Flying from San José, Costa Rica, to the Nicoya Peninsula: SANSA vs. Nature Air

When at the beginning of this year Nature Air added another daily flight (at 4:30 pm) from San José to Tambor on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, I revisited the relative merits of Costa Rica’s two major short-hop airlines. On Oct 1, I updated this post when Nature Air changed its baggage policies and clarified its different categories of fares–see below, under Baggage Policy: A Mixed Bag.

Also, see more about traveling by light plane around Costa Rica.

If you’re flying into Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) just outside the capitol city of San José, and you want to avoid the 4 to 5 hour drive to the Southern Nicoya Peninsula beach towns of Montezuma, Mal Pais, or Santa Teresa, you can book a flight from San José to the airstrip in Tambor (which is about 25 minutes from Montezuma and about 35 – 40 minutes from Mal Pais; taxis cost $40 – 50).

You have two choices of airlines on this flight as well as most other short-hop flights within Costa Rica: Nature Air or Sansa.

Airport location: Sansa wins

The biggest difference between the two airlines is location. Sansa is located within walking distance of Juan Santamaria Airport. You can fly to San José, Costa Rica, from the U.S., then roll your suitcase over to the Sansa terminal. Take a look–below is a photo of the international airport (SJO), with the main terminal and the Sansa area marked.

• Exit the front of the main terminal (the side opposite where you see the planes).
• Take a left, then another left after the first little building you come to.
• Note that it will feel like a very long walk if you have a lot to carry. You can flag down a taxi, but there are one-way streets to contend with and the driver will have to continue to the right, as if exiting the airport complex, and then circle back to the Sansa area. All the while, of course, the maria (meter) is ticking. Or the driver will forget to put on the maria, and quote you some random price once you arrive.

Juan Santamaria Airport near San Jose, Costa Rica

Nature Air, in contrast, flies out of Tobias Bolaños Airport (SYQ) in the San José suburb of Pavas, a 25-minute cab ride from Juan Santamaria Airport. Don’t even think about walking–even if you want the exercise you’d probably get aplastado (run over, flattened) as you tried to negotiate the sidewalk-free highways. Tobias Bolaños Airport used to have no facilities; you’d just find your hangar (Nature Air is in Hangar 27) and then wait till they wheeled a little stepladder up to the plane for boarding. Now the airport has a restaurant (by some reports it’s not always open), large screen TVs and bathrooms. The bathrooms are an especially welcome addition. There’s not much privacy to be had in an open airfield.

Nature Air has a shuttle service from Juan Santamaria Airport to Tobias Bolaños; they advise you to make reservations ahead of time (on their site). The shuttle costs $8 per person and leaves Juan Santamaria Airport at 7:15 am, 10:30 am, noon, 1:15 pm, and 2:45 pm. You can also take a taxi, which will probably cost between $15 -20.

I lived in San Jose and I visit Costa Rica often; I’ve made the trip from SJO to SYQ to take a Nature Air flight several times, but I’d be hard-pressed to describe the route. Google has no such compunction.

Route from Juan Santamaria Airport to Tobias Bolaños Airport

Schedules: Sansa has 5 daily flights, Nature Air 4

Both airlines have more flights during high season (they define high season slightly differently; see below) than low season. During high season, for example, Sansa has 5 daily flights from San José to Tambor; Nature Air now has 4 daily flights. During low season, both Sansa and Nature Air have 3 daily flights.

• Sansa high season (Nov 20 – April 30) San José – Tambor: daily at 7:40 am, 10:15 am, 12:30 pm, 2 pm, and 4:00 pm
• Nature Air  high season (Dec 1 – April 30) San José – Tambor: daily at 8:00 am, 9:15 am, 2:00 pm, and 4:30 pm

Baggage policy: a mixed bag

Nature Air’s baggage policy permits between 15 – 40 lbs. of checked baggage per person, not exceeding 50 linear inches/127 cm. (length + width + height). Where you fall in the 15 – 40 lb range is determined by the fare class purchased. “Loco,” the lowest fare, allows only 15 lbs. of checked baggage and  10 lbs as carry-on; fares are non-refundable and non-transferable. “Promo” fares allow 27 lbs of checked baggage and 10 lbs carry-on; you can change the time and date of a flight for a fee. “Flex” fares, the most expensive, allow 40 lbs of checked luggage and 10 lbs of carry-on, and you have more options for changes to your itinerary. There’s quite a range among these price categories. From San José to Tamarindo, for instance, the Loco fare was, as of late 2011, $78, the Promo fare $90 and the Flex fare $120.

Excess weight is charged at  $7  for 1 to 5 pounds extra,  $20 for 6 to 15 pounds, and on up. Surfboards, golf clubs, bicycles, strollers, and dogs cost extra and may or may not fit on your flight. Surfboards longer than 6.6 feet require the purchase of 3 additional seats due to space limitations. Note that you have to pay for extra luggage with a credit or debit card–no cash accepted.

Sansa’s baggage policy makes no mention of fare classes. Every passenger is allowed one checked bag up to 30 lbs and up to 45 linear inches/114 cm. (length + height + width). You’re also allowed one small carry-on item.

Sansa single propeller plane

Excess baggage is charged at $1/pound and may or may not fit on your flight. Surfboards (they handle boards up up to 6 feet 7 inches) cost $30 to transport. Dogs in their crates go in the baggage compartment; the weight limit for dog and crate together is 8 kilograms (about 17 and a half pounds). Both surfboards and pets are considered standby luggage; if they don’t get on your flight Sansa will try to get them on the next one.

If you’re traveling very light, Nature Air is for you. Otherwise, it’s a toss-up.

Of propellers and engines: two is better than one–Nature Air wins

NatureAir twin-prop two-engine plane

Sansa planes have one prop; Nature Air planes have two. And Nature Air has the only all twin-engine fleet in Costa Rica, made up of Canadian build De-Haviland Dash-6 Twin Otter planes. Nature Air planes are bigger and they feel more stable to me (that may be wishful thinking at work).

On-time records and flight cancellations

It’s crucial to check in with both airlines close to the flight time to make sure your flight hasn’t been canceled or delayed. But anecdotal evidence (people I’ve spoken with personally and complaints I’ve seen online) suggests that Sansa is more likely of the two airlines to cancel flights. The websites of both airlines tout their on-time performance but I found no mention of how often flights were canceled.

Environmental and social responsibility

I’m skeptical, but both airlines claim carbon neutrality. Evaluate their respective claims:

• Nature Air’s claim to carbon neutrality and their program of social responsibility
• Sansa’s description of the airline’s carbon neutrality