The Wall Street Journal recently named San Diego International Airport (SAN) the best airport in North America. As a travel writer who has spent more than seven years exploring airports across North America, I was thrilled to hear this. Read below about “This SoCal Airport Ranks Best in North America—See Why Travelers Love It”.
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This SoCal Airport Ranks Best in North America—See Why Travelers Love It
As someone who has been through SAN many times over the years, I can say that it deserves this praise. Tourists always have great things to say about SAN, which makes it stand out from its competitors:
Easy Accessibility
When you fly into or out of SAN, one of the best things about it is how easy it is to get there. Downtown San Diego is only 3 miles away, and the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, and Balboa Park are all easy 15-20 minute drives from the airport.
Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft offer cheap rides to and from SAN. To downtown, a ride costs about $15 to $20. You can also take an easy-to-use shuttle service, a public bus route, or an Amtrak train. Because there isn’t much traffic, getting to and from SAN is faster than getting to or from a bigger airport, which takes a longer drive.
SAN also has more than 10,000 parking spots in garages, lots, and other areas right at its terminals. I’ve found that parking is easy to find and not too expensive compared to other airports. For example, terminal parking costs about $20 to $30 per day.
Traveler-Friendly Amenities
The thing I like most about SAN is that it takes care of travelers’ needs well in the terminals.
Both Terminals 1 and 2 have great places to eat and shop. Small restaurants in San Diego, like Phil’s BBQ and Stone Brewing Tap Room, are great places to try the city’s famous craft beer and food scenes. For quick breakfasts or coffee runs, you can also go to national chains like Starbucks.
There are many newsstands and gift shops in the airport that sell snacks, magazines, souvenirs, and things you might need for your trip, like chargers, headphones, neck pillows, and more.
There are charging stations all over the terminals so you can charge your devices. The free WiFi makes it easy to get work done or stream entertainment. During airport layovers, I depend on these amenities to help me get the most work done and have the most fun.
Efficient Security and Operations
When you’re in a hurry to catch a flight or make a connection, the airport needs to work quickly. SAN is great at this, and the average wait time at a TSA security checkpoint is less than 10 minutes.
I’ve flown out of SAN several times in the mornings when travel was heavy, and the security check was quick and easy. SAN also has cutting edge automated screening lanes that help the process go faster.
Once you’re inside the terminal, it’s easy to find your way to the right gate thanks to SAN’s open layout and lots of signs. You can see flight information boards from almost anywhere.
In general, things go very smoothly. Scores from FlightStats show that SAN is the best major U.S. airport for on-time performance, with 84% of flights leaving on time. As a frequent traveler, I like airports like SAN because I know I’ll get there on time and without having to wait around for no reason.
Excellent Customer Service
The people who work at an airport make or break the experience, no matter how nice the facilities are. When I’ve been through SAN, I’ve always been impressed by how friendly and helpful the staff is.
The people who work at the airport, from the TSA and check-in agents to the servers and shop workers, are friendly and helpful, and they seem to really enjoy what they do. As a passenger, I don’t feel like just another body going through the door.
Even when things go wrong, like flight delays or cancellations, the SAN staff I’ve talked to have been calm and polite. They communicate clearly and go out of their way to help passengers who are having trouble.
During a recent trip, when bad weather caused my flight to be canceled, the gate agent quickly got me on the next flight and even got me a free first-class seat. As someone who flies a lot, this level of service stands out to me.
Ideal Climate
SAN has nice weather all year because it is right on the sunny coast of California. Most of the time, it’s between 60 and 70 degrees.
This means that extreme weather will not cause many flight delays or cancellations. In the winter, I’ve gone on dozens of trips through SAN and never had a problem with snow, ice, or blizzards, which can happen at airports in colder places.
In general, the mild weather makes airport operations run more smoothly. As a passenger, I like to take a walk through the warm open-air terminals or stand on one of SAN’s outdoor observation decks and watch planes land and take off along the harbor.
Convenient Nonstop Flights
As an airport serving a major metro area, SAN has direct flights to cities all over the United States and to cities in other countries, such as London, Tokyo, Toronto, and Mexico City.
This airport has direct flights to more than 70 cities on more than 30 airlines. Popular West Coast cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland are all easy to get to. If you’re going east to Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., or New York, you have a lot of nonstop options as well.
Nonstop routes are very important for my home airport because I don’t want to have to deal with layovers every trip. I can get straight to where I want to go with SAN in no time.
Conclusion
To sum up, it’s easy to see why SAN keeps travelers happy. The airport does a great job in all the important areas, such as ease of access, amenities, operations, staff, routes, and weather.
As someone who has been through a lot of airports, I can say with certainty that SAN is the best choice in every way. Fits well and feels good, balancing function and style. That’s why it’s still a favorite among smart travelers. I hope you get “This SoCal Airport Ranks Best in North America—See Why Travelers Love It”.
If you’re going to or from Southern California by air soon, think about flying into SAN for a truly world-class experience. I’m sure it will quickly become your favorite airport too!
Laura is the lead writer at BackpackBeliefs.com, where she specializes in travel guides, cultural exploration, and sustainable tourism. With over 10 years of travel experience and a Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, Laura brings valuable insights to her readers.
For the latest travel tips and updates, connect with Laura on Facebook at @backpackbeliefs and Instagram at @backpackbeliefs. where she has 4,622 followers.
