Do you have to go through security again at SFO?

Yes. There are no auxiliary terminals at SFO; it's all one set of terminal buildings, all of them more or less connected and all are connected by means of a “people mover.” However if you are changing terminals you will need exit one secure area and go through screening again at the other terminal.



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Passengers can connect to certain terminals without exiting and re-entering security. Post-security connectors are available between: International Terminal A Gates (Gates A1 through A15) and Harvey Milk Terminal 1 (Gates B1 through B27)

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Yes, a security check is mandatory when you take a connecting flight. This is because there is a time lag between getting off one aeroplane and getting on-board another to reach your destination.

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SFO's 24-hour, year-round AirTrain people mover has station departures about every four minutes, and takes about five minutes to travel between each terminal.

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For domestic to domestic layovers, you normally won't have to go through security again during your layover. However, for all international layovers, you will normally have to go through security again, but this will depend on individual airport policy.

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It's a security measure to stop anyone bypassing border controls by arriving with an international connecting ticket, then swapping documents with someone booked on to an internal (domestic) flight.

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Yes, there might be exceptions, but most often than not the airline won't wait. What you can do is to try to avoid missing your connection. But if you do miss your connection, don't worry, the airline will book you on a new flight for free (if it's an airline-protected connecting flight).

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If you miss your connecting flight, the airline will usually transfer your checked luggage to the next available flight. However, it is important to contact the airline as soon as possible so they can make sure that your bags are on their way.

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You also need to check-in for transit flights. This means after your first flight is complete, you can check-in online or use the counter check-in for your second flight. First of all, you should take the time zone of your destination country into consideration.

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  1. If your booking consists of more than one airline reservation code, a self-transfer may be required.
  2. This indicates that you are solely responsible for navigating your connections between flights.


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Two hours. Mayers recommends two hours as a standard buffer between flights to be safe. This gives you a cushion in case things go wrong during your journey. You'll definitely want at least a two-hour window if you've booked a “hacker fare,” as opposed to flying with the same airline your entire trip.

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Just ask at the ticket counter when you check in if you will be getting both boarding passes or if you will need to get the second one at your layover airport. They'll tell you what to do.

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If you are interested in seeing all of most popular San Francisco attractions, please plan for at least 5 hours of sightseeing (i.e. 8+ hours of layover time) to account for getting to and from the airport, city traffic and of course using the public transit in San Francisco.

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