Triangle Trip

I have been flying in and out of SFO for several months but have not had to switch flights from the domestic terminals to the International Terminal. There used to be a bus located at the lower level near Gate 72 that takes you from SFO Terminal 3 to the International terminal. That bus is no longer available.

SFO has completed a connection bridge that takes you from Terminal 3 to the International Terminal. You will need to walk from the gates of Terminal 3 to the SFO International Terminal via this bridge. The walk way connecting SFO’s Terminal 3 and the International Terminal is near Gate 75 (shown in the map below). It would have been great if travelers received information information about the new bridge at SFO.

You can also view my other posts on: How to a quickly check into SFO Terminal 3 and a recently updated post on the time and schedule of when the gates are opened.

Safe travels.

An update to my previous post regarding a quick way to get through SFO’s Terminal 3 TSA security lines (especially on Monday mornings), I would like to share some additional facts I learned today with our readers.

1.  The TSA security line in SFO Terminal 3 located between the domestic and international terminals (near gate 74), which is all the way on the left side of the United checkin counters, is only open from 7AM to some time in the afternoon. So if you are really rushing to get on a flight and your gate is in the high 80s, you might be better off finding a United employee to escort you to the front of the normal security line. My recommended TSA checkpoint can be out of the way if you have to to run to the back of Terminal 3.

2.  The SFO Terminal 3 TSA security line located between the domestic and international terminals is faster than (Fly) Clear. I have used Clear at SFO which I find somewhat inefficient. Since there are two main TSA security lines at Terminal 3 for United, one for Premier and another for regular travelers, Clear agents allow you to skip the United Premier line which has less TSA security screeners and X-Ray machines.

In summary, use my recommended TSA security checkpoint at SFO Terminal 3 when they are open from 7AM to some time in the afternoon. If you are on a 6AM United flight, you better have Clear or UAL status.

As a frequent flyer of United in and out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Terminal 3, here are some hot tips for you:

1.  When flying on a domestic flight out of Terminal 3, you should always go through TSA security checkpoint near Gate 74 and 75. Gate 74 and 75 is located between the domestic and international terminals. It is called out “Boarding Areas” (the bottom red dot) if you refer to the map below.

The Gate 74 and 75 checkpoint is to the left of the Ticketing area, opposite side of the regular boarding area. No one is aware of this security checkpoint as it is geared towards travelers coming from the international terminal or BART. Lines here are always shorter than the Premier lines.

2.  When you are in transit through SFO from domestic to international terminal, the best approach is via the bus interlink. The bus is located near the Yankee Pier restaurant or Gate 72. Referring to the map above, it is the 2nd red dot from the top. You will need to go through a door near the information booth, then down the stairs to the waiting area. The bus comes every 15 minutes or so. Going by bus means you will be able to avoid going out of Terminal 3, taking the Airtrain, and go through security screening at the International terminal.

Try these two tips and let us know your thoughts.