The airport is divided between 4 terminals - three domestic and two international. They are interconnected by the free automated Airtrain, which also runs to the BART commuter train station.

The automated train runs through the public part of the airport (landside). However, the terminals are also connected to the transit area of the airport through pedestrian corridors.

Due to the semicircular shape of the airport buildings, the distances from parking lots or subway or bus stations are short to all terminals.

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International terminals

Most international departures and all arrivals are handled from one central building.

On the south side of the departures concourse, there is a security checkpoint leading to departure gate "A", while on the north side of the concourse you will pass through security to departure gate "G".

All metro and bus stations are located just outside the international terminal.

Domestic flights can also be handled from the international terminals as the departure area is shared (no passport control when departing from the USA).

Domestic terminals

Flights within the US are served by three interconnected buildings, which can be reached from bus and metro stations by the airport's free automated train (within 5 minutes) or on foot (within 15 minutes).

The terminals are designated as "Harvey Milk 1", 2 and 3.

International flights (especially to Canada) can also be handled from the domestic terminals as the departure area is shared (no passport control on departure from the US).

Which terminal?

Which Los Angeles Airport terminal will your flight depart from? For a clear breakdown of all airlines and specific flights, please visit: flysfo.com/airlines-sfo.

• International Terminal A - AeroMexico, Air France, Air India, Air Transat, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Condor, Copa Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Flair Airlines, Frenchbee, Frontier, Hawaiian, Iberia, ITA Airways, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Level, Philippine Airlines, Starlux, Sun Country, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Westjet, Zipair
• International Terminal G - Aer Lingus, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, Fiji Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, TAP, Turkish Airlines, United (international only)
• Harvey Milk Terminal 1 - American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest
• Terminal 2 - Air Canada, Alaska, Breeze, Delta
• Terminal 3 - United (domestic only)

Airport Map

An interactive map of the entire airport and each terminal can be found on the airport's official website: flysfo.com/maps.

Navigate between terminals

Within the "airside" (transit area) and "landside" (public area), all terminals are connected by pedestrian corridors.

The fastest way to move through the public area is via an automated train.

AirTrain

The train provides passengers with a 24/7 service and operates on two lines.

• Red Line - connects all terminals, the BART station, the parking garage and the Grand Hyatt at SFO
• Blue Line - connects all terminals, the rental car building, the BART station, the parking garage and the Grand Hyatt at SFO

Both lines run approximately every 3-5 minutes.

Transportation is free.

The trip between terminals takes 1-2 minutes and the furthest route takes about 6 minutes to ride.

Transfer between flights

How do I transfer between connecting flights?

Due to its location, SFO is a frequent transfer point when traveling to Hawaii, Oceania, Australia, East Asia or Mexico.

Even though San Francisco Airport has 4 terminals, transfers are relatively quick and well signposted. If you have to move between terminals, in most cases you will just have to move to the adjacent building.

What checks do I go through when I change planes?

What are the exact procedures for each type of transfer?

• International -> International: immigration and security check
• International -> domestic: immigration and security check
• National -> International: no check
• National -> national: no check

Do I have to leave the transit zone when I transfer?

If you arrive in San Francisco on an international flight, you will always go through immigration at the International Terminal.

You must exit the transit area, go through immigration and move between terminals via the outside area. You will check in again and go through security into the transit area.

If you are arriving from another destination within the U.S., you can proceed directly to the connecting departure gate for both domestic and international flights. There is no need to leave the transit zone.

Do I need to collect my luggage?

If you are landing at SFO from abroad, you must always pick up your baggage and re-deliver it at the check-in counter.

If you are flying from a destination within the U.S. and you have a layover of no more than 8 hours, your baggage will be automatically transferred. It does not matter whether you continue on an international or domestic flight.

Do I need to apply for ESTA?

Every time you transfer from an international flight, you must collect your baggage and exit the transit area.

Therefore, you must have an electronic ESTA to enter the United States (for 21 usd online processing at the official website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov).

How long does the immigration check take?

San Francisco airport is known for its long lines. The usual wait time for immigration control is 60-120 minutes. In the case of multiple arrivals from Asia or Europe, it can extend up to 3 hours.

If you have less than 1.5 hours to transfer, it is recommended that you tell the informants that you have a tight transfer before you get in line. In this case, you may be sent to the priority queue.

If you do not make your guaranteed connection due to the length of the immigration check, the airline will arrange the next flight free of charge. However, accommodation at the airline's expense will not be provided in these cases.

Do I go through passport control on departure?

No. There is no immigration check on departure from the USA.

What should I do if I have a long layover?

Since you must have ESTA clearance for any combination of flights, you can safely go on a tour of San Francisco.

A convenient transfer time for a quick visit downtown is at least 8 hours.

For overnight transfers, use one of the many hotels around the airport.