🛫 International Terminal (A + G) + T3

International Terminal: All international flights — Lufthansa, BA, Air France, KLM, Cathay, JAL, ANA, Singapore, Qantas, Emirates, Qatar, Korean, Turkish, Aer Lingus (with US pre-clearance), Air Canada, plus most of United’s international (some via T3).

T3 — United domestic + selected international: United Airlines hub. United Polaris Lounge (long-haul Business). T3 currently undergoing major renovation through 2027 — expanded check-in, new centralised security, upgraded retail.

🛬 T1 + T2 — Other Carriers

T1 — Harvey Milk Terminal: Delta, JetBlue, Air Canada (some), Frontier, Alaska (overflow), Spirit, Hawaiian. The flagship Delta Sky Club at SFO.

T2: Alaska Airlines, American, plus the temporary American Express Centurion Lounge (relocated from T3 during the T3 renovation, near gate D12).

ESTA — VWP Pre-Authorization

Visa Waiver Program nationals (UK, Ireland, all EU, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Australia, NZ, Brunei, Chile, Taiwan, Singapore, +others) need ESTA at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. $21 USD processing fee, valid 2 years, max 90-day stay. Apply at least 72 hours before departure. Indian, Brazilian, Chinese, Russian, most African, most Latin American passport holders need a B1/B2 visa.

Global Entry & Mobile Passport

Global Entry ($120 for 5 years) skips passport control — kiosk scan + thumbprint, ~90 seconds. Available to US citizens + select foreign nationals (UK, Korea, Germany, India, Switzerland and others). Mobile Passport Control (free app) is the next-best for US/Canadian citizens.

TSA Security & CT Scanners

SFO has deployed TSA CT scanners on most lanes — laptops and liquids stay in the bag. TSA PreCheck ($85, 5 years) and CLEAR Plus ($199/year, biometric) further speed it up. Without either, allow 30–50 min during the morning rush; less with PreCheck/CLEAR.

⭐ BART — The Default Pick

The Bay Area Rapid Transit subway has a station inside SFO’s International Terminal. From all other terminals, take the free AirTrain to International Terminal first. Trains every 15–20 min from 04:00 to 24:00 daily. 30 minutes to Powell Street (Union Square / downtown), with onward connections to Embarcadero, Oakland, Berkeley.

🚖 Uber, Lyft & Taxi

Uber and Lyft have dedicated pickup zones at all four terminals — $30–50 standard, $50–90 surge to downtown SF. Pickup zone is the “Mobile App Pickup” level — signposted from arrivals. Taxi from the official rank is $60–80 + tip on the regulated meter; longer trip than rideshare typically because of the airport surcharge structure.

🚌 SamTrans KX / 398 Bus — Cheapest

SamTrans buses connect SFO to downtown SF and Peninsula cities. KX express bus $2.25 to Transbay Transit Center, ~50 min. Bus 398 $4 via El Camino Real, slower. Cheap budget option but slower than BART; not recommended with heavy luggage.

✨ United Polaris Lounge T3 (G boarding area, post-security)

If you eat one San Franciscan thing at SFO, eat sourdough bread from Boudin Bakery — the city’s 175-year-old sourdough institution. Multiple SFO outlets serve clam chowder in a hollowed-out sourdough bowl, the iconic SF airport meal. Skip the McDonald’s and Burger King.

If you’re leaving California, your last In-N-Out Burger is at the SFO outlet — Animal Style fries, Double-Double, the works. Or grab one before/after a flight if you’re flying through. The closest in-airport burger fix to the legitimate California institution.

For carry-on gifts: Ghirardelli chocolates (SF-founded, the airport prices match city), See’s Candies (California institution), Levi’s (SF-founded jeans). For coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee (Bay Area third-wave). The airport tech-themed shops also carry Apple-store-equivalent goods at non-discount US retail.

SFO’s summer / early-fall fog (June–September) is famous — the “marine layer” routinely drops the airport to single-runway operations from 04:00 to 09:00, causing 30–90 minute departure delays on those days. Build buffer for early morning summer flights. The SFO ATIS & FlightAware apps show real-time runway status.

Terminal 3 is in major renovation through 2027 — expanded check-in, new centralised security, upgraded retail. The Centurion Lounge has temporarily moved to T2 D12; expect occasional gate reshuffling and active construction zones in T3. Allow extra walk time at T3 during 2026.

Oakland International Airport (OAK) is 30 km east of San Francisco — Southwest’s Bay Area hub plus Hawaiian, Spirit, Alaska. If SFO is fogged in, OAK often isn’t. For flexible domestic Bay Area travel, OAK is sometimes the smarter choice; flight prices are lower and BART connects via Coliseum station + AirBART shuttle. Not interchangeable with SFO without rebooking, though.

SF tap water is excellent — drawn from Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park, lightly mineralised. Refill at any airside washroom or drinking fountain. Don’t pay $4–6 for sealed water; the tap version is genuinely better and free.

Foreign visitors should arrange roaming or buy a US tourist eSIM before arrival. Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi sell 30-day US data plans for $25–40, activated via QR code. 5G coverage is excellent in the Bay Area. US prepaid plans (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) require a physical store visit.

SFO is well-policed at any hour. BART runs to ~24:00 with full CCTV. Uber and Lyft are vetted. The BART Powell Street station area at night can feel rougher than the rest of downtown SF — for hotels in the Tenderloin or 6th Street area, prefer pre-booked Uber. The airport itself and the AirTrain are uniformly safe.