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Early Morning Departure SFO - Security

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Old Mar 12, 2017, 6:10 pm
  #1  
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Early Morning Departure SFO - Security
Hello all,

I have an upcoming 5am flight departing from SFO and was when I need to get to the airport... Flight is Alaska flight departing from the international terminal.

According to this page: http://www.flysfo.com/flight-info/security

The international terminal TSA screening hours are 5am - 2am. Does this mean I need to be at the airport prior to 2am to actually get on my flight?

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Thanks
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Old Mar 12, 2017, 6:24 pm
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I'm guessing the SFO website is inaccurate on that. They would have to be opening up security at least an hour before the earliest departure, otherwise all sorts of people would miss the flight. I think security probably opens up at 4 am in International-A. Maybe someone here can confirm that.
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Old Mar 12, 2017, 8:33 pm
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Found the precheck schedule
https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/schedule


and if you plug in SFO on a weekday it looks like intl Terminal Checkpoints open at 4 AM.
If precheck is open I'm guessing one standard one is too.
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Old Mar 12, 2017, 10:01 pm
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Originally Posted by squeakr
https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/schedule


and if you plug in SFO on a weekday it looks like intl Terminal Checkpoints open at 4 AM.
If precheck is open I'm guessing one standard one is too.
I tried your link, but it's showing International Terminal Pre-check as being open starting at 5am?

Even it is open at 4am, that seems to be cutting it a bit close...
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Old Mar 12, 2017, 10:26 pm
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Originally Posted by pentiumvi
Even it is open at 4am, that seems to be cutting it a bit close...
What time is your flight?
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Old Mar 12, 2017, 11:12 pm
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Originally Posted by pentiumvi
I tried your link, but it's showing International Terminal Pre-check as being open starting at 5am?

Even it is open at 4am, that seems to be cutting it a bit close...
It's the 5:15 am Seattle flight, right? Opening at 4 am is plenty of time to get everyone through security. The next flight is 6:05 to Portland, so your flight is pretty much all TSA has to handle at that gawdawful hour.
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Old Mar 13, 2017, 1:16 am
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Originally Posted by dhuey
It's the 5:15 am Seattle flight, right? Opening at 4 am is plenty of time to get everyone through security. The next flight is 6:05 to Portland, so your flight is pretty much all TSA has to handle at that gawdawful hour.
Correct. It's the terrible 5:15 flight to Seattle.

I suppose if it's the only flight, then I should be fine. There have been times when TSA could be pretty slow...

Fingers crossed
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Old Mar 13, 2017, 9:24 am
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The more interesting question, if you have to get up at 3am to get this flight, whether it's worth going to bed at all.
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Old Mar 13, 2017, 11:53 am
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Originally Posted by pentiumvi
Correct. It's the terrible 5:15 flight to Seattle.
You have the honor of being on the first SFO departure of the day, if we say that the day starts after the 3-4 wee hours of no departures (a few departures a little after midnight). Upside: pretty sure you won't have to queue up for takeoff.
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Old Mar 13, 2017, 12:38 pm
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
The more interesting question, if you have to get up at 3am to get this flight, whether it's worth going to bed at all.
That question is not particularly interesting. Necessary, but not interesting.
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Old Mar 14, 2017, 7:46 am
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
That question is not particularly interesting. Necessary, but not interesting.
I had a 6am flight once fromDTW-SFO. I left a bar in Royal Oak at 02:00, returned the rental car at 0300, cleared security by 0330 and then tried unsuccessfully to sleep under a row of chairs at the gate.

Thats was the worst flight of my life.
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Old Mar 19, 2017, 2:03 pm
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Originally Posted by dhuey
You have the honor of being on the first SFO departure of the day, if we say that the day starts after the 3-4 wee hours of no departures (a few departures a little after midnight). Upside: pretty sure you won't have to queue up for takeoff.
Unless they are landing on 28 and departing on 10, as they sometimes do in the overnight hours. Same runway, different direction
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Old Mar 19, 2017, 2:49 pm
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And you can get your morning exercise by going all the way to the end gates.
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