--- iata: SJO name: Juan Santamaría International Airport city: San José country: Costa Rica lastUpdated: '2026-09-19' officialWebsite: 'https://www.sjoairport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.sjoairport.com/' - 'https://www.sjoairport.com/vip-lounges/?lang=en' - 'https://www.sjoairport.com/transportation/?lang=en' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/costa-rica/juan-santamaria-international/sjo1-vip-santamaria - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/costa-rica/juan-santamaria-international/sjo-vip-lounge-costa-rica quickFacts: - >- IATA SJO / ICAO MROC — Juan Santamaría International (Alajuela), serves San José - >- Single main terminal; PP lounges airside near Gate 5 (VIP Santamaria) and Gate 18 upper level (VIP Lounge Costa Rica) - >- VIP Santamaria — PP 04:30–20:00; access from 3h before departure; beer/wine only; max 2 guests; refurbishment underway - >- VIP Lounge Costa Rica — PP 04:30–20:00; access from 3h before departure; children under 10 free - 'Neither PP lounge is overnight — both close 20:00' - Official transport page on sjoairport.com — omit unsourced fare grids - No official MCT or security wait minutes published — omitted bentoTips: - label: Lounge title: 'Both PP lounges close at 20:00' detail: Access permitted from 3 hours before scheduled departure on both rooms. summary: >- VIP Santamaria and VIP Lounge Costa Rica both run 04:30–20:00 on Priority Pass — no overnight PP room. category: timing - label: Gates title: Gate 5 vs Gate 18 — two separate VIP rooms detail: Airport is compact — secondary reports ~5 minutes between the two. summary: >- Santamaria sits next to Gate 5 on Level 3; Costa Rica is upper level toward Gate 18 after passport control. category: terminal - label: Refurb title: VIP Santamaria is under refurbishment detail: Disruption status set to minor for this PP notice. summary: >- Priority Pass: works until further notice; lounge remains open with possible space limits. category: status - label: Watch-out title: 'Santamaria: beer and wine only; no card day-pass at door' detail: >- Official VIP page also lists bank-card / Copa–Star paths — confirm live before counting on walk-up. summary: >- PP limits complimentary alcohol to beer and wine; payment cards not accepted for entry. category: food lounges: - name: VIP Santamaria zone: airside hours: 'Priority Pass: 04:30–20:00' access: - >- Priority Pass (from 3h before departure; children 10 and under free; max 2 guests; beer/wine only; payment cards not accepted for entry) bestFor: - Daytime Priority Pass holders near Gate 5 summary: >- PP lounge next to Gate 5 Level 3. 04:30–20:00. Refurbishment underway — remains open with possible capacity limits. verdict: depends terminal: Main Terminal amenities: - Wi-Fi - Air conditioning - Beer and wine complimentary (PP) - Digital card accepted - Disabled access - Flight information - name: VIP Lounge Costa Rica zone: airside hours: 'Priority Pass: 04:30–20:00' access: - Priority Pass (from 3h before departure; children under 10 free) bestFor: - Daytime Priority Pass holders near Gate 18 - Travelers wanting printers/workstations summary: >- PP lounge upper level toward Gate 18 after passport control. 04:30–20:00. Printers and workstations listed. verdict: depends terminal: Main Terminal amenities: - Wi-Fi - Air conditioning - Standard alcoholic drinks - Digital card accepted - Disabled access - Flight information - Printers and workstations waterOptions: [] airportistScore: 6.8 slug: sjo region: North America --- > Markdown for [/airports/sjo](/airports/sjo). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/sjo) - [Lounge directory](/airports/sjo/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) San José, Costa Rica · North America Compact Alajuela gateway with two daytime Priority Pass lounges (both close 20:00). VIP Santamaria is under PP-flagged refurbishment — open with possible capacity limits. No overnight PP room. ## Airportist Score **6.8 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 7.0 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.6 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.4 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 7.0 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.6 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 6.8 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: undefined - Terminals: 1 main terminal - Typical security: undefined min - On-time: undefined% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - Daytime Priority Pass holders - Passengers near Gate 5 or Gate 18 with ≥3h before departure - Travelers connecting within lounge hours ## Watch out for - Both PP lounges close 20:00 — no overnight coverage - VIP Santamaria refurbishment may restrict capacity - Santamaria: payment cards not accepted for entry; beer/wine only - No published MCT or security wait minutes - Omit invented CRC/USD taxi grids ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/sjo/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/sjo/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/sjo/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/sjo/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/sjo/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/sjo/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/sjo/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/sjo/reviews.md) (free)