SFO lounge access
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 24
SFO lounge access
Happy New Year! My wife and I are flying to Australia at the end of March. I am AA Platinum and OneWorld Sapphire. We have booked award tickets flying in 1st class from CLT to SFO on AA and business class from SFO to SYD on Qantas. We have a 3+ hour layover. I am a little confused about lounge access at SFO. Will we have to use the KLM/Air France lounge or will we have options?
Last edited by crutch222; Jan 1, 2017 at 1:53 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access has details of all the OW lounges at SFO
You can use any OW lounge that is open and accessible , plus whatever lounge QF offers to 1st class passengers ( if that is different )
You can use any OW lounge that is open and accessible , plus whatever lounge QF offers to 1st class passengers ( if that is different )
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
None of the SFO lounges are great so it doesn't matter which lounge you get to use; the JL and CX lounges are often at capacity so refuse admission for QF pax and the BA lounge is unlikely to be open depending on your time of year for flight time. You could visit the AC before going over to the international terminal.
LAX has a much better QF lounge, fwiw.
LAX has a much better QF lounge, fwiw.
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
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https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access has details of all the OW lounges at SFO
You can use any OW lounge that is open and accessible , plus whatever lounge QF offers to 1st class passengers ( if that is different )
You can use any OW lounge that is open and accessible , plus whatever lounge QF offers to 1st class passengers ( if that is different )
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
For some reason I misread that the passenger was travelling in 1st class; indeed , it is whatever business class lounge that QF offers on top of the OW ones listed for SFO
#7
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Location: Melbourne
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Note there are quite a few reports on AustralianFrequentFlyer that the CX lounge agents generally try to deny access to Qantas passengers with lounge access rights.
Last edited by serfty; Jan 3, 2017 at 12:07 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Everywhere you wanna be
Programs: AA EP | UA 1K
Posts: 1,657
technically QF pax are supposed to use the AF lounge, but i've gotten lucky and used the CX lounge with my OWE status.
of the lounges available to use, the CX lounge is the biggest and best imo.
of the lounges available to use, the CX lounge is the biggest and best imo.
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,851
As others have said, the lounge situation at SFO is rather dire... I'm sorry that you have to spend three hours in any of the lounges, IMHO this airport is crying out for a single Oneworld lounge like LAX.
Anyway, that said: if you're arriving into SFO three hours prior to QF74 then you should have a shot at getting into the CX lounge, which is easily the best of the bunch. CX has tight limits on how many QF passengers it will allow it, due to concerns of over-crowding in the lead-up to its SFO-HKG flights, but this should be your first port of call.
If CX denies you access, well, not much to be done but head for the Air France/KLM lounge which Qantas uses, or just browse the terminal and see if there's not some public cafe or such that appeals more.
Anyway, that said: if you're arriving into SFO three hours prior to QF74 then you should have a shot at getting into the CX lounge, which is easily the best of the bunch. CX has tight limits on how many QF passengers it will allow it, due to concerns of over-crowding in the lead-up to its SFO-HKG flights, but this should be your first port of call.
If CX denies you access, well, not much to be done but head for the Air France/KLM lounge which Qantas uses, or just browse the terminal and see if there's not some public cafe or such that appeals more.
#10
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
Note that SFO has excellent non-lounge facilities, with some quite good restaurants and bars, much nicer than the lounges (and better than LAX has, fwiw).
#11
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Gold
Posts: 384
I will be traveling in business on QF 74 to SYD and have a long layover. I don't have OW status. Which lounge can I access that has a shower? I've been reading the CX lounge is not open to QF passengers and the BA lounge is closed way before departure. Are my only options going to the AA lounge or the Centurion Lounge? Which one is preferable?
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,024
http://www.qantas.com/travel/airline...isco/global/en
Lounges tab.
Lounge Information
Air France Lounge located post security International A.
Air France Lounge located post security International A.
Qantas Flights
Qantas flights QF1 to QF399 operate from the International Terminal A.
Qantas codeshare flights operated by Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air (AS) operate from the International Terminal A
Qantas codeshare flights operated by American Airlines operate from Terminal 2
oneworld. carriers British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines operate from the International Terminal A
Interline flights with WestJet (WS) operate from the International Terminal A
Interline Flights with Virgin America ( VX) operate from Terminal 2
Qantas flights QF1 to QF399 operate from the International Terminal A.
Qantas codeshare flights operated by Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air (AS) operate from the International Terminal A
Qantas codeshare flights operated by American Airlines operate from Terminal 2
oneworld. carriers British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines operate from the International Terminal A
Interline flights with WestJet (WS) operate from the International Terminal A
Interline Flights with Virgin America ( VX) operate from Terminal 2
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Gold
Posts: 384
As you do not have OW status lounge access will be based on class of travel on QF74 SFO SYD
http://www.qantas.com/travel/airline...isco/global/en
Lounges tab.
Flights tab
http://www.qantas.com/travel/airline...isco/global/en
Lounges tab.
Flights tab
#15
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Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,024