Guide to Alaska Airlines at San Diego International Airport
Alaska Airlines is a major carrier at San Diego International Airport and operates out of Terminal 2 East.
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There are many sights to see and places to visit in Southern California. Whether you live in Southern California, or are looking to visit Southern California and the San Diego area for a weekend getaway or a longer vacation, a flight to and from San Diego International Airport (SAN) might be in your future.
Many carriers serve San Diego International Airport, but Alaska Airlines, with its large west coast presence, has a significant operation at the airport and considers San Diego one of its focus cities. Travelers on the west coast frequently fly on Alaska for that reason.
Navigating San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport serves the southern-most portions of California, and is located just two miles from Downtown San Diego.
Image: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.com
Once you’ve planned your SoCal trip into and out of San Diego International Airport, the next step is figuring out how to navigate the airport.
Luckily, San Diego International Airport (SAN) is a relatively straight forward airport to use. Its terminals are located on the shores of San Diego Harbor, just a couple miles northwest of Downtown San Diego. It’s a quick drive down Harbor Drive (or scenic walk along the beautifully landscaped Spanish Landing/Embarcadero Trail that runs alongside Harbor Drive) for those heading to or from Downtown.
San Diego Airport is also located right along Interstate 5, which is the main north-south freeway running through Southern California. This makes access to the airport a breeze for those looking or needing to drive from more distant areas around San Diego.
San Diego International Airport has 2 terminals
Once you’re at the airport, you’ll find that San Diego International Airport has two terminals, aptly named Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Each terminal has its own set of parking facilities, baggage claims, security checkpoints, and check-in counters, so you’ll need to be sure to find the correct terminal that your airline is flying out of.
What terminal does Alaska Airlines use at San Diego Airport?
If you’re flying with Alaska Airlines, the airline operates out of Terminal 2 at San Diego International Airport.
With nearly three-dozen gates, Terminal 2 is a large terminal and further subdivided into an east side and a west side. Alaska Airlines flies out of Terminal 2 East.
If you accidently end up in Terminal 2 West, it’s not a big deal, but it’ll be about a 3 to 5 minute, 0.2-mile walk to get to Alaska’s check-in counters in Terminal 2 East.
Alaska Airlines’ location in Terminal 2 East at San Diego Airport may be a bit of a change for flyers who haven’t flown Alaska since early 2019. Up until this time, Alaska operated out of both Terminal 1 and 2 at San Diego International Airport, but eventually consolidated all operations into Terminal 2, which certainly makes things easier for both the airline and the traveler.
Alaska Airlines uses Terminal 2 East at San Diego International Airport. If you mistakenly end up in Terminal 2 West, a quick walk through the terminal’s baggage claim will take you to Alaska Airlines’ domain on the east side of the terminal.
Image: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.com
What planes does Alaska Airlines fly out of San Diego International Airport?
The Embraer E175 is just one of many plane types that Alaska Airlines flies to San Diego.
Image: airbus777/Flickr (CC BY 2.0), cropped from original
Alaska Airlines flies most of its fleet mix in and out of San Diego International Airport. This includes its Boeing 737 NGs, its Boeing 737 MAXs, its Airbus A320s and A321s, as well as its Embraer 175 aircraft.
In the coming years, this is expected to be simplified to just Boeing 737s and Embraer E175s. The Airbus jets, which Alaska Airlines acquired in its 2016 merger with Virgin America, are being phased out and being replaced with 737 MAX aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX is Alaska’s clear future.
While we’re on the topic of Boeing 737s, if you’re wondering how to tell the difference between the 737 NG and newer 737 MAX variants, be sure to check out our guide that identifies 5 distinct differences between the two.
Where does Alaska Airlines fly from San Diego International Airport?
Alaska Airlines serves virtually every medium and major sized West Coast city non-stop from San Diego, including Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix.
The airline also uses San Diego International Airport as one of its gateways to Hawaii (Honolulu, Maui, Lihue, and Kona) and Mexico (Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta), and also connects with a number of smaller cities within California such as Monterey (MRY), Fresno/Yosemite (FAT), San Luis Obispo (SBP), Santa Barbara (SBA), Santa Rosa/Sonoma County (STS), among others.
For those looking to fly cross-country, Alaska Airlines also flies nonstop from San Diego to major cities across the United States such as Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, New York and Orlando.
15 places to visit in San Diego
San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter is just one of many sights to see in San Diego.
Image: Anna Irene/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
If you’re a tourist visiting San Diego, we have some recommendations for places to see while you’re in the area.
Ocean
La Jolla
Pacific Beach
Mission Beach
Coronado Beach
City
Old Town
Balboa Park
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Gaslamp Quarter
Petco Park
SeaWorld San Diego
Harbor
Embarcadero
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
Maritime Museum of San Diego
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