SJO - PTY

£127 Find Cheap Flights from San José to Panama City

This is the cheapest return flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San José to Panama City departing on 28/6. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Panama City

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San José to Panama City, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San José to Panama City, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Flights Deals

Cheap Flights from San José to Panama City (SJO-PTY)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from San José to Panama City 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 return flight deals from San José to Panama City

sam., 28 juin - dim., 6 juil.
Copa Airlines Logo
18:05 - 20:28SJO-PTY
1h 23mdirect
Copa Airlines Logo
07:55 - 08:20PTY-SJO
1h 25mdirect
£127Copa Airlines
Find Deal
ven., 25 juil. - dim., 27 juil.
Copa Airlines Logo
09:17 - 19:34SJO-PTY
9h 17m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
12:55 - 13:20PTY-SJO
1h 25mdirect
£130Copa Airlines
Find Deal
lun., 18 août - jeu., 21 août
Copa Airlines Logo
04:10 - 06:33SJO-PTY
1h 23mdirect
Copa Airlines Logo
09:34 - 09:59PTY-SJO
1h 25mdirect
£132Copa Airlines
Find Deal
lun., 14 juil. - jeu., 17 juil.
Copa Airlines Logo
09:17 - 19:34SJO-PTY
9h 17m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
12:18 - 16:52PTY-SJO
5h 34m1 stop
£134Copa Airlines
Find Deal
mer., 25 juin - mer., 9 juil.
Avianca Logo
06:53 - 14:40SJO-PTY
6h 47m1 stop
Avianca Logo
13:30 - 13:45PTY-SJO
1h 15mdirect
£139Avianca
Find Deal
jeu., 27 nov. - ven., 28 nov.
Avianca Logo
09:35 - 14:45SJO-PTY
4h 10m1 stop
Avianca Logo
03:19 - 09:20PTY-SJO
7h 01m1 stop
£140Avianca
Find Deal
mar., 24 juin - mer., 9 juil.
Avianca Logo
01:55 - 16:30SJO-PTY
13h 35m1 stop
Avianca Logo
11:05 - 23:30PTY-SJO
13h 25m1 stop
£147Avianca
Find Deal
dim., 2 nov. - mar., 11 nov.
United Airlines Logo
23:28 - 13:55SJO-PTY
13h 27m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
16:41 - 13:15PTY-SJO
21h 34m1 stop
£824United Airlines
Find Deal
dim., 2 nov. - mer., 12 nov.
United Airlines Logo
23:28 - 13:55SJO-PTY
13h 27m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
16:41 - 11:25PTY-SJO
19h 44m1 stop
£879United Airlines
Find Deal
mar., 4 nov. - lun., 10 nov.
United Airlines Logo
23:28 - 13:55SJO-PTY
13h 27m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
16:41 - 13:15PTY-SJO
21h 34m1 stop
£882United Airlines
Find Deal
Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San José to Panama City

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarisation of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airports
SJO

SJO offers about 75 self-check-in kiosks, making it easy to get your boarding pass. Arrive early as security line lengths can vary.

Read more about SJOby Mark Chesnut
PTY

For a smooth arrival at PTY, use authorized taxi stands to avoid haggling. Confirm the driver uses the express highway to the city.

Read more about PTYby Mark Chesnut
Our travel experts
Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Expert on PTY and SJO

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer and public speaker with more than 30 years of experience. The 2019 winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award, Mark is the author of the book “Prepare for Departure” and has covered air travel for multiple top consumer and trade media outlets.

Read more
Useful Info

KAYAK's insights & trends for San José to Panama City flights

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

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San José to Panama City?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San José to Panama City clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Panama City on a Thursday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to San José, you should consider flying back on a Sunday, and avoid Fridays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San José to Panama City?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to Panama City, 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 José to Panama City is November, where tickets cost £135 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are April and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is £160 and £158 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to Panama City, 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 José to Panama City, you should book around 8 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.


Good to know - Cheap tickets from San José to Panama City

Low seasonMay
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flight£61
Best time to beat the crowds (9% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 0% lower on average.
Flight from San José to Panama City

When to book flights from San José to Panama City

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San José to Panama City based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns 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 José to Panama City

  • How can I get from downtown San Jose in Costa Rica to SJO?

    From several bus stops throughout San Jose, Costa Rica, you can catch an ATUASA bus every 10min that goes to SJO. The bus ride takes about 35min. The next most affordable option is a shuttle from San Jose to SJO. Willie's Tours Costa Rica Shuttles, Jayride Shuttles, Zuma Tours, and Interbus Shuttles are some of the companies that go to SJO.

  • Does SJO have lounges accessible to any passenger, regardless of airline or ticket class?

    If you want to wait for your flight at SJO in style and comfort, you can access the Santa Maria VIP lounge by paying at the door. This lounge is located Airside on Level 3, at Gate 5. Some amenities of this posh lounge include alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, newspapers and magazines, TV, Wi-Fi, internet terminals, telephone, and flight monitors.

  • How can I fly from SJO to PTY?

    Copa Airlines is one carrier that operates non-stop flights between SJO and PTY. Other carriers such as Avianca and Wingo operate flights between SJO and PTY with one layover, usually in Bogota (BOG). Airlines such as Copa Airlines, Avianca, and Avianca Costa Rica operate flights between SJO and PTY with two stops. Layover locations for these flights include San Salvador (SAL) and Managua (MGA).

  • How can I get from PTY into downtown Panama City?

    From PTY, you can take a 40min walk to the subway station at Las Mananitas and catch a Line 2 Subway for a 25min ride into Panama City. A more expensive, but perhaps more convenient, option is to take a taxi, which can get you into the city center in about 15min. Some taxi companies that frequent PTY include Union De Taxi De Pacora, Yellow Car, Radio Taxi Italia, and Piquera De Taxi Clayton.

  • What is the cheapest flight from San José to Panama City?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San José to Panama City was £83 for a one-way ticket and £172 for a return.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San José to Panama City?

    All the following airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San José to Panama City flight route: Iberia, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, Delta, JetBlue, and Lufthansa.

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

    The Airbus A320neo is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San José to Panama City flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San José to Panama City?

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

  • On which days can I fly direct from San José to Panama City?

    There are direct flights from San José to Panama City on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San José to Panama City, Copa Airlines or Avianca?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San José to Panama City are Copa Airlines and Avianca. With an average price for the route of £152 and an overall rating of 7.5, Copa Airlines is the most popular choice. Avianca is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of £153 and an overall rating of 6.7.

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

    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 José to Panama City.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Panama City from San José 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 José to Panama City?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to Panama City with an airline and back to San José with another airline.

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

    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 Panama City from San José up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San José to Panama City

  • Looking for a cheap flight from San José to Panama City? 25% of our users found flights on this route for £118 or less one-way and £678 or less round-trip.
  • Do not confuse the San Jose International Airport (SJC) in California, USA with the San Jose Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. SJO in Costa Rica serves as a hub for Sansa Airlines, Volaris Costa Rica, Avianca Costa Rica, and Costa Rica Green Airways. It also serves as a focus city for Avianca El Salvador and Copa Airlines. The Tocumen International Airport Panama (PTY) in Panama City serves as a hub for Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Columbia.
  • If you would like to stay near SJO the night before your flight, there are several airports near SJO that offer free shuttles to the airport terminals. Some of these hotels include the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Jose Airport, the Holiday Inn Express San Jose Costa Rica Airport, and the Courtyard San Jose Airport Alajuela.
  • At SJO, passengers who need wheelchairs and/or wheelchair assistance simply need to contact Sky Cap before traveling to arrange aid. At PTY, wheelchairs and wheelchair assistance are available upon request.
  • If you have time to pamper yourself as you wait for your flight to PTY, you can take advantage of the Spa Mioderma at SJO. Some treatments include pedicures, facials, and massages. The spa is located Airside at Gate 5 and Airside at Gate 10.
  • If you would like to exchange your currency when you arrive at PTY, you can use the Travelex currency exchange kiosks. One is in Sector 100 and one in Duty-Free Zone. PTY also has ATMs available on both Landside and Airside.

Prefer to fly direct from San José to Panama City?

Find which airlines fly direct from San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport to Panama City Tocumen Intl Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Panama City Tocumen Intl

Monday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Tuesday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Wednesday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Thursday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Friday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Saturday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Sunday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Panama City Tocumen Intl to San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Monday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Tuesday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Wednesday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Thursday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Friday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Saturday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

Sunday

Air Europa, Air France, Avianca, +3 more

Air Europa, Air France, +4 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top airlines flying from San José to Panama City

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San José to Panama City. 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 José to Panama City? 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.
7.5
Copa AirlinesOverall score based on 1451 reviews
6.8Entertainment
6.8Food
7.8Boarding
7.4Comfort
8.1Crew
Airline reviews

Enforce the boarding process by group numbers. Tell people to stay seated during the meal/drink distribution. It took forever to get food and drinks because people would not stay out the isle and let the crew do their jobs. Everyone wanted to go to the bathroom forcing the crew to enter and leave the isle constantly so people can pass. Tell people to keep their electronics off speaker mode. No one wants to hear phone conversations and music playing.

4.0 OkayPaul, Jun 2025AUA - PTY
Read more Copa Airlines reviews

Enforce the boarding process by group numbers. Tell people to stay seated during the meal/drink distribution. It took forever to get food and drinks because people would not stay out the isle and let the crew do their jobs. Everyone wanted to go to the bathroom forcing the crew to enter and leave the isle constantly so people can pass. Tell people to keep their electronics off speaker mode. No one wants to hear phone conversations and music playing.

Placed us in the last rear row of the plane so could not recline seats because of the rear wall, and also made it more of a tight space when the passenger in front reclined their seat. While understand seat assignments, every passenger should be afforded a reclining seat. The odor control scent from the restrooms was overwhelming strong. My wife and I could not deal with it, and she suffered a terrible headache as a result. I kept getting hit by the crew since I was on the ilse seat. No apologies, nothing. They made me feel like I was supposed to take the beating for a 3 hr flight.

There was no individual at the front check in when I arrived. I waited for at least 15 minutes and walked around asking security/janitors if they could help and they did not have a solution. So I had to take my checked bag through security and they threw away some of my items. I ended up making it to the gate only a few minutes before it closed due to my waiting for an agent at check in.

My flight delayed and i misss the connection they send me to orlando no to tampa i have to pay a uber to my house

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.

No headphones given for inflight entertainment. I missed my flight from the previous day and the customer service agent tried to extort an additional $100.00 US from me for missing my flight. Really?!

It was reasonably comfortable trip considering its duration (7 hours). Crew was very good and friendly, seats very more comfortable than other planes. Only negative comment would be that the bathroom light did not get its full brightness 🙃

The flight was delayed about 4 hours without any explanation. No wifi or entertainment at all on planes. Had to pay for checked bags I was allowed according to reservations.

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

Great from check in all the way to the end. Very happy with Copa

Flight to Bogotá delayed by 3 h Missed connection from Bogotá to Guayaquil. Avianca unable to bring us to Baltra on time Overall delay 36h. We missed boat departure from galagos. Overall 10 day trip needed to be cancelled. Avianca was completely un-professional.

A few years ago long flights 6 hours or so used to have video screens and they offered ear phones. The food cart used to come and drinks. Now absolutely nothing. Avianca is as bad as Spirit Airlines. Avianca will now be my last choice when booking my next flight.

The seats were very uncomfortable. I would have upgrade or got different flight if I knew. I usually sleep in the plane but I couldn’t sleep at all. Very uncomfortable. Also no food or drink everything was to purchase, and that’s u usual for international flight.

We did not know about the bag fees until check in. They are way too high. It’s insane. We also had a huge delay and everything costed extra which was very annoying.

Flew with our two children. Paid $380 to check two bags (one was overweight). They then left the bags behind on Sunday, December 21st, with all our family’s clothes and family Christmas presents. When we arrived at our destination they told us the bags had not arrived, and they thought (but didn’t know) they were still in Boston, but that there’d be a flight the next day and the bags would arrive the next day. The next day we found out there was no flight, now we’re hoping we get our bags before we fly back out. Meanwhile, trying to get any engagement or accurate information is a waste of time. The folks at the call center are just gatekeepers, who can’t connect with any departments that actually do things to solve a problem. Getting information is made deliberately difficult. My biggest regret is that I’ve had a number of awful experiences with Avianca traveling between the US and Colombia, and still let myself get suckered into buying these tickets because the schedule was great. Never again.

COP 7,000 for a cup of mediocre coffee. I thought I was on Spirit Airlines for a minute. Otherwise the flight was fine. Nothing exceptional to report.

please see previous response; it covers the whole travel trajectory.

My whole return flight itinerary, 3 flights, got canceled without any warning to me because I missed one of the earlier flights 3 weeks ago

They charged me $120 to check one bag and then charged me another $120 for a carryon. Ridiculous!

Worst airline , charge for everything even for water, seat space is very bad

Everything you need to know for your flight from San José to Panama City

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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