San Diego International Airport Arrivals (SAN)

San Diego International Airport is found in the American state of California, and just 3 miles, or 4.8km northwest of downtown San Diego. Another common name for this airport is the Lindbergh Field, and its IATA code is SAN. Flights arrive at San Diego from many cities in the United States, and from several international locations as well. The airport is served by a wide selection of airline carries, and is also a focus city for Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The San Diego International Airport arrival areas are well equipped to receive passengers, and there are a couple of options for ground transportation as well.

Southwest Airlines carries the majority of airport passengers (38%), while United Airlines is the second largest carrier, handling about 15% of the total traffic. The next largest airline carriers are Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are two of the carriers present at Terminal 2 of the airport, the terminal that is used for all international arrivals, as well as a few domestic flights. British Airways has flights from London, Air Canada and WestJet have flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary in Canada and Japan Airlines will soon offer flights to San Diego from Tokyo. Further international flights arrive from Mexico and Hawaii. A few of the other airlines present at Terminal 2 are Hawaiian Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Sun Country Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air, Virgin America and Volaris.

Terminal 1 of San Diego Airport is the main building for domestic arrivals. Similar to Terminal 2, it consists of a West and East side, and has nineteen airline gates. Passengers will arrive here from Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Washington, Houston, Reno/Tahoe, Baltimore, Seattle/Tacoma and Orlando, on flights by airline carriers such as Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and SkyWest Airlines.

This American Airport has a third terminal building as well, referred to as the Commuter Terminal. Only passengers from Los Angeles will arrive here, on flights by SkyWest Airlines and American Eagle. It is smaller than the other two terminals, but still plays an important role in the efficient functioning of the airport. San Diego Airport handles almost 17 million passengers per annum, and is rated as the 28th busiest airport in the US. It is also one of the world’s busiest airports with only a single runway. It’s sixteen airline companies handle around 500 operations per day, and about 50,000 passengers per day.

Flights mainly land at the airport from the east, and upon descent their passengers will enjoy some spectacular views of city skyscrapers and other landmarks, for example, Petco Park and Coronado Bridge from the left side of the aircraft and Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo from the right.

Regardless of the terminal of arrival, passengers will find all the facilities they require. There are currency exchange services, ATMs, a large selection of shops and restaurants and lost and found offices. The baggage claim areas are centrally located on the ground floors of each terminal building, and are equipped with monitors above each carousel that will display the airline carrier and flight number. The carousel will buzz and display a flashing light when the baggage is being uploaded. Before moving off with your luggage, always check to see if it is indeed yours by reading the label, as sometimes baggage items are the same or look alike. Baggage cart dispensers are located throughout the airport and there is a $3.00 rental charge per cart. Within the baggage claim areas of the airport, passengers will find the airline’s baggage claim offices where any lost or damaged items of luggage should be reported.

The entire airport complex is designed with the needs of physically disabled passengers in mind. Higher levels are accessible by elevators or ramps, and in all parts of the buildings there are accessible restrooms available. Passengers may also request further assistance with arrival procedures from their airline company.

San Diego International Airport is located nearby Mission Hills, Hillcrest and Loma Portal, and to the northwest of central San Diego. San Diego Bay lies on the airport’s southern side, while Fiesta Park and Fiesta Bay are to the north. Other landmarks nearby include the Balboa Park Municipal Golf Course and Sunset Park, which is nearby to the Port of San Diego, across the Bay from the airport. San Diego is found in the southern parts of California, just 15 miles north of Tijuana, in Mexico. Arriving passengers can travel to the city by public bus services or by private shuttles operated by companies such as SuperShuttle. The public buses are available from all the terminal buildings, and depart every fifteen to thirty minutes, on weekdays and on weekends. They provide transport to several of the railway stations in downtown San Diego, for connections to the Blue and Orange Lines of the city’s light rail system, and to the Coaster trains that head for Oceanside. Currently there are no direct rail services from the airport. Passengers could also travel by taxi. Taxis are always available from outside of the terminal buildings and do not require a reservation. They will travel to any area of the city, and to further locations as well.

The San Diego International Airport car hire companies are popular as well, as they provide private vehicles for hire that are affordable and in a good condition. They are not found on the airport’s site, but can easily be reached by free shuttle buses. Cars may be hired from National, Budget, Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Dollar, Europcar, Auto Europa, Easycar, Alamo and Enterprise at this airport location. In a rented car, tourists have more of an opportunity to explore this wonderful area of California, and to take their time to stop at all the attractions.

Further details regarding San Diego International Airport arrivals can be obtained from the relevant airline company, or from the airport at 619-400-2404. Live arrival schedules are found online as well.