San Diego Lindbergh Field International Airport - Located On The Sea~Airport W/O!
Written: May 05 '03 (Updated May 05 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: good terminal, many airlines
Cons: baggage claim
The Bottom Line: It's a good airport to fly into if you're looking to get to the Southern California region.
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| jetbluefan1's Full Review: San Diego International Airport |
We’ve been to San Diego twice and used San Diego-Lindbergh Field International Airport for one of the flights going there, and both flights coming back home. The airport is located right next to Downtown San Diego, right near the border of the U.S.A and Mexico. There is another airport in Mexico about 15 miles away from the San Diego-Lindbergh Field International Airport, but this airport handles most traffic in the region.
This airport was home to PSA Airlines until it was sold to USAir. Eventually, the name was changed from USAir to Usairways. So now when you fly Usairways, just think as if you are flying on San Diego’s past hometown airline.
General Information
SAN (that’s the airport code) has a single runway for commercial airliners. Since the airport has only runway, it can result in major delays and some safety concerns due to the fact that an alternative runway can not be used. However, the runway is long enough for a Boeing 747 to touch down, so the length of the runway isn’t a problem. The runway is 9,400-ft long.
In 1994, San Diego underwent and airport noise monitoring system so the houses neighboring the airport wouldn’t have to listen to noisy jets all day. Now airline can fly to or from the airport between 11:30 pm and 6:30 am.
The Lindbergh Field International Airport can currently hold up to 28 million passengers annually with its airport buildings and terminals. When the limit is reached, more terminals will be built with additional gate space.
This airport is operated by the TSA - government officials who now have taken over the customs department. Between my two experiences, I can definitely see a difference in security since the first time I flew was before 9/11, and the last time I flew there was after 9/11.
Airline Competition & Airlines
These airlines fly into SAN:
AeroMexico
Air Canada
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
American Eagle (subsidiary of American Airlines)
America West Airlines
British Airways
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Mesa Airlines
Northwest Airlines
SkyWest
Southwest Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways
If you’re looking to fly internationally, you can fly Air Canada to Toronto or you can fly British Airways to London Heathrow Airport. These airlines have no competition on these routes and they do fly non-stop. However, if you want to fly to Toronto, you can use any major U.S carrier and connect through their hub. For London, any of the larger airlines fly there but once again, you must connect through a hub.
When going to Mexico, try out AeroMexico with flights to Mexico City. The flights operate daily and Delta Air Lines also operates the route non-stop.
New York City is a major route for the airport. American Airlines, Delta and United operate the flights non-stop. However, jetBlue Airways plans on starting a non-stop route between San Diego and New York City in June. There is no doubt that and airfare war will come.
If you’re going to Chicago, also try American or United. The flights operate many times a day and fares are usually the same.
San Diego doesn’t have flights to smaller airports on the East Coach such as Burlington, Islip, Syracuse, Harrisburg and Buffalo. You can take Usairways into Philadelphia or Pittsburgh and connect to these airports. Also, you can connect with jetBlue in New York City to Burlington, Syracuse or Buffalo.
Southwest has a huge presence at the airport, and it is the largest airline there. It operates into Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Portland, Tucson, Seattle, Dallas and Houston. The fares are cheap and you’re bound to find a flight with this airline anytime you want.
Airport Alternatives
When you can’t find anything into San Diego, you have many airport alternatives. These airports are within a two hour drive from the city and are very convenient if you’re going to the San Diego and Southern California region.
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Long Beach Airport
- Palm Springs Airport
- Ontario Airport
- Burbank International Airport
- Orange County International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the biggest of these airports. It is full of delays and has a very crowded terminal. Long Beach Airport is under used, but you can find good fares there with Horizon Airlines, jetBlue Airways, American Airlines and America West Airlines. The airport is supposed to expand and become a major airport in the area. Palm Springs Airport is mainly in the regional area. Burbank and Ontario fly all around the country but focuses more on the West Coast than the East Coast.
My Experience
My experience is mostly positive. The first time we used the airport, we missed a connecting flight in Philadelphia going to San Diego. So we ended up taking a flight to Los Angeles the next evening. I was sad to find that all the flights operating from Philadelphia to San Diego were sold out.
On my most current experience, we actually got to fly into the airport. The arrival into the airport is amazing if it’s a beautiful day. First you circle around the San Diego Bay and head right over the city. I actually felt that I could reach out and touch the building right next to the plane.
It was dark out and all you could see were lights, lights, lights. Then, as we were just about to touch down, I looked below me and all I saw were houses and streets. These were right on a hill and you could see people standing in the street lights and watching the planes touching down. Must be an amazing view! When we touched down on the runway, we were in no hurry to slow down quickly and we went right past the terminal all the way near the bay. We turned onto the taxiway just a second before we would have hit the sea. What a thrill! The pilot later announced that he did that intentionally.
We parked at the gate and entered the terminal. The terminal was pretty small, but it was just one of the many concourses. It was in the shape of mickey ears and wasn’t too crowded. It was air conditioned and we found the baggage claim immediately. All we had to do was go straight down the escalators, pass the huge crowd waiting to pick up family and friends, make a left and then you’re there!
The baggage claim area is a little bit “crappy” if I may say so myself. There were huge open windows right next to the belt that would display and twirl the suitcases around. There were gates that separated the baggage claim from the main hallway that really got in our way. The gates had small doors that you could open so you could get into the hallway, but it took a long time and there is really no reason for the gates just to stand there - they are of no use.
After we got our baggage, we went up another escalator and went into a hallway leading us to the car rental agency lot, parking lot and parking garage. This hallway went over a street where people would stop when picking up passengers or dropping them off. When getting out of the hallway and going down the stairs, we ended up outdoors in front of several phone calls. There we made a phone call letting family know that we got there safely.
From there, we walked down the sidewalk to find where the Alamo sign was. The signs indicated where the car rental agency bus would pick you up so you could go to the agency check-in desk to claim your car. Other agencies include Avis, National, Hertz and Enterprise. It took the Alamo bus over 15 minutes to pick us up. The buses are air conditioned and have seats in them. The driver helped everyone on the bus put suitcases in some overhead bins/nets. The drive to the Alamo check-in desk was quick and off the airport property.
Stay tuned for my departure story:
We arrived at the Alamo rental agency about three hours before our flight left. Returning our car was simple. All we did was give them the keys to the car and took out all of our junk. The property of this rental car agency overlooks the runway and while we were waiting for the bus driver to drive us back to the airport, we watched the planes land and depart. We also got into conversations with families flying to Sacramento and Portland.
When the driver finally came, we left and were dropped off right in front of the departure hall. Keep in mind that the departure hall and the baggage claim are on the same level. The check-in desks are well spread out and provides a lot of space for passengers to do what they need to do. Also, there were many seats that you could sit in while your wife/husband/brother/sister/uncle/aunt gets the tickets. There are also television screens showing the flights and if they’re on-time or delayed.
Upon arrival at the US Airways desk, we were asked to step aside since a first-class passenger was in the first-class line next to us. Well excuse me! When we were finally directed toward a very friendly agent, she told us that it was a new procedure at the airport that we go with a skycap to the bomb machine that our luggage would be going through. Later we found out that the film that was in the suitcase was ruined and a wisecracking US Airways agent told us that, “It is common sense not to put film in your luggage.” You can find the complete story here.
After this, we went over to the food court which had a McDonald’s, Starbucks, and some other food places. I went to the Starbucks and ordered a mocha frappuccino. Then I went over to the McDonald’s and ordered a small fries. I was so tired that night since the flight was leaving near midnight and I wasn’t sure if we would be served dinner on the flight or not. We ate right next to the restaurants in a huge area filled with seats and tables.
After we ate, we went through security with ease until it was time for boarding. There they searched our shoes and used the “magic wand” to make sure I wasn’t carrying anything dangerous. This is a standard for one-way flights and for people who book flights late. I also saw the TSA workers searching many other passengers and it looked like they were very strict about all the security procedures.
After we passed security, we went up the same set of escalators and we had to use “the loo.” I was happy to find them to be very clean - practically as clean as the terminal is. I also found the terminal to have a very comfortable atmosphere since there were tons of seats to sit in while waiting for the flight. Right in the middle of the small 7-gate terminal is a bar with TV’s so you can watch the game.
I did notice that a lot of airlines used gates that have been leased by other airlines. For example, there was a delayed US Airways flight that had to come in from Charlotte. However, it used a gate from Alaska Airlines. I like this backup plan that the San Diego Lindbergh Field International Airport has. Unlike other airports, this airport allows other airlines to use gates that are operated with different airlines. This helps prevent delays and I wonder why other airport haven’t thought of this.
My Thoughts
Hmmmm.....let’s go through this. First of all, I think the San Diego Lindbergh Field International Airport is a good airport. First of all, I love what it looks like when you’re arriving into the airport - nothing is better than flying right over skyscrapers at night and flying near the ocean.
I really liked the terminal’s layout. All it’s terminals are split up into small concourses which make it easy to get around and find shops and restaurants. Since the airport is cleaned and air conditioned, I appreciate it much as you can get away from the sometimes-hot weather in San Diego.
There is only one major complaint that I have about the airport. The baggage claim process is insane! It’s a small crowded area and is cramped. The gates that separate the baggage claim from the main hall really don’t help either since it just makes the space even more closed in. I really hope that the airport directors will construct a new baggage claim area.
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This review is a part of the Airport W/O. Come and join jo.com and I as we host this Airport W/O. It runs from now through August 12 and any member can join. So email me if you would like to join. The list of members will be posted soon and will be updated periodically. Anthony
Recommended:
Yes
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