You pay for the whole aircraft, not the seat. Everything else follows from that, including the answer to why it sometimes pays and sometimes does not.
The mechanism
Two people and four in a Cessna 206 pay the same. Adding passengers does not raise the price while they fit.
And it works the same in reverse: travelling alone makes nothing cheaper.
That means the cost per person falls in steps, not continuously. Each category has its capacity:
| Aircraft | PAX |
|---|---|
| Cessna 206 | 1–4 |
| Piper Seneca | 1–5 |
| Piper Navajo | 1–6 |
| King Air | 1–7 |
| Cessna Caravan | 1–12 |
The cheapest seat is always the last one that fits. Four people in a 206 pay half per head what two do.
What has to be added on the other side
This is where the comparison usually goes wrong. Against the charter it is not just the scheduled ticket:
The tickets, one per person.
Excess baggage, if you are carrying boards, dive gear or fishing tackle. With six people this stops being marginal.
Ground transfers if the scheduled service does not reach your field.
And the extra night, if the timetable does not match your international arrival. It is the cost people most often forget and the most expensive: a hotel night plus a lost day of holiday.
Roughly where it changes sign
With one or two people, scheduled almost always wins. There is no argument and we are not going to invent one.
With four, it gets close. From here it depends on whether excess baggage or transfers are involved.
With six or more, charter usually wins — and not only on money: the group arrives together, rather than split across two departures hours apart. 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.
The two cases where arithmetic does not govern
When scheduled does not go there. If your destination has no service — Nicoya, Upala, Barra del Colorado, Palmar Sur — there are no sums to do.
And when the runway limits. This is the one that surprises people: at fields like Punta Islita, eight metres wide, a group of six may not fit any suitable aircraft. At that point it is not that charter is expensive: it is that the way in has to be rethought. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
In that specific case, entering through a large nearby field and continuing overland usually costs less than two small flights. The trade-off is ground time rather than flight money, and ground time is more predictable than a second rotation.
How to ask for the comparison
Give us the exact passenger count and what baggage they are carrying, not a range. The difference between six and seven changes the category, and the category changes the price more than the nautical miles do.
And tell us when your international flight lands. If scheduled suits you, we will say so — it is the less profitable answer and the more useful one.
Frequently asked questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is for the whole aircraft. Two or four passengers in a Cessna 206 pay the same. 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.
From how many people does it pay?
With four it gets close. With six or more charter usually wins, and the group arrives together.
What has to be added on the other side?
Tickets, excess baggage, ground transfers and the extra night if the timetable does not match.
Does travelling alone make it cheaper?
No. You pay for the whole aircraft regardless.
Does the large group always win?
No. At fields like Punta Islita, eight metres of width can leave a group of six with no suitable aircraft. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
What do you need to compare?
Exact passenger count, what baggage they carry, and when your international flight lands.
Enquire
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.