While on the waitlist for the United Polaris Lounge Dining Room, I had about an hour or so, and so I decided to make my way over to Terminal 3 to check out the United Club at the F Gates. Given that SFO is all connected airside, the walk was straightforward enough. This was more out of curiosity than necessity. The United Club sits a clear rung below the United Polaris Lounge, and I was not expecting much.
Location and access
The United Club is in Terminal 3 at the San Francisco International Airport, by the F Gates. If you are already airside at the International Terminal, you can walk over without going through security again.
Access works differently here depending on how you got your status. Star Alliance Gold members can access the United Club, so long as their membership is not earned through United MileagePlus.
For United MileagePlus elite members, the rules are stricter: domestic flights do not qualify, and you need to either be flying internationally, hold a United Club membership, carry certain United MileagePlus credit cards, or use a one-time pass. It is a distinctly US approach to lounge access, and it means that as a non-United elite, you may actually have an easier time getting in than a United flyer would on a domestic itinerary.
Layout
Walking in, the first thing you notice is that this lounge has not been renovated for some time. To some on Reddit, it has been described as a restaurant from the 1980s. There is a large San Francisco text at the entrance that functions as a welcome sign. From there, a long hallway leads you down to the reception desk at the far end.
Past the reception, you turn into the main hall. It is a rotunda, and it is actually quite beautiful as far as the architecture goes. Whatever the lounge lacks in modern fittings, the design of the space is indeed very rustic.
The main area is to the left. First comes the buffet, then a section divided by some low rustic timber dividers. Past those, the main seating area opens up.
The windows make it feel airy, though the tarmac views are largely blocked by the jet bridge, so do not go in expecting a planespotter’s seat. Seating options are plentiful and there are power outlets at most positions, whether attached to the wall, beside the seat, or on the floor.
Keep walking toward the end of the lounge and you reach the bar. There were plenty of empty seats there when I visited, which is probably the best part of the lounge to settle into if you want something quieter.
Food and drinks
There is no comparison to the United Polaris Lounge, and I was not expecting one. The buffet had matcha-filled mini beignets, a chocolate chip cookie, and a cheese board, with Twinings tea and Illy coffee available alongside a Coca-Cola fountain.
On the food side, the options were a curried chicken salad wrap, a grilled eggplant sandwich, and a salad bar. Hot entrées were teriyaki pork loin, fried tofu, and steamed brown rice.
Over at the bar, all drinks are complimentary, including beer, wine, spirits and mixers. I was there over the Memorial Day weekend in May 2026, and the bar was running a seasonal Svedka Strawberry Lemonade that I had not seen at the Polaris Lounge earlier.
Amenities
Nothing much to speak of here. The lounge does not have shower suites or sleep rooms. Washrooms are available inside the lounge.
Concluding thoughts
The United Club at the F Gates is old for sure, but it is not falling apart either. The rotunda and the rest of its rustic architecture are genuinely nice, the seating is comfortable enough, and everything is in reasonable condition. It feels more like a lounge that has not been touched in 15 years than one that has been left to deteriorate. Whether United plans to do anything about that is another question, even as United has started to renovate its United Clubs at other airports.
The food is basic, there are no showers, and the jet bridge views are nothing to shout about. But it is open, quiet, and the alcoholic drinks are free. If you are flying domestically within the US, then obviously you don’t have much choice. But if you do have a choice, you probably won’t be here.
