FlyerGoldII

Last time (in June), I went from SFO to YVR on AC.

The TSA security clearance did not offer TSA precheck, even though my boarding pass stated that I had the precheck.

I also could not find any lounges - I understand that besides UA lounges, there may be other Star Alliance lounges at the international concourse where AC flies from?

HometoYYZ

I just went through SFO, and although I'm precheck-elligible, didn't get it. They didn't seem to be offering Precheck at that point in time going to the A gates. (And it was not an odd point in time.... early afternoon on a weekday.)

As for lounges, there's the United Club on the A side. And Air Canada has recently switched its contract lounge partner on the G side. Used to be Delta, now it's Air France. Eva and Singapore both also have lounges in the international terminal, but I've never tried to use them.

grumbler

There is nothing more annoying than the notion that precheck is theoretically available but actual staffing hours are limited. I have run into this problem in SFO, DEN and LGA, to date.

Iguana0

I also find that the pre check lane is often closed when going through SFO international. However, I was happy to see it open this week around 6pm flying SFO-YVR. It was located on the left side of the TSA queues in the G gate area. The triage screener will direct you there if it's open. Huge time saver when it's available as the priority lane is always busy and slow.

vernonc

Yes, used the TSA pre check lane 2 weeks ago on a red-eye flight from SFO-YYZ. Its was on the far left side. There were a bunch of lounges opposite the duty free shops just past security, however they seem to open a few hours before their flights and the one I used was the UA lounge.

maradori

If you're on a flight operated from the G side (gates 91+), then theeeoretically you can try making the 5 minute walk to Term 3 and using the Eewnited premier security checkpoint there as that has Precheck.

Note: I don't have precheck (yet) so maybe the cow can confirm.

As for the lounges, *A lounge options are pretty much restricted to International G-side (or if you REEEALLY want, T3).

There's the International Eewnited club, but to the right, there's also a small hallway. There, you can find the SQ and BR lounges. Note these are pretty much open late at night though and while the SQ lounge can be found open at like 7pm or so, it's reserved only for ANZ pax and they wouldn't let me in .... twice

Dafuq is wrong with this star "alliance"

Stranger

Am I missing something here?

Last time at SFO, it so happened my wife had TSA precheck on her BP while I did not. We actually did not even notice. Flying Rouge.

When entering the security line, the lady doing the precheck directed her to the right lane with minimal checking, while I had to go to one of the regular lanes.

grumbler

Wow - isn't that lounge marked as Star Gold? SQ is such a pain.

yvr76

You can't blame them. With the amount of United *Gold traffic through that terminal who would use the United Club when there is a SQ lounge right next door?

Stranger

Actually, the Air France lounge is quite nice. Espresso machine, real champagne and decent wines.

FlyerGoldII

When I arrived from YVR on AC last June, I exited the security check area near the AC check-in counter. Some Star Alliance lounges (including ?Asiana and ?ANA lounges were in a hallway to the side of the concourse) - they were open in the mid-morning.

When I check-in, I was directed to the security check in the other concourse-away from the security check near the AC check-in counter. I could not see any lounges in that concourse.

So does the security clearance area near the AC check-in counter have TSA pre-check more reliably than the security clearance where that AC flight departed from?

So, are these concourses connected airside?

PS-at which concourse is the AF lounge?

maradori

Quite a lot of stuff said x_x let me try to break it down a bit.

Probably the easiest way to describe SFO is like _O_

The AC check in counters are located at International A (the "right" horizontal line), so when you arrived from YVR, you arrived at the A side. When you checked in, they directed you to International G (the "left" line).

At G, when you clear security, immediately turn right and that's where the Eewnited club is. Standing in front of the Eewnited club doors, if you look to the right, there is a narrow hallway that leads to the SQ and BR lounges.

However, if look to the left, that leads to a set of escalators that connects International G with Terminal 3 (the Eewnited terminal) airside.

As far as I'm aware, that's the only airside connection.

AF lounge shooould be at International A?

FlyerGoldII

Yes, when I went past security, I did see the UA Club. However, I just had 10 or 15 minutes to go into a lounge - having been confused about 2 concourses to the International Terminal - I tried to find other lounges in the G side without success (I did not walk to the UA club).

Do some AC flights arrive and depart from the "A" side, and others from the "G" side? Is TSA precheck more reliably available on the "A" side than the "G" side?

Is there not a airside connection between the "A" and "G" concourses?
If not, then one can not go to the Asiana or ANA lounges from the "G" concourse - these 2 lounges are Star Alliance Gold lounges?

What Star Alliance (Gold) lounges are on the "G" side besides the UA lounge? SQ is not a Star Alliance Gold lounge, or not? What about the BR (Eva) lounge? So, if I as a SE wanted to go into either lounge, whether flying AC or UA or another Star Alliance carrier, and whether in paid/award economy or business class, or upgraded to business class on AC (I guess that it would be virtually impossible using Star Alliance upgrade awards on other carriers), could I access these non-UA Star Alliance lounges?

I am also a AMEX Platinum Priority Pass (ie free entry for myself and one companion) member - I wonder which non-UA lounge I could use in either the "G" or "A" sides?

D582

1. The 2 other lounges (SQ and BR) are found by taking a hard right in front of the doors to the UA lounge and walking in the side corridor. I agree they are not easy to find.

2. Yes, early morning and late afternoon/evening flights will arrive and depart from G. Midday flights from A. I can bet AC's preference would to be on G only but there are not enough gates available to support its operations.

Re: Precheck - I think it is open more on A than on G. However when flying out of G if you take a hard right before security, go down the escalator and into Terminal 3, you will see a Precheck entrance right there which is usually open. After clearing security, hang a hard left and take the airside corridor back to G.

3. No airside connection between A and G. Also, there is no Asiana or ANA lounges at SFO. You likely saw a sign which listed these airlines because they contract with some of the other lounges on the A side.

4. The *A lounges at SFO are UA, SQ, and BR. SQ and BR in my experience are *G lounges sometimes. They are both quite small and I have seen both cover up the *G logo when they are expecting to be full of their own passengers. Both also have limited hours.

restlessinRNO

D582 - An excellent summary! Clearly you have been spending a lot of your time at SFO International Terminal. I recently flew AC SFO-YYZ, which departed from the A gates. I was surprised to receive an invitation to the AF lounge. (Flying Y, *G.) Pleasantly surprised. As Stranger notes, there is real champagne. Food selection though is modest. Newspapers mainly French. I was there late morning; lounge was very quiet.