SFO Terminal 3 West Remodel started - July 2024

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Aug 16, 2025 | 9:14 pm
  #721  
Quote: I've been following this thread closely, and I thought the "new" Club was coming to T3 - built atop the existing lounge (in addition to the new club in the connector). Haven't read/heard anything about a T2 lounge.
Quote: It looks like UA is adding a "international club" in the soon-to-be-built F-G connector building. . . . I wonder whether that means another UA Club or if it's a second Polaris lounge (which might not be a bad idea.)
Thank you for sharing the design drawings. The new United Club (UC) near the base of Concourse F is clearly labeled "United Club", and the existing Polaris Lounge (PL) in Concourse G as a "United Polaris Lounge".

Hence, the designation of a facility in the soon-to-be-built F-G connector building as a "United International Club" is intriguing. If it were another UC or PL one would think they would say so. Especially as the view from airside shows an upstairs "United Airlines Club" below the "Credit Card Lounge" and two floors of "Operational Office Tenants".

Yet perhaps the architects are unfamiliar with UA brand names, and this is simply another UC, adjacent to the International Terminal, to supplement or replace the existing Concourse G "basement dungeon" UC that is clearly inadequate in capacity. In my view, that would be far more likely than a second PL.

Quote: Yes, a new T3 is clearly in the retro plans. A T2 lounge has been rumored for some time with the increased UA usage of T2. The AS lounge has been occupied by AMEX during the retro but might be avialable post retro. Another location up by the AC lounge has been speculated. But yes T2 lounge has been in the rumor mill for some time.
Since this renovation ("reno") pertains to Terminal 3 (Concourses E & F), any new T2 UC would likely be announced separately from the T3 reno.

This thread is of high interest to me because of my occasional returns "home" to the Bay Area, and undoubtedly to numerous other FlyerTalkers. It will clearly surpass 1,000 posts.
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Aug 16, 2025 | 11:15 pm
  #722  
Quote: Yet perhaps the architects are unfamiliar with UA brand names, and this is simply another UC, adjacent to the International Terminal, to supplement or replace the existing Concourse G "basement dungeon" UC that is clearly inadequate in capacity. In my view, that would be far more likely than a second PL.
You're probably right that it's another UC, but they really should add a UC and increase PL capacity. Since there's going to be construction anyway, why not do it now? IMHO, the existing PL can get packed, and its current size doesn't seem sustainable long-term, especially if some *A flights move from A to the new swing gates.
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Aug 17, 2025 | 5:18 am
  #723  
Isn’t the ‘International Club’ where the arrivals lounge at SFO is (or generally in that area)? Perhaps that is what it is referring to. If so, would be nice if that space could be done up a little bit.
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Aug 17, 2025 | 7:08 am
  #724  
Quote: Isn’t the ‘International Club’ where the arrivals lounge at SFO is (or generally in that area)?
No, it's not. That lounge was landside, on the baggage claim level, and it's been closed for like 5 years now.

That entire section of the terminal (between T3 and G) will have a multi-level addition built on top, which is where the new lounge space will be, including apparently both a United lounge and a common-use (i.e., credit card operator) lounge.
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Aug 17, 2025 | 7:08 am
  #725  
Gleaning info from other websites:

T2 UC coming .. near the MLL
T3 UC (30,000 SF) will be developed on a floor above where the outbound bouncy walkway was
New upper level Intl UC will be near where the new credit card lounge is going to be developed. Near where the Amex Club was/will be located.
Unclear whether the E and G dungeon will be retained, but I’m guessing they’ll be given back.
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Aug 17, 2025 | 11:59 am
  #726  
Quote: Gleaning info from other websites:

T2 UC coming .. near the MLL
T3 UC (30,000 SF) will be developed on a floor above where the outbound bouncy walkway was
New upper level Intl UC will be near where the new credit card lounge is going to be developed. Near where the Amex Club was/will be located.
Unclear whether the E and G dungeon will be retained, but Im guessing theyll be given back.
Given how much of a cash cow lounges have become, and given how much UA is trying to increase lounge space at every airport, I find it hard to believe UA would give back any lounge space. If this new space in G opens as a UA Club and not as a second Polaris lounge, then it would be a great time to shut the current G club down for a renovation.
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Aug 17, 2025 | 3:52 pm
  #727  
Quote: You're probably right that it's another UC, but they really should add a UC and increase PL capacity. Since there's going to be construction anyway, why not do it now? IMHO, the existing PL can get packed, and its current size doesn't seem sustainable long-term, especially if some *A flights move from A to the new swing gates.
Quote: Given how much of a cash cow lounges have become, and given how much UA is trying to increase lounge space at every airport, I find it hard to believe UA would give back any lounge space. If this new space in G opens as a UA Club and not as a second Polaris lounge, then it would be a great time to shut the current G club down for a renovation.
Couldn't agree more. I'm actually surprised we haven't heard about plans for, at minimum, a dining room expansion at the PL. Granted there is no space for it, so would theoretically eat into existing space. Maybe once new C4C UA Club opens they could repurpose the G gates basement lounge into a PL - but with a heavy emphasis on dining and not as many amenities (showers and sleeping pods, etc.)?
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Aug 18, 2025 | 2:53 am
  #728  
I did a little more digging, and I found some good 3D renderings in this PDF of the F-G connector building (officially known as the awkwardly named Courtyard 4 Connector.)

https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/2...eeting-C4C.pdf

Based on what we learned in those other documents, UA will be getting the slightly smaller floor below the contract/credit card lounge. This confirms that the UA space will also have an outdoor terrace. And the way I look at this now, if I'm not mistaken, this whole space looks close enough to the PL that it seems like this could naturally be a PL expansion. That would be similar to what they just did at ORD and EWR.

25,500 square feet would basically double the size of the PL. Or perhaps they divide it up and build a 15,000 sq ft UA Club and make the rest PL expansion?





There are also a bunch of references to "DFIT4" in these documents, and it took me a while to figure out what that means: Dianne Feinstein International Terminal 4. Hmmm, sounds like the Int'l Terminal is getting a number.

I also did some digging into more information about the C3C building (the E-F connector office building). This architect firm page says "The office building design includes potential space for a future lounge on the third level." I'm going to go ahead and put my betting money on that space being the "Terminal 2" UA Club, even though it will be very close to the current E club.

https://www.hok.com/projects/view/sa...d-3-connector/
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Aug 18, 2025 | 10:32 am
  #729  
United would be shooting themselves in the foot by not expanding the current Polaris Lounge during this period... especially with the high J 787s coming in
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Sep 7, 2025 | 9:23 pm
  #730  
Quote:
Yet perhaps the architects are unfamiliar with UA brand names, and this is simply another UC, adjacent to the International Terminal
This.
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Sep 21, 2025 | 7:02 pm
  #731  
Progress
EF view
EF view
FG view - the photo doesnt convey the height of the new construction
FG view - the photo doesnt convey the height of the new construction
Photos from the E/F and F/G connectors today (Sep 21).
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Sep 21, 2025 | 7:07 pm
  #732  
SFGate had an interesting article from a few days ago about some exchanges between city and airport leaders at the city's Budget and Finance Committee meeting. SFO leaders are asking for more money for the project because they say they want to keep matching or exceeding the standards from the previous terminal renovations. The scope has increased quite a bit since the initial project plans, as the airport wants to build the F/G connector building with lounge space now rather than later. The new curbside facade for the terminal has also added quite a bit of cost. The committee approved the budget increases in the end.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/articl...I7enOFJ_O20nSQ
Quote:
SFO officials requested approval for an extension and increase of at least $76 million to a crucial contract, but the extra charge is only a drop in the bucket. As outlined during the meeting, the cost for redeveloping Terminal 3 has more than quadrupled over the past eight years.

“And so basically the project was $627 million in 2017, but to date, it has increased to $2.8 billion,” Supervisor Connie Chan said during the meeting.

The billion dollar total is a result of a few major factors. Not only have labor and construction costs risen from pre-pandemic rates, but the success and adoration for Harvey Milk Terminal 1 played a role, too.

“A lot of it is about guest experience,” airport spokesperson Doug Yakel told SFGATE on Thursday. “Every time we complete a terminal, it becomes a bar that other terminals are held to. You want to top what you’ve recently done.”
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Sep 21, 2025 | 8:29 pm
  #733  
At least they are willing to spend the money now and have a target date that seems reasonable (within one’s lifetime ). As an EWR-based flyer, they have released nice pictures of a new Terminal B and a new AirTrain, but I am not counting on using those until I am one of the folks who needs a wheelchair getting on/off the plane!

If they are indeed doubling the size of the PL, imagine would make it by far the largest PL in the system - befitting the TPAC hub that SFO is, and certainly would help accommodate all those extra Polaris passengers (well, the ones who pay for club access, if speculation on what is coming down the pipe on J segmentation comes to fruition).
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Sep 22, 2025 | 7:33 am
  #734  
T3 completion date now 2030. Thought was 2027 prior.
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Sep 22, 2025 | 7:40 am
  #735  
Quote: T3 completion date now 2030. Thought was 2027 prior.
They've really expanded the scope, as noted in the article that's linked above, particularly with respect to new lounge space.

I was just thinking about this as was fighting the crowds through the F connector last night. It's going to be a very long and painful wait for project completion for SFO UA flyers.

One point to note, it's now possible to check bags (domestic flights only) at car rental center and long term parking if you're at least 90 minutes prior to departure. This is a big convenience compared to finding your way to the T3 UA check-in counters.
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