Priority security lane at SFO?
 

Is it still the case that there is no priority security lane at SFO (for the concourse that VX occupies)?

I thought that I'd read somewhere that SFO had added one, but I can't seem to find the post.

Assuming that there is one, is it likely to be open at around 8:00 AM on a Friday?

Thanks for any information!

As of a few weeks ago (my last trip through the int'l terminal) there were no priority security lines. Even during the afternoon rush when you have three or four European flights plus VX flights going out, the line is never an issue and is probably the best run check-point in the airport.

I can confirm this from last week at the A terminal. But, it was a fast and smoothly running general check-in line, so the wait was minimal.

There is a priority lane, it is called CLEAR and you have to pony up $129 and a pound of flesh to the TSA to get it. Oh and it is only open until 1pm in the Intl Terminal.

There was a premium security lane as of about five weeks ago, directly next to the CLEAR lane. The TSA was completely confused by it, but there is definitely a new lane there.

Which side of the Intl Terminal? I was flying out of the A gates on NW two weeks ago and Clear was closed and I was told there was no priority security line, nor could I see one.

This was on the A side. My husband and I were flying VX F and the VX agent stamped "Premium" on our boarding passes. The agent told us to use the "Premium" line just next to the Clear lane. Sure enough, there was a lane right next to the Clear lane that had a standing sign marked "Premium" passengers. It was closed, but a TSA agent opened it for us when we showed her our boarding passes. When we got to the ID checker, he told us that we were in the "family and medical liquids" lane and that there was no such thing as a "Premium" lane. We pointed out the sign and he seemed surprised.

In any event, it sounds like they tried to implement something but didn't follow-through.

That doesn't sound like the TSA to me! :D

I've seen these 'Experienced Traveller' aisles at airports before where it mentions Elite status as a qualifier to gain access but the TSA folks never seem to enforce it, oh and it says you can go into that lane if you fly more than twice a month. Huh?!

IIRC, this sign said "Premium" and also said "first/business class."

I flew shortly after it was mentioned in the other thread, and it was already gone.

I was at SFO today in the Intl terminal and I searched high and low for this lane, yet it was nowhere to be found. It was probably too confusing or angered the CLEAR folks, I mean why pay if you can get it for free. ;)

Apparently a very short lived premium lane. Premium passengers don't usually fly out of international terminals anyway, right? ;)

Just went through. Other then CLEAR, everyone goes through the same set of lines. However, the lines split into several id check points, and I was through in < 15 minutes (despite it looking a little daunting when I first entered the line).

The security line in Intl A was much less annoying than the line for AS/WN/CO in terminal 1, where they now seem to merge the premium passengers at the end of the regular line after the id check.

That premium lane in T1 is also relatively new (meaning within the past couple of years). The SFO TSA is not the brightest group when it comes to handling new things.

Security at SFO is handled by a private firm. I actually find them to have the friendliest screeners.

Having just moved to Denver, I can say for certain that Denver has nicer screeners than SFO. Additionally, we should all be aware that CLEAR has ceased operations and references to the CLEAR lane in this thread are now moot.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.5.0.138 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

This afternoon, there was only one person checking IDs and BPs. While we were standing near him (but dozens of bodies deep in line) a gentlemen walked up to the right of the queue with a premium-looking BA boarding pass. The checker stopped the line to let him through, at which point I asked, "Is that a First Class line?" He said yes and invited us to come on through. ^

I just wonder how the BA pax wound up on that side of the line, since the "pre-checker" didn't tell us to take a different line. Maybe they don't even realize that VX has a premium cabin? In any case, it was an unexpected treat!

So the confusion continues. How wonderful. Gives us all something to talk about.

Our family is booked into first class the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It only cost us $25 each more than coach. It will be my first time on VX. I'm looking forward to it.

First time flying VX today in F, almost, missed the flight because there is no priority security line at A gates of SFO....

Being a long time EXP with AA I am spoiled showing up at security <30 mns and making flights almost 100%.

Figure VX needs to figure out a way to get priority security for F customers expecially.

What time were you flying?
There is priority security at the A gates most of the day (last I checked).
Also, showing up 30 min before departure in front of the TSA Circus is just asking for trouble at any airport. Your EXP status at AA might be helping you at your primary airport, but at others it might not be sufficient time. Just ask elites at Denver on a busy day. Can take 45 minutes to get through security and onto the train to get to the gates. And that's with "elite" security lanes. I miss CLEAR.

I sent an e-mail via the web site complaining about the inconsistent SFO priority line and inquiring about whether there would be more consistency in the future, noting that this factor could influence my future bookings. The site said to expect a response within 14 business days. It's been over 3 weeks, and still no response. :(

So I just called and asked for Guest Care (though it seemed a regular agent answered). After I explained my inquiry, she put me on hold for 8 minutes. She came back to say that a supervisor was asking around "at headquarters" to find a specific answer.

After another 3 minutes, sounding like she was reading off a script, she replied that all aspects of security screening at SFO Int'l. Terminal A, including staffing levels and potential priority lines, are the responsibility of the TSA and completely outside the control of VX. She also said, "For example, this morning we had 600 people trying to get through security in that terminal, and the line moved very slowly." So that's a reason to not consistently have a priority line? :rolleyes:

I thanked her for checking and told her I understand the current arrangement. But I pointed out that it looks different from the customer's perspective when I know that I can fly UA and almost always be guaranteed a separate priority security line. I said I didn't know what was different with UA's relationship with TSA, but suggested that VX should similarly step up to the plate in the future at their home hub.

Conclusion: The lines will continue to be consistently inconsistent, at least until VX moves into its dedicated gates at the renovated Terminal 2.

Emphasis added was mine.

While I really really understand your frustration with inconsistent Priority lanes at the airport, if that's the reason you would/wouldn't book VX, I'm puzzled. That's really the last reason I'd book VX. Heck, you could argue then that JetBlue needs to do more since they are there too. And maybe all the Int'l carriers that fly out of that terminal could contribute to opening up and staffing an extra lane during non-peak times for VX's premium pax.

While UA's line is open most all the time, UA is the sole operator of flights in that part of the airport. AA has their own line over on their side, though I am not at all certain it is open as reliably as UAs.

Choose VX for everything else. Or don't. But Priority Lane @ TSA. Blah.

It might influence whether I find First worthwhile, especially if I know I'll be hustling to SFO at the end of the workday. No doubt, it's usually at the bottom of my list of factors, but not always, and that's not the case for everyone. And I realize that, even on the UA side, the premium lines can be sluggish.

I can also understand that VX would not guarantee priority lines in a shared terminal, which is why we'll just have to wait and see what happens once they're in T2. But I wanted to get them on record given the speculation in this thread. I was also peeved that they didn't respond to my e-mail in a timely manner.

In any case, SFO and its carriers should aspire to have generic premium lines for both Terminals A and G, given all the premium traffic on the various carriers there. It's such a modern facility in so many ways, save for that aspect. While the lines seem to be dreadful mainly during certain peak periods, it would still be nice to have that perk.

While I agree with your frustration as well, I have to say that Terminal A has such little traffic, except during certain international flight times, which always seem to be different from the VX flight times (at least for me). I've never had to wait, even when there's no priority line.

In fact, before FlyClear went out of business, they started limiting their hours at Terminal A before all of the other terminals, because there was simply nobody there.

It's enough of a reason for very frequent flyers. Getting to the airport at about 30 minutes prior to flight is easily doable for elites flying on any airline at SFO except those flying from the international terminal. (UA is sometimes a mess but most elites know that the AA lines go to the same secured area and rarely have a wait). This is unfortunately just another way VX is demonstrating that it is disregarding very frequent flyers in favor of aviation buffs and fare sensitive leisure travelers.

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Had another positive experience at SFO this afternoon. I asked the initial document checker, "Is there a First Class line today?" She opened up a lane for me to the right of the checkpoint entrance, allowing me to bypass all the folks lined up for ID/BP check. After TSA checked my docs, I was second in line for the right-most checkpoint lane.

When is Terminal A busy with international flights. Is that late afternoon/early evening.

That's right. I think there is another wave late in the evening as well.

Speaking of SFO, how does the baggage claim work? Is there a separate-from-customs carousel?

Yes...
 

Yes, I think that there are actually two or three carousels that are not behind customs and immigration. I believe that all VX luggage always arrives on a particular carousel, but I don't remember the number.

I just flew out of SFO yesterday (11/29) in first class. I asked at check-in if there was a priority lane and the agent said sometimes it is there. I went up to a TSA agent who was directing traffic and asked if there was a premium lane for first class. She walked me over to an area on the right side and gave me a short cut to the front.

First time flying VX out of SFO today (return flight to FLL), and I was gobsmacked at the crush of humanity at security for Int'l Terminal A. For an 11:10 flight, I got to the security checkpoint at about 10:15, but didn't get through to the other side until 11:00 am. Forty-five minutes in that rotten line, panicked about making my flight, crushed in with a few hundred int'l pax. I was completely unprepared for this experience, and obviously had to scrap my plans for hanging out for a leisurely drink in the NW/DL SkyClub.

Someone in line mentioned that as a VX passenger if you spend the $35 for a daypass to the VS Clubhouse, you also get shorter priority screening. Hmmm. Might have to confirm that next time.

A few nervous passengers were showing their boarding passes to screeners and getting moved to the Families/Medical Liquids line at far right. Some seemed to be premium int'l pax; others were just close to flight time. My BP said "Priority" on it, but that was just because I had paid to upgrade to Main Cabin Select. I didn't have the chutzpah to ask the screeners if that would have been enough to join the shorter line.

It did, however, save me at the gate. A baggage supervisor -- clearly not a gate agent -- pulled me aside and said all rollaboards had to be checked because the flight was very full. (In fact, it was moderately light.) I explained that I was flying MCS, and he said, "Oh, in that case go right on board." There was lots of overhead space on board... I have to wonder why he was standing around harassing people who were already stressed from just making the flight.

I wish VX would post something on their website to the effect of "While we occupy gates in Concourse A, please note that 10 am to 1 pm are peak hours for SFO international travel and lines may be an hour or more long."

Ummm....
The whole point of this thread is the "Priority" line @ SFO. You had a "Priority" boarding pass and you were too chicken to ask someone which line was the "Priority" line?

I don't get the point of your post at all.

:td:

The point of my post was that

a) there was no consistency among the screeners, some of whom were telling pax -- like the guy behind me in line flying int'l J -- that there was no premium line any more for any premium cabin or elite flyers and some of whom were letting the squeaky wheels use the "medical liquids and families" line

and

b) I'd hoped to get helpful feedback from other VX flyers whether Main Cabin Select should qualify for use of a priority screening line (when there is one), or just F. I took my BP to mean priority in boarding, and to have nothing to do with TSA.

Never mind... just called VX to clear it up.

They said that all MCS and F customers are welcome to use priority screening lines (where they exist), and that's why the BP has "Priority" on it (separate from Boarding Group A). The postings in this thread before mine dealt only with VX pax in F, not MCS, so I had nothing to go on before calling. And as I said, I was caught completely off-guard by the hundreds of people all trying to get through Concourse A security at that hour, and even the 2 screeners who checked my BP didn't say anything about qualifying to use a different line.

This was my first VX flight and now I know. And now others reading the thread know that their MCS boarding pass entitles them to ask for priority access.

Hi, Horizons:

Yes, your MCS BP includes priority screening.

Avoid 10am - Noon PT VS flights!
 

There are up to five 747 / 777 flights to Asia that leave around Noon. It is a madhouse through security so either allow lots of time or ensure you have some sort of priority (like bring a baby with you).

How is it about 800 AM?

Priority screening DOES in fact exist at SFO Int'l A (sort of).

I fly BA a few times a year from SFO. A couple weeks ago, the agent handed me a pre-printed paper for premium passengers that entitled me to priority screening (don't remember exactly what was printed on the paper-- I should have kept it). I was instructed to go to the front of the line and hand it to the TSA agent. I did, and the agent clearly had seen this paper before, and I was straight through to the front of the line.

Now, I've noticed that as VX has added flights and more people are flying VX, the lines at Int'l A can be long (not more than 20 minutes though). This was not the case a year or two ago (at least for the European, mid-afternoon, early evening departures), and it would have been almost pointless to have a premium line.

I wonder if BA and other international airlines operating from SFO made a deal with the airport to get their premium pax to the front with these passes since there is no Fast Track security at the international terminal, and the lines have become worse?

I flew VX out of SFO last week, and was surprised by how long the lines are now at 8am. It wasn't horrible -- the security check-point at A is well-designed -- and I was through in about 15 minutes.

In the event that anyone is still following this... I'm assuming there is now (in 2013) a priority lane for Virgin at SFO?