I planned to ride Puerto Rico’s Tren Urbano (urban rail) and visit San Juan Airport as part of my rail-riding and airport conquest. The plan was to fly from Charlotte (CLT) to San Juan (SJU), ride Tren Urbano for one round trip, and fly back. However, a severe weather alert was issued, and to avoid the risk of the return flight being canceled, I stayed inside the airport and took the same plane back. It turned into an unintentional touch-and-go.
Itinerary
Same flight number, same aircraft for the return. U.S. airlines sometimes use the same flight number for different segments — AA 1920 covers both CLT → SJU and SJU → CLT. Time at San Juan Airport: approximately 55 minutes.
Original Plan
Tren Urbano is a single-line urban rail system serving the San Juan metro area. Fare is $1.50. It’s not directly connected to the airport but accessible by bus. A simple line — the plan was just to ride it end-to-end and back.
I also wanted to take a small plane from San Juan to the U.S. Virgin Islands, but that was already ruled out for this trip due to time.
55 Minutes at San Juan Airport
I stayed in the gate area without exiting to the arrivals lobby. The lounge (The Lounge San Juan) was at capacity and not accepting guests. I ate a chicken sandwich at El Meson Sandwiches (a sandwich chain founded in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico in 1972) near the gate.
About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean. Residents hold U.S. citizenship but cannot vote in presidential elections. Official languages are Spanish and English, with Spanish dominant in daily life. Flights from the U.S. mainland are treated as domestic, so no passport is required.
Incomplete
Riding Tren Urbano and visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands remain unfinished. I’ll try again on the next opportunity to visit Puerto Rico, weather permitting.