New US Flights to Costa Rica for the 2026-27 High Season
COSTA RICA · EXPATS & NOMADS
Key Facts
- —The country Costa Rica, in Central America, gets more tourists from the United States than from any other country.
- —What happened Breeze, United, Delta and Southwest are adding nonstop flights to Costa Rica from five US cities between October and March.
- —The first route Breeze Airways launched Tampa to San José flights on Saturday 3 October and now flies Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- —The holiday flights United flies Washington Dulles to Liberia daily from Thursday 17 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027.
- —New York Delta has scheduled weekly New York JFK to Liberia flights from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Saturday 10 April 2027.
- —Late winter Southwest adds Nashville to Liberia from Saturday 13 February and Austin to San José from Saturday 13 March 2027.
- —The catch Most routes are seasonal, and United’s Dulles flights run for only 19 days over the holidays.
New nonstop flights to Costa Rica start this season from Tampa, Washington, New York, Nashville and Austin. For US travelers in those cities, each route cuts out a change of planes on the way south.
The flights land at Costa Rica’s two main gateways, near the capital San José and in Liberia, close to the Pacific beaches. Most run only weekly or for a few weeks, so the dates shape your trip.
Five New Routes and When They Start
Four US airlines are adding nonstop flights to Costa Rica for the 2026-27 high season. In Costa Rica, the peak travel months run from December to April.
The United States is the country’s largest source of visitors. Close to 1.6 million US travelers arrived by air in 2025, according to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).
Breeze Airways opens the list with its first-ever Costa Rica service, from Tampa to Juan Santamaría International Airport near San José. The ICT announced flights every Wednesday and Saturday from Saturday 3 October, on an Airbus A220 with 137 seats.
Tampa International Airport says Breeze launched the route on Saturday 3 October, with a gate party for the first passengers. The Tico Times, a Costa Rican English-language paper, listed a 6:40 a.m. departure and a 7:55 a.m. local arrival.
The airport calls these its first nonstop flights to Costa Rica in over 25 years. Breeze is currently the only airline flying the route nonstop, The Tico Times says.
United Airlines follows on Thursday 17 December with a daily flight from Washington Dulles to Guanacaste Airport in Liberia. It runs only until Monday 4 January 2027, covering Christmas and New Year.
The flight leaves Dulles at 8:51 a.m. and lands at 12:50 p.m. on a Boeing 737 MAX 9. Tom Kozlowski, United’s senior manager of network planning for Latin America, said it targets East Coast travelers heading for the beaches.
Delta Air Lines plans to return to Liberia from New York JFK on Saturday 19 December, The Tico Times reported. The weekly Saturday flight runs until Saturday 10 April 2027 on an Airbus A321neo.
Delta last flew the route about a decade ago. When it filed the plan in June, it had no New York flights to Costa Rica at all.
Delta’s filed schedule, as listed by the route-tracking site AeroRoutes, shows a 10:40 a.m. departure from JFK. The flight lands in Liberia at 3:25 p.m. local time.
Southwest Airlines adds Nashville to Liberia on Saturday 13 February 2027, The Tico Times reported. The weekly flight uses a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 175 seats.
It is a new link for Guanacaste. Southwest flew Nashville to San José for a short run in March 2026.
On Saturday 13 March 2027, Southwest opens a weekly Austin to San José route. The outbound leaves Austin at 10:25 a.m. and lands at 2:05 p.m., The Tico Times reported.
San José or Liberia: Where the Flights Land
Costa Rica has two main international airports, and the new flights to Costa Rica split between them. Juan Santamaría International Airport, near the capital San José, is the busiest.
Breeze from Tampa and Southwest from Austin land there. It suits trips that start in the capital or in the Central Valley around it.
United, Delta and Southwest’s Nashville flights land at Guanacaste Airport, officially Daniel Oduber Quirós International, in Liberia. It is the closest major airport to the northern Pacific beaches.
Those beaches include Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Flamingo, Nosara and the Gulf of Papagayo. For a beach trip, Liberia usually means a shorter drive than landing in San José.
The new routes add to nonstops that already exist. United flies to Liberia from Newark, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and Chicago.
Delta serves Liberia year-round from Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis–St. Paul. Southwest connects it with several US cities, including Houston, Denver and Baltimore.
Southwest Adds Summer 2027 Flights to Guanacaste
On Friday 2 October, Guanacaste Airport and the ICT announced more Southwest flights for the summer of 2027. Austin to Liberia will run on Saturdays and Sundays from Saturday 5 June to Sunday 1 August 2027.
Nashville to Liberia comes back on Saturdays from Saturday 5 June to Saturday 31 July 2027. Both routes use the Boeing 737 MAX 8, and the airport says no Austin to Liberia nonstop operates today.
ICT executive president Marcos Borges said the routes give American travelers more connections and bring tourism jobs to Guanacaste. Renata González, the airport’s commercial and communications manager, called the United States its main international market.
Those summer flights to Costa Rica fall in the green season, when afternoon rain is common on the Pacific coast. Hotels often have more rooms free than in the December to April peak, The Tico Times noted.
Tips for US Visitors Flying to Costa Rica
US citizens need no visa for tourist stays of under 180 days, the US State Department says. Officers may grant fewer days, so leave by the departure date you are given.
Your passport must be valid for your whole stay, and you need a return ticket. Travelers arriving from parts of South America or Africa may need proof of yellow fever vaccination.
The State Department rates Costa Rica at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued on Thursday 2 April 2026. The reason given is crime, and this guide to safety in Costa Rica in 2026 has the details.
A colón near its strongest level on record means prices set in colones cost more in dollars than a few years ago. On Tuesday 6 October 2026, the rate was about 458 colones to the US dollar.
Book flights to Costa Rica early if you want the short holiday routes. United’s Dulles flights run for 19 days, while Delta’s and Southwest’s winter routes fly once a week.
Planning to stay for months and work online? Costa Rica offers a digital nomad visa for foreigners who earn a steady income from abroad.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet
Plans for new flights to Costa Rica can change before the first departure. Southwest announced a daily Las Vegas to San José route earlier this year, then cancelled it in July, citing fuel costs.
Check the last date of Southwest’s winter Nashville flights when you book. June reports gave Saturday 6 March 2027, but the airport’s October release says February to April.
United has not said whether its Dulles route will return for a longer season. Delta’s New York schedule ends on Saturday 10 April 2027.
Times quoted here are local times and can still shift before departure. For the background to the United and Austin routes, see how Costa Rica landed two new US flight routes in July.
More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which new flights to Costa Rica start in December 2026?
United flies daily from Washington Dulles to Liberia from Thursday 17 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027. Delta has scheduled Saturday flights from New York JFK to Liberia from 19 December 2026 to 10 April 2027.
Do US citizens need a visa to visit Costa Rica?
No visa is needed for stays under 180 days, the US State Department says. Officers may grant fewer days, and you need a passport valid for your stay plus a return ticket.
Which Costa Rica airport is closer to the beaches?
Guanacaste Airport in Liberia is the closest major airport to Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Nosara and the Gulf of Papagayo. Juan Santamaría International Airport, near San José, suits trips that start in the capital.
Sources: ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Institute), Breeze Airways Tampa–San José route, 17 March 2026; ICT and Guanacaste Airport, Southwest Austin and Nashville to Liberia, summer 2027, 2 October 2026; ICT, Southwest Las Vegas route announcement and 2025 US air arrivals, 12 January 2026; Tampa International Airport, Breeze launches Tampa–San José flights on 3 October, 5 October 2026; The Tico Times, Breeze Airways begins Tampa flights, 2 October 2026; The Tico Times, United Washington Dulles–Guanacaste flights, 15 July 2026; The Tico Times, Delta New York–Guanacaste flights, 3 June 2026; The Tico Times, new nonstop flights for the high season, 8 August 2026; The Tico Times, Southwest summer 2027 Austin and Nashville flights, 3 October 2026; The Tico Times, Southwest cancels Las Vegas–Costa Rica flight, 24 July 2026; El Financiero (Costa Rica), Southwest Nashville–Liberia route, 4 June 2026; Infobae Costa Rica, Southwest Austin–San José and United Dulles–Liberia, 17 July 2026; AeroRoutes, Delta New York JFK–Liberia filed schedule, 4 June 2026; US State Department, Costa Rica international travel information, accessed 6 October 2026; Patch (Reston, Virginia), United Dulles–Liberia route with United statement, 14 July 2026; The Tico Times, Southwest Nashville–Guanacaste flights, 6 June 2026; The Tico Times, Delta seasonal New York–Guanacaste route, 10 June 2026.
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