The obvious advantage is duration. A 36.1-nautical-mile leg to La Fortuna or a 33.4-mile one to Quepos takes minutes, against half a day of winding road.
With young children, that difference is not about comfort: it is about whether the arrival day is any use at all.
What changes and is not obvious
Weight distribution. Six adults and four children do not weigh what ten adults weigh, and that sometimes allows staying in a lower category. Say so separately when quoting, because it can move the price in your favour. We show a "from" price per route; the final fare depends on the date, the group and the baggage, and is confirmed in writing before booking.
It is one of the few details in this whole catalogue where giving more information reliably makes the quote cheaper rather than dearer.
Children's baggage. Car seats, pushchairs and travel cots take up far more than they weigh, and they are awkward shapes. It is the single most common cause of a last-minute category change. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Worth saying how many pieces and of what kind, exactly as with surfboards. A folded car seat and a pushchair together take up what a large suitcase does.
What does not change
The leg that comes after. The flight ends at the strip, and with children the final transfer weighs more: seats have to be fitted, bags carried with hands already full, and the timings stretch. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
And the weather. At destinations with a window — Arenal, for instance — the day still governs. Cloud around the volcano sets the field’s operating window, and it is usually more favourable early in the day.
With children a delayed flight is worse than with adults: waiting at a small airfield gets long and there is little to do. That is why the margin is worth more here than on an adults-only trip.
The combination that usually works
Fly out, drive back — or the reverse, depending on the destination.
Outbound, the flight stops the first day being consumed by road with children tired from an intercontinental, which is the worst possible moment for a line of hairpins. Coming back, with the trip behind them and no jet lag, the road is more bearable and gives flexibility on timing.
It is not the only combination, but it is the one that most often solves the real problem: the arrival day.
What to ask the accommodation
Whether they have car seats for the transfer, because carrying them takes space on the aircraft and many hotels lend them. Asking this can save you an entire aircraft category.
And how long the final leg is to the room, not to the village. With children, an extra half hour shows, and it is exactly the detail nobody offers unprompted.
A note on expectations
Small aircraft fly lower and the movement is more noticeable than on an airline jet. For many children that is part of the fun; for some adults, less so.
It is a short leg and better known in advance than discovered on board. With distances like the 23.2 nautical miles between Liberia and Tamarindo, we are talking about minutes in the air.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main advantage?
Duration. A 36.1-nautical-mile leg takes minutes against half a day of winding road.
Does bringing children affect the price?
It can favour you. Adults and children weigh differently, which sometimes allows a lower category.
What baggage causes problems?
Car seats, pushchairs and travel cots. They take up far more than they weigh and are awkward shapes.
What does not change?
The final transfer from the strip and the weather at destinations with a window.
Is there a recommended combination?
Fly out and drive back. It stops the arrival day being consumed by road.
What should I ask the hotel?
Whether they lend car seats, and how long the final leg is to the room rather than to the village.
Is the movement more noticeable?
Yes. Small aircraft fly lower. For many children it is part of the fun.
Enquire
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.