Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Houston to San Jose. While takeoff favors the right for Galveston Bay views, the landing approach into SJO's Central Valley with the Cordillera Central mountains is more visually dramatic and geographically significant. Left-side seats capture the descent through Costa Rica's primary mountain range and agricultural heartland.

During takeoff from William P Hobby (HOU), sit on the Right side for the best views. Hobby typically departs runways 4L/4R or 17L/17R. Right-side seats offer views of Galveston Bay and the Texas Gulf Coast during initial climb. Left side faces inland toward Houston's sprawl with less distinctive geography. Notable sights include: Galveston Bay (immediate offshore), Trinity River delta, Houston Ship Channel, Bolivar Peninsula barrier island.

When landing at Juan Santamaria International (SJO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SJO typically uses runways 32L/32R (westerly approaches) or 14L/14R. Left-side seats during descent into the Central Valley offer views of the Cordillera Central mountain range and the valley's topography. Right side faces toward the Pacific slope with less dramatic relief. Notable sights include: Cordillera Central (volcanic mountain range), Central Valley agricultural plains, Río Grande de Tárcoles valley, Meseta Central plateau.

The flight from William P Hobby (HOU) to Juan Santamaria International (SJO) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Yucatan Peninsula (visible as flat, low-relief terrain with cenote lakes), then the Caribbean Sea. Approaching Central America, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountains appear along the Mexico-Guatemala border. The flight then crosses the Petén region of Guatemala and Belize, transitioning over the Caribbean coastal plains before reaching Costa Rica's Pacific slope and descending into the Central Valley.