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SFO Gate Explorer

flysfo.com

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Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#21

Post by testfrequency »

arkits wrote: post #6
geoduck14 wrote: post #4

>With SFO Gate Explorer, you can bring or meet friends and family at the gate, check out the latest exhibits and art pieces from the award-winning SFO Museum, and take in SFO’s world-class shopping and dining. I haven't been to SFO recently. Does anyone know if they genuinely have good art or good dining?

It's typical airport food and """art""". I've seen more fancier airports in Asia and Middle east I've seen families tag along all the way to the security to say goodbyes... This seems like a great way to spend some more time right until the flight

Honestly, SFO pulls its weight on food. They have some amazing local restaurants to the Bay that have outposts there, it’s very clean, and the art and history installations are better than most airports domestically.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#22

Post by buckle8017 »

jjice wrote: post #5
gucci-on-fleek wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

San Francisco is notable for being one of the very few airports to use a third-party contractor instead of the TSA for security [0], so this might have something to do with it. [0]: https://www.flysfo.com/flight-info/alerts-advisories/tsa-lin...

Very interesting. Is it a noticeably different experience? I've only gone through SFO twice years ago and I don't recall a distinct experience.

SFO has no line for business class or high status travelers. (they have pre and clear).

That's the only difference.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#24

Post by zeroonetwothree »

geoduck14 wrote: post #4

>With SFO Gate Explorer, you can bring or meet friends and family at the gate, check out the latest exhibits and art pieces from the award-winning SFO Museum, and take in SFO’s world-class shopping and dining. I haven't been to SFO recently. Does anyone know if they genuinely have good art or good dining?

SFO dining is the best of any airport restaurant I’ve been to. Obviously that’s kind of a low bar though.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#25

Post by hansvm »

jjice wrote: post #5
gucci-on-fleek wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

San Francisco is notable for being one of the very few airports to use a third-party contractor instead of the TSA for security [0], so this might have something to do with it. [0]: https://www.flysfo.com/flight-info/alerts-advisories/tsa-lin...

Very interesting. Is it a noticeably different experience? I've only gone through SFO twice years ago and I don't recall a distinct experience.

With one class of exception (everyone with an early-morning flight piling in before the airport opens and creating a security backlog around Thanksgiving and Christmas), it's never once been more than 10min from walking in the front door to being at my gate, out of dozens of flights at all sorts of days and times.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#26

Post by hankerapp »

buckle8017 wrote: post #22
jjice wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very interesting. Is it a noticeably different experience? I've only gone through SFO twice years ago and I don't recall a distinct experience.

SFO has no line for business class or high status travelers. (they have pre and clear). That's the only difference.

Do other airports have? The only ones that I have been to (that have separate Customs and Security lines for Business Class travelers) are in India and Middle East. I have never seen a separate line anywhere in Canada or US.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#27

Post by cmdoptesc »

geoduck14 wrote: post #4

>With SFO Gate Explorer, you can bring or meet friends and family at the gate, check out the latest exhibits and art pieces from the award-winning SFO Museum, and take in SFO’s world-class shopping and dining. I haven't been to SFO recently. Does anyone know if they genuinely have good art or good dining?

It's subjective, right? But a few artists I like have pieces there:

- Margaret Kilgallen (RIP): https://www.sfomuseum.org/public-art/public-collection/untit...

- Barry McGee: https://www.sfomuseum.org/public-art/public-collection/untit...

- Paul Madonna: https://www.sfomuseum.org/public-art/public-collection/here-...

- Robert Bechtle: https://www.sfomuseum.org/public-art/public-collection/untit...

- Ned Kahn: https://www.sfomuseum.org/public-art/public-collection/wind-...

- Emily Fromm: https://www.sfomuseum.org/public-art/public-collection/four-...

- Shawn HibmaCronan: https://www.shawnhibmacronan.com/#/the-press/

They also have a sculpture by Noguchi and another by Kusama, but those particular pieces don't speak to me.

Theoretically the space should be conducive to art viewing, but the reality is most travelers are hurrying from security to their terminals, so few folks have the time to stop and appreciate.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#28

Post by CaliforniaKarl »

tom_alexander wrote: post #19
geoduck14 wrote: post #4

>With SFO Gate Explorer, you can bring or meet friends and family at the gate, check out the latest exhibits and art pieces from the award-winning SFO Museum, and take in SFO’s world-class shopping and dining. I haven't been to SFO recently. Does anyone know if they genuinely have good art or good dining?

"I really wish I was eating in an airport" - literally no one ever. Airports are expensive, loud, and uncomfortable.

Not completely true for SFO: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47894081

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#29

Post by joekrill »

PHL has a verion of this ("Wingmate pass") that I use pretty frequently now! If I have a friend/family flying in/out I usually get one so I can meet them at the gate. It's very nice and convenient. I just wish they would let me use my Precheck, because I have to go through the "regular" security line and sometimes it's just too long and I don't bother.

This SFO version looks a bit nicer, though. You can apply 30 days out vs PHL's 7 days. And PHL makes me choose a specific entry gate when applying. So if you show up and that gate has a long line you can't just go through another gate that has a shorter line (at least that's what they tell you - in practice I've entered through different gates without any problems).

Both PHL and SFO won't notify you whether you are approved until midnight of the day you want to enter, which I find interesting. I guess that's some sort of security feature? I've never been denied, but it could be a hassle if you don't find out until the last minute that you were denied.

Re: SFO Gate Explorer

#30

Post by anon84873628 »

jjice wrote: post #5
gucci-on-fleek wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

San Francisco is notable for being one of the very few airports to use a third-party contractor instead of the TSA for security [0], so this might have something to do with it. [0]: https://www.flysfo.com/flight-info/alerts-advisories/tsa-lin...

Very interesting. Is it a noticeably different experience? I've only gone through SFO twice years ago and I don't recall a distinct experience.

It is hard to disentangle that variable from other things like season, time of day, size of airport, and of course n=1 subjectivity.

I think overall regional culture plays the biggest factor.

And in that regard, I far prefer SFO over any experience I've had in Texas, Atlanta, Philly, NYC, etc. It does not feel like the security agents are on a power trip trying to intimidate you or make you feel stupid.

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