Nov 27, 2016, 1:30 pm

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UA has announced that the SFO Polaris lounge is opening 30 April 2018

Summary
The International UC is closed for renovation to a Polaris Club. The SQ & BR lounges have been closed and will be integrated into the new facility. Polaris lounge open 30 April 2018.
SFO Polaris Lounge opens 30 April 2018 (Previews - Press 25th, MP 27th)

The old GFL (near G99) has been converted into a premium cabin international lounge (not an UC). Eventually, it will be converted into a UC for the non-premium cabin international passengers (*G in economy). Now operating as an United Club

The F and E concourse UCs plus again the temporary mezzanine UC lounge (across from Gate 71) are options for those not eligible for the temporary G premium cabin international lounge.

sign

Previous Updates

1 Oct 2017 on united.com

Quote:

On October 1, the United Club location in the International Terminal will be closed to launch its transition into a United Polaris lounge. An additional United Club location will open across from Gate 71A on the mezzanine level at the end of September. Customers departing out of the International Terminal should allow 10-15 minutes to walk to their gate from the United Club location in Gate 71A or Concourse F.

posted 23 Sept 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oregonflyer

Bummer - was just in GF lounge and was told that in two weeks it will be a United Club - no showers, no open bar, etc. Was also told that "Polaris" is just a marketing term and that until the actual Polaris lounge opens in 8 months, it's United Clubs for everyone. .....

posted 28 Sept 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by geclub1

EVA just sent out an email announcement that its SFO lounge is closed as of 1OCT17.

Quote:

Originally Posted by findark

.... in the F club at SFO right now and there are signs announcing that the G club will close (entirely!) as of 01-Oct-17 for Polaris renovations. Possibly replaced by the decommissioned GFL?

Quote:

Closure of San Francisco SilverKris Lounge for renovations

The Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge in San Francisco will be closed for renovations starting from 01 October 2017. As part of the renovations, Singapore Airlines will begin a transition to a newly constructed, shared lounge facility operated by our Star Alliance partner, United Airlines. It is scheduled to open in early 2018.

Earlier thread summary
Summary of posts suggest the present SFO Global First Lounge will be available for much of first half of 2017. Reports are that the current Global First Lounge will become a "regular" UC, while the current international (G Terminal) UC will become a Polaris club (which will integrate the space currently housing the SQ & BR lounges). UA is also constructing a new UC, either in Terminal G or E (or both). Construction has begun in the G Terminal United Club, a large portion of which is now boarded off. Latest info from UA suggests "summer 2018" for the SFO Polaris lounge opening.

{Similar Threads:
Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread) --- UA Polaris lounge update site
Polaris lounge ORD - opened 01 Dec 2016 (wiki) (thread)
SFO Lounge changes? Which will become Polaris? Shower options?(wiki) (thread)
United Polaris-New Business Class seats & inflight service and new Polaris Lounges(wiki) (thread)}

SFO G UC closed, reopens as Polaris Lounge 30 Apr 2018, old GFL is now the intl UC

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Jan 14, 2018, 10:08 pm

#571

bocastephen

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Quote:

Originally Posted by findark

Last time I was in the AF lounge they had French wines and small sandwiches and whatnot - I though it was a fine lounge. Not sure if it changed.

For the AF flights, they roll out the good stuff - for the Air Canada (and I think Air China IIRC from my last visit), they pack everything in the back and put out water and candy and that's it.

Jan 14, 2018, 11:32 pm

#572

restlessinRNO

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bocastephen

Maybe they changed - as of a year or so ago, they had a sign posted that showed which flights departed from G and which from A, and with no airside transfer between the two, it was a real hassle - add in the Air France lounge in A that they contracted with that only served glasses of water with some hard candy, and the whole experience was a turn-off.

If they moved all of the flights to G, it would be a plus - but of course, still no entry to the temp or perm Polaris lounge either way.

I remember taking an AC SFO-YYZ flight a year or two ago, from the A gates. I loved it! As *G, I used the AF lounge, and it did indeed have French champagne, as well as wines. Travelling in Y, it beat the UC lounges.

Jan 15, 2018, 12:12 am

#573

D582

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Quote:

Originally Posted by findark

I'm honestly surprised they didn't add an airside connection (when originally building) at a super-mezzanine level, given how big and airy the departures hall is (sort of like arriving at TBIT).

Current SFO development plan calls for re-design of ITB lobby with consolidated central security checkpoint and airside connection between A and G (and potential future boarding area H). Not sure when it will happen though.

Jan 15, 2018, 12:14 am

#574

D582

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Kacee

They're listed on the SFO website as G gates, and all of today's flights were to/from G. I don't know if they have the occasional outlier in A.

AC stopped using A in early 2016 if I recall. Unfortunately they have occasionally experienced gate constraint issues in G as a result.

Jan 16, 2018, 3:36 pm

#575

GloballyServiced

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LOL at the hot bar in the SFO lounge being replaced by two fridges of coors lite. That ravioli they had was pretty good but I guess the downgrade was inevitable.

Jan 18, 2018, 2:46 pm

#576

Girlmusttravel

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SFO Polaris lounge

Hi, first-time poster. I don't generally travel with United but have an upcoming business-class ticket SFO-SIN. A United rep on the phone told me I was eligible to use the Polaris lounge in San Francisco. However, from all I've been able to find on the internet, the lounge is not yet open.

Can anyone who has recently been at SFO please tell me if the rep is correct and that the lounge is open?

Thanks.

Jan 18, 2018, 2:51 pm

#577

IAH-OIL-TRASH

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It’s not open, but UA is operating a long-haul lounge in the former Global First Lounge. Nowhere near what a Polaris lounge will be like but the food/drink is a little better than a United Club. Could get very crowded at certain times. Don’t expect too much and you won’t be dissapointed.

Jan 18, 2018, 2:51 pm

#578

findark

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There is no Polaris Lounge in SFO. You can use any open lounge, including the premium cabin departure lounge halfway down G pier (recommended), or any of the United Clubs in Terminal 3.

Jan 18, 2018, 2:51 pm

#579

WineCountryUA

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Girlmusttravel

... Can anyone who has recently been at SFO please tell me if the rep is correct and that the lounge is open? ....

No true Polaris lounge yet at SFO. There is the old GFL (near G99), now being used for long-haul premium cabin passengers departing from SFO. Better than standard UCs but not Polaris Lounge level.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 18, 2018 at 2:57 pm Reason: added location

Jan 18, 2018, 3:05 pm

#580

Girlmusttravel

Join Date: Jan 2018

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Took me a moment to find this, but thank you for the replies. The rep was insistent that the Polaris lounge opened last year. There are close to 6 hours before my flight, so I'll check out the GFL lounge.

You guys are great sources of information. Thanks again.