SFO Airtrain
Mar 1, 2022 | 10:46 am
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Norn Iron
Posts: 284
SFO Airtrain
If I am arriving on either AA from JFK or AS from LAS is it any easier to use the AirTrain or to just walk it to the BART station and vice versa? It doesn't look like that long a walk but I don't know the most direct route or if it is all on the same level.
Mar 1, 2022 | 12:04 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Go west young man!
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It's a brisk 15 minute walk from the exit of either Terminal 1 (AA) or Terminal 2 (AS) to BART, plus the distance from your gate to the exit. There is a signed path the whole way. Airtrain is faster, though I usually walk for the exercise. From T2 there is a shortcut through the lower level garage that can cut the trip in half but there are no signs and you're likely to get lost on your first try.
Mar 1, 2022 | 1:29 pm
#3
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The longest part of the AA walk might be getting from the end of the B gates to the front of the terminal.
The entire airport is one big circle, but right now there is a big hole in the ground between T1 and T2, so you can't walk between the two of them (except via the parking garage). I would walk. You can probably walk the entire airport loop landside (except during the current construction) in about 20 minutes.
Mar 5, 2022 | 1:16 pm
#5
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I walk from AA, and I take AirTrain from AS. The overall distance is probably very similar, but AS is a very short walk to AirTrain, whereas with AA, by the time you get to AirTrain it's maybe 5 minutes more to walk to BART.
Total time for either should be under 15 minutes unless you get unlucky catching AirTrain from T2.
Total time for either should be under 15 minutes unless you get unlucky catching AirTrain from T2.
Dec 21, 2025 | 4:40 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SFO/NYC
Programs: UA/AS; Bonvoy
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How often does the AirTrain at SFO run? The official website doesn't say, and I'm trying to figure out how much time I need to leave to get from Long Term Parking to the terminals.
Dec 21, 2025 | 7:17 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2013
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How often does the AirTrain at SFO run? The official website doesn't say, and I'm trying to figure out how much time I need to leave to get from Long Term Parking to the terminals.
I start to get nervous if I dont pass through LTP entry gate before T-60 min, even carryon only.
Finding a parking spot (unreliable overhead sensors), walking to the LTP station, and the long ride to the terminals can eat up a lot of time.
Dec 22, 2025 | 3:17 pm
#8
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The webpage you linked to says departures as frequent as every four minutes which sounds about right.
I start to get nervous if I dont pass through LTP entry gate before T-60 min, even carryon only.
Finding a parking spot (unreliable overhead sensors), walking to the LTP station, and the long ride to the terminals can eat up a lot of time.
I start to get nervous if I dont pass through LTP entry gate before T-60 min, even carryon only.
Finding a parking spot (unreliable overhead sensors), walking to the LTP station, and the long ride to the terminals can eat up a lot of time.
Dec 22, 2025 | 11:49 pm
#9
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For whatever reason, they were holding the train at each stop for 2+ minutes. I'm wondering if it has to do with keeping the distances between the trains the same given that there is one fewer station?
It was super frustrating
Dec 24, 2025 | 12:22 am
#10
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It's a total of 7 stops now - rental cars, west field road, hyatt, Intl A parking, Intl A, 1, 2.
For whatever reason, they were holding the train at each stop for 2+ minutes. I'm wondering if it has to do with keeping the distances between the trains the same given that there is one fewer station?
It was super frustrating
For whatever reason, they were holding the train at each stop for 2+ minutes. I'm wondering if it has to do with keeping the distances between the trains the same given that there is one fewer station?
It was super frustrating
Sometimes I almost wish they would have found a way to connect the Grand Hyatt with Intl A Parking station (maybe put a moving walkway or something) so that there's one less stop. And I can count how many times I've seen someone use the West Field Rd stop on one hand in the few dozens of times I've used the AirTrain between LTP and the terminals. Although perhaps there's certain times of the day where it's more heavily used.
Jan 4, 2026 | 4:59 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SFO/NYC
Programs: UA/AS; Bonvoy
Posts: 287
Thank you all very much for the insight! Glad to know that the train does come reasonably often -- I have been burned by SF public transit too many times to quite trust the website, so I appreciate folks' firsthand knowledge. The extended dwell time does sound extremely aggravating, though 
For this particular trip, I think LTP is still the best option for us. We will just leave some extra time to find a spot and get to the gates. We are carry-on only and have PreCheck, so hopefully even if there is some sort of unexpected delay, we will still have plenty of time.
For this particular trip, I think LTP is still the best option for us. We will just leave some extra time to find a spot and get to the gates. We are carry-on only and have PreCheck, so hopefully even if there is some sort of unexpected delay, we will still have plenty of time.
Jan 5, 2026 | 4:28 pm
#12
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Last time two times I rode Airtrain, in late December, the door open times were normal.
You might consider ParkSFO. Many of us prefer that to LTP.
You might consider ParkSFO. Many of us prefer that to LTP.
Jan 5, 2026 | 7:39 pm
#13
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Thank you all very much for the insight! Glad to know that the train does come reasonably often -- I have been burned by SF public transit too many times to quite trust the website, so I appreciate folks' firsthand knowledge. The extended dwell time does sound extremely aggravating, though
For this particular trip, I think LTP is still the best option for us. We will just leave some extra time to find a spot and get to the gates. We are carry-on only and have PreCheck, so hopefully even if there is some sort of unexpected delay, we will still have plenty of time.
For this particular trip, I think LTP is still the best option for us. We will just leave some extra time to find a spot and get to the gates. We are carry-on only and have PreCheck, so hopefully even if there is some sort of unexpected delay, we will still have plenty of time.
Jan 5, 2026 | 9:20 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 2,139
Spoiler: its totally the Wizards that run it.
Jan 5, 2026 | 10:24 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2013
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Experienced the even longer than normal wait times over the weekend. Probably was around 2 min. This was after landing past midnight, so it could have been due to time of day. I don't remember the stops taking so long when I took it during afternoon hours flying out.