San Francisco Airport

✅ Trip Verified | The airport itself is functional and clean enough for an American airport. The transit is a drag, especially if you're going south, but you can survive. There are some nice (even if overpriced) restaurants as well. One unexpected experience was with the Global Entry program. I had applied to it earlier in 2022 so that I could get enrollment on arrival interview. Instead, the agent told us that they were not offering any interviews at this time and that we should schedule an appointment elsewhere (they seemed to be telling the same thing to everyone else). This seems to contradict what they say on their official website (which lists SFO and no other enrollment centers in the vicinity). I understand there is a surge in applications, but it felt disingenuous for a government agency to be refusing service it is promising to deliver on their official website.

Not Verified | Two contrasting experiences within two weeks. I was a transit passenger (AKL-SFO-LHR then back again), and knowing that transit doesn't exist at most US airports in the sense that they do at most non-US international hubs, I didn't check in bags but loaded up the hand luggage instead. Thus, I didn't experience the inanity of having to get my luggage and put it back on a conveyor belt landside. On my first trip, it took 65 minutes from disembarkation to clear immigration at 6:45am in the International Terminal, G-Wing. Long queues and few immigration staff on duty. Going back through security into the same wing, the staff were poor. They were shouting at various people who had English as a second language - because that generally works - and giving instructions that contradicted the screens above their heads. (Sample screen message: 'Have your boarding pass and passport ready to show the officer.' Officer: "Don't show me your ticket!" Nice one, champ.) I made the mistake of having my passport in my back pocket when I was about to go through the scanner. I realised at the last second, so went to put it in the tray and got full barrels from one chap who clearly hates his job. I acknowledged my error, told him it was an oversight, that I'd just been on a 12-hour flight, and that different airports have different rules. He then started berating an elderly Indian man for putting his shoes in the tray at the wrong angle. Mate, if you do don't have patience for people, get a job where you don't have to deal with them. On the way back, totally different: eight minutes from disembarkation to clearing immigration, lots of desks open at noon, friendly and helpful staff. Within the G-wing, there's an outdoor area with not much of a view, but which affords a good burst of fresh air, which is nice when you're on a plane or in an airport for 30-odd hours. I had a 10-hour layover on the way back and liked the big chairs. Got some good sleep in them. Shops were fine: typically overpriced but it's an airport so you'd expect no less. Landside, before security, there's some pretty cool yesteryear display cabinets, showing menus and service on flights in the 70s and 80s, and some pretty interesting art / design displays too. Signage seemed straightforward enough to me. Showers / nap rooms were extortionate. You need a mortgage. In the past, I've done all I can to avoid transiting through the US. Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Singapore are much more straightforward and amenable, but when I booked the flights, HKG and Tokyo were still closed, and Singapore Airlines were a bit expensive. Nothing about SFO would make me favour it over those other three, but I'd recommend it over LAX as an international transit airport.

Not Verified | My 83 year old mother and I flew into SF Airport from a vacation in Puerto Vallarta, on our way home to Seattle. As it was our first port of entry we had to go through customs. Other than the rude and curt attendants organizing the lines, the customs process went pretty smoothly. Then the chaos ensued. We picked up our luggage and from there we had a very challenging time trying to figure out where to go next. There was virtually no signage about where to go or what to do. There was a baggage recheck station, staffed by a nice enough young man who had no clue where we should go or what we should do (and told us the exact opposite train to take to get to the Alaska terminal). Every person we asked gave us a different answer. We finally managed to get to the terminal that houses Alaska Airlines. We were told by one "helpful" airport personnel that we were already too late for our flight. We decided to try anyway. The Alaska assistance person said we had two minutes to get through TSA and board our flight to Seattle. We again decided to go for it. Luckily, I saw a fellow passenger from our first flight also in the TSA line; she said she was also on the Seattle flight and we still had a half hour. Good thing! Both my mother and I had to have every single carry on item go through the scanner twice, including removing her C-Pap, my bluetooth speaker, and my iPad. All had to go through x-ray again, separately. I was patted down. We were the very last people to get on our plane. Luckily, our luggage made it onto the plane, but my mom's suitcase never made it to the carousel in Seattle. If I could give some advice to SFO, please improve your signage in the terminal and on your shuttle train. (The train in Seattle was so clear about next stops, whereas the reader board in SFO gave zero information other than "arriving.") Some remedial training on airport personnel might be helpful, as well.

✅ Trip Verified | I arrived very tired after a long flight from Ireland. It was difficult for me to use the escalators as I had a very large suitcase and a smaller one plus my duty free, A super nice guy there from the Security helped me navigate the escalators. He actually took my big suitcase from me and showed me where to go to get my connecting flight. He was coming off his break. This was on Saturday 22 October around 4-5 pm. He went above and beyond for me and I just wanted to give him a shout out. Travelling is so difficult these days that to get some assistance like this means a lot.

✅ Trip Verified | This review is limited to arrival/departure experience from Terminal 3. The lighting exiting the Terminal and around check in areas is not very bright. Signage and Directions to the Air Tram to Rental Car garage were not very clear. The Air Tram service is very good. On departure from SFO the terminal was very crowded for the peak afternoon travel period. Thanks to TSA-Pre, getting through security was a breeze. The E gate concourse in Terminal 3 is gorgeous. The concourse is wide and brightly lit. The large windows bring in additional light. There is a smattering of eateries and shops. The bathrooms are very clean. Seating is plentiful at the gates with many having power ports. SFO provides free Wi-Fi for all passengers. The Wi-Fi connected easily and is fast.

✅ Trip Verified | The airport leaked. There were buckets everywhere you looked. No place comfortable to sleep if your flight was cancelled. Everything was outrageously priced. I personally would never book a flight to this airport again.

Not Verified | I arrived at the International Terminal (Hawaiian Airlines) at 10 pm September 6, 2021. I joined the taxi line and eventually was assigned a taxi cab. The driver drove me to my hotel, Aura Hotel in San Bruno on El Camino Drive, a hotel I have stayed in many times. I believe the hotel is 1.3 miles from the airport, but this driver (Hman Taxi Service of Daly City) drove me through back roads alleys and industrial back roads to jack up his price. I remarked to him the ride was far too long and through alleys and dirt roads. He said he was following the directions from Uber! He was a crook and the meter charge was 25.50 plus a $3 tip. I could not find out what the charge should be in advance. However, my taxi ride from the hotel to the same International Terminal only cost $15! Don’t trust this company: Hman Taxi Service.

Not Verified | This airport may be attractive and very clean, but is one of the worst designed airports I have ever seen. Walk from the gates to baggage is extremely long. If you have any mobility issues and don’t use a wheelchair, it will be a real struggle. Once you finally make it to baggage claim, you have to go back upstairs and hope you see the one small sign for rental cars. This is yet another long walk with about half of it being an uphill ramp. Then, the signs are terrible. Nothing indicated rental cars until you get to the escalators. I can’t tell you how many people I saw looking around bewildered, as well as heard complaining about the walk. Follow the signs for the AirTran and take that all the way to the end. I will never fly in or out of this airport again and willing to pick less desirable flights from Oakland or San Jose just to avoid it.

✅ Trip Verified | If I were you, I would choose any airport over this one. If it's not the weather, it's "runway renovations" that cause flight delays for which apparently no one is responsible. For over 20 years, I have disliked this airport - it is dirty, with customer service representatives who apparently hate their job. It has been my only option for a specific sole airline that flies into a small airport north of SF, where my family lives. A couple years ago, I was heading to my family's hometown on a Friday for my husband's memorial service the next morning, where he had spent most of his adult life serving the public (the local service where we lived at the time of his death was for friends at our new home). Soon after my husband's death, due to shock, I had fallen down a ladder and broke my heel. For the trip, I had been recovering for 3 months and still used a cane. My flight to SF was delayed by SF due to weather - a common occurence. My connecting flight from SF to the hometown was delayed over and over on the hour. When I asked a customer service rep about this and explained that I needed to get to my husband's memorial service, he just shrugged. He had no answer whether the flight would go or not. At 11 p.m. that night, I requested wheelchair service to go to the car rental station, and the customer service rep just stared at me and acted like she didn't understand English. I went to a different desk and requested the same thing, then I rented a car to drive 5 1/2 hours to our hometown to make sure I could get to the memorial service. My understanding is that my connector flight never flew there that night. The airline carrier also did not refund me for that leg of the journey. In the most recent case this April, I recently flew the same route to visit family over spring break. On the return trip, SF delayed our takeoff for an hour, causing me to miss the last flight out of SF to my hometown. The reason -- runway renovations. By the time we arrived in SF Airport, there were no customer service reps available, no food available, and the airline customer service rep's only option was to hand me a flyer with an 800 number to reserve a hotel room "at a discount" for the night through Roomstorm, whereby I was charged by both Roomstorm for the very expensive hotel reservation as well as the hotel. I would not recommend this airport to anyone. I am thankful that soon the hometown airport will have a different carrier option, with direct flights to and from that completely bypass SF.

✅ Trip Verified | San Francisco Airport is gorgeous! We anticipated food courts may be closed and brought our dinner with us. We did take a later flight so it was not crowded at all. The only frustration I had was with long-term parking. Domestic long-term was closed with no forewarning, we were directed to international by an employee we could not understand clearly. We were given a ticket to use once we returned, I later noticed it was dated the 8th, we pulled in on the 10th. I had also found a coupon for 2 days free parking, from sfo website that was not honored. Other than that, it was a good experience. Parking is extremely expensive! Next time we will get a ride