Old Dec 6, 2015, 9:23 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Zorak
Official SFO terminal map
Check the official SFO airlines listing to see which concourse your airline generally arrives/departs from.

Gate numbers at SFO now include both the concourse letter and the gate number, starting over at 1 for each concourse. Prior to Oct 16, 2019 gates were simply numbered 1-102 starting from 1 in the A concourse through 102 in the G concourse.



SFO has 2 main airside zones:

1. International Terminal A, Gates A1-A15 and Terminal 1 (Harvey Milk), Concourse B, Gates B1-B27

[Note that there is a short airside corridor between the A and B Concourses. You can enter security from A and go to B gates, and vice versa. The AirTrain station at Terminal 1-B is temporarily closed as of 9-22-21.]

Airside Lounges in International-A:
  • Cathay Pacific (near A1) - TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS OF 9/22/21
  • Japan Airlines Sakura (near A1)
  • Emirates (between A2-6) TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS OF 9/22/21
  • Air France/KLM (near A1) - also accessible to Priority Pass holders departing International Terminal A (access may be restricted at certain hours)
  • British Airways (between A5-9) (FT Thread) - includes a First Class section inside
  • China Airlines (near A1) (recent TR w/photo link)
  • Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge (near A1) TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS OF 9/22/21
  • Virgin Atlantic Club House (near A1) - also accesible to AMEX Platinum/Centurion cardholders
Airside Lounges in Terminal 1-B (Harvey Milk):
  • American Airlines Admirals Club (near B13)
[CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: Both the airside and landside corridors between International-A and Terminal 1-B (Harvey Milk) are now open. It's about a five-minute walk between terminals.] Closure info from flysfo.com




2. Terminal 2, Concourses C and D, Terminal 3, Concourses E and F and International Terminal G, Gates C2-C11, D1-D18, E1-E13, F1-F22, and G1-G14
(as of November 1, 2019 gate C1 is planned for some point in the future)

[Note that there are short airside corridors between the C and D Concourses, the D and E Concourses, and the F and G Concourses. You can enter security from C, D, E, F, or G Concourses and go to gates in any of this group of Concourses.]

Airside Lounges:
Landside SkyTerrace open Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon 10a-6p: (FlySFO) (FT Thread)

Priority Pass eligible restaurants. [Note that PP card issued via American Express Platinum does not include "restaurant lounges"]: There is an outdoor viewing deck (post-security) in terminal G open daily 7a-11:30p: (FlySFO) (FT Thread)

It's possible to walk between gates in a single zone, but going from one zone to another requires clearing security. Several FTers have reported resistance from BP checkers and TSA agents when you try to enter a concourse that is not connected airside to your departure gate. They are mistaken; you can use a same day boarding pass departing SFO at any of the security checkpoints. Press the issue (politely), and you'll get in.

The landside connector between B and C is currently closed due to construction. To go between these two terminals you either need to go upstairs and take the AirTrain, or go down into the parking garage where you can walk freely (on well-marked pedestrian crosswalks) between terminals as well (pictures for walking in the garage can be found in post 512)

If you're arriving from an international destination, unless it's one of the pre-clearance airports, you'll have to clear Customs and Immigration at SFO and then need a departing boarding pass to clear security. SFO has the typical baggage re-check counters right after Customs for connecting passengers. They are usually open, but if closed, you'll need to lug your luggage to the regular domestic check-in counter of your connecting airline.

There's an AirTrain that runs between terminals (including the two parking garages connected to either side of the International Terminal) and the rental car center. AirTrain now has a stop at the long term parking lot. There is one on-airport hotel, a Grand Hyatt, accessible via the AirTrain. Personally, if forum regulars rob_flies_ua and dhuey need to connect between secure zones with only carry-ons, they just walk between terminals instead of waiting for the train. Returnoftheyeti and makfan will walk from BART to all terminals as well.

BART is the local regional commuter rail. The BART station is located on the north side of the airport, adjacent to International Terminal G. You can exit the paid area in two locations. One is by going up an escalator in the middle of the station and then connecting to the air train. You can also walk to the end of the station. Upon exiting you will be in the International terminal, near the chapel. A one-way ticket from SFO to downtown is $9.65.

For things to do on your layover in SFO, check out http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-f...d-threads.html
Outside of the secure zone, but adjacent to International Terminal G is the SFO Museum

Renovation of Boarding Area C will include a connector to T1-B and is expected to be completed by 2024, following which the entire airport will be connected airside (however going from A to G would require passing through B, C, D, E and F).

AirTrain Map:


As the map shows, Red Line runs clockwise; Blue Line runs counterclockwise. The mistake to avoid is getting on the Blue Line and heading off to the rental car center and long term parking lot when you were only trying to go from one terminal to another (e.g., don't take Blue when you want to go from International-G to Terminal 1). CAUTION: recently when arriving in the late evening, the red line has been closed, and only the blue line is operating but in the opposite direction from the arrows show. Keep an eye out for "sandwich board" signs on the platform, and pay attention to the overhead video screens by the boarding doors for accurate real-time directional info.
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Connecting in SFO

Old Jun 9, 2019, 4:32 pm
  #181  
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Originally Posted by busy
Read through this thread and just wanted to confirm. To go between UA and AA domestic gates you must clear security (terminal 3 to 1) even if no checked luggage?
That is correct. They are not connected airside.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 6:25 pm
  #182  
 
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Originally Posted by busy
Read through this thread and just wanted to confirm. To go between UA and AA domestic gates you must clear security (terminal 3 to 1) even if no checked luggage?
AA is in terminal 2, not terminal 1.

However the end result is the same - T2 and T3 are not connected airside.
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Old Jun 10, 2019, 9:35 am
  #183  
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Originally Posted by docbert
AA is in terminal 2, not terminal 1.

However the end result is the same - T2 and T3 are not connected airside.
Nitpick: AA sometimes uses a couple of gates in T1-C (the mostly Delta concourse). Still, the advice to the OP is the same even in the unlikely event that in incoming flight arrives in one of these T1-C gates.
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Old Jun 21, 2019, 2:39 am
  #184  
 
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Hello everyone. I'm sure this question has been raised in this thread many times before. But I need to be 100% assured. This is because I've never flown into or out of SFO, let alone board a connecting flight there.

This November I'm flying from EWR to AKL with a layover at SFO. My domestic flight from EWR to SFO is with United, and my connecting international flight from SFO to AKL is with Air New Zealand.

According to the SFO airport map, all domestic UA flights fly into Concourse F, and Air New Zealand flies out of Concourse G. However, both concourses are located within T3.

From what I've researched, once I deplane my UA flight, I can simply walk from Concourse F to Concourse G for my Air New Zealand flight without having to go through security screening.

However, my layover at SFO is only 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Will I have enough time to get from F gates to the G gates for my outbound international flight?

Thanks everyone.
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Old Jun 21, 2019, 8:56 am
  #185  
 
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Originally Posted by Jericho-79
However, my layover at SFO is only 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Will I have enough time to get from F gates to the G gates for my outbound international flight?
Yes. Your inbound flight will land terminal 3 (concourse E or F, but they are connected) or possibly the International terminal (concourse G). Your outbound will leave from the International terminal (concourse G). All 3 of these concourses are connected air-side, and it will take you at most about 15 minutes to go from gate-to-gate - potentially less depending on the exact gates. Be sure NOT to exit the secure area, and just follow the signs.

Personally I probably wouldn't book an 80 minute connection for this, not because it's not doable in most cases, just because if your inbound is late you'll be spending an extra 24 hours in SF - but in most cases you'll make this connection without issue.
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Old Jun 21, 2019, 9:46 pm
  #186  
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Concur. This should be an easy connection provided there are no significant ATC or weather delays at EWR or SFO. Better odds on morning flights than evening. They do tend to pad the scheduled times.

IMO the best course is to monitor the actual flight times for a week and see how they roll.
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Old Jun 22, 2019, 11:34 am
  #187  
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Id book this 1hr20min connection. Of course there are no guarantees, but odds are good. The EWR flight will have priority over the shorter flights within the West Coast if there are delays. As mentioned above, be sure not to exit security. Follow the signs to International Terminal. Right after the Centurion Lounge youll see an airside hallway that takes you to International. Good luck.
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 8:10 am
  #188  
 
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Thanks guys. According to a bunch of travel website that I've been using, the EWR-SFO-AKL route is WAY cheaper than the EWR-LAX-AKL route. The only difference is that the layover at LAX is well over 2 hours. Plus, in most of my travels, I've had not-so-great experiences every time I've flown through, into, or out of LAX.

So most of you Bay Area experts would recommend connecting at SFO, even though the layover time is less than 2 hours?

There's only a slim chance that my inbound EWR-SFO flight might be delayed?
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Old Jun 23, 2019, 9:46 am
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Originally Posted by Jericho-79
There's only a slim chance that my inbound EWR-SFO flight might be delayed?
Presuming you're talking UA1584 from EWR-SFO connecting to Air NZ, then twice in the past 8 days you would missed your connection, and on a 3rd day you would have had 30 mins to make it.
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Old Jun 25, 2019, 5:25 am
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Originally Posted by docbert
Presuming you're talking UA1584 from EWR-SFO connecting to Air NZ, then twice in the past 8 days you would missed your connection, and on a 3rd day you would have had 30 mins to make it.
My apologies. But I don't understand what you mean by this.

Are those supposed to be statistics?

I've been eying the Air New Zealand website, and I don't see any UA flights with the flight number "1584" designated for the days on which I wish to travel.
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Old Jun 25, 2019, 8:46 am
  #191  
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Originally Posted by Jericho-79
I've been eying the Air New Zealand website, and I don't see any UA flights with the flight number "1584" designated for the days on which I wish to travel.
UA1584 is a flight on the current schedule which departs from EWR at 5:00pm and arrives at SFO at 8:24 pm.

Flight numbers sometimes change when schedules are published or updated.

To provide you with better advice, it would help to know the flight numbers and the approximate time of year that you wish to travel.
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Old Jun 25, 2019, 8:50 am
  #192  
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Originally Posted by Jericho-79
My apologies. But I don't understand what you mean by this.

Are those supposed to be statistics?

I've been eying the Air New Zealand website, and I don't see any UA flights with the flight number "1584" designated for the days on which I wish to travel.
Air New Zealand don't fly between EWR and SFO. If they're selling you a flight on that route it's a codeshare operated by United. UA1584 in particular appears to (currently at least) have a codeshare of NZ9122.
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Old Jun 25, 2019, 12:32 pm
  #193  
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Originally Posted by TWA884
UA1584 is a flight on the current schedule which departs from EWR at 5:00pm and arrives at SFO at 8:24 pm.

Flight numbers sometimes change when schedules are published or updated.

To provide you with better advice, it would help to know the flight numbers and the approximate time of year that you wish to travel.
Among these reasons these details are important is that on some days United has a flight to Auckland that departs later in the evening than the NZ flight. If that's the case on the OP's travel date, it makes the connection less risky, as there's a decent chance of getting on the UA flight if the incoming EWR is badly delayed. Given the codeshare arrangement between UA and NZ, a switch to the UA flight might even happen automatically if there's a delay (UA and NZ frequent fliers might know if that happens).
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Last edited by dhuey; Jun 25, 2019 at 1:18 pm
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Old Jun 27, 2019, 3:30 pm
  #194  
 
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Originally Posted by TWA884
To provide you with better advice, it would help to know the flight numbers and the approximate time of year that you wish to travel.
My plan is to depart from EWR for AKL on November 6. Most of the United flights on that date depart EWR during the mid-afternoon and arrive at SFO in the early evening.

As such, the connection times for outbound New Zealand flights that are currently being offered are approximately 90 minutes.

Originally Posted by Zorak
Air New Zealand don't fly between EWR and SFO. If they're selling you a flight on that route it's a codeshare operated by United. UA1584 in particular appears to (currently at least) have a codeshare of NZ9122.
I understand that fact. I'm looking exclusively at Air New Zealand's website, and not United's. On Air New Zealand's website, they're giving me flight UA flight numbers for the EWR-SFO trip and NZ flight numbers for the SFO-AKL trip.
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Old Jun 27, 2019, 4:20 pm
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Originally Posted by Jericho-79
My plan is to depart from EWR for AKL on November 6.
That's after the daylight savings changes (which means that SFO-AKL flight leaves a few hours earlier), which is why the flight number I mentioned won't be one of the options.

The options I can see for EWR-SFO are UA583 which gives you 1h40m to connect, UA1978 which gives 2h29m, or UA2080 which gives 4h29m.

If it was me, I'd be taking the middle of those - UA1978. 2 1/2 hours is longer than needed in most cases, but gives a good buffer in case the inbound is late. That said, the shorter option would have you connecting without much issue the majority of the time - but over the past week that flight has been over an hour late twice. On both those occasions you would have still had 30-40 mins to connect which is very doable, but it's obviously cutting it tight.
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