San Juan Airport

SBHGal

SBH Member
Hello,
American keeps cancelling our flights so we decided to switch to JetBlue for SJU to Phl.
We will arrive through Tradewinds around 10:35am and our flight leaves at 12:45pm. We have TSA Precheck.

can someone explain the process at the airport to us after we land? I want to make sure we are efficient.
we have two small kids that will need to eat something, and we are also checking two bags. Have things opened up at the airport as far as restaurants? Would love to eat at the Tradewinds lounge away from the crowds but might not have enough time.
 
Hello,
American keeps cancelling our flights so we decided to switch to JetBlue for SJU to Phl.
We will arrive through Tradewinds around 10:35am and our flight leaves at 12:45pm. We have TSA Precheck.

can someone explain the process at the airport to us after we land?
we have two small kids that will need to eat something, and we are also checking two bags. Would love to eat at the Tradewinds lounge away from the crowds but might not have enough time.


First you will need to spring for VIP arrivals and the TW rep will meet you at your arrival gate and grab your bag tags, and then your bags. Take a photo at home, so they know what they are looking for.

They will take you to the TW lounge passing a couple of sandwich places. Check on this as things apparently have changed drastically in SJU with concessions. There is a security check by the lounge dedicated to TW right by the elevator to the tarmac. Precheck is not needed. I'd pack a lunch for the kids!
 
We are doing the VIP service on our way down to SbH, the vip service does not exist on the way back.

it’s hard to see what is open at the airport.
 
The VIP service is built-in to the return ticket. They guide you to customs and then to the ticket counter for the flight back.
 
On our recent return home last Saturday the pilots did not help us find our way nor was there an agent to help guide us.
We found our way to agriculture and then check in. The arrival customs area has changed since the last time we were there, we were in a smaller area with global entry. It was disappointing and I emailed Tradewind about it. Their reply was they were not allowed to leave customs to assist us, just there to answer questions and pull down luggage...things have changed I guess.
 
As I recall in our two trips using Tradewind, the first return, the agents led us to customs and then we were on our own. This past year, they led us to customs and were then at the other side to help us out. Wish it had been the other way around as we didn't know about the agricultural check-in on that first trip through SJU.
 
Disappointing but understandable. Things were definitely in flux that day. 3 flights leaving at same time and upon check in in SBH few in line had no clue they needed a Covid test to leave. Agent had to run them across the street to pharmacy to be quickly tested.
Tradewind is a class act.
 
On the way home over 2 hours s/b plenty of time at that time of the day. Our flight a couple of weeks ago was a little earlier (I think we arrived at SJU at 9:30). We were thru Customs/Immigration in no time - as usual only the 8 people on our flight were there. Our checked bags were waiting for us before we could even walk to their private customs line. They led us to the elevator after we were OK'd and we knew our way from there (or you can follow signs). We hung out for a while at the Tradewind lounge because we brought a sandwich from the bakery with us. We kept our eye on the JB security line (we had even more space/speed which helped a little but the line wasn't long) from up above and probably left the lounge about an hour before our boarding time which turned out to be earlier than we needed to, so we walked around the terminal for a while to waste time after getting to our gate. Finding something to eat at SJU is a little harder than in the past but I didn't see an issue at all. If you are fine with the Tradewind snacks (or bring a sandwich) you don't even have to worry about it. There were plenty of places to get food by the Jet Blue gate (a small place right next to the gate and a few others around the corner) at SJU so there are indeed food places open in that terminal. They may not have been gourmet establishments of course, but it's an Airport and food was indeed available.

Two notes:

1) make sure you have your JetBlue boarding pass to show after you enter the airport. This will allow you to bypass the health screening and go right to the TW lounge.

2) For some reason the JB security line closed for about 30 minutes or so. Luckily for us it was before we need to go thru so it wasn't an issue. I'm not sure why because there seemed to be flights leaving before us but no one seemed too concerned and it opened back up long before we needed to go thru.
 
Another thought/tip - don’t try to take your sandwich or other food through the USDA check!
 
They never ask us. We always did it because we usually go thru SXM so it is never an issue. The few times we went thru SJU we have done it as well and have not yet had a problem. But, you are 100% correct and I should have stated that. But I'm a crazy guy, I didn't tell him I smuggled a few euros and "trinkets" back from St Barth either :cool:
 
We never thought to use the Tradewind lounge on way home. Guess we wanted to make sure we got through security in time. In hindsight we should have done that last week. There is not much past security in American terminal. The Margarita grill bar was not open yet but looked like it was opening for lunch crowd.
 
On our recent return home last Saturday the pilots did not help us find our way nor was there an agent to help guide us.
We found our way to agriculture and then check in. The arrival customs area has changed since the last time we were there, we were in a smaller area with global entry. It was disappointing and I emailed Tradewind about it. Their reply was they were not allowed to leave customs to assist us, just there to answer questions and pull down luggage...things have changed I guess.

the excuse was that their regular arrival area was under repair. So they sent us to the old arrival hall
 
We just did this a few weeks ago. Definitely hang out in the Tradewinds lounge. And head to security about 2 hours before the flight.
But BIG ISSUE!!! Once you get through security to the JB gates, there is basically no food open. Dominos is all that there was. There are more choices in the other terminal you roam around lost in trying to find your way to the Tradewinds/Jet Blue terminal because no one from Tradewinds will get you there like they used to.
And I am pretty sure if you try to bring food through immigration, it won’t work so well. So plan your sealed food accordingly
 
If you are a member of Priority Pass there is this option for a bite and a place to sit inside of security.

Screen Shot 2021-11-19 at 10.34.40 AM.jpg
 
That’s where we ended up the other day. They had choice of omelet or pancakes. Plus a variety of drinks. Small but quiet and clean. And it was in terminal near American.
 
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