TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands SJU facilities - a warning

Beware SJU facilities after you go through security. Last week returning from BVI we found no daytime restaurants open (only 2 takeaways), no shopping except for one small Dufry, an inconvenience store and that's it. Takeaways have a monopoly on food: result, overpriced with limited choice (tiny hot dog $5, small pack of salted nuts $6, less-than-average tuna club sandwich $10).

No SJU staff available to whom to address concerns (I wonder why). SJU is undergoing 'refurbishment', so hopefully these arrangements are only temporary. Next time we'll buy our in-flight food downtown before travelling to the airport.

Sounds like the SJU of old..maybe the worst food and service of any airport I have been in..

Stopped traveling thru San Juan decades ago for the same reasons plus "inspected" bags missing little things. Perfume mostly. Has never happened to me at STT.

Yeah... SanJuan, and Miami - both notorious for things vanishing from checked bags - especially (from a guy's perspective) bottles of rum when northbound
I find that stringing a small locking tie-wrap thru the zippers - has stopped this nuisance.

Yup, pretty much any half decent options are before security. There was a fancy looking restaurant in Terminal B about to do a "soft opening" when we walked by on Thursday. Didn't pay much attention to the name, but I believe it to be Italian.
They had portable food kiosks by the gates where you could line up to buy a 16 ounce bottle of water for around $4, a couple of sandwich choices (found leave it to be the best choice)and some $8 burgers or $10+ Domino's mini pizzas that most likely had been sitting since before the renovation began.
On a side note, it was rather entertaining watching folks stand in the barely moving line and when they finally made the counter, NOW it was time to read the signs and ask 101 questions and figure out what to order. The woman who ranted about wanting swiss cheese and bacon on her premade burger was priceless.

We'll be flying into SJU in the wee hours on May 30, flying out to STT at 7a. Hopefully they're finished with the reno by then! Thanks for the info on this issue at SJU, we'll be watching it closely...

It's not that bad. Not too good either. The lousy margarita ville was open a few weeks ago

We will be coming through this summer. Hope the upgrade will be done by then!! We have less than a 2 hr layover both ways so we will not be exiting security.

I understand the "warning", but somehow I can't remember when airports transformed from airports into airports with shopping malls and first class restaurants? What's next, movie theaters and live entertainment in our airports?

Some airports have very good food..SFO..LHR..Miami..surpised by Charlotte..if you are travelling many hours a good meal and service can make a world of difference..

Agree. Just look at Dallas Ft Worth! I just can't remember when this all happened? I remember vending machines in airports and then wham.....full service restaurants!

love DFW, they also have a very nice Admirals Club

As mentioned above, the new SWA terminal B in SJU does not have a casual sit down restaurant, but a short walk over to terminal A gives a lot of options. There's a large food court and a decent sit down restaurant between gates 4 and 5. Did that on Friday.

Seattle has wonderful options for food though most are inside the security gate.

We go through San Juan three or four times each year - round trip. It has improved enormously over the last 25 years. The new Terminal A is very functional with many food options and a pretty good bar. Concourse B was the worst and is now being reconstructed. The other concourses are more easily accessible to each other and there are many food options within easy walking distance.
The best terminal we have ever been to is Terminal 5 at Heathrow. The British Air Lounge is spectacular and has a wonderful spa to boot. Gordon Ramsey's restaurant is first rate.
While SJU will never meet that standard, it's a lot better than many other airports we have been to and it is getting better every year.

Haven't had any problems with missing items in our bags on all our trips through SJU *knock on wood*..

And haven't been in any terminal besides A recently and as Rob said above, they have some good options. I imagine the other terminals will improve when finished.

Had the opportunity to join the breakfast brunch at the Tamarind a few weeks ago with the owner of Island Birds. Over one of their fantastic specials we found ourselves discussing SJU. He indicated that a group from Mexico had acquired control of SJU airport and things where changing. Maybe good or bad.
I know from recent experience it’s a real pain in the butt. Old design = walk thru the main entrance and continue straight for LIAT, Cape Air, ect or veer slightly and end up at the majors. Fast forward and the majors are next to the hotel and the regionals are a half a mile away. Progress?

Side note – Sundays at the Tamarind are not to be missed.

Atlanta has finished a MAJOR renovation of all concourses that includes some very fine dining options in addition to the usual fare!

Yup...we went back to term A both ends of our trip a couple of weeks ago. That bar/restaurant certainly isn't one of my favorites by any stretch...but it beats the heck of of that old one at STT!

Something I do think about......I can't take even a small jar of jelly into the secure area of the airport, right? But I can buy a small jar of jelly inside the secure area. So where are the hundreds of TSA inspectors checking every little bit of food and such that end up in the secure areas in the stores and eating establishments? Do they open up each jar of food and check it? If I wanted to get something through couldn't I simply put a jar of such and such into the load going into a store inside the secure area they buy it on the other side? Inquiring minds want to know!

I doubt you will find anything open. Reached SJU one time on a delayed flight at 2.00 AM with flight to EIS at around 7.00 AM, didn't even leave the airport and was on my own for the entire time, was kind of scary. I am sure I wasn't even supposed to be in there but nobody caught me

For sure. We came through there at like 8 PM fairly recently. All the bars and restaurants closed at like 9 PM..

The Mexicans have really played hardball. At least according to my pilot friends on Island Birds, Fly BVI and Caribbean Wings.

Huh?

OK, thanks for the link. To ME, you would think that it wouldn't make sense from an economic standpoint, to close all the bars and restaurants when there are still a ton of people in the airport? Especially the bars. Honestly, the price they charge for drinks in airports is robbery, but people pay it anyway.

I never understood why SJU had such great food options outside of security (we didn't even know they were there for the first bunch of trips).

ps if you ever have to sleep at JFK go to their International terminal 4, one of the nicest terminals I have ever seen, there were actually benches there!! not those stupid seats with arm rests between lol.

SJU is starting to look nice...I guess you could say it's got potential. That new (still un-opened but looks done) restaurant looks nice. Of course it'll probably be like the other bar/restaurant that serves you an over-priced beer in a really cheap plastic cup.<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />



On the way down we got lost a couple different times while going from the SouthWest gate to the Cape Air gate. We got a porter on the way back just to figure out where we needed to go but we didn't need him to carry our bags. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Boy, I'm with you on that one, Laura! I don't know how much airports I have been in, that there is NOWHERE to sit that you can even put your feet up! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Mad.gif" alt="" /> We don't travel often enough these days to pay for an airline hospitality room membership.

if you drink at all, the monthly Admirals Club is only $100 for two people for all flights. Two Bloody Marys in a packed bar would be $25. For $100 you get lounge chairs, high speed internet, free liquor, free munchies, and this is for all flights within a months time. If your layover is more then 2 hours it's a no brainer.

Well, compare and contrast this sort of policy to having a stranglehold on folks in transit. If SJU committed to keeping international travelers inside the airport and NOT encouraging curiosity and the seeking of services outside the airport boundaries, established hotels, restaurants and tourism/hospitality venues would be screaming bloody murder.

Sound to me like the new airport administration is seeking a sweet spot that will have staying power over a long range contract, and NOT hose either the traveler or the exisitng hospitality infrastructure of San Juan.

Breeze

Long travel day today with a 3h layover at SJU. A Cuban sandwich a Medalla Light was $24.99 + tax + tip in the secure area on concourse D. Currently enjoying sushi at CLT with a 4h layover.