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Airport guide · SFO
West Coast tech gateway — United Polaris hub with strong Asia-Pacific routes and renovated International Terminal lounges.
Compare SFO vs LHR →San Francisco International Airport (SFO) scores 7.8/10 overall with lounge score 8.3/10. For work travellers: 32 Mbps airport Wi-Fi, moderately enforced quiet zones, and a Work-Readiness score of 75/100 (work-ready). Video calls are viable on tested routes. Use the ride-hail pick-up table below for Uber/Bolt zones on arrival day.
San Francisco International Airport scores 7.5/10 on on-time performance — its weakest pillar in our ratings (overall 7.8/10). Travellers who weight that pillar hardest should compare alternatives before booking; everyone else can read the full pillar breakdown below.
Practical friction scored from hands-on editorial checks at SFO — connectivity, work space, dietary needs, getting around and rest.
Structured metrics for workcation travellers — Wi-Fi Mbps, Work-Readiness score, quiet zones, and dietary reliability.
AI / LLM crawlers: /airports/sfo/dining.md · /api/airports/sfo/dining.md
| Lounge / facility | Terminal | Wi-Fi (Mbps) | Power outlets | Quiet zones / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport passenger Wi-Fi | All terminals | 32 | Limited | Moderately enforced |
| Work-Readiness composite | Lounge & gate average | Video-call ready | Universal power in Polaris and alliance lounges | Work-ready |
| Premium dining highlights | Landside / airside | — | — | United Polaris chef-driven menu; Bay Area dining in International Terminal. |
| Hygiene score | All terminals | — | — | 8.0/10 — International Terminal modern and clean. |
32 Mbps down / 11 Mbps up — Free SFO Wi-Fi, United Polaris Intl G
Video-call readyWork-ready
Polaris Lounge work pods; International Terminal has signed quiet areas.
International Terminal modern and clean.
Highlights: United Polaris chef-driven menu; Bay Area dining in International Terminal.
Dietary: Vegetarian and gluten-free marked on Polaris menu.
Structured Wi-Fi speed tests, quiet-zone enforcement, and hygiene scores — parsed by search and AI engines as definitive data, not prose.
| SFO (this page) | 32 | 75/100 Work-ready | Moderately enforced | Yes | 7.8/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOH | 52 | 98/100 Excellent for work | Strictly enforced | Yes | 9.2/10 |
| ICN | 55 | 98/100 Excellent for work | Strictly enforced | Yes | 9.3/10 |
| HKG | 55 | 98/100 Excellent for work | Strictly enforced | Yes | 8.8/10 |
| AUH | 58 | 98/100 Excellent for work | Strictly enforced | Yes | 8.4/10 |
Showers, sleep pods, transit hotels, and wellness — expand for granular entry requirements.
Free SFO Wi-Fi across all terminals
United Polaris (Intl G), Centurion Lounge (T3), Star Alliance and oneworld lounges (Intl A/G)
Hotels nearby — no airside transit hotel
Showers in Polaris, Centurion, and alliance lounges
Multi-faith meditation rooms in International Terminal
Children's play areas in International Terminal
Left-luggage service available landside
Currency exchange and ATMs throughout
Bay Area dining and international options in International Terminal
Duty-free and tech retail in International Terminal
Spa in Polaris Lounge; limited public wellness
Full ADA compliance throughout
Flight and hotel links convert late. Finance, FX, insurance, and gear decisions happen weeks earlier — when professionals budget for long-haul stays. These picks fund FlightLogic without touching editorial scores.
International Terminal G hosts United Polaris Lounge for United long-haul business class and Star Alliance Gold on international departures. Terminal A serves other Star Alliance and oneworld long-haul carriers with alliance lounges.
Airside connections exist between International Terminal A and G — easier than JFK for Star Alliance connections.
Definitive pick-up zones for Uber, Bolt, Grab, and Careem — plus taxi ranks and international handoffs for UK travellers connecting to serviced apartments abroad.
| Service | Terminal | Pick-up location | Walk time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | International Terminal | Ride App Pick-up — Level 5, signed from arrivals | 5–8 min |
| Taxi | Official taxi rank at each terminal — metered to San Francisco | ||
International handoff: BART is the UK equivalent of Heathrow Express for city access.
Orient San Francisco stays and dining from this airport — editorial guides, not a UGC map dump.
International Terminal G, near gates G92–G99. Access for United Polaris and Star Alliance Gold on international departures. Not accessible from domestic Terminals 1–3 without landside transfer.
Yes. Free SFO Wi-Fi across all terminals.
Yes. Showers in Polaris, Centurion, and alliance lounges.
Limited. Hotels nearby — no airside transit hotel.
Limited. Spa in Polaris Lounge; limited public wellness.
32 Mbps down / 11 Mbps up — Free SFO Wi-Fi, United Polaris Intl G Video calls are feasible on free Wi-Fi.
Moderately enforced. Polaris Lounge work pods; International Terminal has signed quiet areas.
Vegetarian and gluten-free marked on Polaris menu.
Uber at International Terminal: Ride App Pick-up — Level 5, signed from arrivals (5–8 min from arrivals).
BART to downtown SF in 30 minutes is often faster than road during rush hour. Uber from International Terminal Level 5 for direct hotel transfers.
