Our Review of San Juan Airport (SJU)

Our Review of San Juan Airport (SJU)

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of San Juan Airport (SJU)

PROS

Location: San Juan Airport (SJU) is located in Carolina, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of downtown San Juan, making it easy for visitors to reach. It is well-connected to the city by road and public transportation, making it a gateway to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Modern Facilities: The airport welcomes both leisure and business travellers with a range of contemporary facilities, including shops, restaurants, and lounges. For enhanced convenience, conference rooms and VIP services are offered.

Connectivity: Major cities in the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean are connected to Puerto Rico with an excellent selection of domestic and international flights offered by SJU. Many airlines use it as a hub to make connections throughout Europe and other continents.

Efficiency: Known for its quick security check queues and effective luggage handling, especially during off-peak travel periods, San Juan Airport (SJU) guarantees travellers a seamless journey.

Accessibility: Easy access to the airport from the city centre is provided by a number of transportation alternatives, such as buses, shuttles, taxis, and ride-sharing services, which allow passengers to conveniently travel.

Cons

Capacity Constraints: During periods of huge travel demand, SJU can get busy, which can result in lengthier wait times and perhaps stressful experiences for travellers.

Public Transport Connectivity: While various transport options are available, the frequency and convenience of public transport to and from the airport may not meet expectations set by other major airports, leading to potential difficulties for travellers relying on these services.

Immigration Queues: Extended waiting times at immigration can be a significant issue, with reports of delays lasting several hours, potentially causing frustration for arriving passengers

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Terminals: San Juan Airport operates international flights to Europe, North America, Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean. Luis Muñoz Marín Airport has a main terminal building with four concourses and a separate terminal with a concourse. However, all terminals are connected. There are Teminales A, B, C and D.

Transportation:  There are several ways to get to and from San Juan, such as buses, shuttles, ride-sharing services, and taxis. But be careful when you arrive, especially after midnight, when certain services may not be available.

Check-in:  Check-in desks are located at second level of the terminal.

Dining and Shopping: A range of stores and restaurants are located outside. Before you get to your gate, grab something delicious to eat.

Family-Friendly Amenities:  Families can make use of the child play rooms, child seats, lactation areas, and family check-in areas that are available in both terminals at San Juan Airport.

Lounges: There are distinct lounges spread out over the airport. While you wait for your flight, unwind in luxury with food, drinks, and cozy seating.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

• On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
• Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
• Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
• Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
• Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Annual Passengers Evolution

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

Airlines with best on-time performance at San Juan Airport (last 3 months)

Routes with more flights from San Juan Airport (last month)