Review: Air France-KLM Lounge SFO

When flying out of San Francisco, my EVA Air ticket gave me access to the Air France-KLM Lounge at Terminal A. This lounge completed a major renovation in June 2023, which saw a fully refreshed design and an expansion to 565 square metres, with capacity for 117 guests. 

While it’s probably not worth arriving early at the airport just to visit this lounge, it was a comfortable enough place to wait. That said, EVA Air passengers with enough time may still prefer to hop over to the Polaris Lounge on the opposite end of the terminal.

Opening Hours & Access

The Air France-KLM Lounge at SFO is located post-security at Terminal A. The website says that the lounge is open from 10 a.m to 8.30 p.m, but when I visited back in April the opening hours were 9.30 a.m to 12.15 a.m.

EVA Air passengers departing on BR17 and BR27 have access to this lounge (those on the morning BR7 flight will use the British Airways lounge over in Terminal G). However, all EVA Air Business Class passengers have the option of visiting the Polaris Lounge instead, which involves crossing the concourse and clearing TSA security again.

If you plan to do this, be sure to check the opening hours of the Polaris Lounge. I was on BR27 which departed at 12.25 a.m, so after checking in at 8.40 p.m I had to rush to make the last seating at the restaurant at 9.30 p.m. The Polaris Lounge closes at 11 p.m.

Lounge Overview

The lounge was fairly crowded when I arrived at 10 p.m, mostly with passengers from EVA’s two evening flights (Air France’s own flight departs in the afternoon).

During the makeover, creative agency SGK Brandimage introduced a new colour scheme that accentuates Air France’s colours of red, white and blue (apologies, Americans), with a heavy emphasis on leather and wood. 

Given the windows running along the side, I would expect this lounge to enjoy a good amount of natural light during the day, and there are a variety of seating options, ranging from lounge chairs, to dining tables, to communal high-tops with bar stool seats.

There is supposedly a dedicated space for La Premiere passengers with its own restaurant, but I couldn’t find the entrance- which I suppose is the whole point. 

Food & Beverage

The buffet selection was actually much better than I was expecting, featuring a selection of French and international dishes.

Cold options included a selection of breads, cold cuts, cheese, salads, fruits and desserts in individual portions.

The hot food section had a pretty decent selection, including croque monsieur, grilled vegetables, steamed bok choy, slow roasted salmon, mapo tofu, seasoned chicken wings and steamed dumplings. There was also a tureen of congee, and I suspect they tweaked the offerings at this hour to suit the audience, which is a nice little touch.

In terms of drinks, there were two bean to cup coffee machines, together with tea bags and a tap that dispensed sparkling, still and ambient water. Inside the fridge was a selection of soft drinks, oat and almond milk, together with orange and cranberry juice.

There was also a selection of white, red and rose wine, though nothing particularly noteworthy. Perhaps the best thing was the self-pour Piper Heidsieck Brut champagne. It was nice to see real champagne, when the Star Alliance lounge in Paris, Paris of all places just had a cheap crémant!

At the rear of the lounge is a tended bar, where the bartender can whip up cocktails.

Power & Productivity

I clocked the lounge’s Wi-Fi network at 51.5 Mbps down and 20.7 Mbps up, which made it suitable for 4K movie streaming and bulk uploading of photos.

The renovation also saw the addition of numerous power outlets, though they only take Type A and B plugs. Most outlets had built-in USB-A and USB-C ports too.

Toilets & Showers

The lounge has its own showers and toilets at the rear, though they’re nothing like the shower suites over at the Polaris Lounge. Instead, these feel more sterile and hospital-like, with white and stainless steel finishes. Bathrooms were clean, but the water pressure was merely a trickle.

The shower had wall-mounted bulk amenities by Infuse, which is basically one of those brands that hospitality companies create just for settings like this. 

The self-contained bathrooms were clean enough, if also rather uninspiring. 

Conclusion

The Air France-KLM Lounge at SFO is a nice escape from the general misery that is San Francisco International Airport (the renovated domestic Terminal 1 is actually pretty amazing; why can’t they do the same here?), with a good buffet spread, champagne and a bar.

I’d still prefer to head over to the Polaris Lounge if given a choice, but if you’re not up for all the walking then this will do in a pinch.