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 Liberia, Costa Rica (Daniel Oduber Quiros Airport, airport code LIR)
Please Note: The Liberia Airport is 75 minutes away from the home base.
Arrive into LIR between 9am and 18:00 (6pm) on the program start date
Depart LIR anytime before 17:00 (5pm) on the program end date
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.
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.
Option 1: ex. MIA (Miami)
American Airlines - Miami (MIA) to Liberia (LIR) - Suggested Flight AA 1377
American Airlines - Liberia (LIR) to Miami (MIA)- Suggested Flight AA 1338
Option 2: ex. ATL (Atlanta)
Delta Airlines - Atlanta (ATL) to Liberia (LIR)- Suggested Flight DL 1898
Delta Airlines - Liberia (LIR) to Atlanta (ATL)- Suggested Flight DL 1820
Option 3: ex. JFK (New York)
JetBlue - New York (JFK) to Liberia (LIR) - Suggested Flight B6 1591
JetBlue - Liberia (LIR) to New York (JFK) - Suggested Flight B6 1692
Option 4: ex. LAX (Los Angeles)
Alaska Airlines - Los Angeles (LAX) to Liberia (LIR) - Suggested Flight AS 1330
Alaska Airlines - Liberia (LIR) to Los Angeles (LIR) - Suggested Flight AS 1331
Suggested Route for Unaccompanied Minors
If you are looking for some guidance in booking flights, GLA has partnered with AskRos, She Travels 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.
AskRos, She Travels
REQUEST: Click Here
QUOTES: 1-2 Business days
HOURS: Pacific Time Business Hours
SERVICE FEES: Booking Fee $30 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.