SFO lounge nightmare
Jul 15, 2023, 12:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
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SFO lounge nightmare
Checked in for JAL 1 today SFO HND and all went smoothly until we reached the BA lounge which has replaced the Sakura lounge here. Line of people out the door not moving. They would not accept either the boarding pass in my apple wallet or the boarding pass I had PRINTED out so like everyone else I stood in line 15 minutes to check in as two JAL employees worked to process entrants.
Once we finally arrived in the lounge it was completely full. I mean standing room only. Lines in the bathroom. Eva Air flight and JAL both had filled it up.
JAL is going to have to figure out something here. If you want lounge access and a seat I would recommend you arrive 3 hours before the flight. Two hours didn’t cut it.
Once we finally arrived in the lounge it was completely full. I mean standing room only. Lines in the bathroom. Eva Air flight and JAL both had filled it up.
JAL is going to have to figure out something here. If you want lounge access and a seat I would recommend you arrive 3 hours before the flight. Two hours didn’t cut it.
Jul 17, 2023, 12:54 am
#4
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Jul 18, 2023, 6:50 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NYC
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It's bigger in the new location, but not necessarily better. Old one was wide and open and had the cool fireplaces in the front. The new location on the second floor is very long and narrow. However, it's usually not super packed at the times I've been there. Food and drink options are pretty meh, because it's still an AC.
Jul 23, 2023, 10:05 am
#10
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Santa Clara CA USA
Programs: CX SL, SQ SL
Posts: 276
Used the BA lounge a week prior to the OP while on JL1 myself. There was no line that morning (around 1015am) but there were two agents at the door - one of whom scanned my boarding pass and the other proceeded to check my name against a manifest. The lounge wasn't crowded but the food choices were meh and the tarmac views weren't nearly as nice as the one from the gate, so that's where I went about 50 minutes before boarding, so sit and watch the activity.
My family used JL57 some weeks prior to me, and they were in PE. They actually said the lounge was full at checkin, and instead offered each traveler a $25 coupon usable at the F&B outlets in the terminal.
My family used JL57 some weeks prior to me, and they were in PE. They actually said the lounge was full at checkin, and instead offered each traveler a $25 coupon usable at the F&B outlets in the terminal.
Jul 24, 2023, 3:04 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,667
On the brighter side (potentially) maybe BR pax will start complaining too and they'll start sending their people to the UA lounges instead. If I were in biz on BR I'd be using the Polaris lounge anyway, but I'm sure some pax don't know that's an option.
Sadly $25 doesn't get you very far in US airports, especially if you've got time to kill and want some food and a few drinks.
Used the BA lounge a week prior to the OP while on JL1 myself. There was no line that morning (around 1015am) but there were two agents at the door - one of whom scanned my boarding pass and the other proceeded to check my name against a manifest. The lounge wasn't crowded but the food choices were meh and the tarmac views weren't nearly as nice as the one from the gate, so that's where I went about 50 minutes before boarding, so sit and watch the activity.
My family used JL57 some weeks prior to me, and they were in PE. They actually said the lounge was full at checkin, and instead offered each traveler a $25 coupon usable at the F&B outlets in the terminal.
My family used JL57 some weeks prior to me, and they were in PE. They actually said the lounge was full at checkin, and instead offered each traveler a $25 coupon usable at the F&B outlets in the terminal.
Jul 24, 2023, 4:21 am
#13
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On the brighter side (potentially) maybe BR pax will start complaining too and they'll start sending their people to the UA lounges instead. If I were in biz on BR I'd be using the Polaris lounge anyway, but I'm sure some pax don't know that's an option.
Sadly $25 doesn't get you very far in US airports, especially if you've got time to kill and want some food and a few drinks.
Sadly $25 doesn't get you very far in US airports, especially if you've got time to kill and want some food and a few drinks.
Last edited by CPH-Flyer; Jul 24, 2023 at 5:44 am
Jul 24, 2023, 5:17 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,667
Ok, that's pretty bad then. For some reason I thought the old JL lounge was near the UA lounges, but come to think of it I think that was the ex-SQ lounge now. I fortunately haven't been through SFO since 2018 so memory is foggy, I also naively thought all of their terminals were connected airside but from this thread learned otherwise.
Jul 24, 2023, 7:50 am
#15
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Santa Clara CA USA
Programs: CX SL, SQ SL
Posts: 276
I agree it's not ideal, but it worked well for us with wife and small kids all getting a voucher - we just pooled it and ate at the outlets on the A side until it was time to clear security and head to gate.
Last edited by BlrGuy; Jul 24, 2023 at 8:14 am