San Diego International Airport leaders are anticipating the busiest summer season since 2019 and Monday encouraged travelers to plan ahead.
"We are about one month into the summer holiday travel season and already we are seeing some of the highest numbers since the pandemic," said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority president and CEO.
According to the airport authority, Independence Day holiday travel at SAN is expected to begin Friday, June 28 and run through Sunday, July 7. During that 10-day period, 750,000 to 780,000 passengers are estimated to arrive and depart from SAN — a 5 to 7% increase over last year and a 3 to 5% increase over 2019.
The busiest travel days are expected to be Sunday, June 30 and Sunday, July 7. The single busiest travel day is expected to be Sunday, July 7.
To avoid headaches which can come with air travel, the airport authority offered some tips, including:
— Check your flight status before arriving at the airport;
— Arrive early for flights, as ongoing construction will likely lead to delays, and note that the busiest times at the curbside are 4 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to midnight;
— Make parking reservations ahead of time;
— Use the Terminal Loop shuttle to make traversing between the terminals easier;
— Use the free San Diego Flyer electric shuttle between the Old Town Transit Station and SAN — the electric shuttle buses operate seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes, with the first pick up at 4:45 a.m. and the last pick up/drop off at 12:30 a.m.;
— Get dropped off by friends, family or use a ride share to avoid parking issues; and
— Follow all terminal and construction signs.
