The Initiative for Children

IMPORTANT: 

Students aged 14 years or younger at the time of the GLA program will be required to travel as an unaccompanied minor. 

Read about these specific airline policies here.

Flight Requirements: 

• Fly into and out of the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica (Juan Santamaría International Airport, airport code: SJO)

• Arrive anytime on Day 1 of the program

• Depart anytime on the day your program ends

• Please note there is a $29 departure tax when exiting Costa Rica. Many airlines incorporate this into the price of the ticket; however, some do not. Please check with your airline.

HELPFUL HINT: GLA urges families avoid to avoid booking separate tickets with separate airline carriers and to avoid flights on Spirit or Frontier Airlines. Theses bookings often cannot accommodate unaccompanied minors and may be more difficult to accommodate during weather events or exceptions. 

Suggested Route:

The suggested route - usually the most direct, least number of stops, and always leaving from a US gateway airport. Often times, multiple students from the same program will be on this flight, simply because it is a popular route to take. We cannot guarantee that other students will be on this flight, but very often there are. You do not have to take the suggested route - it is just one option. You may take any flight you wish that falls within the flight parameters above.

Suggested Route

Option 1

• • American Airlines - Miami (MIA) to San Jose (SJO)

  • American Airlines - San Jose (SJO) to Miami (MIA)

Option 2

• • Delta Airlines - Atlanta (ATL) to San Jose (SJO)

  • Delta Airlines - San Jose (SJO) to Atlanta (ATL)

Suggested Route for Unaccompanied Minors

• • Read more about unaccompanied minors here. 

Recommended Travel Agency Partner

If you are looking for some guidance in booking flights, GLA has partnered with ScholarTrip in order to simplify the process. Regardless of how you plan on booking your flights, we recommend you speak with our travel agency partner first to ensure that you are getting the best deal and that you are booking the correct itinerary per GLA requirements and airline policy. 

ScholarTrip 

• • REQUEST: Click Here 

  • QUOTES: 1-2 Business days

  • HOURS: Monday to Friday 8:00 (8am) to 18:00 (6pm) Pacific Time

  • SERVICE FEES: Booking Fee $15 USD

Please do NOT book your flight until you've received the go-ahead! This will come either in the email titled, "Welcome Aboard! Save this Email!" or in a subsequent email.