San Antonio International Airport — Local services in San Antonio

I still can’t believe what happened to me today. Flying American, I had a shared checked bag with my partner that was a couple lbs over. The guy told me it would be a whopping 100 dollar charge for 2.5 lbs. So I grabbed a small bag of toiletries out of my suitcase. Everything in the bag was under 3 oz. Most products were under .5 oz. Going through the TSA line, I saw an unusually high amount of employees, more than I ever seen in SA, just loitering. I also noticed them pulling nearly every bag off despite the improvements in tech scanning. I see them pull my little bag. But there are 4+ bags ahead of mine. So I stand there for nearly an entire hour while one single TSA person takes one bag and every single item out while the rest stand around. Slowly as humanly possible. Finally, they get to mine. They see all my products are in fact below 3 ounces, which they admit. I’m visibly annoyed, but ready to take get my bag and go. Instead, I am told “it’s more than a quart bag!”. Meaning, 75% of my products would fit, but maybe 25% couldn’t fit in a quart bag. They were all very small but all essential to my routine, .5 oz ish each. He the said “they look expensive! You want me to throw them away? Or you want to check this bag?” (It’s a cosmetic bag that weighs 2.5 lbs). It is in fact several hundred worth, and I need it (vision, dental, hygiene, skincare, makeup etc). I say check it, thinking someone can take it, but next thing I’m “escorted” by 4 men out security doors other side of the airport. I then realize I have to go all the way to the American counter. I physically run over there for nobody to be taking bags, or at any counter at all. When someone finally shows up, he ignores me for several minutes, and then says “you have to go a kiosk, I can’t help you!” knowing full well that’s it’s 30 min to take off now (since over an hour has passed) and I can’t get the kiosk to print anything for me. At this point I say screw it, try to get back into the TSA line to just make my flight, ready to throw my stuff away. They make me go through everything again. I was wearing a long shirt a woman told me I could “hurry things up” to just take it off so I stood there in my bra and shorts just to try and get there faster. At the other I have to wait in the bag line, they take my bag again—this time take out a SANDWICH size bag to put my products in. The woman says “you can pick!” while she tells me she’s going to throw away products that aren’t even liquid such as a lip mask, deodorant, etc. She doesn’t even bother to hand me my shirt which she has in my bin behind the counter so I continue standing in my bra. I try to pick but she packs them poorly and then says “the bag has to close easily!” because there were different size containers, and then tells me I CAN’T EVEN keep the bag, they don’t ACTUALLY need it in the bag, it’s just for effect. At this point, I realize my flight has literally taken off while I was going through this process. 2 hours have gone by. I say this out loud and she quite literally laughs at me. “Oh honey you aren’t going anywhere!” I take my bag and just leave. Stunned. Crying. I fly 6-10x a year, internationally as well, and I’ve never seen such terrible behavior from employees in any airport to date. Up until today, I thought TSA were pretty respectable, doing their job, trying to keep people safe. Truly outrageous and vindictive behavior for absolutely no reason. My boyfriend had exactly the same number of toiletries in his carryon suitcase (more than quart) in TWO bags and they didn’t even stop or search him; simply because it was in BIGGER bag. It was only because mine was in a small bag, which should have made it easier to look through, that I was singled out. I’ve traveled with more toiletries in my carryon countless times. Brainless, pathetic, disgusting behavior. San Antonio TSA is an embarrassment and so is anyone associated with those bullies who caused me to miss my flight/vacation for quite literally no reason and then...

San Antonio International Airport sits at a crossroads in its long evolution. First conceived during the 1940s when the city purchased 1,200 acres of undeveloped land, today's facility has matured into Texas' seventh busiest airport, handling over 10.6 million passengers in 2023, a record for the 80-year-old facility.

Arriving passengers are greeted by a study in architectural contrasts. Terminal A, designed by local firm Marmon Mok and opened in 1984, received a $35.6 million facelift in 2014 that added terrazzo floors and updated food courts. Terminal B, completed in 2010 through a collaboration between Corgan and 3D/International of Houston, introduced a more contemporary aesthetic. The lack of visual cohesion between these spaces is immediately apparent, a reflection of the airport's piecemeal development over decades.

Yet what San Antonio International lacks in architectural unity, it compensates for in cultural expression. Colorful papel picado banners hang from the curved, white ceilings throughout the concourses, their traditional Mexican-inspired patterns casting gentle shadows across the terrazzo floors. These vibrant decorations not only enliven the space but serve a practical purpose, helping guide passenger flow during busy periods such as the recent NCAA Final Four tournament.

The airport's art program, overseen by Matt Evans, transforms otherwise utilitarian spaces into galleries featuring local artists. Glass partition walls display paintings of local landmarks, while temporary exhibitions rotate regularly, from displays honoring Black History Month to veterans' experiences, creating what Evans calls "a sense of place" for visitors.

Navigation proves straightforward in this medium-sized facility. Clear blue directional signage points travelers toward gates, amenities, and specialized facilities like the Lactation Room in Terminal A. Retail and dining options include a mix of local concepts and national chains, though they remain modest compared to larger hub airports.

The facility has earned accolades for customer service, receiving the Airports Council International's "Best Airport with 5-15 Million Passengers in North America" award and earning a place on the Director General's Roll of Excellence in 2021. Many travelers praise the typically brief security waits, often under ten minutes. However, during peak travel periods, the narrow concourses can become congested, revealing the spatial limitations of the current design.

Premium lounge options remain limited to United and USO facilities, a reflection of San Antonio's position as a secondary market rather than a major hub. Southwest Airlines recently sued the city over terminal assignments, highlighting the operational tensions in the aging infrastructure.

The airport stands on the cusp of its most ambitious transformation. A $2.5 billion Terminal Development Program, the largest capital project in the city's history, is underway. Designed by Corgan in partnership with local firm Lake Flato Architects, the new 800,000-square-foot terminal will nearly double the size of the existing facilities when completed in 2028.

Preliminary designs reveal a structure that draws inspiration from San Antonio's architectural heritage, featuring natural materials, warm earth tones, and a dramatic 60-foot garden entrance meant to evoke the city's famed Riverwalk. Hovering shed roofs will define the exterior profile, housing expanded concessions, club lounges, and a modernized federal inspection station for international arrivals.

Until then, San Antonio International remains a serviceable if imperfect gateway to South Texas. Its manageable scale offers a welcome alternative to sprawling mega-hubs, though at the cost of fewer direct connections. Like the city itself, the airport balances its historical foundations with forward-looking ambitions, aiming to create an arrival experience that authentically represents the cultural crossroads that is modern...

Allow me to bark at the moon… because what’s really going to come from a poor review. I gave one star for how clearly the signage has always been for locating short term/long term parking. I gave a second star because I could start. Albeit, the parking structure is crowded but hey, the city is growing. It’s coming out of the baggage terminal and locating the way back to your car after your trip. You can see what looks like the parking structure, but then again the signs inside the area across from you are all car rental companies. You see a walkway across to the rental companies but how do you get there. So with all hope walk back inside because surely there is a sign you’ve missed as you did see a sign which read “parking”. But what parking? So back outside you go. Still you see that area across from you that you’re sure contains your car. But how do you get there? Hey, try an elevator! Surely there is something marked short term/long term parking. You get into the elevator and nothing is marked there either. So you push a button to feel like you’re getting somewhere… and you do! You walk back outside on another level and again look across at that parking structure. So you go for it and walk across the street, oddly with other people who are as lost. You find stairs and start up. Surely this is something positive. You get to about the third level and with your heart pounding, you enter there even though you know you’re parked on the fifth level. Looking around you and all your lost friends are walking through the rental car return area. But, looking across you see another parking structure. Feeling hopeful you run to that area through the rental car maze. Yes, you’ve reached it! Long term parking!!! But still how do you get there. You find rental car employee stairs and you walk down them. You scramble across the concrete flood zone and you’re in! You’re in the long term parking!!! You find the elevator, high five your new friends, and reaching your level you press the panic button on your remote to not only find your car but to celebrate with the world your successful search!...