When is the best time to book a flight out of SJU?

[DrivesLikeMario]

It's been a couple years since we home from SJU. What time would you suggest to book a flight out of San Juan?

 

Thanks!

[maggieq]

Make sure you get group 1 tags if you can get an 11:30 or 12 p.m. flight.

 

We did the aos in April and had a 12:30 flight and got group 1 tags took a cab and was at the airport by 9:15 a.m. plenty of time.

 

If you are taking the rccl bus and traveling american airlines, you can check your luggage at the pier but only if you are taking the rccl bus.

 

I would do a cab...much more convenient.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thanks, Maggie. Not sure whether we'll go with AA or Continental yet. Yes, a cab is definitely the way to go. I'm not "into" being herded along with the crowd on a cruise line bus. Did that once and learned my lesson! ;)

 

Thanks!

[wolfganghowell]

I wouldn't do a flight before noon. Unless they have improved security check in, it is a nightmare. If disembarkation is slow for any reason, you could be stuck in SJU forever and it is a miserable airport once you get past security as far as lounges and restaurants and snack places.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Okay, good point. So, which would you do? A 12:05 PM flight or a 2:05 PM flight?

 

We made our noon flight a few years ago when we came off the AOS, but it was very stressful and very tight. This time, we'll be flying first class, so we'll have a shorter line to wait in to check-in.

 

Have things improved at all at the SJU Airport? They were hand-searching EVERY single piece of luggage that entered the airport at that time.

[ckrobyn]

We are booked on a 2pm flight - I don't want to feel rushed and I hear that SJU can be a total nightmare. We wanted to give ourselves lots of extra time.

[howard6933]

If it is at all possible, anybody coming home from a cruise out of San Juan should try to stay an extra day and then fly back. The San Juan airport is a zoo on embarkation and dis-embarkation days. The lines are long at the airline check-in and even worse at the security area. But if you must leave on dis-embarkation day it would be smart to get a late afternoon flight. At least it is a little less crowded later in the day. I have travelled a lot all over the world, and San Juan Airport is without a doubt the worst I've ever seen.

So beware!!!;)