San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is getting a new Priority Pass lounge as of tomorrow, as flagged by Zach Griff. Not only is this great in terms of adding lounge capacity, but the lounge also looks really nice.
In this post:
Details of The Club SFO at Harvey Milk Terminal 1
On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, we’ll see the opening of The Club SFO at Harvey Milk Terminal 1. The lounge is open daily from 4AM until 11PM. It’s located past security, just before gate B4, across from Mills Cargo (when you clear security, stay left).
The Club is a group of lounges run by Airport Dimensions, with 20 locations in the United States. Historically, I haven’t been a huge fan of The Club locations, but this lounge looks much nicer than the rest.
The Club SFO is over 12,000 square feet, and can accommodate nearly 250 guests. The lounge features lots of seating spread across a variety of zones, depending on whether you want to relax, eat, drink, or work. There’s even a wellness area for yoga, plus a shower suite.
Below you can see some pictures of the lounge. Honestly, I find that The Club locations usually look like the waiting room for a doctor’s office, so this is a massive upgrade. Hopefully it represents a new direction for the lounge network.
The Club SFO food & drink selection
The menus and drink lists have been published for The Club SFO, and the selection looks pretty good to me. Below you can find the food options.
The Club SFO access requirements
The Club is an independent group of airport lounges. The most common way to access these lounges will be with Priority Pass. Lounge access is permitted up to three hours prior to a flight’s scheduled departure time. In addition to Priority Pass, you can also buy a day pass to the lounge, at the cost of $75.
I imagine that crowding will be a concern here, given how many people have Priority Pass memberships, plus the lack of accessible lounges at the airport. So the lounge plans to have a waitlist system using a QR code, for situations where the space is at capacity.
In terms of access, Terminal 1 is used by Alaska, American, and JetBlue, among other carriers. As of recently, there are also airside connectors that allow you to get between all terminals and concourses at SFO while staying airside. However, in some cases it could be a really long walk, so plan accordingly.
Bottom line
The Club SFO is opening as of June 26, 2024. The 12,000 square foot lounge has seating for nearly 250 people. Not only is it exciting to have a Priority Pass lounge in Harvey Milk Terminal 1, but this also legitimately looks like the best lounge we’ve seen so far from The Club. I look forward to checking this out at some point.
What do you make of The Club SFO?
At the lounge now on Saturday afternoon. I changed my flight from OAK to SFO to check out the lounge. There was a 10 people line, and after waiting to get to the front desk we were placed on the priority pass wait-list. They said it would take 30 minutes and after 30 minutes we did indeed get a notification via SMS. If you paid the $75 with a time slot assignment, you get enter...
At the lounge now on Saturday afternoon. I changed my flight from OAK to SFO to check out the lounge. There was a 10 people line, and after waiting to get to the front desk we were placed on the priority pass wait-list. They said it would take 30 minutes and after 30 minutes we did indeed get a notification via SMS. If you paid the $75 with a time slot assignment, you get enter walk in right away it seems.
The lounge is nice! Almost as nice as airline alliance lounges in LAX. A big upgrade over other centurión studio lounges or priority pass lounges in other countries. I didn't see any way to order food. Maybe that's for the paying customers? We ate from the buffet line, it was a small selection but pretty good. I like how the rice bowl portions are small which helps me pace myself. 4 dessert options. Didn't try the bar. The relax room, acclimation room, yoga room are all locked. Maybe it's first come first serve? Has bathrooms, all-gender bathrooms, showers (all showing occupied sign), 1 room for family with children, 2 phone booth room. The infamous Jenga set is still here inside the bookshelf.
The ac temp was comfortable, spaces clean, and lounge workers regularly cleared out dishes.
Jenga set: https://imgur.com/a/GfERyF1
Here now. At capacity day 1 and it’s not even on the Amex app yet. Line is going to be a problem as the max queue space is mayb 12-15 people and blocks the exit.
It’s a bit hot, understaffed, dirty dishware everywhere. Ordered cioppino and goat cheese burrata through the QR code on the table.
Only here out of curiosity, next time I’ll be at the admirals lounge or at a terminal restaurant.
Although I have multiple ways to access lounges, I sometimes just grab a quick bite in the lounge near my departure gate especially if I only have a short period of time before my next flight segment.
How do you get on the Prriority Pass lounge waitlist prior to your arrival?
You don't prior to arrival. Must be present to scan the QR code at this stage.
I’m not sure I’d. call them independent as both Airport Dimensions and Priority Pass are part of collinson who offers the products
Way overdue. Priority pass options are extremely limited in SFO - basically just China airlines which is rarely open to PP, Virgin which is never and Golden Gate which arbitrarily sets its own rules on who they admit and when
Great news! Now they should make renovations at the Seattle (SEA) lounge. That place is horrible!
There is an AA Admiral's Lounge in T1. Now, a Priority Pass Lounge has opened, and (sometime) in July, the Alaska Lounge will open in T1 (and the lounge in T2 will close).
Personally, I will be easily able to access all three (barring any overcrowding issues). But some people only have Priority Pass, so I view this as a good thing...for everyone.
Someone tell them to get rid of that jenga set
I found that photo perplexing, and I'm wondering if it was AI generated. No sensible person would suggest this as an appropriate activity in an airport lounge. It's also weird that both kids appear to be drinking beer (which, of course, is going to spill all over the place when the tower comes crashing down).
Who picks the wines??? Can't they do a better job especially so near great wineries????? They all(lounges) need to hire people who know and drink wine(not beer)!!!
To be fair, part of the problem is finding a wine that can be sourced in the quantity needed for the number of lounges, 365 days a year.
what a lousy excuse.
Nobody says they must have the same wine in every lounge but it is most certainly possible to get better than $10 wine.
Don't act like DL with the largest lounge footprint in the world should be held to one standard but priority pass should get by with less standards.
@dee -- You aren't going to get Napa Cabs retailing for $100+ per bottle being poured for free in a lounge...any lounge. Neither will you get them on board any domestic airline, regardless of class! The "supplier to the lounge" (that is, the catering company) not only must find a wine with enough production volume to keep the lounge(s) supplied for at least 6 months, often 12, but it also must be below a certain...
@dee -- You aren't going to get Napa Cabs retailing for $100+ per bottle being poured for free in a lounge...any lounge. Neither will you get them on board any domestic airline, regardless of class! The "supplier to the lounge" (that is, the catering company) not only must find a wine with enough production volume to keep the lounge(s) supplied for at least 6 months, often 12, but it also must be below a certain cost-per-ounce for the lounge to be able to pour it for free.
As a 50-year veteran of the wine trade, I can only caution you not to hold your breath...
Sfo probably need an additional 2-3 pp lounges to make things better for the pp customers. I have had a less than 25% chance of getting into a pp lounge for the last 2 years. I've opted for the restaurants but that's not a thing anymore. Flying business doesn't always make things better. UAL requires premium route. Lay flat sfo to Honolulu does not count. Alaska has mileage requirements. Centurion is small and crowded. But...
Sfo probably need an additional 2-3 pp lounges to make things better for the pp customers. I have had a less than 25% chance of getting into a pp lounge for the last 2 years. I've opted for the restaurants but that's not a thing anymore. Flying business doesn't always make things better. UAL requires premium route. Lay flat sfo to Honolulu does not count. Alaska has mileage requirements. Centurion is small and crowded. But all the new reno at sfo is awesome. That terminal feels spacious and tsa that doesn't make me want to strangle families traveling like it's the first time they're at an airport.
Air Canada business to Vancouver on a CRJ on the other hand does come with United Club and MLL access. I will never stop rolling my eyes about how there's no lounge access with United on the same route.
I've been to The Club lounges in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The food is always old and just stale looking; not to mention limited. They're also always out of half of the wine, meaning they generally just have on red and one white.
sub $10/bottle wines?
seriously?
Only ONE shower? Does anyone here know how many showers are available in the Amex Centurion Lounge at SFO?
SFO is the most elite status/credit card holder heavy market in the goddamn COUNTRY. The dominant industries, tech and private equity/venture capital, are FULL of people who are mass affluent and who love to travel. Supporting these industries are law firms paying Cravath scale to associates and MILLIONS up to TENS OF MILLIONS to equity partners. Let’s not forget all other professional services industries like accounting, management consulting, and investment banking. These are industries where...
SFO is the most elite status/credit card holder heavy market in the goddamn COUNTRY. The dominant industries, tech and private equity/venture capital, are FULL of people who are mass affluent and who love to travel. Supporting these industries are law firms paying Cravath scale to associates and MILLIONS up to TENS OF MILLIONS to equity partners. Let’s not forget all other professional services industries like accounting, management consulting, and investment banking. These are industries where you make a $5 million salary by the time you are 30 years old. Basically SFO (to mean the city of SF plus the entire Peninsula and even parts of East Bay) is totally flush with extreme wealth and it’s all wealth that love to travel far and wide. This Priority Pass club is going to be full.
Everything you say (boast?) is true, but one more easily (now that everything is connected post security) accessed lounge will spread out the existing demand.
I live in SF and am at the airport frequently. Since the early ‘23 AMEX guest changes and lounge expansion, I’ve not had a problem finding a seat at the Centurion lounge.
The expansion is wonderful. Based on comments I've read, I suspect that many people who complain of the lounge still being crowded never go to the expanded area either because it's too far from the food or they simply don't realize it's there.
Would the average person making $5m a year really be going to this lounge and not have access to some first class lounge? Alternatively, flying private?
On $5M a year you might be able to afford to fly private around the lower 48 in a Cessna, but over to Europe or, for instance, Japan on a Global or Gulfstream? It wouldn't be a trip you'd want to pay for more than once a year. Rumor has it, for instance, that the Assange flight from London to Canberra via Bangkok and Saipan racked-up a $520K VistaJet bill. One way. Flying private is...
On $5M a year you might be able to afford to fly private around the lower 48 in a Cessna, but over to Europe or, for instance, Japan on a Global or Gulfstream? It wouldn't be a trip you'd want to pay for more than once a year. Rumor has it, for instance, that the Assange flight from London to Canberra via Bangkok and Saipan racked-up a $520K VistaJet bill. One way. Flying private is very expensive, and that's just charter. Ownership is an entirely different universe of terrifying costs that are best left to the billionaire set.
If I made $5m a year I wouldn't waste my time at a priority pass lounge. Or an Amex lounge for that matter. I'd either be in a first class lounge or paying the $100 tab at a restaurant bar.
$5M when you're 30?
You make a lot of money but not in the millions.
You must live in a different bay?
Noteworthy that this is a modern terminal with great restaurant options, tons of seating and workspaces, and even abundant water dispensers. Will be cool to check out, but if overrun with lounge lizards, the terminal itself will be preferred. Also, the admirals is solid in this terminal as it's well sized and non-hub (still sad food though).
Which restaurant is exactly great at SFO ?
All gates at SFO are now connected beyond security, as of last week.
So what makes this club so great?
From the pictures?
Picture this. You need to put 30 more people in every picture you see, and that's The Club you get.
......and mark half the menu as "out'
Slightly to the south is The Club at SJC. Last time I was there, it was rather sad. Anyone been there recently who can report on its current state?
I'm there every week. It's still the same. Food is very limited. But it's a good place to relax. Nap rooms are nice.
As of June 19, all terminals and boarding areas are connected airside with the completion of the T1-B to T2-C connector and the opening of the last phase of the Harvey Milk Terminal.
@ WHS -- Thank you! I thought that might be the case, so I appreciate you confirming. I'll update the post to reflect that.