2016-11-19 04:08:37
SAN FRANCISCO IS EASY TO GET TO FROM PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE, THANKS MAINLY TO SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND ITS WEB OF CONNECTIVITY IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND. San Francisco International Airport, International Terminal Winningly efficient and handsomely designed, SFO connects nonstop to 78 U.S. cities — including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. — with nonstop flights on 13 carriers. The Big Four domestic airlines — American, Delta, United and Southwest — as well as the likes of JetBlue, Frontier, Alaska, Hawaiian and San Francisco’s hometown airline, Virgin America, are all represented. The planet’s far-flung international markets are also well-served. SFO provides nonstop service to 44 markets all over the world, ranging from Beijing and Dubai to London, Sydney, Paris, Tokyo, Vancouver and Hong Kong, via 37 high-profile international carriers such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, SAS, Emirates, Air Canada and Air France. All told, 11.25 million of SFO’s 50 million passengers took international flights in 2015 — it’s the nation’s seventh-busiest airport by passenger traffic. SFO sits 14 miles south of San Francisco’s downtown Financial District, where most meetings and conventions are held. Business travelers choose from a variety of transport options: taxis, hotel shuttles, shared-ride vans, VIP limousines, rental car agencies, buses, commuter trains and light rail. To move about the airport itself, hop onboard AirTrain, the free, 24-hour, automated tram that connects all four terminals, along with SFO’s parking garages and Rental Car Center. RENTAL CARS Nine major car rental agencies operate from SFO’s Rental Car Center, located at the northern edge of the airport and best reached on AirTrain’s blue line. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Thrifty and National are located on the fourth floor; Hertz is on the first floor. TAXIS A flotilla of taxicabs under a variety of company names assembles around the roadway islands on SFO’s lower level outside the Arrivals/Baggage Claims area in all terminals. Uniformed taxi coordinators work from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m., and all cabs are metered. Fares from SFO to points in the city can range from $43 to about $63; for popular drop-off spots around San Francisco’s downtown/Financial District, approximate fare is around $45. HOTEL SHUTTLES Hotel shuttles depart SFO near the taxi queue on the lower level outside Arrivals/ Baggage Claims. SHARED-RIDE VANS Eight shared-ride companies move travelers between SFO and San Francisco, among them American Airporter, GO Lorrie’s and SuperShuttle. City-bound vans are available on a walk-up basis, though SFO advises travelers to book reservations for arrivals after 11 p.m. Shared ride vans pick up travelers on the Departures/ Ticketing level from the roadway center island outside the terminals. Reservations are required for return trips to SFO, where passengers are dropped off on the Departures/Ticketing levels of the terminals. Per person fares usually top-out at $18 for adults. RIDE-SHARING APPS Providing prearranged transportation between SFO and passenger-specified locations, popular companies include Lyft and Uber. Passengers arrange service online, typically using a smartphone app. Drivers use their personal, non-commercial vehicles. Pick up locations are at curbs on Departures/Ticketing Level of all terminals. Fares vary. CHARTERS San Francisco Sightseeing & Tours, Bauer’s Intelligent Transportation, Pure Luxury Transportation, San Francisco Minibus and 18 other companies provide charter services at SFO. Pick-up is located in the courtyards at the Arrivals/Baggage Claim level. LIMOUSINES Four different companies provide 100 percent low-emissions limousine service at SFO: Early Bird Shuttles, Green Carpet Limousine, Embarque San Francisco and T3 Tesla Tours & Transportation. There are seven additional companies with varying levels of low-emissions services. Reservations are required and can be made at SFO’s Information booths or via the Lodging, Transportation and Attraction boards on the Arrivals/Baggage Claims level of each terminal, which offer free telephone connections to participating companies (limo drivers are not allowed to solicit customers at the terminal). BUSES The San Mateo County Transit Agency (SamTrans) runs public buses between SFO and San Francisco on the KX, 292 and 397 lines. Fares range from $2.25 to $5.50 one-way for adults. (samtrans.com). LIGHT RAIL Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), a hybrid aboveground and subway system, operates from SFO’s International Terminal, level 3. One-way fares between SFO and downtown San Francisco are $8.95 for adults. The ride takes about 30 minutes. (bart.gov). COMMUTER TRAINS BART connects at its Millbrae station to Caltrain, a commuter line that runs between San Francisco’s Fourth Street Caltrain station, about a mile by taxi from the downtown Financial District and points in the South Bay. Fares vary from $3.75 to $13.75, depending on destination (caltrain.com).
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