SFO Airport Guide: San Francisco International Insider Tips

SFO at a glance

• IATA: SFO · ICAO: KSFO
• Hub for: United (massive), Alaska (significant), Delta (significant).
• Terminals: 1 (Harvey Milk), 2, 3, International.

Getting there

• BART from downtown — 30 minutes, $10.
• Caltrain + AirTrain from the Peninsula.
• Uber/Lyft from designated zones.

The fog factor

SFO is famous for morning marine layer fog that often closes one of the parallel runways and triggers Ground Delay Programs nationwide. Summer mornings are most affected.

A predictive tracker like FlightyFlow shows GDPs in effect — if you see one for SFO, expect a 1–2 hour delay even on a "clear" day.

Terminal-by-terminal

• T1 (Harvey Milk): beautiful 2021 rebuild; great food, art, and design.
• T2: American, Alaska. Sleek, calm.
• T3: United domestic.
• International Terminal: United international, Delta international, foreign carriers.

Lounges

• Centurion Lounge T3 G — the best non-airline lounge.
• United Polaris Lounge International — superb dining.
• Alaska Lounge in T2 — small but excellent.
• Air France/KLM Lounge International.

Best food

• T1: Tartine, Equator Coffees.
• T2: Cat Cora's Kitchen, Napa Farms Market.
• T3: Andale Mexican.
• International: Delica RF-1.

Tips

• TSA PreCheck and CLEAR widely available.
• Plug-and-charge stations at every gate.
• BART early-morning service starts late on weekends.