As the holiday travel season approaches, the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is gearing up to accommodate a surge in passenger traffic with new amenities and services. With an anticipated 160,000 travelers expected to pass through the airport next Friday, marking the start of the holiday rush, SFO is preparing for an influx that could reach 6.3 million between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This represents a significant 15% spike from the previous year, per a release from the San Francisco International Airport.

In response to the anticipated crowds, SFO urges travelers to plan ahead and allow extra time for airport arrival, specifically, at least 2 hours for domestic and 3 hours for international flights. Despite the recommendation for travelers to use public transit or shared rides due to parking garages filling quickly, those opting to drive can book parking online through SFO’s system. Coming soon, a new convenient option for passengers will be the remote baggage check-in available from both the Long-Term Parking garage and Rental Car Center, with certain airlines participating.

For those looking to minimize the hassle of connections, all terminals at SFO are now interlinked post-security, the result of the completed Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Furthermore, a temporary corridor in Terminal 3 has been implemented, allowing easier passenger transition while the Terminal 3 West Modernization project is underway. Such improvements are part of SFO's broad initiative to enhance the travel experience during times many find stressful.

SFO is also expanding its roster of airlines and destinations for holiday travelers in 2024. According to the San Francisco International Airport release, new additions include flights from Air Premia to Seoul, Frontier Airlines to Palm Springs and Vail, and routes by United Airlines to destinations like Monterrey, Belize, and Costa Rica, with Alaska Airlines also now offering flights to Costa Rica.