Many destinations require at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates. Check your passport expiry well before booking.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $271 to $2,069. That means the highest observed fare was about 8x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from San José to San Salvador are currently higher than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $302, which is 158% above the typical average for this route.

Night flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Panama City Tocumen Intl (PTY) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 6h 07m, compared with 7h 29m via Guatemala City La Aurora (GUA) and 11h 01m via Miami (MIA).

San Salvador El Salvador Intl Airport (SAL) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $8 for economy cars. Top options include:
• Budget
• Europcar
• Hertz
• Sixt
• Avis

Round-trip flights from San José to San Salvador range from $188 to $298, with an average of $228 over the past 12 months. Anything below $188 counts as a good deal.