Nonstop Flights to Costa Rica

Ecotourism is rapidly gaining popularity. Whether that means choosing a destination for its nature based activities, or making choices that allow you to have a lower carbon footprint, people are looking for “greener” vacations. To meet this demand, communities in beautiful regions of the world are opening tourism-based businesses and capitalizing upon the interest of outsiders in what their areas have to offer. Local businesses are not the only ones taking advantage of this trend — airlines are too.

The greenest form of air travel

Recently, several major airlines have either currently offer or are planning to start offering weekly nonstop flights from the United States, Canada, and Europe to Costa Rica. Check out a (pretty) complete list of nonstop flights currently offered to Costa Rica:

AEROMEXICO

• Mexico City (MEX) – San Jose (SJO)

AIR CANADA

• Toronto (YTO) – San Jose (SJO)
• Toronto (YTO) – Liberia (LIR)
• Montreal (YMQ) – Liberia (LIR)
• Montreal (YUL) – San Jose (SJO)

AIR TRANSAT

• Vancouver (YVR) – San Jose (SJO)
• Vancouver (YVR) – Liberia (LIR)

AMERICAN AIRLINES

• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) – San Jose (SJO)
• Charlotte (CLT) – San Jose (SJO)
• Miami (MIA) – San Jose (SJO)
• Philadelphia (PHL) – San Jose (SJO)
• Phoenix (PHX) – San Jose (SJO)

AVIANCA

• Mexico City (MEX) – San Jose (SJO)
• Bogota (BGO) – San Jose (SJO)
• Lima (LIM) – San Jose (SJO)
• Managua (MGA) – San Jose (SJO)
• Tegucigalpa (TGU) – San Jose (SJO)
• San Salvador (SAL) – San Jose (SJO)
• Guatemala City (GUA) – San Jose (SJO)

BRITISH AIRWAYS

• London Gatwick (LGW) – San Jose (SJO)

COPA AIRLINES

• Panama City (PTY) – San Jose (SJO)
• Guatemala City (GUA) – San Jose (SJO)

DELTA

• Los Angeles, California (LAX) – San Jose (SJO)
• Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) – San Jose (SJO)
• New York, New York (NYC) – San Jose (SJO)
• Los Angeles, California (LAX) – Liberia (LIR)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (MSP) – Liberia (LIR)
• Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) – Liberia (LIR)
• New York, New York (NYC) – Liberia (LIR)

IBERIA

• Madrid (MAD) – San Jose (SJO)

INTERJET

• Mexico City (MEX) – San Jose (SJO)

JETBLUE

• Orlando (MCO) – San Jose (SJO)
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – San Jose (SJO)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

• Baltimore/Washington – San Jose (SJO)
• Houston (HOU) – San Jose (SJO)
• Houston (HOU) – Liberia (LIR)
• Baltimore/Washington – Liberia (LIR)

SPIRIT AIRLINES

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – San Jose (SJO)
• Houston (IAH) – San Jose (SJO)

UNITED AIRLINES

• Denver- San Jose (SJO)  (future route)
• Houston – San Jose (SJO)
• New York – San Jose (SJO)
• Denver – Liberia (LIR) (future route)
• Houston – Liberia (LIR)
• New York – Liberia (LIR)

VOLARIS

• Guadalajara (GDL) – San Jose (SJO)

WESTJET – seasonal service

• Toronto (YTO) – Liberia (LIR)

Initially this may not seem so great to the eco-minded travelers among you. More flights equals more air traffic and more pollution, right? Turns out, a flight from one airport to another (nonstop) is the most green that air travel can get at the moment.

Most of us like to save money, so when we look for flights, we are most likely to opt for the cheaper flight with the layover rather than the expensive one that is nonstop. The choice to get the flight with stops is much less eco-friendly than paying up and flying nonstop. This is because the most airplane fuel is used during takeoff and landing. When you choose to fly indirect, you choose to emit more carbon into our environment. Nonstop flights minimizes the amount of times that the aircraft takes off and lands. So, you might be paying a bit more if you buy a nonstop flight, but the payoff for the atmosphere is actually quite significant.

Find deals and nonstop flights to Costa Rica

Kayak has a great function that allows you to search flights to Costa Rica from the United States, including great deals and nonstop flights.

Difference between “nonstop” and “direct” flights

Another flight distinction to be mindful of when thinking about “green” travel is that of nonstop versus direct. Nonstop has a starting location and an ending location and between, you are in the air. Direct flights however, can have stops along the way, but not everyone is required to leave the aircraft. For example, if you get a direct flight from New York to Miami, the plane may touch down in Charlottesville, North Carolina. Some passengers get off and new ones get on. The remaining passengers will wait for others to exit and enter while sitting on the runway. Once the new passengers are settled, the plane will then continue on to Miami, its final destination. This adds an additional takeoff and landing to the trip, making it a much less environmentally friendly option than the nonstop flight.

Costa Rica, attracting eco-conscious travelers

These new nonstop flights to Costa Rica are also significant because they reflect that the nation is becoming a top ecotourism destination. There is growing interest in visiting the coasts, the rainforests, and seeing the unique wildlife; therefore, there is a higher demand for flights to Costa Rica, and airlines are answering that demand with new nonstop options. Costa Rica is known around the world for its natural beauty, and more and more people want to visit and experience it. The more people that come and create a personal connection with the environment here, the more people will be passionate about its conservation, preservation, and sustainable development. Personal passion and connection can be the key to saving amazing places. The growth in Costa Rica’s ecotourism industry will hopefully act as a means of saving some of the most wondrous ecosystems and organisms in the world.

So, next time you fly, consider the environmental implications of going with the cheaper, layover flight. Nonstop means fewer carbon emissions. And if you are flying to Costa Rica, you now have the ability to choose between non-stop and layovers. Taking a vacation that is environmentally conscious is awesome, so why not go all the way and make a lesser impact from start to finish. If you live close enough, bike to the airport. If not, take a bus. If all else fails, carpool! You are your choices, and your dollar is your vote, so vote for the environment and choose to have a lower impact!