Overview
The eighth busiest airport in the United States, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), is situated about 13 miles south of San Francisco in San Mateo County, California.
SFO, known as the gateway to the Pacific, is great airport locations for connections to Europe, South America, and places around the Pacific Rim.
San Francisco International is part of the airport system of the Bay Area, which includes Oakland International Airport (OAK) and San Jose International Airport (SJC).
The airport has been recently renovated in parts, and expanded to accommodate the high traffic. SFO’s highly efficient, streamlined security process boasts some of the shortest wait times in the nation, thanks in part to the airport’s fully automated baggage screening system, which was the first of its kind in the country.
The San Francisco airport has taken major steps in being an eco-friendly airport, such as constructing a building that utilizes the cool bay air to climatize the building. Other green initiatives include giving customers an incentive to rent green cars by offering discounts, switching to fuel efficient/electric fleet cars, and giving employees incentives to use public transportation. In 2011, Terminal 2 of SFO became the first U.S. airport terminal to achieve LEED Gold status, which certifies that the building meets energy-saving and waste-reducing standards.
San Francisco International has four terminals: three that handle domestic flights and one international terminal, which is the largest international terminal in North America. Terminal 2 was part of a renovation project that started in 2008 and opened in April 2011. The terminal, which is used primarily by Virgin and American airlines, now features eco-friendly art installations and seismic retrofitting, to ensure its safety in case of another massive earthquake. Terminal 3 is used by United, and will by joined by Air Canada and US Airways. The international terminal is the largest in North America, and also handles some domestic flights as well.
There are also four runways, though because of the set up of the runways, only two can be used during certain weather conditions, because they are too close together and pose dangers in low visibility and bad weather.
The busiest international routes to and from SFO are Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Tokyo, Seoul, and Frankfurt. Domestically, the most frequent routes travel to Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, and Denver.
Airport Services
Wi-Fi and Technology: Free Wi-Fi is available for travelers in all terminals. Workstations are provided throughout the airport, with desks and electrical outlets for laptops and electronics.
Shopping and Dining: Most SFO restaurants are local chains so travelers can enjoy some San Francisco specialties while they wait for their flight, including sourdough bread and local burgers. A wide variety of shops are located in each of the terminals, including newsstands and duty free shops.
Extras: SFO features Hydration Stations, where travelers can refill their water bottles with San Francisco’s high quality tap water for free.
Extra services are available for many types of travelers, like a yoga room, reading room, and reflection room for passengers who need a quiet break. Kids’ Spots are exploration playgrounds for children, which are located within the airport, past security.
The SFO Museum is the first museum of its kind located within an international terminal, and also has exhibits throughout the rest of the terminals. Created in 1980, the museum features exhibitions on a range of subjects, both educational and cultural. About 40 exhibitions are featured each year, including an aquarium, an aviation museum and library, and various photography.
Ground Transportation
Inside SFO, the People Mover system, AirTrain, is available 24 hours a day. Fully automated and free, AirTrain provides access to all four terminals as well as the international terminal garages, BART and the Rental Car Center. The Red Line, which is about a 9 minute ride from end to end, will take travelers to BART. The Blue Line, which lasts about 19 minutes, takes passengers to the Rental Car Center. AirTrain gives passengers great views, for an inside look at the workings of an international airport.
Nine rental car companies have on-airport offices in the Rental Car Center, and another has free shuttles running between the airport and their offices for convenient car rental.
SFO has a number of options for public transportation, depending on which region of the Bay Area travelers need to go.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the only direct rail link serving the airport. BART will take passengers into San Francisco or to various cities around the East Bay, or connects passengers to Caltrain’s Milbrae station, which serves the Peninsula and South Bay.