Soaring Through Costa Rica: A Review of SANSA Airlines
About My Flights on SANSA
In my opinion, SANSA Airlines is the best way to get around Costa Rica. Despite being a small country, it can take hours to get from one tourist destination to another because of poor road conditions and having to go around mountains. When I first booked my flights on SANSA, I was slightly worried based on the reviews that I had read. Despite those reviews, I booked four flights on SANSA and found it the best way to explore destinations throughout beautiful Costa Rica.
Below, I will review my experience flying SANSA Airlines. Overall, I was extremely happy with the service that SANSA provided. I did have one bad experience that allowed me to see why some people have difficulties when flying SANSA. My bad experience will be explained in-depth further down the page.
All four of my flights on SANSA Airlines either began at, ended at, or connected through San Jose International Airport’s Domestic Terminal. I believe that most of SANSA’s regional flights connect through either San Jose or Liberia.
I found that all of the flights were reasonably priced, at between $90 and $150. The ticket included 40 pounds of checked luggage and a carry-on bag weighing up to 10 pounds.
SANSA operates a fleet of single-engine Cessna 208B Caravans. Each plane has two pilots and room for up to 15 passengers. Only one of my flights was direct, with all of the others having one-stop. Despite the stop, I still felt that I got to my destination quickly as each leg was between 15 and 40 minutes in length.
Soaring Through Costa Rica: A Review of SANSA Airlines
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SANSA Departs from Juan Santamaría International Airport's Domestic Terminal
All of my flights on SANSA Airlines either began at, ended at, or connected through Juan Santamaría International Airport’s Domestic Terminal. The domestic terminal at San Jose International Airport is about two hundred yards away from the international terminal in a separate building. SANSA is the main regional airline operating out of the domestic terminal.
Checking-In for SANSA Flights
SANSA Airline’s check-in counter has to be fairly efficient as a SANSA flight departs every ten or fifteen minutes. When I checked in for my flight, there was one person ahead of me in line. The check-in process consisted of checking my passport, weighing my checked luggage, and then having me and my carry-on bag stand on the scale to take my weight. I was then given a laminated ticket that was color-coded for my destination.
The experience going through security at San Jose’s Domestic Terminal was exactly the same as going through security at San Jose’s International Terminal. I was able to keep my shoes on but had to take off my belt and remove my computer and camera from my carry-on bag.
No Restaurants Inside San Jose's Domestic Terminal
There are no restaurants inside San Jose’s Domestic Terminal. There are two ATMs before security, bathrooms on either side of security, and one small shop. The shop has limited hot food options, some souvenirs, and packaged snacks and drinks.
SANSA Airlines Boarding Process
When it is time to board, the agent calls all of the passengers by name. Each passenger lines up, and the boarding agent verifies their name, checking it against a printed list. There are no assigned seats, so I always tried to be quick to get into the boarding line. Typically, SANSA Airlines boards their flights about 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Boarding and Inflight on SANSA Airlines
All SANSA flights are boarded from the ground level. There is no assigned seating, so there is an advantage to boarding first as you get to choose your seat. The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan does not have a lavatory. Thankfully, the flights on SANSA Airlines are all under 60 minutes in length.
SANSA Airlines Seats
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravans operated by SANSA are configured in a 1 x 2 configuration. The two-seat side is one bench with room for two people. It reminded me of the seats on a school bus. Another thing worth noting is that the ceiling is so low that anyone other than a small child will have to duck. Because of the low ceiling, I typically selected the single-seat closest to the back. All seats on SANSA Airlines are in economy class. There are no business class seats on any SANSA flights.
SANSA Airlines Legroom
I found that there was just enough legroom on my various flights to be able to sit normally. The seats weren’t overly comfortable, and the seatbelts were a tight fit, but it definitely wasn’t as restrictive as I thought.
No Flight Attendants on SANSA Airlines
There are no flight attendants on SANSA Airlines flights. The pilots load the bags, read the safety announcements, and communicate with the passengers. I found it interesting that all of the announcements were only made in English and not English and Spanish.
When you get on the plane, the first thing you will notice is it is very hot and stuffy. Do not worry, as when the engine is fired up, the cabin cools down extremely quickly.
No Room for Cabin Baggage of SANSA Flights
There is no room for carry-on baggage below the seats. All carry-on bags must be secured behind the black curtain near the rear of the plane. On one of my flights, where I was one of two passengers, I was able to have my bag in the seat next to me.
SANSA Airlines' Cessna 208B Caravans Provide a Fairly Smooth Ride
SANSA Airline’s Cessna 208B Caravans are the smallest planes I’ve ever been on. I have been on propellor planes many times but never one with a single prop. Despite this, I was not overly worried about my flights. In reality, it was my mother and my younger brother who was more nervous about my flights.
The Cessna 208B Caravan provided a comfortable and fairly smooth ride. I will say that the plane definitely does bounce around more during turbulence than a large jet, but the ride quickly smooths out once the cruising altitude is met. It was very interesting for me to get to watch the pilots, especially during take-off and landing. It is amazing how active they were throughout the flight, even when the plane was on autopilot.
Costa Rica's Small Domestic Airports
All of the SANSA Airlines flights not destined for Liberia or San Jose land at extremely tiny airports. The airports I experienced were so small they didn’t even have security. Because of the lack of security, when I arrived in San Jose, I had to exit the secure area and then go through security before taking my connecting SANSA flight.
Unexpected Departure Fee at La Fortuna Airport
Some of the airports have additional fees that are not part of the ticket. The airport in La Fortuna required an $8 fee upon arrival. When I departed a few days later, I again had to pay the $8 fee.
Quepos Airport was Closed
Another issue you will run into with SANSA Airlines is airport closures. During my trip to Quepos Airport, which is the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park, I was surprised when we landed on a dirt landing strip and then had to bus 40-minutes to Quepos. Apparently, the airport in Quepos was under construction, and this was the closest location where we could land. It was slightly frustrating to not know this in advance as it meant a longer time without having access to restrooms.
A Bad Experience with SANSA Airlines' Customer Service
Now my bad experience took place during my return flight from Quepos (the auxiliary airport) to San Jose. I arrived at the SANSA Headquarters at Marina Pez Vela as I had been instructed to catch a shuttle to the auxiliary airport with the dirt runway.
Two women greeted me at the headquarters including one woman with who I had a rude interaction after landing at the auxiliary airport. She had told me that I didn’t need to be informed of the airport change and that it was not their responsibility to inform their passengers.
Regardless, I knew I had to interact with her again and smiled, and I presented my passport. She checked me in and weighed my checked bag. It came out to 37 pounds which was below the 40-pound limit. Then, she weighed my carry-on bag, which had not been weighed on any of my previous flights. It was 13.4 pounds, which was 3.4 pounds overweight.
She told me that I needed to check that bag or remove some of the weight. I was instructed to take a seat at the only spot to sit in the tiny office and began removing some of my camera equipment from my carry-on bag and transferring it into my checked bag. As I did that, I bumped the Internet router on the table near my chair, knocking it on the floor. I was immediately lectured by the second woman telling me I had broken the router and they had lost Internet. I apologized but pointed out that it was sitting on the table that they had instructed me to use to adjust my luggage.
Obviously upset with me, they once again weighed my luggage. My checked bag was now 40.4 pounds, and my carry-on was exactly 10 pounds. I had to pay $2 for the excess .4 pounds, which I was fine with.
The two ladies instructed me to be back at the top of the hour for the bus ride to the airport. I walked around the marina and then met them at the designated spot exactly on time. It was just me and one other passenger taking the flight from the Quepos Auxilary Airport to San Jose.
As we drove the 40-minutes to the airport, the two SANSA agents spoke loudly in Spanish, ignoring me and the other guest. When we arrived at the airport, there was no interaction other than wait in the van. Finally, the plane arrived, and we boarded the plane. Now, as you read below, you should notice that there was something that should have been shared with us.
At this point, despite dealing with a rude agent, I would have not had any issues recommending SANSA Airlines. But, as my flight took off, we started flying south towards Panama rather than north towards San Jose. Forty minutes later, we landed at Corcovado National Park’s airport in Southern Costa Rica. I asked the pilot if we were going to San Jose, and he said that they had changed the flight and that we would be going to San Jose after a brief stop at Corcovado.
Normally, this would have been fine with me, but I had a COVID-19 test scheduled at San Jose airport that I would now be late for. The pilot was shocked that the agents had not told either of us, passengers, about the added stop. Thankfully, the pilot helped me call the COVID-19 testing center, and I was able to move my appointment an hour later.
We departed Corcovado shortly after and arrived in San Jose about 90-minutes after my expected arrival time. The original flight from Quepos to San Jose should have taken 20 minutes. Instead, we flew 30 minutes south, and then an additional 50 minutes back to the north to get to San Jose. The pilot assured me that he would contact corporate and tell them that it was unacceptable that we were not told of the change.
So after this experience, I still feel like I can recommend SANSA Airlines, but I understand why people post reviews online, sharing frustrating stories of their SANSA travels.
SANSA Flight Videos
Linked below are a few videos of my flights on SANSA Airlines. They were recorded using my GoPro so I apologize for any shaking/movement.
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