San Juan Luis Munoz Marin Intl Airport (SJU) Flights & Information

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), much more widely known as San Juan Airport, is the busiest airport in the entire Caribbean. Located in the Puerto Rican capital, it’s just over seven miles from the city center and eight miles to the cruise port. Use these expert tips for an easier journey next time you fly through SJU.

Terminals and concourses

The labeling of terminals and concourses at SJU is a bit irregular, so it’s worth taking a moment to clear it up. Technically, there are just two terminals here – Terminal A and Terminal B. Within terminal A you’ll find Concourse A, but within Terminal B you’ll find Concourse B, Concourse C and Concourse D. The terminals and concourses here have changed names several times in the past, which has confused many.

Terminal A and Terminal B each have their own security checkpoint, but you can travel between them inside the airport check-in areas without having to go back outside. It’s not a long walk, so you’re fine if you arrive at the wrong terminal – it won’t set you back much time.

Better still, all of the concourses are connected after security, so you can travel freely between them once you’re through the screening area. If you don’t need to drop a bag or check in at the desk, you can clear security in either terminal and walk to any gate afterward. This layout makes the labeling of terminals a bit irrelevant here, so don’t stress over the varying names you hear.

This is not a large airport, so you won’t spend much time hunting for your gate no matter where you enter. While I’m a faster walker than most, I walked between the two furthest gates at SJU in under 15 minutes. You’ll never enter a terminal at its furthest gate, so you won’t even need to walk this maximum distance (unless you’re exercising for fun).

Travel documents

A quick reminder for US citizens traveling to Puerto Rico from any of the states: you don’t need a passport to come here. This is a US territory, so arriving at SJU is still a domestic flight if you’re departing from any of the US states. You’ll only need a valid government ID to board your original flight, and won’t go through immigration control on arrival at either end.

Bus service

There is currently no train or light rail service connecting SJU to the city, but there are several buses that stop at the airport. On the departures level (level 2), you’ll find well-marked bus stops outside the terminals and it’s extremely inexpensive to hop aboard. Look for the T5 if you’re heading to the city center.

While the buses are affordable, safe and relatively frequent, I don’t recommend them for most travelers. The public buses don’t allow for large items of luggage, so you’ll likely be denied boarding if you have anything bigger than a carry-on with you. You’ll also need to transfer if you’re heading to the city center.

If you’re traveling light and fine with the transfer, take the T5 to Isla Verde. Here you’ll transfer to the 53 and take that to Old San Juan. This combination will also get you to other popular points around San Juan, including the convention center district and the Condado neighborhood.

Cars to and from the airport

Both taxis and rideshare vehicles can you take you between SJU and the city center (or anywhere on the island). Taxis are abundant at the airport, and easy to find at taxi queues. There’s no flat rate service to the city though, so you’ll pay a metered fare and traffic can affect your cost, just as with rideshares. You’ll find the taxi queues outside the arrivals level.

Keep in mind that most taxi services in Puerto Rico claim to accept credit cards, but the individual cabs rarely do. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been told the credit card machine was broken, so it’s much easier to have cash on hand if you want to take cabs here. There are ATMs everywhere and the island uses US dollars, so you won’t need to pay exchange rates.

I’ve found taxis usually end up costing more than the rideshare quotes I’ve passed up here in the past, so I almost always opt for rideshare now. Uber is the only rideshare service operating in Puerto Rico, and you can hail one from well-marked areas outside of arrivals. I also prefer this option because I don’t need to worry about cash, since all payments are handled through the app.

The ride is short, but it can occasionally take a while for an Uber to arrive. In these situations, when the estimated arrival is not worth the wait or a car can’t be located quickly enough, I’ll return to the taxi queue. There’s almost always a collection of cabs waiting to go.

You can also rent cars at SJU, and this is a great option for those looking to explore more of the island beyond just the capital. More than 20 rental agencies operate from SJU, including familiar brands you may already have status with. To find them, just head to the parking garage outside of baggage claim – no shuttle necessary.

Security lines at SJU

Security wait times at both SJU terminals can vary dramatically. While every airport experiences fluctuations in wait times during peak travel periods, SJU seems to vary arbitrarily. I’ve had waits under 10 minutes here and waits up to 45 minutes at the same of time of day, both during off peak periods.

Because you never know what you’ll get here, it’s best to count on a longer wait and arrive at most airlines’ recommended time of two hours ahead for domestic flights and three hours for international. Don’t forget that if you’re flying to one of the states, that’s domestic. That also means TSA is the security agency at SJU, so you can use PreCheck lanes if you’re a member. There are CLEAR kiosks here too.

Lounges

While various airlines, like Avianca and American Airlines, have hosted lounges in the past, there are no airline lounges at SJU today. Instead, there are two locations of The Lounge here. You’ll find one in Concourse A and one in Concourse C. There is little difference between them, so choose whichever one is closest to your gate if you have the pick of both.

Priority Pass members can enter either lounge. Various credit cards may gain you entry to one or both, and premium tickets and status with some airlines also come with entry to one or both lounges. Unfortunately, the signs advertising who can access which lounge on a given day are rarely accurate or complete, so I recommend checking with the desk agent every time. You may be allowed in even if your qualification isn’t listed that day.

The Lounge offers day passes for any passenger willing to pay, but this isn’t often a great option. First, both lounges are quite small and often reach capacity restrictions, so that even passengers with free access can’t get in, leaving no room for paying guests either. Second, the food selection is quite limited and the spaces are often crowded, so I rarely find the entry fee worth the benefits.

On the other hand, if you’ll be here for several hours or would be purchasing multiple alcoholic beverages elsewhere in the airport, paying for entry might be worthwhile for you. The seating is more comfortable than at the gates and the drinks are free, including alcohol.

Luggage storage

Luggage storage was previously available at both terminals at SJU, but this is no longer the case. Despite what you may hear or see from older information, there is no ability to leave luggage at the airport today. If you’re a cruise passenger arriving long before a flight and want to explore the city without your baggage, several airport-area hotels and restaurants offer temporary storage. These change often though, so check ahead.

Free Wi-Fi at SJU

There is free Wi-Fi available at SJU. Though you’ll notice that you’re only offered one hour of complimentary Wi-Fi, it’s actually unlimited. When your hour expires, you can simply sign in again for another hour, and repeat this as many times as necessary until you board your flight. I’ve always found my cell signal to be strong at this airport too.