SFO Terminal Connections | iFlyer Forum

At SFO, T1 is opposite T3, with the garages in the center of the terminal circle. Take the Red-line Airtrain (follow signs) which cicles all 4 terminals.

Thanks, weaug12

So that means you DO have to exit Security and come back in, right?

You arrive & depart from Terminal 3 at San Francisco Airport, which has boarding area F (Air Canada & United), with gates F68-90. You can make it in half an hour. On arrival look at the overhead screens to find your departing gate, then follow signs.

1. You need to get to the 'Domestic Terminal 1 Station' out of security area - follow signs: take the Red Line (not Blue), whose next stop is International Terminal A Station (if you continue flight at A gates; the next 2 stops are garage stops; then get off at International Terminal G Station if you depart from the G gates. You will. Between A & G gates is the Main Hall where you can meet your daughter.

1. There is no Terminal A - the International Terminal has boarding areas A & G with corresponding gates. 2. Domestic to International Terminals: A secure connector allows passengers, transferring from domestic flights in Terminals 2 & 3 to international flights in Boarding Area G, to walk directly to their new gate without having to exit and re-enter security or ride a shuttle bus between the two buildings. From there transfer to Boarding Area A.

Some lounges allow access for a fee. These are SFO airline lounges: Air France Lounge at post-security, South, Level 4; British Airways Executive Club at Boarding Area A, Level 3, between gates 4 & 6; Cathay Pacific for First & Business Class at Boarding Area A, level 4, post-security. China Airlines Dynasty Lounge at South, level 4; Emirates at Boarding Area A, between Gates A3-A5. EVA Airlines Evergreen Lounge at North, level 3; Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge at South, level 4; KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at South, level 3, shared with Delta; Lufthansa Airlines at United Red Carpet Club's location; Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge at South, level 4; Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge at North, level 3, post-security; United Airlines Red Carpet Club at North, level 4 (post-security entrance on level 3); United Airlines Arrivals Lounge at the shoulder between the North terminal and the new International Terminal, on level 2; United Airlines Departures Lounge in Boarding Area G, lower level, near gate 98; Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin Cub House at South, level 5.

At SFO you can meet your friend only in the pre-security area of the International Terminal (the G stands for boarding area G - gates 91-102). You may want to meet him on the arrivals level, near the informaton desk. All terminals are connected in their pre-security areas by Red & Blue Lines of the AirTrain.

At SFO, United uses Terminal 3 and the International Terminal; US Airways uses Terminal 1. She should open www.ifly.com, click on "Quick Links" - "Terminal Map" - and scroll down to terminal information and how to connect.

To determine whether you depart from the International or the Domestic Terminal 3 - look at your ticket: The International Terminal has Boarding areas A, gates 1-12 & G, gates 91-102. Terminal 3 has boarding area F with gates 68-90. International terminals are mainly used by airports for international arrivals. As to secure connector, between international terminal and T3, just follow signs.

All four terminals are connected in the unsecured areas by the Red & Blue lines of the AirTrain - yes yuo have to go through security check again.

1. First at LAX, when checking in, find out if your baggage will be transferred by by the Airline taking you to SFO (not all airlines do, in which case you would, on arrival at SFO, claim your bag in the baggage area, and take it along on the AirTrain, checking it in at the International Terminal. If your airline transfers, your bag's tags need to indicate all three airport codes). 2. While all terminals are connected in the unsecured areas by the Red & Blue lines of the AirTrain, a secure connector allows passengers, transferring from domestic flights in Terminals 2 & 3 to international flights in Boarding Area G, to walk directly to their new gate without having to exit and re-enter security or ride a shuttle bus between the two buildings. 3. The International Terminal has boarding areas A and G on either side of the 2-level Main Hall. Terminal 1 has boarding areas B & C and offers access to the International Main Hall. 4. On Arrival at SFO look at the overhead screens to find your Lufthansa flight number, gate & time of departure, then follow signs. Suggestion: open www.ifly.com/sfo and click on the Quick Links (at upper left) at "Terminal Map" - you see the terminal layout & below it all the information you need.

I presume your parents use a domestic flight, if arriving at Terminal 1. Therefore, all they need to do is follow signs (internationally understood) and the others to the baggage claim area. Meet them there (find out airline & flight number ( look at overhead screens of baggage carousels) or meet them in front of the information counter in the arrivals area.

1. As an international arrival at SFO (unless you have gone through US customs clearance at participating airports in Canada and the Caribbean), you need to go through passport check, retrieve checked bags, go through customs clearance and - if transferring to another flight - re-check-in bag (the tag should indicate layover and final destination Airport Codes). This takes about 35-45 mins. 2. To connect from the International Terminal to the domestic terminal 1, you can take the AirTrain's red line at either station A or G below the Main Hall.

Your friend will arrive in the international terminal where he/she will have to get bags, go through customs clearance and - if continuing flight - recheck-in bags. I suggest you meet up near the Information counter at the Arrivals level. All four terminals are connected in the unsecured areas by the Red and Blue Lines of the AirTrain, an automated people mover. You cannot meet your friend in the secured area with only a domestic ticket.

You arrive at Boarding area F gates 68-90 - walk staight down to Security checkpoint E & F, take a right to your connecting international gates at Boarding Area G (gates G91-102).

1. You arrive at SFO via Frontier at Terminal 1 and need to get to the International Terminal (a Hong Kong flight is listed today at gate A3). Since Frontier does not transfer your bags, you need to recover them from T1's baggage carousel, then take the blue line of the AirTran (an automatic people mover) to the International Terminal, where you need to check-in your bags with Cathay, go through security check and on to your gate. Two hours will be enough time.