Traveling on Thanksgiving and just found out that AA has changed our itinerary so we now have 4 hours at SJU between flights. Looking for creative ideas about how to amuse ourselves other than having beers and hot dogs at the airport and calling that Thanksgiving dinner!
Thanks for your help.

Reading always works for us. We read, then walk and read again. If there is a bookstore I always go and browse through books and magazines.

While 4 hours is a long time to sit around, it's too short a time to go anywhere! SJU at thanksgiving can be a zoo. If you get out of the plane early, about 5 minutes away is a Ritz Carlton, with casino and pretty pool.

You never know when you might need those 4 hours. My last trip down island to Grenada had a 4 hour layover in SJU as well. However, by the time we made 3 aborted attempts to land, diverted to STX to refuel, and then finally returned, our layover was consumed and we had to rush to make our connection!

Assuming all goes well, 4 hours is barely enough time to leave the airport. If you are intent to do so, you might sneak out for a lunch at Metropol in nearby Isla Verde. But you'd be lugging your stuff around and it might not be that convenient.

Aside from that, I find people-watching at SJU to be an incredibly amusing sport....

grab a taxi and asked to go to the nearest casino. should be under 10 min ride. they could take you to the coronado, which has a nice beach and good pool with swim up if you really want to go island right away. and casino. restrooms available for changing.
i do not think the day is a holiday for casinos (like say on easter they are closed) but you might ask...

As others point out 4 hours is not a lot of time and your "free time" will actually be less. That 4 hours is the time between scheduled touch down of your in-bound flight and the scheduled door closing on your out-bound flight. Assuming your in-bound flight does land on time figure it will take you at least 20 minutes to taxi to the gate and deplane and another 5 to 10 minutes to get to the taxi stand. Assuming you are taking an American Eagle to your final destination you will find the published boarding time will begin 40 minutes prior to the secheduled departure (the actual boarding process will probably begin about 30 minutes prior to departure). This leaves you with about 3 hours. If you decide to leave the airport you will have to allow time to clear through the US Dept. of Agricultural checkpoint and to get through the TSA Security checkpoint. I travel through SJU and I can tell you that more often than not getting through securtiy at SJU can be very time consuming (average time is 30 minutes although it can take much longer if you happen to be travelling on "cruise ship days" - Thanksgiving may, however, have fewer crowds). Add to that the travel time to/from your selected point of interest and your layover time is now down to less than 2 hours.


If you are comfortable leaving the airport with that kind of time frame your might consider taking a cab to the El San Juan Hotel (about 10 miuntes by cab) where you can dine in one of their many restaurants or hang out in their casino.

Good luck in making your decision.

Wow, great tips. I forgot about the mess at the security checkpoint so leaving the airport probably isn't a good idea. I guess we'll belly up to a bar. Thanks!

Good idea, pegoode. I wouldn't leave SJU with only four hours, either.

Read!
Seek N Find
Cross Word
Saduku
Sketch Pad: Draw/Doodle
Travel Board Games: Chess, Scabble, Checkers, etc...
Knit
Crochet
Sew Patches for a quilt
Call someone
Shop in the airport
Buy some magazines and read them
Play a hand held game...have a great scrabble game.
Game Boy
Bring a PC Laptop/Notebook and:
Play games, go online and chat, research stuff, order something from an online store...etc...
Bring a small tape recorder and head set and listen to a taped book.
Write letters to long lost friends and family.
Buy postcards at the airport and write them, then send them out.
Bring a legal size notepad and write down all the things you are thankful for, write to your significant other things you have never said to one another, write your goals for your future, plan a trip making notes necessary, plan an upcoming party...list the things you need to get, make your Christmas list,
Bring a portable TV and watch it.
4 hours can go by quickly. I've done it many times.
Enjoy and make the best of it.