San Diego International Airport – SAN

This airport is small, which could be a bad thing or good thing for some people. After reading another’s review on the pros of being in a small airport, I actually agree. It’s nice to not have to walk what seems like forever from the gate to the baggage claim. Of all the times I’ve flown from this airport, the security has never been slow! There’s never any backed up traffic going into security and they seem to get you in and out of there fairly quickly while efficiently checking every passenger.

This airport is small, uneventful and drama free – I love it. Its clean, everything was easy, SUPER easy to find. Getting off the plane to baggage was not even a 2 minute walk. Everything was clearly marked and the space where drivers come to pick up passengers is clutter free, open and you are not invading personal space. It was perfect. Outside is also just clear and uncomplicated. And it is close to downtown Sand Diego. Out of all of the intl airports I have been too, San Diego tops the list by far.

It’s alright, a mixture of good and bad points. The best thing about this airport is the size. The distance from the gate to the exit of the airport to ground transportation is very reasonable and I didn’t feel like I was walking through a maze. You exit the same way you come in, through the same security checkpoint, and maybe you’ll wave hi again to the same blue-​shirted people who made you take off your shoes and pat you down at the beginning of your trip… It’s a bit weird how you need to walk all the way to the end to reach the escalator to go down one floor for baggage claim and airport exit though, but at least the walking distance overall is short (for Terminal 2).
The luggage didn’t take ridiculously long to arrive at the baggage claim. Overall the airport staff were pretty chill, friendly and efficient.
The restaurant choices are lacking, but at least it’s improving slowly over the years. Bathrooms are very clean and abundant. There was never a «omg get the hell out I need to pee bad» moment.
The big downside, is the transportation to the airport. With Amtrak and the Trolley nearby, why is there no station inside the airport??? This is year 2016 and I think it’s possible. People say Paris CDG airport is one of the worst, but hey, at least they’ve got a dirty train that will take me there directly without having to go through rental cars, parking, buses, etc. In the age of Über, it does make things more convenient, but a train station at the airport is somewhat a standard. (That reminds me I should go change my rating of LAX to a 2-​star…)
All in all, it’s a decent airport that didn’t give me much grief. (knock on wood)

SAN is okay as an airport, it’s not really a hub so the airport overall is somewhat small. Terminal 1 is pretty dark, cramped, and janky and which is used for Southwest. On the other hand, Terminal 2 is actually quite nice and has these cool LED lights on the ceilings. This is used for the larger airlines like United and American. Overall though, I’ve rarely run into issues with security having long lines, which is always a plus.
In Terminal 1 though, they have seem to have little understanding of how to get the security lines to move efficiently because the have multiple lanes open for priority but only one for regular even though the latter will have more people…

After some extensive traveling between major cities, I felt the San Diego airport to be a bit on the smaller side with it’s ground transport area cramped. With that being said, the interior of the port has some great local variety shops and restaurants for those who either want to hit the ground running (pun intended) with SD favorites or who want a piece of home before taking off. There doesn’t seem to be a unifying decorative theme beyond these local shops, but I attribute that to lack of land space and can foresee expansion in the future for this. Almost 4 stars, but 1 star down for having only temporary free wifi before becoming paid after X amount of time.

This airport is so sad and boring inside… All the fun is outside … Like 5 miles outside ! This is an older airport and not much to see or do or eat. Very limited options. They do have a pretty organized and large car rental place at airport. Nice thing about this airport is that it’s so close to downtown SD, and we experienced minimum traffic and confusions. Other then that, just an ordinary and gloom looking airport.

Small narrow airport. Seating on A wing for South West flights can be cramped. The staff is friendly and attentive. TSA checkpoints are separated per wing of the airport. Easy access to shuttles and taxis. Über has their own designated area outside of baggage claim.

FML! There goes my lengthy review I finally got to write. I accidentally deleted the whole thing! To sum it up, terminal 1 is mostly all Southwest flights, terminal 2 services the rest, commuter terminal goes to LAX, never really used the commuter terminal cuz id rather drive to LAX than have a layover, save time and money. Anyway, terminal am1 and 2 are both renovated with terminal 2 being the newest with Better food places.
I prefer the long term parking here at the airport with several options to choose from… Valet, green, orange or blue… Runs most expensive at $ 38/​day to least expensive at $ 10/​day with a 3 – 5 min shuttle ride. They run every few min all the way to the last flight in so you don’t need to call them to come get ya.
Security is a breeze. Never had issues even with the long lines, usually moves fairly quickly. No need to take your laptop or liquid as out or take off your shoes.

Being that I’m from Los Angeles, I can honestly say this is a great airport. It’s easy to get to and only has 2 terminals. You don’t feel bad asking people to drop you off or pick you up when it comes to the SD airport. It’s pretty straight forward.
Depending on which terminal you fly out of they have lots of options for food, drinks and shopping. They have Starbucks, Einstein’s bagels, Phil’s BBQ, Jack in the Box, The counter, Stone brewery, other bars, and much more I’m sure. I typically fly out of Southwest so it’s a smaller area.
They have wifi and charging stations. There’s a taxi line out front and a pick up area if you are using Über/​Lyft.
It’s a bit more expensive at times to fly out of San Diego. It’s not a main hub like LAX.

This is my favorite and the absolute best airport ever.
They get you in and out, with no problems.
I was running late to my Chicago flight, and although it was my fault, they handled it very well and fast and got me through check in, bag check and I made it in the plane while it was boarding!
I had other flight difficulties in other states, but San Diego has got to be not only the cleanest, friendliest but also fastest.
I dropped my father off at the airport earlier this morning around 5am at terminal 2 for United airlines (flight to LA, to Asiana airline) and this guy (wish I caught his name) helped him with his bags right when I dropped off and with the whole check-​in process fast and efficient. My father texted me that his experience at the San Diego airport was excellent and I definitely agree.

Review #052 — 2016
We arrived in San Diego on a Saturday morning around 10 AM. It was our first time flying in to SAN. The airport is smaller than most, but our luggage arrived on time and that’s the most important thing.
When you step outside, it’s nice and tropical. The palm trees actually made me miss Honolulu. You walk across the skyway to get to the other side to catch the shuttle to the car rental center.
Catching a flight back home was pretty quick as well. We left on a Monday night so the lines for Southwest and TSA were both nice and short. There aren’t too many gates so getting to our gate was a breeze.
They have a charging station for all the seats that are closest to the walls which is nice when you have a teenager who is constantly playing game on his phone.
Our flight arrived on time and we even made it back to OAK ten minutes early. I’m going to have to find an excuse to come back to San Diego again…

We arrived in San Diego on a Saturday morning around 10 AM. It was our first time flying in to SAN. The airport is smaller than most, but our luggage arrived on time and that’s the most important thing.
When you step outside, it’s nice and tropical. The palm trees actually made me miss Honolulu. You walk across the skyway to get to the other side to catch the shuttle to the car rental center.
Catching a flight back home was pretty quick as well. We left on a Monday night so the lines for Southwest and TSA were both nice and short. There aren’t too many gates so getting to our gate was a breeze.
They have a charging station for all the seats that are closest to the walls which is nice when you have a teenager who is constantly playing game on his phone.
Our flight arrived on time and we even made it back to OAK ten minutes early. I’m going to have to find an excuse to come back to San Diego again…

A beautiful airport and an awesome place to fly into. Seeing the the beautiful landscape of the city along side the wonder out waters really is a sight to see. There’s nothing quite like visiting a great place and being able to arrive there in a stylish airport.

Sexy sexy, yes I know I just said «Sexy» to describe an airport, but bear with me here. Why do I consider it to be «Sexy» you ask? Lets see, you are landing in downtown San Diego for one, and second you are surrounded by palm trees. Oh and one more thing you are well protected by the Naval fleet that is located right there. You can’t miss those big ass aircraft carries sitting right there, plus the ocean view on the other side is soothing.
If that isn’t comforting you have some good eateries, shops, and a coffee shop (Peets Coffee btw) with a brewery in Stone located inside. A fellow Unilocaler and aficionado in the craft scene like myself along with her being my friend Michelle P. has mentioned this as well. Stone Brewing has some pretty bad ass crafts by the way. This is always a plus, another reason why I consider this airport sexy.
The airport itself I have never had an issues with. Easy to navigate to and from baggage claim, even when you are flying out no issues. Well ok the lines just to get into the terminal is a pain at times so there is one issue. The TSA. needs to think of something better, something that is more fluid than how they approach things. If Philly can be a little bit more easier (not by much mind you) I’m sure these guys can.
In all I do like this airport, so while you are there enjoy a few pints at Stone while you wait for your flight.

I am amazed at how good this airport has gotten, given the crowded mess I used to travel thru 3 years ago. The terminal 2 expansion made this airport amazing. The staff at the security and the airline counters are usually very quick and courteous unlike several other airports I traveled thru… There are a ton of options for dining if you go to Terminal 2. Unfortunately, the terminal still lacks decent food options and also is crammed… and I dont think there is enough space to expand.
There is a new parking/​rental car center under construction which would make getting in and out of here even better. The parking shuttles are frequent from the parking lots… so its always very convenient if you want to park in one of the lots and get to the terminal… it usually takes less than 15 mins… and I believe it is probably the cheapest option for long term parking…

Nice airport. Good shopping and lots of food choices. Easy on and out. If u use the TSA pre check. Go to the outside line. It’s faster as they have 2 agents. Very clean

Based on my experience here, I must say that this airport is pretty darn nice. I came in late for a redeye out to NYC, and the security line was non-​existant.
The seats all have power outlets to charge your devices.
I am also impressed by the indoor pet bathroom, which is kinda gross, but very convenient. I wonder if my pup would have gone on that fire hydrant.
I’d fly out of here again. Compared to the NYC airports, this airport rocks.

Other than TSA Shenanigans.
Its always good to be home.
I love this airport.
Flying into SD feels like your going to land on a building or run out of run way. Thats always fun.

I have no complaints. This airport has always been good to me.
If you’re an iPhone user, I recommend downloading the app MiFlight to check TSA wait times. I found it to be very accurate.
Terminal 2 was nice. Next time I’ll arrive earlier and grab a bite to eat at the Stone Brewery.

Small and only 30 min free wifi (apparently my colleague managed to restart if a few time, but seriously?). Almost no stores. A few places to eat at.
Staff at checkin & security were helpful but kinda bored and my colleague was afraid the guy at her baggage drop had not done his job as his eyes had been focused at something far, far away.

I’ve been to this airport several times in the past 6 months and I haven’t had any problems finding where I needed to go for a flight, baggage claims, or checking in. This airport isn’t that big so it’s easier to move around and find yourself.
The parking area is easy to get to from passenger pickup. The drop off area can get a bit congested, especially with the holiday season and how small the airport is.
I haven’t had any complaints here and have had an easy time getting to and from the places I have needed to go.

I once stood behind a woman with a pair of parakeets on her shoulders that just shat continual parakeet shit down her back for the duration of the TSA line. Thankfully it was fast, bringing me to my review.
The JetBlue terminal at SAN has reliably the fastest TSA protocol of any airport I regularly fly into. Clean, bright space makes the whole experience pretty pain-​free; which is important since I’m oft a tequila soaked scalawag when leaving Diego. The fact that it is packed so tightly into the city makes for awesome/​harrowing landings and departures, holy moly.
— 1 star for sending me back to the East Coast without a chance for one last burrito.

The San Diego International
Airport is just another airport to me.
The cab driver arrived fast to our
hotel and he was right outside
our room because we were on the
bottom floor.
He didn’t want us to lift a finger.
The cab driver asked what airline
we wanted to be dropped off at
and mom said United.
The driver unloaded our luggage
out of his trunk once we got to
the United drop off and pick up
area.
He was a really nice cab driver
and you don’t run into those too
much so you have to be careful.
HERE’S A SHOUT OUT TO…
DAVID ~ THE CAB DRIVER.
Thanks for taking good care of us
and making our ride to the airport
an enjoyable and also for the tips
you gave us about Florida.
SECURITY CHECK POINT…
I grabbed a bin to put my stuff in
and proceeded towards the
detectors and waited for my turn.
ARRIVAL TO THE GATE…
It was nice being one of the first
ones boarding the plane.
But once we were trying to get
situated with our carry ons
and here comes the coach class
people pouring in pretty fast.
We had to make it quick.
There wasn’t much room for one of
our carry-​ons because all of the
overhead bins were pretty much full
so we had to put ours in the back of
first class in one of the overhead
bins.
I’m glad we got there when we did.
Otherwise coach would’ve boarded
before us making us having to wait
till the whole flight was full.
ONCE UP IN THE AIR…
To pass the time by my favorite
show «The Pioneer Woman»
was on from The Food Network
Channel on the plane.
HOW COOL IS THAT???
Which I watch religiously and I
have every episode on my DVR.
The flight wasn’t too bad. There was
a little turbulence but nothing to the
extreme. I could handle it. It was cool.
I usually never eat on the plane
but I passed on what was being
served to me and it looked…
GROSS! I’M GLAD I DIDN’T EAT IT.
The GROSS airplane plane food we
were served for breakfast didn’t
quite hit the spot and didn’t satisfy
either of us.
TO BE CONTINUED…

Believe it or not… I was at four different airports last Monday. After running through hoops, dodging people, trying desperately not to miss any of my three flight, you can only imagine how our San Diego Airport was absolutely welcoming. I am sorry but not all airports meet the standards that we have reached. If there was a vote on cleanliness, simple layout of the airport that flows, and the beautiful seasonal decorations… we would be top dog. Travelers and residents alike have to feel that feeling that you are home. As I’m getting off my plane, I just look around feeling warm, clean, and welcomed .
PEOPLE…Our airport is so clean… here in San Diego! And I for one also love all the Christmas trees, decorated so beautifully. Going down the escalators it was nice to see the smile on my hubby’s face.

Why 3 stars? Because it doesn’t give off the best first impression of the city.
— — —
I want to like the San Diego airport, because, um, it’s in freaking San Diego. And because it’s the most centralized airport I’ve ever seen. It’s a strange sight to see planes flying in and out so closely to downtown. But it’s nice knowing that the airport isn’t a crazy commute away from the heart of the city (KC, I’m looking at you.)
But I’m a huge believer in an airport giving off a first impression of a city. Do I base my entire experience of a city on how up-​to-​date the décor is? No, but it’s always nice when the feel of a place is rad from the moment you step off the plane. SAN reminds me more of old school California, and could definitely use a face lift.
Others have mentioned long TSA lines. I have flown out of SAN twice and don’t recall anything crazy on either visit. I’ll say this: TSA Pre is worth every dollar, though, it seems that too many people are realizing that nowadays, at certain airports.

TSA lines are pretty fast at SAN. I pretty much live in Terminal 2 ha ha HELLO VIRGIN AMERICA! There’s a McDonald’s before check-​in and also two Starbucks within Terminal 2, one before check-​in and one past the TSA.
I just wish there were more food options to choose from in the domestic terminal…

For years, San Diego International was my home airport, and I liked the fact that there was this cozy, small-​town airport sitting squarely in the middle of a bustling downtown. I especially liked flying home (grab a window seat on the left side!) and watching as the plane dropped gently through the city skyline, framed by skyscrapers (or as close as you’ll get to skyscrapers in San Diego) and the majesty of Balboa Park. Flying in and out of Terminal 1 (Southwest gates) was never really a problem.
Now that I call Phoenix home, flights through San Diego aren’t quite so great. If you have a layover — especially if you are stuck at Gates 1, 1A or 2, then things can be more than not so great. First of all, the area is very small. Because it is situated on another side of the terminal, they have their own security checkpoint. There never seems to be enough seating and half the outlets don’t work. They did manage to cram a gift shop, a food stand, and a restaurant in there, but having said that, your choices are limited. On my last flight through San Diego, this is exactly where I found myself. Perhaps this is karma coming to get me from by past life (Useless fact: I was the project manager for the engineering firm that designed the Gates 1,1A, 2 expansion).
My advice is that if you do have a long layover at Terminal 1 and are stuck behind security at Gates 1, 1A, or 2, then leave security and go out into the rest of the terminal. Sure, you will have to go back through security (one of this traveler’s great joys) but at least you’ll have more options.
And you might even get a place to sit down.

Umm, how to review an airport? Well first off, getting to the airport to either drop off or pickup your party/​loved one/​friend/​family is pretty simple. Signage is straight forward for drivers to follow. SAN is smaller of course than LAX, but I like how it is less chaotic and more organized than the latter.
The airport security near the passenger drop off/​pick up area run a tight ship and will keep hounding you to keep circling the airport until you are actually loading said passenger into your car. That is what the cell phone lot is for, but what happens when a family member (my MIL) doesn’t have a cell phone to contact me? Ugh a minor inconvenience but man the airport curb pickup struggle is real.
TSA usually picks me as the «random» passenger to run additional tests and scans. I think it is funny, but I brush it off and just go with it.
Regarding the actual terminals to depart to your destination, they are clean and have a few restos and your generic newsstands to help speed time while you wait for your flight. People watching is another thing that you can do here, it’s amazing how you stop at one place and just observe people with their routine. I caught someone picking their nose (digging for gold), and I smirked at them.
Personally, I like to pack my own food instead of buying overpriced food chain. One time I was eating Phil’s BBQ and cha gio (viet fried spring rolls) during the flight and man I was making everyone hungry.
SAN is a pretty well run facility, despite the airport security being overzealous with their duties. Well, it is their job and to make sure the general public is safe.

Recht zentral gelegener Flughafen, der vom Zentrum schnell zu erreichen ist. Perönlich war ich am Terminal R, welches neben einem kostenfreien WLAN einen Souvenirshop sowie im Gatebereich 2 Snackshops bietet. Das Personal ist allgemein freundlich und man findet sich zurecht.

Ich habe mich hier rettungslos verirrt und hätte ich nicht einen landsmann getroffen, würde ich wahrscheinlich immer noch am Flughafen rumirren.
Man sollte sich außerdem vorher um Kaffee und snacks bemühen sonst ist man aifgeschmissen.
Das astronomische Angebot ist quasi bei null.
Und am besten schaut man sich das rollfeld nicht allzu genau an sonst verlässt einen womöglich der Mut ins Flugzeug zu steigen.
Alles hier sehr veraltet.

An diesem Flughafen, der auch unter Lindbergh Field bekannt ist, gibt es die wohl schlechteste Auswahl an Gastronomie, die ich je an einem amerikanischen Flughafen erlebt habe. Wer hier morgens vor dem Abflug ein einigermaßen anständiges Frühstück haben möchte muss mit McDonalds vorlieb nehmen oder aber hungern

Ruhiger Flughafen. Das Kofferband ist hier sehr unpraktisch, da die Koffer immer wieder verschwinden.
Immigration ging sehr langsam voran, aber irgendwann hat man auch das überstanden.

Dieser Flughafen strahlt auf auch während der Hauptzeiten am frühen Morgen noch immer Ruhe aus. Dies liegt wohl zum einen an den stets gut gelaunten Mitarbeitern und zum anderen an der weitläufigen, hellen Architektur der Gebäude. Bislang bin ich hier noch immer pünktlich gestartet und gelandet. Beim Anflug ergibt sich eine gute Aussicht auf San Diego downtown (wenn man das so nennen möchte).
Ein Highlight ist die Anfahrt zum Flughafen. Ist man von der 5 runter und steht an der Kreuzung W Laurel St/​Pacific Hwy dann donnern die Maschinen im Landeanflug direkt über einem hinweg. Besonders beeindruckend bei geöffnetem Verdeck!

Den San Diego International Airport unterscheidet etwas Grundlegendes von anderen internationalen Flughäfen. Er besitzt nur eine Lande– bzw. Startbahn. Damit ist die Landebahn die meistfrequentierte Landebahn in den USA. Es ist wirklich faszinierend, das Abheben einer Maschine zu beobachten während eine andere Machine auf derselben Bahn zur Landung ansetzt. Das Gebäude ist sehr hell und weitläufig, das Personal (sei es Security oder andere Angestellte) ist sehr freundlich und immer für einen Plausch offen (also kein Vergleich zu deutschen Sicherheitspersonal).
Noch ein Tipp: Man sollte niemals auf die Idee kommen, einfach kurz vor dem Hauptgebäude zu halten und auf ankommende Gäste zu warten. Es ist nur erlaubt, Koffer schnell aus– und einzuladen. Dauert dies ein wenig zu lang, wird man von mindestens 3 Security-​Guards umringt (und die sind dann nicht mehr so gut aufgelegt wie das oben erwähnte Personal).