San Francisco Airport

The International Terminal is a beautiful structure that lets in plenty of natural light and a relaxing place to stay. Immigration and baggage claim take no longer than 45 minutes. Security checks are usually uncrowded and staff are friendly. On the domestic side the airport isn't that stunning - Terminal 1 is very outdated but it's better than Terminal 6 at LAX. Terminal 2 is undergoing renovation. Terminal 3 is United domestic terminal - pretty modern and has great places to eat even though they're overpriced. It's very friendly however I find queuing the longest in here. The terminal can get crowded at peak times.

SFO is by far the worst airport for domestic travel. The only thing positive is that BART runs there. The food choices are limited. No services for the stranded traveller. Dirty and dark. As the gateway for tourists and business travellers alike this is such a let down. Leaving TSA reps are the rudest in the county.

Arrived by BA from London at around 1630. No other international flights had arrived around that time and amazingly I was through Immigration and Customs in less than 20 minutes from leaving the plane. The arrival procedure was vastly superior to my experience at several other US international gateways. Check-in for an early morning AA departure was fast and smooth and it was easy to get to the Gate. I will try and use SFO as my gateway of preference in future.

Used the International Terminal for departure check-in hall was huge was airy modern and clean. Security was fast with friendly staff. Departures with lots of shops and food. Bathrooms were clean. Easy to get around with nice open windows. Best airport I've been in the US.

On the domestic side flying in from Vancouver I was amazed how quickly I got my luggage & outside very fast. The international terminal is spacious though the departure hall seems somewhat foreboding. Security was very smooth and efficient. There is no free wi-fi here which is unfortunate. Otherwise I was impressed with the spaciousness of the Int'l Terminal which lends a great view of the tarmac and hills surrounding the city. In the domestic terminal checking in on United to fly back to Canada was a cattle call - crowded inefficient check-in area way too small and narrow. I rate the Int'l Terminal very highly the domestic side departures not so highly.

I've been flying in and out of SFO since 1953. The last year it was a relatively good experience was 1968. I know no other airport except Sheremeyevo in Moscow where it takes longer to get one's baggage -- to get from plane to sidewalk. On our recent return from Kona (Big Island Hawaii) we waited 55 minutes for our bags to appear on the carousel.

Arriving in the USA via SFO is vastly superior to arriving at the God-forsaken hell-hole known as LAX. SFO is more organized there are actually signs and the DHS officers are actually polite and pleasant. It is par for the course to have to clear immigration collect bags and then clear customs prior to heading to either a domestic or international connection. It has been this way for several years now and I am perplexed by commentators who are surprised by this - perhaps they don't travel to the USA very often. In any case SFO is delight compared to LAX. I would recommend anyone arriving in the USA via the West Coast do so at SFO or SEA and forget all about LAX - it's horrible.

I have flown out of SFO many times and most of the time the experiences were pleasant. The latest renovations have made great improvements. International terminal full of good places to eat although expensive. The only thing I don't like is that some of the gates are on the lower floors and are reached by elevators or escalators - it can be very confusing if you have never left from there and you could miss your flight. The airport is clean as are the restrooms. Security check is quick leaving and entering the US.

Arrived at the International Terminal from LHR and was through immigration and collected our bags within 30 minutes very impressive for a US airport we then walked to domestic T3. The airport was light and had a decent selection of eating facilities although was quite pricey.

The immigration officer who processed me was very friendly. Lines were not that long although I always try to make a point of getting off the plane quickly and make my way to immigrations swiftly. A line was building up behind me. Leaving SFO was also a painless experience. Pleasant surroundings but lacking somewhat in facilities.