United Club

The United Club at San Francisco International Terminal G caters primarily to passengers departing on international flights, although it is technically open to all United passengers, in addition to the two lounges located in the domestic terminal 3 which are accessible through the airside terminal connector.

United Club SFO design

The United Club in International Terminal G is by far United’s largest in San Francisco, and one of United’s larger clubs worldwide. Its sheer size, along with the expansive views of the Star Alliance portion of the international terminal and numerous wide body aircraft, are its two key assets.

The entrance is located immediately to the right of the security checkpoint. Escalators lead to a large lobby with a customer service desk. From there the club stretches in two opposite directions, featuring ample seating space, a small business center with cubicles and open work areas, two food and drink self-serve areas, and a large bar area in the rear.

Thanks to the large windows, the lounge is typically bright and the layout feels expansive. The club does get busy at peak departure times, but is typically not crowded.

Despite the qualities of the physical space, the international United Club disappoints given the limited amenities and the tired furniture, although the latter was recently partially refreshed.

United Club SFO amenities

The United Club at San Francisco International Terminal G is on par with most domestic United Clubs, despite serving international passengers. The food and beverage options improved lately, with continental breakfast, as well as snacks, soups, salads and cold cuts throughout the day. The spread still falls short of expectations for international business class.

To be fair, none of the Star Alliance lounges at San Francisco airport impress with their food spread, but the Singapore Airlines and EVA lounges, despite somewhat limited offerings, still rank way above the United Club.

Soft drinks, espresso, house wines and well drinks are complimentary at the bar, while premium drinks come at a cost.

A glaring flaw of the United Club is the lack of showers, an unfortunate oversight for an international lounge, especially considering the amount of real estate available. (Note that International First Class departing or arriving passengers enjoy shower suites in the Global First lounge, while premium international passengers arriving in the morning may use the Arrivals Lounge located landside.)

Other amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi and a selection of newspapers and magazines.

United Club SFO bottom line

Overall, the United Club at San Francisco International Terminal G offers a quiet place to sit, relax, and get work done, but it is in great need of a refurbishment, and lacks world-class amenities.

Star Alliance Gold members departing on an international flight may choose to use the nearby Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge instead which, while much smaller, does offer showers and hot food (but has limited opening times.) American Express premium card holders may wish to use The Centurion Lounge a short walk away.

For information on possible alternatives, other lounges at SFO and rankings, check out our Definitive Guide to the SFO Lounge Scene.