San Francisco International Airport is moving ahead with a plan that could turn the airport experience into something closer to a private club for travelers willing to pay for it. The idea on the table: a pay-to-play private terminal where select passengers skip the main concourses, clear security and customs in their own dedicated space, then get driven straight to the tarmac.
Airport officials say the facility could open as soon as late 2028 if they can lock in an operator and move approvals along, but no one is pretending it will be cheap. The proposal is already stirring debate among travelers and nearby residents who question whether a chunk of SFO’s real estate should be carved out for high‑end, pay-for-access services.
Per the airport's RFP page, the Airport Commission has launched a Request for Proposals for a "Private Terminal Ground Lease" and will accept proposals via its RFP Web Portal from September 30 through October 7, according to San Francisco International Airport. SFO says it held an informational conference in June and is asking interested parties to submit a Response Form to receive the full RFP packet.
What the terminal would offer
If built, the standalone facility would come with its own Transportation Security Administration and customs screening areas, an exclusive luxury lounge and a car-to-plane valet service that would ferry passengers directly onto the tarmac. SFO has identified a roughly 75,000-square-foot parcel known as Plot 42 along North Access Road as the likely site, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Airport spokespeople have pitched the project as a way to meet growing demand for premium travel services in the Bay Area.
How much will it cost?
SFO has not released pricing, but similar private terminals at other major airports offer a hint at the market. At LAX, the company PS lists per-use and membership pricing that puts private-suite visits and annual all-access memberships in the low thousands up to roughly $4,850, per PS. That range suggests an SFO terminal would be aimed squarely at travelers willing to pay a hefty premium for speed, privacy and white-glove service.
Who can bid and what's next
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that SFO hopes to award a long-term ground lease by December and is setting minimum qualifications for bidders, including at least two years of experience operating a private-terminal business and gross sales of at least $15 million per year. The winning operator would then have to tackle permitting and construction, with a projected opening as soon as late 2028. Some airport patrons are already questioning whether a paid terminal is necessary when programs like TSA PreCheck can move travelers through existing lines relatively quickly, according to KTVU.
If the schedule holds, bidders will have a tight window in late September and early October to submit their proposals and the commission could select a lessee by December, per San Francisco International Airport. Whether the new terminal lands as a coveted perk for well-heeled fliers or a lightning rod over airport priorities will come down to who bids, what they charge and how regulators and the community weigh the tradeoffs.
