San Juan Luis Munoz Marin Intl Airport (SJU) Flights & Flight Status

San Juan Airport is on the older side but the good news is it’s relatively compact and generally no-nonsense. By that I mean: flying in or out of here is almost always efficient and painless. Especially if you know what you’re doing. I’ve been through San Juan Airport about a dozen times, so here I give you all my top tips for making the most of it.

Airport layout

San Juan Airport is straightforward to navigate – with two terminals (A and B) plus two additional concourses (C and D). The good news: you can easily walk between all of them. And you can move from A right down to D and back past security if you like. Terminal B sees the most traffic, it’s where international flights depart and arrive, and it has the most gates.

You’ll find a lot of the usual things you’d expect at an airport of this size. The usual kiosks selling magazines, gum and souvenirs alongside a decent range of bars and restaurants. It bears pointing out though that most of these close well before the last flights of the night leave – San Juan sees several red-eye departures back to the US mainland between 10pm and 2am and you won’t find much going on at these hours. If you’re traveling at those hours, you might want to stock up on food before you leave for the airport.

Security

There are two security checkpoints at SJU, one for each terminal. You can use either one to access all the concourses, but there’s usually no reason to go out of your way – just use the closest one. TSA PreCheck is available, in theory whenever security is open (whenever flights are running, in other words.)

Customs

It’s well known but for those that didn’t know, as Puerto Rico is an “unincorporated territory” of the United States, when you fly into San Juan from the mainland US it’s treated as a domestic flight and there is no passport check. San Juan does have Customs & Border Patrol facilities though to serve the handful flights arriving from elsewhere, mainly Latin America and Europe.

Airlines & destinations

Just about all the US airlines (both legacy and budget) are represented here with service to many major cities in the eastern US and some further afield too. JetBlue has a large operation here out of Terminal A, while almost every other airline uses Terminal B.

International service at the moment includes service to cities such as Madrid, Bogota, Panama City and several flights to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It’s enough to get you where you need to go, but the vast majority of flights here are domestic flights to/from the US.

Cape Air’s Caribbean hub

One special aspect of air service at SJU is the Cape Air-operated flights to nearby islands, including the Puerto Rican islands Vieques and Culebra. These are small, much-loved little pieces of island paradise that attract quite a bit of traffic and Cape Air makes it possible to connect straight through to these destinations without stopping in San Juan. They also serve St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands with multiple daily flights. All are operated by small propeller aircraft, generally the twin-engine Cessna 402.

Transport to and from San Juan Airport

The airport is very close to San Juan itself. Although I’ve found myself more than once in snarled traffic on the highway heading into town, it’s unlikely to take more than 25 minutes to get to Old San Juan, whereas Condado (where many popular hotels are found) might be just half that. If you’re just planning to visit the city, a taxi or Uber might be the best way to go, and will also save you dealing with parking (which can be a hassle). On the other hand if you have time to explore the island it can be a lot of fun to do that in a rental car.

Rental car

In Puerto Rico public transport can be lacking and if you’re headed anywhere outside San Juan you may find it difficult to even get a taxi as things get pretty rural pretty fast. It’s also a beautiful island with all kinds of special spots (like miles of empty beaches) to be discovered. For all those reasons many choose a rental car when arriving at San Juan and I would recommend it as my top choice as well. Book in advance and follow signs from the terminal for a relatively easy pickup – it’s a quick walk.

Tip: sometimes when things get busy on the island car rentals from the major rental companies (they’re all there) can get scarce and/or expensive. If that happens, consider checking with some of the smaller, local rental firms such as Charlie Car Rental. Just keep in mind that these tend to be located a short shuttle ride away from the airport, instead of directly at the airport parking structure.

Taxis

San Juan is served by traditional taxis on reasonable, fixed rates, with an extra charge for pieces of luggage. They’re a perfectly fine option and the ride into town is short anyway. Though many (like me) may choose to go with habit and just call an Uber. If so, there are pickup areas at both terminals outside arrivals, and they’re easy to find.

Public transportation

I’ve never taken the public bus from the airport but it is available to take you to most places you’d be going in San Juan and the biggest argument in favor of this is that it’s very cheap. I’ve heard it’s a good service, so this is definitely a viable option provided you’re not traveling late at night.

The other San Juan Airport

It may be surprising to learn that even closer to the old town of San Juan is yet another airport with commercial service – Isla Grande Airport. It’s worth knowing about especially if you’re in San Juan already and want to take a flight over to Culebra, which is served from here by Air Flamenco on Britten-Norman Islander props. Or if you find yourself flying private, this is also the place to be – there’s a private terminal available and the runway can handle jets like the Challenger without a problem.

Lounges

SJU has two lounges – both called “The Lounge San Juan”. One is in Concourse A and the other is in Concourse C. Both can be accessed with a handful of different lounge memberships including Priority Pass. Both are relatively forgettable, but they are better than sitting in the terminal.

Be careful when taking one of the late red-eye departures from San Juan though as both lounges will close well before your departure (at 8pm), alongside most shops and restaurants, leaving you to rough it on uncomfortable seating in the main concourse. I’ve made this exact mistake and it made for an unpleasant few hours. Moral of the story: don’t show up too early for your red-eye, and if you must, bring food with you.

What do to during a layover

Longer layovers are uncommon at San Juan as most of the time you’ll be originating or departing from here, not connecting. However you never know when you might find yourself with some hours to kill between flights, and if so, the proximity of San Juan is a great benefit. But you don’t have to go into town to have fun either.

If you have 3+ hours (and you don’t want to stray too far): Grab a taxi over to Piñones, the stretch of beach along a coastal road (the 187) directly east of the airport. Along here, day or night, you can find little huts and beach bars serving typical Puerto Rican fried food and drinks, along a beautiful beach just minutes from the airport. Keep in mind that at night it becomes more of a party and it can get pretty full with cars cruising the strip here so don’t head for your connecting flight at the last minute.

If you have 6+ hours (and you’ve got energy): Rent a car for the day and drive over to El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the United States. It’s a fantastic place, beautifully maintained by the US Forest Service, and you will feel a world away from the dull airport. I make it a point to go there every time I’m in Puerto Rico. It’s also easy to get there by car, just a half hour away.

Airport hotels

The aptly named San Juan Airport Hotel is the only one that’s actually within the San Juan Airport ground. That makes it the most convenient, but it’s sadly not a very good hotel at all. There are also dozens of others nearby at a range of quality levels and price points.

Convenience versus comfort will be a balance everyone strikes differently, but if I needed to stay next to the airport I’d opt for the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort. It’s directly adjacent to the runway and it’s on a beach. After all, if you’re stuck overnight in Puerto Rico you might as well get some beach time in, right?