San Diego International Airport Departures (SAN)

San Diego International Airport is one of the important airports in the American state of California. It is located approximately 3 miles from the city centre of San Diego, and serves the entire Greater San Diego region, one of the large metropolitan areas of the country. The airport can also be referred to as the Lindbergh Field Airport, and it is recognized by its official IATA code of SAN. Easy access is provided by a few large roads, or departing passengers can use buses or taxis to reach their flight. San Diego International Airport departures are offered by several popular airline companies, and although is not a hub for any carrier, it is a focus city for Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

The main road leading to the airport terminals is North Harbor Drive. The best route from downtown San Diego is along the Interstate 5, or motorists could connect to N Harbor Drive via a number of roads such as Ash Street and W Broadway. The Interstate 5 also provides a route from areas further north and south of the airport, while the Interstate 8 comes from the east. San Diego and its airport is found in the southern parts of California, even further down the western coastline of the US than San Francisco and Los Angeles, and is just 15 miles north of the border between Mexico and the US, at Tijuana. The airport is particularly nearby to Hillcrest and Mission Hills, and its southern perimeters are close to San Diego Bay.

Departing passengers arriving in their own vehicles can park in any one of the parking lots outside of the terminal buildings, or they could use one of the long-term car parks available, which offer cheaper rates for daily or weekly parking. There are shuttle services from these lots to the terminals as they are located at quite a distance from the passenger facilities. Alternatively, a public bus (Route 992) is available from the city centre, every fifteen minutes to half an hour, on weekdays and on weekends. It is operated by MTS, or the Metropolitan Transit System, and a one-way ticket is just $2.25. This company has light rail services in the city as well, however, the trains do not run directly to San Diego Airport. The public bus should be taken from the American Plaza Station. Passengers arriving in the city on the Coaster trains can take a public bus from the Santa Fe Depot train station. Private shuttles serve the airport as well, or a taxi is convenient from any location.

The airport of San Diego International consists of three terminal buildings that are named as Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and the Commuter Terminal. The airline companies that operate departure flights from Terminal 1 include Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and SkyWest Airlines. With these airline carries passengers can fly to Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Newark, Washington, Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City, Phoenix, Nashville, Las Vegas and many other locations. Terminal 1 is the main domestic terminal of the airport, and it has 19 airline gates. It is also divided into two parts – East and West. Southwest Airlines carries approximately 38% of airport passengers, while United Airlines carries about 15%. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are not far behind.

Terminal 2 is the other main building of the airport, and is home to the carriers of Air Canada, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines (coming soon), JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Virgin America, Volaris and WestJet. International departures are handled from this terminal of 22 airline gates to Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, to London in the United Kingdom and to Honolulu and Mexico City. Terminal 2 has an East and West side as well.

Passengers on departure flights to Los Angeles will go to the Commuter Terminal, a smaller building with four airline gates. American Eagle and SkyWest Airlines are present, offering a number of daily departures to nearby Los Angeles. In 2011, San Diego International Airport handled almost seventeen million passengers, and is therefore rated as the 28th busiest airport by passengers in the United States, and as the second-busiest single runway airport for commercial air traffic in the world. There are sixteen airline carries that offer non-stop flights to around fifty destinations, and on average, 500 flight operations are handled per day. The airport is also very modern and efficient, and has been voted by the ACI (Airports Council International) as the fourth best in North America and as the second best in the world in the 15-20 million passenger airport category.

Although San Diego Airport is open twenty-four hours a day, the majority of departure flights take place between 06:30am and 11:30pm. Departures outside of these hours are subject to large fines as the airport operates on a strict curfew, due to its close proximity to highly populated areas. While departures may be scheduled for earlier than 06:30am, actual take-off will not occur before 06:30am. Passengers can check-in for their flights at the counters available in their terminal building, or make use of the curb-side baggage check-in services offered by certain airline companies. Online check-in options may also be available. Always ensure that your baggage items are clearly marked, and that they comply with the airline’s regulations. Carry-on luggage should also be in line with regulations, and passengers should adhere to the rules surrounding the carrying of liquid items onboard an aircraft. Always inform your airline company if there will be an unaccompanied minor flying, or if you are travelling with an infant or an elderly or disabled person who will require assistance.

The entire airport complex is accessible to passengers in wheelchairs, as there are elevators, pavement ramps and suitable restrooms available. Many other facilities are found at the airport as well, and they include airport lounges (American Airlines Admirals Club, Delta Crown Room, United Club and the Neil Ash USO Centre), a large selection of shops and restaurants, duty-free stores, nine Bank of America ATMs and currency exchange services.

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