The question almost always arrives the same way: "there are seven of us, do we fit?" The short answer is yes. The useful one is that seat count is rarely what decides.
The five categories
| Category | Passengers | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Cessna 206 | up to 4 | Single engine, short field |
| Piper Seneca | up to 5 | Light twin |
| Piper Navajo | up to 6 | Twin, more cabin |
| King Air | up to 8 | Pressurised, more range |
| Cessna Caravan | up to 12 | STOL turboprop, high volume |
We confirm the assigned aircraft’s seat count in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
Why the seat count misleads
Three things bind before the seats do:
Weight, not headcount. Eight adults with suitcases weigh a good deal more than eight catalogue passengers. The real calculation is useful load, and on hot days or at elevated fields that load drops — sometimes enough to leave a seat empty that the brochure says is available.
Baggage volume. This is the one that surprises. A surfboard or six sets of dive gear take up space without weighing much, and the compartment fills before the scale does.
And the runway. At Punta Islita, eight metres wide, the category that would take your group may not fit. The question then stops being how many fit and becomes where you go in.
It is the reversal that forces most replanning: you pick the aircraft for the group and it turns out the destination picks it.
The category steps
It is not a continuous scale: the price jumps at the steps, not proportionally.
Between four and five passengers you change aircraft. Between six and seven, again. A group of six sits comfortably in the six-seat category; a group of seven pays for the eight.
If your group sits right on a boundary, it is worth asking whether someone can travel on another flight or whether the baggage can be trimmed. Sometimes a small change drops a whole category, and the fare difference is not marginal.
What to tell us
Adults and children separately. It changes the weight distribution, and sometimes what looked like it would not fit does.
What baggage they carry, in pieces and sizes. Not in kilos: in items.
And the final destination, because the runway may override all of the above. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
An example of why it matters
A group of six to Drake Bay, 83.5 nautical miles from San José. By seats, it fits.
By runway, not always: eight metres of width rules out much of the fleet, and with six people plus baggage there may be no suitable aircraft. The way in becomes Palmar Sur — 76.3 nautical miles, 1,400 × 12 m — and then road and boat.
Same group, same destination, two different operations. And the runway decides, not the headcount.
Frequently asked questions
How many categories are there?
Five: Cessna 206 up to four, Piper Seneca up to five, Piper Navajo up to six, King Air up to eight, Cessna Caravan up to twelve.
Does seat count decide the aircraft?
Rarely. Real weight, baggage volume and the destination runway usually decide first.
Why does the price jump?
Because you change aircraft, not seat. The steps are between four and five, and between six and seven.
What takes up more than it weighs?
Surfboards and dive gear. The compartment fills before the scale does.
Can the runway prevent it?
Yes. At Punta Islita, eight metres of width can leave a group of six with no suitable aircraft.
What if my group sits on a boundary?
Worth checking whether someone can travel separately or whether baggage can be trimmed. Sometimes a small change drops a whole category.
What details do you need?
Adults and children separately, baggage in pieces and sizes, and the final destination.
Enquire
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
See also: What decides your aircraft · Not length but width · All destinations · Turboprop or jet · Short and unpaved runways · Baggage by category · Cessna 206 or Piper Seneca · Caravan or King Air · A group of eight to twelve · Flying with pets · Flying with young children · Costa Rica with kids · Piper Seneca charter