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The new Terminal 1 opened in September 2026. Here is who flies from it and how to get in and out of it.
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Terminal 1 at San Diego International is the new building that opened in September 2025, replacing the old Terminal 1 entirely. Seven airlines use it: Air Canada, Breeze, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country and WestJet — everyone else is at Terminal 2. It has one security checkpoint, nineteen gates in this first phase (thirty when the build-out finishes, with the last eleven due by 2028), and around ninety thousand square feet of food and shops including an outdoor dining patio over the bay. Park in the Terminal 1 Parking Plaza directly across from the doors at $3 per 15 minutes with a $40 daily maximum, or use curbside valet at $60 a day. Rideshares do not pick up at the kerb: walk out of baggage claim and across the crosswalk to the Ground Transportation Plaza. MTS Route 992 stops at both terminals for $2.50 one way, and the free San Diego Flyer shuttle runs to Old Town Transit Center for the trolley and the COASTER. There is still no walk-through connection to Terminal 2 — the free Inter-Terminal Shuttle does it, running 4am to 2am, and a post-security walkway is scheduled for 2028.
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Airlines | Air Canada, Breeze, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country, WestJet |
| Gates | 19 open now; 30 once the final phase is delivered, due 2028 |
| Security | One checkpoint, 13 lanes at opening. CLEAR is available here |
| Food and shops | 12 food and drink outlets and 5 shops, plus an outdoor patio with bay and skyline views |
| Parking | Terminal 1 Parking Plaza across from the doors: $3 per 15 min, $40 a day. Valet $60 a day |
| Rideshare | Ground Transportation Plaza across the crosswalk from baggage claim — Uber, Lyft, Wingz, PrimeTime |
| Bus | MTS Route 992, $2.50 adult one way, $6 day pass, stops at both terminals |
| To Terminal 2 | Free Inter-Terminal Shuttle, kerbside, 4am–2am. No walking route yet |
Rates and availability change daily, so we link the guide rather than quote a price. Each page compares walkable, short-drive and budget options with parking and resort fees called out.
The Terminal 1 Parking Plaza sits directly across from the terminal. The airport's own rate is $3 per 15 minutes with a $40 daily maximum — the same as Terminal 2's plaza, so either works if one is full. Checked 20 September 2026. Aggregator sites still quote a $32 maximum; the airport's page is the one to trust.
Kerbside valet is available at both terminals at $60 a day. Checked 20 September 2026.
The Cell Phone Lot at 2311 McCain Road is free with a one-hour limit — the sane way to meet an arriving flight instead of circling.
Uber, Lyft, Wingz and PrimeTime collect from the Ground Transportation Plaza, reached on foot from baggage claim via the crosswalk.
The airport bus stops at both terminals and runs down Harbor Drive into downtown, connecting to the trolley at America Plaza and Santa Fe Depot. $2.50 adult one way, $6 for a day pass.
A free shuttle between the airport and Old Town Transit Center, where you can pick up the trolley, the COASTER and Amtrak. The airport publishes roughly 4:50am to 12:20am; MTS lists a few minutes either side.
All the rental brands are at the Rental Car Center on Admiral Boland Way, reached by a free shuttle that runs around the clock — not a walk from the terminal.
The old Terminal 1 was notorious for its cramped security queue. The replacement runs a single consolidated checkpoint with thirteen lanes at opening, and CLEAR operates here.
Phase one brought twelve food and drink outlets and five shops. If you want the view, head for the outdoor dining patio looking across the bay to downtown.
Nineteen gates are in use. The full thirty-gate building is being delivered in stages, with the remaining eleven due by 2028, so signage and walking routes will keep changing.
There is no post-security connection between the terminals yet; one is scheduled for 2028. Until then, exit and take the free Inter-Terminal Shuttle from the kerb, which runs 4am to 2am, then clear security again. The airport does not publish a shuttle journey time, so leave more slack than you think you need.
Two hours domestic, three international, plus half an hour if you are returning a rental car.
Every official rate at the airport, plus when leaving the car at home works out cheaper.
The gate areas close around 2am and security reopens near 4:15am. What that actually means for a red-eye gap.
Air Canada, Breeze, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country and WestJet. Every other airline serving San Diego uses Terminal 2. The list does change, so check your boarding pass and the airport's own terminal page before you drive in.
Yes. The new Terminal 1 opened in September 2025 and the old building closed permanently at the same time. Nineteen gates are open in this phase, with the full thirty-gate terminal due by 2028.
The Terminal 1 Parking Plaza charges $3 per 15 minutes with a $40 daily maximum, according to the airport's own parking page. Kerbside valet is $60 a day. The Cell Phone Lot is free for up to an hour if you are meeting someone.
Not inside security, and not comfortably outside it. Use the free Inter-Terminal Shuttle from the kerb, which runs 4am to 2am daily. A post-security connector between the terminals is scheduled to be built in 2028.
At the Ground Transportation Plaza. Leave baggage claim and use the pedestrian crosswalk — drivers cannot collect you at the terminal kerb. Uber, Lyft, Wingz and PrimeTime are the authorised companies.
Yes. MTS Route 992 stops at both terminals for $2.50 one way and runs into downtown along Harbor Drive. The free San Diego Flyer shuttle links the airport to Old Town Transit Center for the trolley, the COASTER and Amtrak.
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