In early 2019, Alaska Airlines announced it would open a new lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). There’s a huge update on that today, as the lounge has finally opened.
In this post:
Alaska Airlines’ SFO lounge details
The Alaska Lounge SFO has opened as of August 31, 2021:
- The lounge is located in the former space of the American Admirals Club in Terminal 2, just beyond the D security checkpoint
- The lounge is open daily from 5:00AM until 10:00PM
- The lounge is 9,200 square feet, making it the second largest lounge in Alaska’s network, after the carrier’s flagship lounge in Seattle
- The Alaska Lounge features amenities like a children’s play area with San Francisco Giants art, and a gallery wall featuring art designed by local artists
- See here for a guide on how to access Alaska Lounges; keep in mind that the cost of an Alaska Lounge membership has increased as of October 2021, and that Priority Pass members do get access to this lounge
Below are some pictures that Alaska Airlines has provided of the new lounge space. It looks reasonably nice, but I can’t say it looks that inspiring. I’m not sure I get the logic of all of these dining tables seating four to six people, as most people are traveling alone or in pairs, and also appreciate spacing more than ever before.
As far as Alaska Lounge SFO food & drinks go, you can expect the following:
- Espresso-based drinks from a trained barista
- A complimentary full bar, including Bay Area craft brews on tap and wines from local vineyards
- A candy bar, including Ghirardelli chocolates, Jelly Belly jelly beans, and Oakland Fortune Cookie Factory fortune cookies
- There’s even a sourdough toast cart, featuring sourdough from The Acme Bread Co., plus toppings like ricotta with figs and honey, and burrata with pesto
- A variety of other food options, from made-to-order pancakes, to salads, to soups
Here’s how Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines’ SVP of Marketing and Guest Experience, describes this new lounge:
“After much anticipation, we’re thrilled to give our guests a place to work, relax, unwind and enjoy some of the best of what the Golden City has to offer when they travel through SFO on Alaska or a oneworld partner. Hands down Alaska offers the single best value of any airport lounge membership in the country. Our eight lounges redefine the guest experience and offer a calm oasis for every type of traveler including kid-friendly spaces, peaceful nooks, local wine or beer and tasty, locally sourced bites.”
This lounge isn’t what we were expecting
Initially the Alaska Lounge SFO was supposed to open in 2020, though it got delayed due to the pandemic, which is understandable. What I find interesting is that the plans for the lounge changed completely compared to what was initially planned:
- Initially the lounge was supposed to be on the top floor of SFO Terminal 2 in a space that wasn’t previously utilized, offering the highest viewpoint of any domestic lounge at SFO
- American moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in 2020, and as a result the space of the former American Admirals Club became vacant
- However, the plan was for the former American Admirals Club to become retail space, given the prime location, rather than to be converted into the Alaska Lounge
- In the end, the decision was made for the American Admirals Club to become the Alaska Lounge
For what it’s worth, below is the rendering of what the Alaska Lounge SFO was initially supposed to look like.
I guess the benefit of the new plan is that the lounge is a bit larger, though the views won’t be quite as great as they would have been from the other planned lounge.
This new lounge represents the return of a lounge for the airline at SFO. The Alaska Lounge SFO closed many years ago (at least seven years ago, I think), though the lounge at the time was basically a broom closet.
Bottom line
The Alaska Lounge SFO has opened as of August 31, 2021. The 9,200 square foot lounge has taken over the space of the former American Admirals Club in Terminal 2. It’s awesome to see this lounge finally open, and there are even some cool local amenities there that guests can look forward to.
Anyone plan on checking out the new Alaska Lounge SFO?
Twice now, before 8pm, the SFO lounge has been closed.
I fly in and out of SFO every week and count on the lounge.
I'm very disappointed.
Kevin
Had long lay over in SFO and decided to purchase a day pass.
Staff very friendly.
Food was a HUGE disappointment - processed chicken formed into pieces and then grilled with marks to appear like real chicken - Disgusting!
Rest of food offerings were extremely mediocre.
Agree about the chairs!
It is good that Alaska now has this new lounge. However, the furnishing look cheap and uncomfortable. Perhaps the chairs, that appear most uncomfortable, were installed to encourage travelers to not stay too long
Dropped in last night. It's really one big (big) room. The finishings are very nice, the staff are very exciting. The bar is equal to the N terminal lounge in SEA/TAC, the food is good, and the sourdough stand is fun, but otherwise I would put it below JFK, LAX, SEA/TAC N, and SEA/TAC C, but above PDX and SEA/TAC D. As a regular SFO Alaska flyer I'm very glad it's open, though.
Side note:...
Dropped in last night. It's really one big (big) room. The finishings are very nice, the staff are very exciting. The bar is equal to the N terminal lounge in SEA/TAC, the food is good, and the sourdough stand is fun, but otherwise I would put it below JFK, LAX, SEA/TAC N, and SEA/TAC C, but above PDX and SEA/TAC D. As a regular SFO Alaska flyer I'm very glad it's open, though.
Side note: The windows have the same problem for photos as the rest of T2, that is closely spaced opaque dots to cut down on the sun. While there are OK tarmac views, no real shot at photos.
the staff are excited, not exciting....
That’s not a very appealing space with its cheap utilitarian furnishings and the psycho analysis area - reminds me of AA meetings - who wants to be sitting in a semi circle looking at each other - maybe that’s the point - work out all your problems before boarding and avoiding all those punch ups
Looks like a sparsely furnished space with cheap furniture, where if asked to move can do it in one afternoon, comfortably.
It is just a temporary space, right?
Am I the only one who remembers the T2 AA lounge as being rather small and uninspiring. Admittedly the T3E predecessor being split across the concourse wasn't exactly better but neither were a par to the current Delta or Amex lounges in T1 or T3
Since I see that it has not been mentioned yet, here is a PSA of two unfortunate facts I learned about the new Alaska lounge at SFO: (1) They did not keep the showers that the AA Admirals Club had, and instead converted them into storage space. (2) Judging by the photo, it looks like there is a spot where a fireplace could go (at the center of the circular arrangement of chairs) but no...
Since I see that it has not been mentioned yet, here is a PSA of two unfortunate facts I learned about the new Alaska lounge at SFO: (1) They did not keep the showers that the AA Admirals Club had, and instead converted them into storage space. (2) Judging by the photo, it looks like there is a spot where a fireplace could go (at the center of the circular arrangement of chairs) but no apparatus there to actually make that spot into one. This lounge probably won't even feature a fireplace, not initially at least. Disappointing, considering that the rendering of the initial plan showed a fireplace on the wall.
It's hard not to see this new lounge as a letdown, especially considering what was intially planned. The place looks quite bland, it gives the vibe of a high school cafeteria, and the ceilings are quite low. I agree with whoever said that the seating areas in the regular part of Terminal 2 at SFO can be just as nice or even nicer (higher ceiling for the most part too). For sure, the new lounge in SEA really blows this one out of the water. Even ones at PDX, LAX, and JFK, which are smaller, have nicer furnishings than this one. I like the "organic" themes that Alaska generally puts into their interior design, where there's a widespread use of wood, brick, and brownish colors. That theme seemed highly visible in the initial plan, which gave me hope, but it's sort of absent in the actual product here, bar the tree pattern on the ceiling, which was originally there with the Admirals Club. For the second-largest lounge in Alaska's network, you'd probably expect better than something like this.
On a side note, it's nice how Alaska is finally going into expansion mode at SFO again, notably with a few new routes to Mexico. (And by the way, does anyone know if Alaska's international flights from SFO depart from Terminal 2 or International?)
Yuck. I was contemplating buying an AS lounge membership, as SFO is my home airport, but I don't think I will. This looks less nice than the terminal itself (which is quite nice, as terminals go). That tired "pancake machine" is not a draw....
Just go over the term 3 for Amex centurion lounge. With precheck T2 security only takes a few minutes.
Usually, I just arrive at the airport no more than an hour before my departure anyway. Centurion is nice when I’m flying United, but not worth the walk or double security if I’m on AS — unless there’s a delay.
San Francisco, the "Golden City"...hmmm . We are in the Golden State and sit at the Golden Gate - but the city itself, never heard of that. I guess it's better than "Fog City".
Alaska Airlines, so much a part of the “Golden City” of San Francisco.
I miss Virgin.
They chose this space just because the original retail vendor for this space backed out and this is the fastest way they can open a lounge at SFO, nothing else.
It is a fail. Looks like a WeWork office sharing space.
Perhaps I am wrong, but those tables look like individual tables of 2 that they pushed together. So at least, that might be something that is easy to rectify?
Great that Alaska has opened this for SFO fliers. But sadly, it doesn't look like anything special. And I must agree with Lucky: what's up with all the collaboration table seating? Business travelers tend to travel alone (not always, but usually) and the last thing most of us want is to sit at a table with strangers. Also, I could be wrong, but that seating doesn't look all that relaxing. More gimmicky than anything else.
Still trying to figure out why AS has such a small lounge at the PDX hub, which is a considerably larger operation than SFO...
That’s a generic looking lounge :(
Glad to have an AS lounge but looks rather ho hum. Nothing to get excited about.
It is a welcomed for us that travel through SFO however I am not sure looking at the pictures how "welcoming" it is, seems more utilitarian. I think there was a cost factor in using the old Admiral's Club similar to SEATAC.
As for view for me I see enough of airplanes, gates and baggage tugs everyday so the "view" is not as important as location of the club and sufficient room to park myself.