ACI-NA's 2026 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Awards
San Diego International Airport
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Submitted by SAN
ACI-NA's 2026 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Awards
This presentation is for authorized reviewers only. Please enter the access code to continue.
Submitted by SAN
ACI-NA's 2026 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Awards
San Diego International Airport partnered with Fruition to replace an outdated website with a modern digital platform serving millions of travelers. The new san.org consolidates three microsites into one seamless experience, aligned with the opening of New Terminal 1 Phase 1A in September 2025. Essential traveler tools are now front and center: real-time TSA wait times, flight data, parking reservations, and enhanced dine-and-shop sections. This consolidated platform serves over 24 million annual passengers with helpful, relevant information across all touchpoints.
Visit san.org
Digital Transformation
San Diego International Airport (SAN) launched a comprehensive digital transformation project to coincide with the opening of New Terminal 1 Phase 1A in September 2025. Partnering with Fruition, a woman-owned digital agency, SAN replaced an outdated website with a modern digital platform that serves multiple audiences: travelers planning trips, community members seeking airport information, business partners exploring opportunities, and current and prospective employees.
The project addressed critical infrastructure challenges including an outdated content management system, fragmented subdomains with inconsistent design systems, convoluted information architecture, and a brand identity that failed to represent San Diego's innovative spirit. The old site made routine updates nearly impossible for staff and frustrated users with essential information buried under unnecessary content layers.
The new san.org features a custom WordPress website with an intuitive CMS empowering non-technical staff to manage updates efficiently. The platform includes seamless integration of three separate microsites (ambassadors.san.org, arts.san.org, and newt1.com) into one cohesive experience. An updated digital design system based on SAN's refreshed brand reflects the modern, vibrant character of America's Finest City and aligns with the enhanced Terminal 2 and new Terminal 1.
Essential traveler tools include real-time TSA wait times, up-to-date flight data, watch flight functionality, enhanced parking reservations, and improved dine-and-shop sections. The streamlined architecture and enhanced visual identity create a modern airport experience that supports revenue streams while providing travelers with better planning tools. This consolidated platform serves over 24 million annual passengers with helpful, relevant information across all touchpoints.
Primary Objectives
The website redesign aimed to create a digital experience worthy of San Diego International Airport's reputation as a premier Southern California gateway, launching in time for New Terminal 1 Phase 1A's September 2025 opening. We planned to transform fragmented digital properties into a unified, user-friendly platform that would elevate the airport's brand while improving operational efficiency.
Impact Across Airport Audiences
Passengers
Improved navigation, real-time flight information, streamlined parking reservations, enhanced dining & shopping discovery
Media
Centralized news hub with easily accessible press materials and contact information
Carriers
Streamlined business partner information and communication channels
Concessionaires
Enhanced directory visibility driving customer engagement and revenue
Community
Transparent access to Authority information, employment opportunities, and community programs including Ambassador and Arts initiatives
Employees
Simplified content management, department-specific editing permissions, single-sign-on access
New Feature
The "Before You Go" planning widget on the San Diego International Airport website helps travelers prepare for their journey with confidence by surfacing the most relevant information before they arrive at the airport. With a simple airline selection, the tool dynamically displays the correct terminal and available parking options, streamlining the planning process and eliminating the need to navigate multiple pages.
By connecting airline data with parking information and advance reservation capabilities, the widget reduces pre-travel uncertainty and encourages proactive trip planning. The feature improves the passenger experience while supporting more efficient airport operations by helping travelers arrive prepared, park closer to their terminal, and move through the airport more smoothly.
Explore NowProduction
The website was produced entirely in-house by Fruition, a Denver-based, woman-owned digital agency with extensive airport industry experience. No external advertising, public relations, or additional graphic design firms were used for this project.
Fruition assigned a dedicated cross-functional team including project management, UX/UI designers, front-end and back-end developers, WordPress architects, content strategists, SEO specialists, and quality assurance engineers. The team worked collaboratively with SAN's internal stakeholders across multiple departments so the solution met diverse operational needs.
January 29 – September 23, 2025
Phase 01
Phase 02
Phase 03
Phase 04
Phase 05
Phase 06
Phase 07
Inclusive by Design
San Diego International Airport is committed to delivering an inclusive digital experience on san.org for all visitors, including individuals with disabilities. The new site was designed and developed from the ground up against the latest accessibility standards, with real-world testing across the full spectrum of assistive technologies.
Information and interface components are presented in ways all users can perceive, including those using screen readers or relying on text alternatives.
All interface components and navigation are fully functional via keyboard, switch controls, and other assistive input methods, no mouse required.
Content is written and structured for clarity. Consistent navigation, clear error handling, and plain language reduce cognitive load for every visitor.
The site is built to work reliably with current and future assistive technologies, from desktop screen readers to mobile accessibility tools.
Testing Methodology
The accessibility audit combined automated scanning with hands-on manual evaluation, tested across multiple browsers, operating systems, and the assistive technologies real users depend on every day. Among the final deliverables, Fruition delivered a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) documenting the steps taken to support compliance for san.org.
Evaluation
The redesigned San Diego International Airport website launched on September 23, 2025, coinciding with the opening of New Terminal 1 Phase 1A. Measured with Google Analytics from September 24 through December 31, 2025 against the same period in 2024, the launch delivered measurable improvements in traffic, navigation efficiency, and engagement with key passenger services.
By integrating real-time flight updates, parking reservations, and intuitive trip-planning tools, the website enables passengers to arrive prepared and navigate the airport efficiently. These enhancements reinforce San Diego International Airport's digital presence while promoting a more accessible, passenger-centric experience.
Budget
This fixed fee covered complete design, development, integration, content migration, testing, training, and launch support for the new san.org, delivered on time and on budget by Fruition, SAN's agency partner. The project ran on time and on budget from January 29, 2025, through September 23, 2025, eight months from discovery to launch, timed to the Terminal 1 Grand Opening featuring 19 new gates, local dining, and new parking.
Budget Allocation
Project initiation and kickoff, monthly status reporting, a Technical Discovery Findings document, analytics analysis, existing research review, and stakeholder interviews
Keep-Kill-Combine exercise, information architecture and sitemap, visual brand workshop, up to 60 wireframes, homepage concepts, and mockups with a component design system
Custom WordPress development, role-based access and MFA, automated and manual content migration, new content creation, and third-party integrations including flight information, the concessionaire directory, parking widgets, Brevo forms, terminal directory, accessibility and SEO, backend management, and micro-sites
Internal QA, WCAG 2.2 AA verification, and user acceptance testing
Documentation, up to 10 hours of rollout training, site launch, and post-launch support
Site Showcase
