Lounge directory · SFO · Last reviewed 23 April 2026
San Francisco International Lounges (SFO): Every Lounge and How to Get In
SFO runs 16 lounges across four terminals, five of them reachable with Priority Pass alone, and the best United lounge in the system sits by gate G1. Here is the full map.
- Lounge verdict
- Good and getting better. Harvey Milk Terminal 1 now holds a brand new American, Alaska and Delta lineup plus The Club SFO, and the Polaris Lounge anchors the international side. The catch is construction and windowed hours.
- Best access play
- Priority Pass opens five doors: The Club SFO in Terminal 1, plus the Golden Gate Lounge, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, China Airlines Lounge and the British Airways morning window, all in International Terminal A.
- The one thing to know
- Most International A lounges open in windows tied to their airline's departures, and the Amex Centurion Lounge is living in Terminal 2 near gate D12 until the Terminal 3 rebuild finishes around 2027.
Orientation
How the SFO lounge map works
SFO is a ring of four terminals around a central garage: Harvey Milk Terminal 1 with the B and C gates, Terminal 2 with the D gates, Terminal 3 with E and F, and the International Terminal split into Boarding Areas A and G on opposite arms. United owns half the map, holding Terminal 3 and the G side including the Polaris Lounge. Nearly everyone else has consolidated into Terminal 1, where American, Alaska and Delta now run lounges within a short walk of each other.
Hours below were checked on 23 April 2026, and two caveats apply. First, construction: the Terminal 3 West project has pushed the Amex Centurion Lounge into a temporary home in Terminal 2 until around 2027. Second, the A side of the International Terminal mostly runs lounge windows tied to specific departures rather than full days, so a door that was open at noon can be shut at 6 pm. Confirm the window before you build a layover around a famous lounge.
Terminal 1
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Club SFO | Boarding Area B, just before gate B4 | 04:00 to 23:00 | Priority Pass and other lounge programs, entry within 2.5 hours of departure; showers 25 dollars | 12,000 square feet with a full bar, showers and a kids room; the best room at SFO for travelers without status |
| American Airlines Admirals Club | Near gate B13 | 04:30 to 23:30 | American premium cabins, Admirals Club members, oneworld Emerald and Sapphire, day passes | Reliable and rarely slammed; does the job before an early oneworld departure |
| Alaska Lounge | Harvey Milk Terminal 1, after security | 05:00 to 00:00 | Alaska Lounge members, eligible Alaska and partner premium passengers | Opened July 2024 when Alaska moved over from Terminal 2; the largest Alaska Lounge in California |
| Delta Sky Club | Boarding Area C, level 3, near gate C3 | 04:30 to 23:15 Mon to Fri; weekend hours to be confirmed | Delta One, Sky Club memberships and eligible Amex cards, SkyTeam Elite Plus on international tickets | 9,000 square feet with runway and bay views and private shower rooms |
Terminal 1 quietly became the best domestic lounge terminal at SFO. American, Alaska and Delta all arrived with new builds, and The Club SFO gives everyone else a genuinely good room rather than a holding pen. If your itinerary gives you a choice of San Francisco terminals and you hold nothing fancier than Priority Pass, this is the terminal to pick.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Centurion Lounge, temporary location | Past security, near gate D12 | To be confirmed; check the Amex app before you fly | Amex Platinum and Centurion cardholders, entry within 3 hours of departure | A stopgap in the old Alaska Lounge space since June 2025; the permanent Terminal 3 room is due back around 2027 |
Terminal 2 lost Alaska and its lounge to Terminal 1, which freed up the space the Centurion Lounge now borrows while its Terminal 3 home sits inside the construction zone. If you hold the right Amex and fly from the D gates, you are covered. Otherwise Terminal 2 is currently the thinnest lounge terminal at the airport, so eat landside or budget time to walk elsewhere before security.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Club | Boarding Area E, near gate E4 | 05:00 to 23:00 | United Club members, Star Alliance Gold, United and Star Alliance international premium cabins, one time passes | The calmer of the two Terminal 3 clubs; a sensible refuge during the morning bank |
| United Club | Concourse F, near gate F11 | 05:00 to 00:00 | Same keys as the gate E4 club | The big room, and it shows when the evening bank rolls through |
Terminal 3 is two United Clubs and a construction site. The Terminal 3 West modernization runs into 2027 and took the Centurion Lounge with it, so expect hoardings, rerouted walkways and shifting gates. Both clubs use the same access keys, which makes the choice simple: walk to whichever one is closer to your gate, and switch to the other if the first looks full from the door.
International Terminal A
Boarding Area A lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Lounge | Level 4, Boarding Area A | 07:00 to 23:30 | Several international carriers including SkyTeam partners; Priority Pass until 5 pm | The only A side room open all day; fine rather than fancy, and the safest plan A here |
| Air France KLM Lounge | Level 3, Boarding Area A | 10:00 to 20:30 | Air France and KLM premium cabins, Flying Blue elites, SkyTeam Elite Plus | A solid SkyTeam stop ahead of the Paris and Amsterdam departures |
| British Airways Terraces Lounge | Boarding Area A | 05:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 20:45 | BA premium cabins and oneworld elites in the afternoon; JAL and EVA premium passengers in the morning; Priority Pass in the morning window | One room with two jobs; JAL flyers land here since the Sakura Lounge closed in 2023 |
| Cathay Pacific Lounge | Level 4, near gate A1 | Around Cathay departures, roughly 09:40 to 13:25 and 20:05 to 00:50 | Cathay Pacific and oneworld premium cabins, oneworld Emerald and Sapphire | A proper Cathay room when the window is open; check the window first |
| China Airlines Dynasty Lounge | Near gate A1 | Evenings around China Airlines departures; exact hours to be confirmed | China Airlines premium cabins and SkyTeam elites; Priority Pass with evening restrictions | A quiet fallback when its door happens to be open |
| Emirates Lounge | Boarding Area A, between gates A2 and A6 | Around the daily Emirates departure, roughly 13:05 to 17:05 | Emirates premium cabins and Skywards elites | Open about four hours a day; plan around the window, not the other way round |
| Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse | Upper level, near gate A3 | Around Virgin Atlantic departures; Priority Pass 08:30 to 12:30 and 22:00 to 00:00, space permitting | Upper Class and Delta One on international departures, eligible elites, Priority Pass in set windows | The most stylish room on the A side; the prize when your timing lines up |
Boarding Area A is the lounge pod: seven doors stacked around the first few A gates on levels 3 and 4. The trade is that most of them keep banker's hours or worse, opening only around their own airline's departures. The Golden Gate Lounge is the dependable all day option, and the Priority Pass play is to check which of the four participating doors has a window open when you land, then walk the pod in order of preference.
International Terminal G
Boarding Area G lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Polaris Lounge | Near gate G1 | 07:00 to 23:00 | United Polaris and Star Alliance long haul business and first class passengers | Table service dining and shower suites; the best lounge at SFO, full stop |
| United Club | Boarding Area G | 07:00 to 01:15 | United Club members, Star Alliance Gold, international premium cabins | Runs past 1 am for the late Asia bank; the latest closing lounge at the airport |
| Freshen Up SFO | Boarding Area G, by the G gates entrance | 24 hours | Paid bookings for showers and rest suites; lounge program access to be confirmed | Not a lounge, but the only around the clock door at SFO when everything else is dark |
The G side is United country, and it holds the trophy. The Polaris Lounge by gate G1 is the strongest lounge at the airport, with a la carte dining worth skipping the plane meal for, and the United Club next door stays open late enough to cover the evening Asia departures. One piece of history worth knowing: Singapore Airlines closed its SilverKris lounge here in 2017 and never replaced it, so Star Alliance flyers on SQ default to the United side.
Access decoder
What actually opens these doors
Priority Pass opens five doors at SFO: The Club SFO in Terminal 1, and the Golden Gate Lounge, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, China Airlines Lounge and British Airways Terraces Lounge in International Terminal A. Every one carries fine print. The Club admits members within 2.5 hours of departure, the Golden Gate Lounge cuts Priority Pass entry at 5 pm, and the three airline lounges only take members in set windows, all subject to space.
American Express runs the Centurion Lounge, temporarily in Terminal 2 near gate D12, for Platinum and Centurion cardholders within 3 hours of departure. Platinum cardholders flying Delta the same day can also use the Delta Sky Club in Terminal 1, subject to the card's current visit rules.
Paying at the door is thinner here than at the big international hubs. The Admirals Club sells day passes, United sells one time United Club passes, and Freshen Up takes paid bookings for showers and rest suites. There is no independent paid lounge chain like Plaza Premium at SFO, which makes a lounge program the practical route for most travelers.
Class of travel and status covers the rest. Star Alliance flyers get the deepest bench, with the Polaris Lounge and three United Clubs. oneworld runs through the Admirals Club, the Cathay Pacific lounge and the British Airways afternoon service. SkyTeam splits between the Delta Sky Club in Terminal 1 and the Air France KLM, Golden Gate and China Airlines rooms on the A side.
Program rules shift and the construction map keeps moving doors around. Treat the tables above as the map and confirm the door you are counting on the day you fly. For the Priority Pass strategy in detail, see the SFO Priority Pass guide.
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FAQ
SFO lounge questions
Which SFO lounges take Priority Pass?
Five as of June 2026: The Club SFO in Terminal 1, plus the Golden Gate Lounge, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, China Airlines Lounge and British Airways Terraces Lounge in International Terminal A. Every door has fine print: The Club admits you within 2.5 hours of departure, the Golden Gate Lounge stops Priority Pass entry at 5 pm, and the airline lounges open to members only in set windows.
Is there an Amex Centurion Lounge at SFO?
Yes, in a temporary location in Terminal 2 near gate D12, open since June 2025 while the Terminal 3 lounge sits inside the Terminal 3 West construction zone. The permanent room is expected back around 2027. Entry is for Platinum and Centurion cardholders within 3 hours of departure.
Can I pay for a lounge at SFO without flying business class?
Options are thinner than at most big hubs. The Admirals Club in Terminal 1 sells day passes and United sells one time United Club passes, but there is no independent pay at the door lounge chain at SFO. The practical route for most travelers is Priority Pass, which opens five doors here.
What is the best lounge at SFO?
With access, the United Polaris Lounge near gate G1, which runs table service dining and shower suites before long haul departures. Without status, The Club SFO in Terminal 1 is the strongest Priority Pass room at the airport, and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is the prize when its access window lines up with your flight.
Do SFO lounges have showers?
Several do. The Club SFO sells showers for 25 dollars, the United Polaris Lounge and the Delta Sky Club include private shower rooms for eligible passengers, and Freshen Up in Boarding Area G rents showers and rest suites around the clock.
More SFO guides
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