okay so i just landed at sfo and honestly its a whole thing tryna figure out these connecting flights, its not like lax where its kinda obvious sometimes, here its spread out and you gotta use your brain a bit but im here to share what i learned so you dont make the same mistakes or at least are prepared for the adventure and basically its an adventure every time and you basically just gotta go with the flow because nothing ever goes exactly as planned and thats just airport life.
The connection game plan
first things first when you land you gotta remember sfo is pretty big and its got these different terminals like 1, 2, 3, and the international terminal which is like a monster all its own, and you basically gotta figure out where your next gate is and that usually means looking at the screens or your airline app because gates change literally all the time and its super annoying when you plan for one and then its like a whole other building, and then you either walk if its close or hop on the airtrain which is super handy and free and circles around but it does take time and you should factor that in because its not instant transport its like a little scenic tour almost.
you truely gotta know your gate numbers and which terminal its in and honestly dont just assume its gonna be right next door because it probably wont be its just how airports work and sfo is no different and often you basically have to switch buildings so be prepared for that little journey.
Do you have enough time?
this is the big one honestly and its where everyone freaks out because you think an hour is enough but its usually not especially if you have to do the whole security dance again and especially if your first flight is delayed which literally happens all the time and then you basically have no time at all and are running like a madman trying to find your next gate, so if its domestic to domestic i would honestly say give yourself at least two hours maybe even two and a half to be super safe and not stress and if its international to anything then you need like three hours minimum maybe even more because customs is a beast and you just dont know how long that line is gonna be and then you basically have to recheck your bags and go through security again and that whole process can take forever its just a fact.
the baggage hassle is honestly something else and you really gotta pay attention to your boarding pass or ask your airline because its not always straightforward but basically:
- if your coming from a domestic flight and going to another domestic flight usually your bags are checked all the way through to your final destination and you dont have to touch them which is great and saves a ton of stress and time but always double check its not 100% guaranteed.
- but if your flying in from an international destination even if your next flight is domestic you absolutely always have to pick up your bags at baggage claim after you clear customs and then you basically have to recheck them right there after customs sometimes there are kiosks or a special recheck counter but dont just leave them you really need to pick them up its mandatory and they wont just send them on.
- and if your going international to international it can vary alot so you literally have to ask your airline at check-in because some will check them all the way through but some will make you pick them up and recheck them after customs too so just ask or risk missing your flight its just not worth the guess work and you dont wanna be stranded without your stuff.
and then theres the security part which is another joy basically:
- for domestic to domestic flights if your staying airside and your gates are in the same general terminal area or connected by an airside walkway you might not have to clear security again which is a huge time saver and often you can just walk between connected terminals but if you have to switch terminals and go landside or you leave the secure area for any reason you absolutely will have to go through security all over again and those lines can be long and super annoying.
- but for international arrivals especially if your going to a domestic connection you literally always have to clear security again after you clear customs and recheck your bag because your basically entering the us and then re-entering the secure area of the airport and theres no getting around that one so budget extra extra time for that because its basically a whole new check-in process.
- if you have tsa precheck or clear those can honestly save you alot of time for the security part but its not a guarantee its still gonna be super fast and its only useful for domestic legs or after youve re-entered the secure zone post-customs and it doesnt help with customs itself.
so basically my advice is to over-plan and over-estimate your time and dont rely on everything running perfectly smooth because it hardly ever does and honestly just pack some snacks and a good book or some shows on your phone and basically prepare to walk a lot and maybe wait a lot and if you basically follow these things you will survive your sfo connection and make it to your next flight probably only mildly stressed.