Kacee

Depends. Are you checking bags? How are you getting to the airport? What time is your departure?

Premier check-in is still at far east end of T3, but I virtually never go there.

NoLaGent

Bags - yes, 3.
Uber
11:25am

I just assumed that Pre at the main F will be a mess (which kind of diminishes CLEAR), hence my thinking of F3, but I could be way off base.

Thanks!

SF_DUKE

F1 (secondary checkpoint) closest to the AMEX lounge has limited hours (closes at 5:30p) and no dedicated pre-check screening lane. They will give you a pre-check card.

Clear is available at F1, but often times they recommend going to the main F3 checkpoint if the merged screening lane gets too long. Found Clear at F1 to be hit or miss with the staffing there.

Kacee

There's no Pre at F3 (which is the checkpoint closest to Centurion). Basically the choice is between F1 (main check-point) and G Terminal. With three bags flying domestic, You're probably stuck with Premier check-in and F1. The good news is 11:25 is post morning rush. I'd still leave extra time today. It's probably going to take 15 minutes just to get to T3 from 101.

btw, to avoid confusion on which checkpoint is which, here's the map: SFO Security Map

NoLaGent

Thanks again! So it sounds like my gut instinct for CLEAR and F3 at the far West end is correct.

Happy travels and happy Thanksgiving to all!

Kacee

F3 has no Pre. Clear will take you to the front of the Pre line at F1.

Sorry for any confusion on which checkpoint is which, the post above mine has them reversed. I've corrected my post.

Good luck, I suspect there are lines in your future regardless

NoLaGent

No need to apologize, but now I'm more confused than ever. I've been flying out of T2 almost exclusively for too long now.

Are you saying that F1+Clear+Pre is a better idea than F3+Clear?

Kacee

If you're checking bags, you'll walk past F1 first. If Clear looks reasonable, I would do that. If there's a huge Clear back-up, you might consider continuing down to F3.

I never use F3 since they closed Pre. It still gets huge lines which move slowly due to the full shoes off, laptops out, Millimeter Wave scanners, etc.

NoLaGent

F1 was a breeze, 45 seconds from Clear to Pre to scanner! In the rotunda UC with a Bloody. Thanks again!

SF_DUKE

Sorry for the confusion. The Clear info on the SFO website had it reversed. With all the numbering changes, I got mixed up.

I still prefer F3 even though there is no dedicated pre-check screening lane. The pre-check cards work fine and saves time to walk all the way back to the Centurion.

Kacee

Makes sense. I'm usually coming from BART or G Garage so I typically use G security. If I'm getting dropped at T3 by Uber, I want out of the car as quickly as possible, which means F1 will be closer. F1 is one of the stations where Clear can save you a bunch of time because the pre line is often quite long.

I also have given up on Centurion due to the crowds, so it's not really a consideration for me.

droopydog

The line for Premier check-in at SFO terminal 3 was over an hour this morning. The line started at the Global Services room and snaked down all the way to the elevators at the end of the terminal on the terminal 2 side and then wrapped back around. There was no separate line for Polaris or 1K which led to a number of grumpy people.

The conveyor belt was stopped and a mountain of luggage behind the counter was building. I am guessing that downstairs was overloaded.


The security lines were also pretty long, but Clear was very fast.

Kacee

Looks more like concert fans rushing the gate than an actual line. This is what I dislike most about the SFO Premier set-up - the complete lack of any organization. A close second being lack of a dedicated 1K/Polaris line.

I nearly had an anxiety attack just looking at that pic.

narvik

There is no dedicated 1K/Polaris line??? At SFO???
That's insane!
Makes EWR look like a poster-child!

Boraxo

Wow I won't complain next time I have to wait 15 minutes to check luggage. Unfortunately this is not surprising given the holiday surge. And I also find it intolerable that C/F/1K do not have a separate desk. Another reason it doesn't make sense to do a MR for status >Gold.

IMO this is one of the single worst parts of flying UA from SFO. If you have a boarding pass and no luggage then you can easily avoid these lines and count on clearing security in <5 minutes with CLEAR. But you are basically up a creek if:

(1) you can't check luggage with a skycap (i.e. some international itineraries)
(2) you can't get a boarding pass online or from a kiosk (again, seems to happen when the system requires a visa check for international flights)
(3) you want to standby or change a ticket and can't do it through the app.

Thankfully the international terminal seems much more efficient (particularly for elite and biz class passengers) but it is hell in the F terminal if your first leg is domestic.