SFO Intl Terminal: paid CLUB ACCESS for the day
 

Hi all --

It's not easy to get concrete answers on which airlines clubs in the Intl SFO terminal will sell "day passes" for entry.

I will have several hours to kill in a few days while awaiting my JetBlue flight back to the east coast and I'd rather spend my time in a lounge.

The ONLY lounge that I know for certain that would work is the DELTA LOUNGE in TERMINAL A (the former NW lounge) -- entry is $50.

Are there any other lounges in the Intl Terminal (I'm not willing to terminal hop) that sell day passes besides this one DL club??

MANY THANKS

I don't believe there are on the A pier, other than DL. You could always go upstairs to the set of lounges and see if any of them offer a day pass, but (1) they probably don't, and (2) they have limited hours, revolving around their respective flight times. I also do not think BA sells day passes. (That lounge is near gates A4 and A6.)

I can't answer your question, but I can tell you that I would never pay $50 for that Delta lounge in Terminal A. There's nothing wrong with it, mind you, but it is just a basic airline lounge -- maybe worth $20 if you had a few hours to kill.

Let me ask you, though, if you've spent time in the International Terminal before. It's a beautiful place and it has a great aviation museum. The restaurants (clustered near Terminal G security on the north and A to the south) are much better than average.

I've been to most of the lounges at SFO, and the only ones I'd pay $50 for are the new Emirates lounge (airside A), the United F lounge (airside G) and the Virgin Atlantic lounge (landside A).

Thanks, folks. I really appreciate the info.

Truth be told, I'm in a program whereby I get 100% reimbursed for club lounge day passes -- otherwise, I'd probably skip the DL lounge. But, if it's a place to duck into for an hour and get some work done, connect to their WiFi and have a glass of wine (and it's FREE), then it has some merit.

thanks again!

United Club in Int'l Term
 

$50 day pass

San Francisco, CA United Club International Terminal near Gate G94

Monday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Tuesday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Wednesday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Thursday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Friday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Saturday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sunday- 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

If these times work:

4:00pm – 7:15pm (PDT) (on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday)
3:00pm – 6:15pm (PDT) (on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday)

http://virginamerica.com/travel/airport-lounge.html

You could buy a cheap, refundable one-way fare on Virgin America (e.g., SFO-LAX) and pay $35 at the airport for access to the Virgin Atlantic lounge, landside at International Terminal A. That's a very nice lounge. Of course, there is a little hassle in cancelling your res. and requesting a refund on your ticket.

San Francisco, CA United Club International Terminal near Gate G94

- down the G pier - different security, and the food/beverage offerings are crap, crappity crap crap crap. Of course, things might have improved since 4 March. However, the lounge is a lovely space.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, if you are flying Jet Blue you cannot get into the United Club because you will only have access to the A side of the International Terminal, not the G side, which are not inter-connected airside.

I would also question whether it really is all that nice of a place to hang out. It's offers a very out-dated design, blaring television sets, an unfriendly bar tender and next to no amenities.

With several hours to spare, I'd take BART to Embarcadero and hang out in the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants.... but then that would involve spending my own money!

All of this is correct. This is a standard United Club -- the three towers o'crap, the shortbread, the packaged carrots, and the packaged cheese.

museum etc.
 

i'm with dhuey in recommending the excellent museum - and there are a ton of good (really good) restaurants in the international terminal (i understand tho that sometimes you want to get away from the crowd into a lounge, esp. if you get reimbursed) - if your timing worked, the virgin lounge would have been a great one

like everyone else who's been there, i find the UA lounge a real embarrassment (embarrassing for UA, and for SFO, for San Francisco, and for the entire USA! but i think our foreign visitors learn very quickly that there are pitifully few really good lounges in our great nation)

i guess we'd be interested to know what your solution was when you flew out last month?

Is it possible to terminal hop easily in SFO? ie I want to go to Terminal 2, but I'll have a boarding pass for Terminal 3

Yes. When the BP checker lets you know that you're in the wrong terminal, you let them know that the lounge you'll be visiting is in the one you're trying to enter, and they'll let you through. There is no airside 2 to 3 connector.