macfadsj

To enter the A gates area, you have to go through security for these gates specifically and it is usually pretty quick and painless: they will accept a boarding for any same day flight anywhere else in the airport. I don't think there is a way to get there directly from another concourse or terminal.

Now as far as the KLM AF lounge, there is nothing special about it during the hours before a KLM or AF departure, as it can get pretty full. However, if you can access the lounge at other times, when it is likely to be nearly empty, I would give it a solid A-.
It is worth the walk during these times, especially if you will be spending a few hours there or more.

beckoa

I think I went here briefly this January.

When a misconnect occurred I went over to the AX lounge- yes a double trek thru security- but was hungry

ylord789

Guys, thanks very much for your informative replies.

So, from I gathered here, administrative access from other concourse departures is not an issue, the issue is physically accessing the lounge from the concourse F.

I am connecting in SFO, it is too much for me to leave and reenter the airside. I will just use United clubs.

ylord789

We did not try to find the Air France lounge in concourse A. Instead, we found the giant United Club in concourse F. I was in SFO many times and in G-concourse United Club many times. How could I miss this better United club? I must have been too careless.

WhIteSidE

But LHR (like IST, HKG and SYD) are "SkyTeam" lounges run by the alliance, while (I think) SFO is an AF/KL lounge. Obviously, other SkyTeam elites can use it, but it's to the KL service standards (I think, I haven't actually been in).

The "SkyTeam" lounges are great (I've been to LHR, IST and HKG), offering a good lounge experience with decent food, and nice showers in LHR (and they let you take a couple of cold Heineken into the showers with you -- just the thing to recover from a long over water flight).

KL lounges are generally underwhelming.

missamo80

The alcohol is self-service in the AF lounge at SFO.

Neil

Tunapalooza

This is my second visit to this lounge as a Priority Pass card holder, but the first time I was admitted. Just barely. The lounge dragon stated that I was the last to be admitted because the lounge is "getting full." I will post photos shortly, but the lounge was virtually empty apart from the back room, which might have been one-third full.

The lounge might fill full later as this was >3.5 hrs before the KLM and >4 hrs before the AF departure. My domestic flight departs hours before those flights so I'll be long gone before the lounge begins to fill.

Even though ugh I got in just under the wire, it is apparent that this lounge's admission policy makes Priority Pass of limited value to an SFO-based flyer. I can certainly understand that access must be limited at times. Barring entry to Priority Pass members to a largely empty lounge is not justifiable.

PDXPremier

Sounds a lot like the AS Lounge policy now....I think they really don't want PP customers, but somehow feel the need to keep their affiliation active to fill in a few hours a day with extra revenue, but it's really inexcusable to put out the old "we're too crowded" excuse when there is clearly reasonable capacity.

worldwidedreamer

FWIW I believe that the AF lounge at SFO also accepts DL SkyClub membership, so that might provide another source of crowding/option to enter depending on perspective. I believe that SC Exec members can bring in two guests or spouse + children.

aCavalierInCoach

while I tend to feel even more strongly (that PP has deeply oversold their product given the frequency of denied entry), I would also say this may be a case where I understand the AF/KLM approach. My guess is the lounge is busiest in the 45 minutes - 3 hours before departure - the couple hours before boarding - so I can see why they would want to make sure to keep capacity open as they approached that window.

Tunapalooza

Here are the photos of the KLM/AF SFO lounge that was "getting full," thereby denying access to any subsequent Priority Pass member. Keep in mind that this was >2.5 hours before any KLM or AF departure. I would expect the lounge to fill eventually, but the lounge was far from "getting full." If Priority Pass members are going to be denied entry as a matter of course during the three hours prior to KLM or AF departures, then be honest about it.

Bretmd

Seems like we are seeing a pattern with priority pass lounges.

I think the unfortunate reality is that an increase in priority pass guests across the system is leading to these types of policies. The days where we could count on priority pass for guaranteed lounge access may be over.

channa

Hopefully it will eventually correct itself. As we see customers moving from dedicated airline programs to credit card programs with Priority Pass as a benefit, we've seen this explosion in PP use. But over time, if there's demand, more lounges may join, or PP could build their own in key areas. There are really only a couple spots that come to mind where PP is denied on a regular basis -- SFO and SEA.

A more strategically placed Club at SEA, or a Club at SFO would take a lot of the pressure off.

Bretmd

i hope you are right. There's definitely a lot of demand and potential profit with the increase in priority pass cardholders.

As a positive datapoint, my husband was granted entry into the AF/KLM lounge at SFO this morning around 9:00AM.

PDXPremier

To be honest, nobody is being honest about it....I think there are unpublished time frames in which PP holders are being denied access regardless of lounge capacity. The way that both the airlines and Priority Pass get away with it is by saying that they "anticipate being crowded" so they don't have room for PP.