Editor ––
With high tourism, SPI needs all three airports to provide transportation (especially during peak times) to the RGV for our incoming and leaving tourists.
During peak times, airlines like to send overbooked tourists to McAllen.
During standard tourist times, Harlingen and Brownsville are our prime Airports providing service to SPI.
Both airports provide excellent service and improve their facilities continuously.
Brownsville
Brownsville just recently completed the new terminal and sky bridge.
It has limited short and long-term parking, and car rental companies have a limited amount of vehicles, and yes, they usually close down at around 5:00 p.m.
From what I see, the airport tries hard to find a tenant to supply some basic food or snacks in the designated area; as such, we might just need patience.
It (the airport) has three airlines flying in and roughly every 1.5 hours, one plane landing/leaving.
Harlingen
Harlingen is currently extending its runway to accommodate bigger planes.
They also just completed providing shaded roofs for short-term parking and extended both Short-term and long-term parking for our guests.
It has a rental car fleet of 450+ cars for our visitors to choose from, and they are generally open till 8:00 p.m. and later. Please verify as I see them sometimes they do not know the exact closing time.
It has seven gates with a sky bridge. One was international after COVID-19 to cater to our friends and guests from Mexico, who own 30% of island properties.
Five major airlines provide service to bring guests to the island - with direct flights from Minneapolis via Sun-country and Delta. And direct flight from Harlingen to Cancun in case you desire to venture further south.
That is an average of one plane per 45-minute landing or leaving.
Besides, you find all the desired amenities, from food over souvenir shops to ground transportation on both levels of the airport.
The main choice for our guest which airport to choose from is from where they are coming and where they get the best price for their flight. Some of our customers mentioned that Brownsville airplane tickets can be up to 200, – more expensive than Harlingen due to the higher competition in Harlingen.
Ground Transportation
Ground transportation from either airport to South Padre Island depends on how many passengers and at what level of comfort you desire to travel and if you plan ahead.
Uber, Lyft, and Taxi provide the most reasonable transit for 1-3 passengers and are available at both airports. Uber and Lyft are not a reliable choice to leave SPI, which has enough taxis to take care of transportation needs.
If you have the patience and arrive at a time when the public bus is driving from Brownsville to Port Isabel - then yes, that is your cheapest choice.
Spi-shuttle is your Islands shuttle bus service providing ground transportation for small groups ( up to 25 passengers), while SPI-Surf shuttle is a private van service.
Both need to be prearranged SPI-Shuttle via text (956)-621-8647 and SPI-Surf shuttle via online booking.
For those early flights where you have to leave the island at 4:00 a.m. Lisa Vega is the most reliable choice, and you can reach her at 956-801-8937 or 432-703-8032.
Michael Dolezal, Owner/Operator at SPI Shuttle
