Dec 6, 2015, 9:23 am
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:
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"]:
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.
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
- American Airlines Admirals Club (near B13)
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:
- Delta Sky Club (C Concourse near C3) (FT Thread)
- Alaska Lounge (D Concourse, near retail shops after security) (FT Thread)
- American Express Centurion Lounge (near F1) (FT Thread)
- 4 United Clubs (FT Thread: Best SFO UC, Status of SFO United Clubs)
- United Polaris Lounge (near G1) - FT thread: SFO Polaris Lounge Reopened - 4 January 2022
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"]:
- Lark Creek Grill (near gate D2)
- SF Giants Clubhouse (near gate F13)
- Yankee Pier (near gate F4)
- Mustards Bar & Grill (near G3)
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.
Connecting in SFO
Jun 28, 2019, 9:43 am
#196
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 179
By contrast, if you look on the Air New Zealand website, NZ is charging only a little over $1000 USD for similar EWR-SFO-AKL flights departing EWR on November 6. Right now, on the NZ website, the most favorite option that I can see for EWR-SFO is NZ9121 (codeshare) with a connection time of 1h40m, or NZ9128 (codeshare) with a connection time of 1h35m.
Are you and I looking at the same thing?
Jun 28, 2019, 1:15 pm
#197
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,156
However now that I've looked, all I can say is that the AirNZ sight is truly horrible! There are literally dozens and dozens of viable options for the EWR->AKL route, and it shows you 6 of them. I would suggest you use something like Expedia.co.nz to look at what your options are, then use the multi-city search on AirNZ's website to book them if that's the route you want to go down. Alternatively if you know you want to go via SFO, do a multi-city search on AirNZ's website for two legs (EWR-SFO, SFO-AKL) and it'll show you more options.
Keep in mind that those are connecting to different flights. The first connects to an AirNZ flight across the Pacific. The second connects to a United flights. As was pointed out earlier, on that day having a shorter connection to the AirNZ fight is slightly lower risk, as if you do happen to miss-connect they will move you to the later United flight. If you mis-connect for the UA flight, you're waiting until the next day as there are no further flights that day.
Jun 29, 2019, 5:22 pm
#198
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 179
I hadn't been looking at prices as you hadn't included details of your entire trip (eg, class of service, and whether it was a return or one-way trip which will affect prices) - I was just looking at flights.
However now that I've looked, all I can say is that the AirNZ sight is truly horrible! There are literally dozens and dozens of viable options for the EWR->AKL route, and it shows you 6 of them. I would suggest you use something like Expedia.co.nz to look at what your options are, then use the multi-city search on AirNZ's website to book them if that's the route you want to go down. Alternatively if you know you want to go via SFO, do a multi-city search on AirNZ's website for two legs (EWR-SFO, SFO-AKL) and it'll show you more options.
However now that I've looked, all I can say is that the AirNZ sight is truly horrible! There are literally dozens and dozens of viable options for the EWR->AKL route, and it shows you 6 of them. I would suggest you use something like Expedia.co.nz to look at what your options are, then use the multi-city search on AirNZ's website to book them if that's the route you want to go down. Alternatively if you know you want to go via SFO, do a multi-city search on AirNZ's website for two legs (EWR-SFO, SFO-AKL) and it'll show you more options.
Preferably, I want to depart from EWR in the late or mid-afternoon. Of course, I need a reasonable connection time at SFO.
Based on my research using various travel websites, connecting out of SFO is cheaper than connecting out of LAX.
I'm willing to fly economy for both legs of my trip during both my departure from and return to New Jersey.
These past few days, I've been browsing both Expedia NZ and United. I've used the multi-city function on AirNZ's website, but it's somewhat cumbersome.
Which itinerary would you strongly recommend and which website would you suggest for doing the booking?
Jun 30, 2019, 2:43 pm
#199
Join Date: May 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 223
T3 to Intl Terminal
My spouse is departing T3 domestic and I am departing on B6 from the A side of Intl terminal. I see there's an airside connector btw terminals to the G concourse. But will I be able to get her to her United gate and then be able to walk to my B6 gate on the air side ?
Jun 30, 2019, 2:57 pm
#200
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,916
My spouse is departing T3 domestic and I am departing on B6 from the A side of Intl terminal. I see there's an airside connector btw terminals to the G concourse. But will I be able to get her to her United gate and then be able to walk to my B6 gate on the air side ?
Jun 30, 2019, 7:59 pm
#201
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,156
However if you want to you will still be able to go to her gate - just you'll need to re-clear security again to get to your gate. SFO was one of the first airports to allow any boarding pass access to any terminal, so give you've got a BP for a flight departing SFO (even Intl A), you're good to enter terminal 3 airside.
Jul 1, 2019, 12:00 pm
#202
Join Date: May 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 223
However if you want to you will still be able to go to her gate - just you'll need to re-clear security again to get to your gate. SFO was one of the first airports to allow any boarding pass access to any terminal, so give you've got a BP for a flight departing SFO (even Intl A), you're good to enter terminal 3 airside.
Jul 4, 2019, 1:23 am
#203
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: BAEC OW Gold/Emerald
Posts: 538
T2 - International T
On Monday I will be arriving SFO T2 at 1721 (AA1768 from LAX) to connect onto BA286 leaving 1935 all on 1 ticket.
Can someone kindly run me through the process to get to my BA gate?
I have to go landside then clear security again at the International Terminal?
Will 2 hours be enough? (Not too bothered if I don't make it TBH.)
Is there fast track security? (I am OneWorld Emerald)
Thanks
Can someone kindly run me through the process to get to my BA gate?
I have to go landside then clear security again at the International Terminal?
Will 2 hours be enough? (Not too bothered if I don't make it TBH.)
Is there fast track security? (I am OneWorld Emerald)
Thanks
Jul 4, 2019, 7:35 am
#204
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,067
On Monday I will be arriving SFO T2 at 1721 (AA1768 from LAX) to connect onto BA286 leaving 1935 all on 1 ticket.
Can someone kindly run me through the process to get to my BA gate?
I have to go landside then clear security again at the International Terminal?
Will 2 hours be enough? (Not too bothered if I don't make it TBH.)
Is there fast track security? (I am OneWorld Emerald)
Thanks
Can someone kindly run me through the process to get to my BA gate?
I have to go landside then clear security again at the International Terminal?
Will 2 hours be enough? (Not too bothered if I don't make it TBH.)
Is there fast track security? (I am OneWorld Emerald)
Thanks
Alternatively, you can take the AirTrain from Terminal 2 to International-A (Red Line). Look for the signs as you exit security.
You should have no trouble making this connection, though of course bad delays are always possible. There’s a pretty good BA lounge airside in International-A if your status gives you access. The Air France Lounge accepts Priority Pass, but unfortunately not during the hours you’ll be there.
Safe travels!
Jul 4, 2019, 9:42 am
#205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,626
You should have no trouble making this connection, though of course bad delays are always possible. There’s a pretty good BA lounge airside in International-A if your status gives you access. The Air France Lounge accepts Priority Pass, but unfortunately not during the hours you’ll be there.
Jul 4, 2019, 10:31 am
#206
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,156
There is a single entrance for all of the security lines. As you walk in you'll need to show your boarding pass and they will direct you to the correct line (PreCheck, Priority or normal) based on your boarding pass.
Jul 4, 2019, 3:35 pm
#208
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,067
I found this: https://onemileatatime.com/british-a...e-sfo-closing/
I agree with the article that the Cathay Pacific lounge is better than the BA lounge was before closing for renovation. Looks like you get in with your Emerald status. That's where you want to go. Enjoy the noodle bar!
I agree with the article that the Cathay Pacific lounge is better than the BA lounge was before closing for renovation. Looks like you get in with your Emerald status. That's where you want to go. Enjoy the noodle bar!
Jul 5, 2019, 6:03 pm
#209
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AS — views are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer
Posts: 163
The BA lounge is scheduled to re-open this coming Tuesday, July 9, 2019. (Sorry the OP will miss it by a day! That said I don't have any info about the specific renovations.) I'm an SFO information desk volunteer, and this is the info/date I just received from one of the volunteer coordinators.
Jul 7, 2019, 12:17 pm
#210
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,067
Thanks for the update, skyblue! Looks like IntVic could lounge-hop, if so inclined. Start with the noodle bar at the Cathay Pacific lounge, then head over to the new BA lounge. I assume that you will still be able to board directly from the lounge, as you could with the old lounge.