Mumbai05 Sep 24 1 Traveller Economy
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About San Francisco
Located on the coast of Northern California is the culturally rich city of San Francisco. The city has been christened with an array of colloquial names such as SF, The City, San Fran and Frisco. The city is a cultural haven and also the commercial and financial hub of Northern California. With attractions such as Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge, the city of San Francisco is one of the best in the United States as a tourist destination.
Best time to visit San Francisco
March through May can be quite the time to visit San Francisco if you wish to avoid the tourist rush. The temperatures are quite comfortable as they range between 10 degree Celsius to 17 degree Celsius. With the temperatures slowly inching towards summer, it is definitely an excellent time to visit San Francisco. This doesn't mean you will get to take a dip in the Pacific. However, you can still take lovely strolls within the city and savour all the beautiful locales of San Francisco. Plus, these months come with exciting festivals such as San Francisco International Film Festival, Carnaval San Francisco, Bay to Breakers, International Beer Festival and St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival.
Summers start from June through August. Tourism is at its peak with many folks flocking over to the city from various parts of the country and worldwide. The summer temperatures range from 11 degree Celsius to 20 degree Celsius. It is perfect to put on your swimming trunks and head straight to the ocean. The hotel rates do get high in San Francisco as it is peak season. For budget-travellers, this might not be the best time to visit the port city. To ensure that you do find a decent accommodation, you can make prior hotel bookings in San Francisco and let the rest follow. Even the flight tickets to San Francisco sees a surge. Not to mention how the city beams with joy to be entertained by a bevy of festivals such as North Beach Festival, Outside Land Music Festival, San Francisco Pride and more.
Fall is undoubtedly the perfect time to visit if you want to enjoy the warm temperatures and to get a good flight and hotel deals in San Francisco. The fall is warmer than summer, and the temperature is comfortably ranging from 12 degree Celsius to 21 degree Celsius. The sunny skies do feel good on the skin, and the brisk breeze is perfect to have a good time. Plus, the flight tickets and hotel bookings in San Francisco are also cheap and easy on the pockets. You will thoroughly have a good time during your trip to the city. Not to mention how there are some festivals too hosted by the city such as the San Francisco Fringe Festival, Castro Street Fair and Treasure Island Music Festival. You will have to pack your clothes that fit the weather's features. A little layer in terms of clothing would do you good. Try to avoid winters in San Francisco. Even though the hotel prices in San Francisco are cheap, the weather might be unfavourable for tourist activities.
Places to see in San Francisco
San Francisco might be a small city in terms of area, but with the packed tourist attractions, food and living culture and much more, it's tourism easily skyrockets. The assortment of outdoor activities that the city has to offer is mind-blowing. The first thing for you to do in San Francisco as part of your tourist endeavour would be to visit the Golden Gate Bridge. The legendary bridge cannot be missed for the view it offers as it faces the San Francisco Bay. The structure was originally constructed to bridge the gap between San Francisco and Marin County. Of course, Alcatraz Island is also a trip that you shouldn't miss. You will need to take a ferry ride to reach the island of Alcatraz, known for its reputation as a federal prison which housed some of the biggest offenders in the US history. They also had mob boss Al Capone in custody at Alcatraz.
Fisherman's Wharf is another lovely place that would be a fun expedition. The pier is often crowded with tourists as it has a slew of interesting attractions such as San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park as well as the Maritime Museum. More places that should be on your list include Lands End, Muir Woods National Monument, Ferry Building Marketplace, The Castro, Yerba Buena Gardens and more.
Things to do in San Francisco
The best part about a trip to San Francisco is the covey of cool activities that can be undertaken. Right from climbing the popular Twin Peaks to riding the cable cars, you have a lot of interesting things you can take up. In fact, divulging in their food culture would be the best of things to do when in San Francisco.
Food and Restaurants in San Francisco
San Francisco's casual lifestyle brings forth a lovely melange of cuisines and flavours that range from budget to upscale. Thanks to the perfect balance of cuisines and Michelin-starred food establishments, the city has easily turned into one of the best food destinations of the US. It is easily one of the most recognised cities in the country with exquisite food. There are quaint coffee shops, steakhouses, Italian trattorias and of course, Chinatown too. You name a cuisine, and San Francisco has it for you. Their commitment towards encouraging diversity in international cuisine is what makes their food culture so popular. You will be surprised to know that the Bay Area alone has over 50 farmers market experiences in store for you. You should definitely visit the farm-to-table styled food establishment called Chez Panisse. The place brings out flavours with fresh ingredients that would certainly go down well with your system. You should also check out the Ferry Building Marketplace. There are many culinary treats that you will be able to find here.
It will take you more than one trip to San Francisco to cover up all the food establishments in the city. Some of the classics include Boudin's, which has clam chowder as its big seller. You should also visit Tartine Bakery to relish some sweet treats. Speaking of the same, you should also check out Bi-Rite Creamery. The ice cream parlour manages to bring forth some exquisite sweet flavours in a cup with sprinklers and other fun toppings. Golden Gate Bakery is another good establishment for sweet and savoury food. They are known for their egg tarts in the city. Geoff of Ichido is also a good place where you can indulge in some Japanese and Asian seafood. Know that the city is on the Pacific coast and hence, has seafood as its top big seller. At the cafe De Casa, you can revel in some exquisite Brazillian cuisine. At Tacorea, you can find a good array of Mexican dishes. As stated, the city has an array of international cuisine, including Greek and Mediterranean. You can actually find this at the Kokkari Estiatorio. Of course, do not miss their breweries and roasteries at Anchor Brewing Company and Philz Coffee respectively.
How to reach San Francisco (Transportation)
San Francisco has brilliant flight connectivity. In fact, the city does see a lot of demand from Indians as it does have some of the finest universities, including UC Berkeley. Flight connectivity to San Francisco from major Indian metropolitan cities is immaculate. Although there are no direct flights to San Francisco from India, they usually have layovers in international cities. Airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Swiss, to name a few, have dedicated flights flying to San Francisco. The most popular route chosen to fly to San Francisco from India is from cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong. In fact, Cathay Pacific is the most popular airline to take this international route to San Francisco. The flight is perfectly connected to San Francisco and reaches the city in close to 21 hours. Singapore Airlines also has excellent connectivity and stops at Singapore to reach San Francisco. For this route though, you will need a transit visa.
With Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, you wouldn't have to worry about changing flights in international cities. In fact, the flight simply has layovers in these cities before reaching the destination. Other airlines mentioned also have flights that directly connect to San Francisco with layovers in their respective cities. The flight tickets to San Francisco are quite reasonable. If you do make prior flight bookings to San Francisco, you might be able to get some discounts. There are innumerable online flight deals to San Francisco that you might be able to avail. Depending on the airlines you choose, the ticket price to San Francisco might vary. It would be best to book your flight and hotels in advance. Often it is recommended that you book your flight and hotels in San Francisco together. When you combine the two bookings, you might be in for some fantastic online deals. Even airlines have their own flight deals to San Francisco that you can avail.
Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. (JAL), more popularly known as Japan Airlines, is an international airline which is the flag carrier of Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The airline has its main hubs in Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport, and Osaka's Kansai International Airport as well as Osaka International Airport. The JAL group of companies comprise not just Japan Airlines, but also J-Air which is a regional commuter airline, Japan Air Commuter which is a feeder service for Japan Airlines, Japan Transocean Air which is the domestic counterpart for Japan Airlines, and Ryukyu Air Commuter which is a domestic airline offering passenger services from Okinawa. JAL was established on 1st August 1951 after the Government of Japan recognized the need for a reliable air transportation service in the aftermath of the Second World War. The initial capital was ¥100 million. The company went on to become Japan's national airlines in 1953. In February 1954, Japan Airlines began its international flights. By 1965, half of JAL's revenue was from transpacific routes to the USA, and the company was meanwhile lobbying the USA for fifth freedom rights to fly transatlantic routes from the East Coast.
In 1987, JAL was fully privatized after which it started competing with All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System. This increase in competition resulted in changes in the corporate structure of Japan Airlines. It reorganized itself into three divisions, namely international passenger service, domestic passenger service, and cargo. The Japan Air Charter was established in 1990, which was a low-cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines for operating flights from Japan to resort destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. However, this subsidiary ceased operations in 2010. An agreement with the Walt Disney Company made Japan Airlines the official airlines of Tokyo Disneyland in 1996.
In 1992, however, the airline started incurring losses due to recessions in the USA and UK, as well as due to domestic economic trouble. However, the airline was able to cut costs by effectively utilizing their low-cost domestic subsidiary JAL Express and JALways, which was the successor to Japan Air Charter. The airline resumed profitability in 1999. In 2002, the company merged with Japan Air System and went on to become the sixth-largest airline in the world by the number of passengers carried. In 2004, Japan Air System changed its name to Japan Airlines Domestic, and its flight codes were changed to those of JAL's. While Japan Airlines Domestic handled JAL's domestic flights and Japan Airlines International operated both international and trunk domestic route flights, both airlines merged under a single brand -- Japan Airlines International -- on 1st October 2006. In 2008, Japan Airlines merged the operations of its subsidiary Japan Asia Airways which had up till then been operating separately for flights between Japan and Taiwan. In 2007, Japan Airlines joined the airline alliance Oneworld for which it had applied in 2005. The company claimed that this membership would serve the best interest of the airline and its customers.
After suffering grave financial losses in 2009, Japan Airlines sought protection under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law. The company received a ¥300 billion cash injection and had debts worth ¥730 billion waived, but in return had to cut its capital to zero, cut unprofitable routes, and reduce its workforce by a sizable one-third. In February 2010, JAL's shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange which was until then considered the 'bluest of blue chips'. The leader of the task force for aiding a corporate turnaround for JAL, formed by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, believed that a new CEO would help fix JAL's problems. The President of Japan Air Commuter, Masaru Onishi, was then promoted to President of JAL. In March 2011, JAL emerged from bankruptcy, and in 2012 it announced its intent to relist its shares in the Tokyo Stock Exchange in an IPO of up to ¥1 trillion. Post bankruptcy, JAL has established several new partnerships with the Oneworld alliance and other joint ventures, including the formation of Jetstar Japan with Qantas Airways.
Fleet size of Japan Airlines
As of July 2020, Japan Airlines operates a fleet of 176 aircraft. The fleet currently consists of Airbus A350-900, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, and Boeing 787-9. It intends to add to its fleet more wide-body aircraft. The fleet of Japan Airlines has a mixture of both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. The airline provides economy class service on all routes. Business-class service with larger seats are offered on most major domestic routes and also on most international routes. Premium economy is offered only on some international routes. The JAL Cargo, once a dedicated freighter aircraft, operated both propeller and jet aircraft, most recently the Boeing 747-400s and the Boeing 767-300Fs. Currently, cargo services operate from the lower deck holds of JAL's passenger aircraft.
Baggage Allowance
The free baggage allowed for those in the Economy and Premium Economy Class is a maximum of two pieces of 23 kgs (50 lbs) each. For those in Business and First Class, this allowance is increased to three pieces of 32 kgs (70 lbs) each. For passengers who have a JAL Global Club Membership, this allowance is further increased to three pieces of 32 kgs (70 lbs) each for Economy and Premium Economy Class, and four pieces of 32 kgs (70 lbs) each for Business and First Class. The maximum external dimensions of the checked baggage should not exceed 203 cms, including the wheels and handles. Additional charges will be applied if the number of pieces, weight, or dimensions exceeds that which is allowed. The additional charges would depend upon the route being travelled. The airline also offers the option of paying these charges via JMB miles, their mileage program.
In-flight services
Japan Airlines offers excellent in-flight services to its passengers. Its in-flight entertainment system called MAGIC provides Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) and is installed on all seats on Boeing 767-300ER, 777-200ER, and 777-300ER aircraft. The airline has its in-flight magazine, Skyward, provided by JALUX. Western and Japanese cuisine meals are offered on intercontinental routes, depending upon the cabin class, destination, and flight duration. The airline has worked with several high profile chefs, including Fumiko Kono. The seats are also quite posh, depending on the aircraft that you travel from, as is the hospitality by the flight staff. Passengers can request for pillows, blankets, noise-cancelling earplugs, toiletries and more. They are all available as part of the in-flight services. Further, the authentic Japanese delicacies can also be found on Japan Airlines as in-flight meals. However, depending on the duration or distance of the journey, only a select few can get hold of it for free.
Popular routes and top cities for Japan Airlines
As the flag carrier of Japan and also one of the most important airlines in the world, the connectivity of Japan Airlines is just as immaculate as its goodwill. The airline nearly serves over 60 destinations in the domestic routes while 39 cities in the international routes. These include destinations spread across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. The international route connectivity of the airline comes naturally and without the help of any codeshare agreement. This alone makes it quite impressive. Over the years, the airline has introduced or at least serviced about ten international routes which also include the route between Tokyo and Xi'an or Osaka and Qingdao.
Although it would take an entire day to name all the top cities of Japan Airlines, here are some, Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Helsinki, Guam, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Paris, Delhi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Moscow, Cape Town, Busan, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, London, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, New York City, San Francisco, Seatle and Hanoi, to name a few. While the international route connectivity is fancy but so is the domestic route connectivity of Japan Airlines. Nagoya, Tokyo, Kushiro, Kochi, Osaka, Sapporo, Tokushima, Yamagatam Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Izumo and Nagasaki, are the top cities for Japan Airlines.
The airline shares codeshare agreements with airlines such as Aeroflot, British Airways, LATAM Brasil, SrilankanAirlines, LATAM Chile, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Garuda Indonesia, Cathay Dragon, Aeromexico, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Vistara, WestJet, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Shanghai Airlines, Jetstar Japan, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Bangkok Airways, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, China Airlines, Emirates and more.
Why travel by Japan Airlines?
Japan Airlines is one of the most recognised airlines that is present in today's time. It is not just the prominence of the airline but the adage of excellent facilities and services that have earned the airline quite the reputation. With time, the airline has also progressed to make sure that it is ahead of its contemporaries. The airline introduced web check-in facilities that can be availed on their official mobile app too. Booking a Japan Airlines flight is also possible online or from their app. Further, all updates regarding the flight status and flight schedules can all be found on the app. Besides, you can sit in one of their airport lounges and experience the lux while you wait to board the flight.
About San Francisco Airport
San Francisco International Airport is located in the San Mateo County of California. It is 21 km away from downtown San Francisco and is located close to San Bruno. The international airport is one of the major getaways for airlines connecting Europe and Asia. After Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport is the second busiest airport in California. The airport is also recognised to be the largest in the Bay Area. It stands at the 24th level on the global list of busiest airports. San Francisco International Airport is also the fifth-largest hub for United Airlines. It operates as a transpacific getaway to the country. The second big airlines that it serves base to is Alaska Airlines. Much recently, the airport started serving Virgin America airlines as the base for operations. The airport has four runways made of asphalt and is arranged in parallel intersections. It has been recorded that SFO witnesses about 1,287 flight operations in a day with approximately 470,164 taking place in a year.
About Airport Terminals
San Francisco International Airport has four functioning terminals namely, 1, 2, 3 and international. These are followed by seven concourses of boarding areas and has 115 gates in total. Terminal 1 caters to boarding areas arranged in alphabetical orders of B and D. Terminal 2 accommodates boarding area D and Terminal 3 takes care of boarding areas E and F. This terminal also handles operations of domestic flights. Meanwhile, the international terminal has boarding A and G with the majority of international flight operations along with a handful of domestic flights. Terminal 1 is also referred to as Harvey Milk Terminal 1 which works predominantly for domestic flight operations. Terminal 2 also caters to domestic flights and hosts airlines such as Virgin America and American Airlines. Terminal 2 has been constructed to cater to sustainability. It is considered to be eco-friendly with respect to paper ticketing and parking bays. Level 2 is reserved for domestic boarding and is in area D. Terminal 3 is also domestic but is directly connected to the International Terminal. It has exclusive functions of inbound and outbound flights by United Airlines and flies within the US. International Terminal is divided into level 2 for arrival and baggage claim and level 3 for departures. Level 2 also has check-in and boarding area.
About Airport Authority
Despite its location in the San Mateo County, San Francisco International Airport is owned and managed by the City and County of San Francisco. The airport is an enterprise that falls under the wing of City and County of San Francisco which strives to bring about a safe and secure travel expedition. The management is responsible for the expansion and infrastructural design and development of San Francisco International Airport. The airport authority recently announced plans to switch to sustainable fuels and have already signed agreements with agencies, fuel suppliers and airlines to enable the same. Following the same, the agreement brought together Shell and NkyNGR to supply sustainable fuels for aviation to KLM, Finnair and SAS flights that operate out of San Francisco International Airport. The airport's body has also been working on enhancing the runway structures' sturdiness as well as that of the terminals and buildings to withstand natural calamities, following an earthquake that took place in the county. Plans to expand Terminal 1 is also being conducted and is scheduled to complete by 2024.
Top airlines flying from San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport has only one Indian airline that operates from the city, Air India. Besides this, the rest of the airlines that operate from the airport are mostly international airlines. The airlines are well-connected to Europe and Asian continents. The domestic connectivity of SFO Airport is also quite good as it reaches almost all cities of the United States. The international airlines operating from San Francisco International Airport are Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Lufthansa, LOT Polish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. The airport also accommodates a decent number of cargo planes to operate from the vicinity. Carriers such as Asiana Cargo, DHL Aviation, FedEx Express, Korean Air Cargo, Nippon Cargo Airlines are some of the few prominent ones.
Facilities at the San Francisco International Airport
Airport Butler - Airport Butler is a customised concierge service that is available at the airport. You can avail these services as they include assistance with respect to check-in, personal shopping, translations for non-English speaking travellers, lounge reservations, business services and more. You can make prior bookings and customise the necessities that you might need.
In-transit hotel - The airport actually has a luxury hotel present in the proximity of the airport's terminals. With the views of the Bay, the rooms at SFO's Grand Hyatt are beautiful and accessible. You can take the AirTrain to reach the hotel from the airport. The features of the hotel cater to upscaled hospitality.
Medical services - There are dedicated pharmacies and medical rooms at the San Francisco International Airport. The medical rooms with professionals are stationed for emergency cases that would happen at the terminals. You can also make last-minute medical purchases at the airport pharmacy.
Pets and service animals - Travellers who are travelling with pets can avail some services as well. There are reserved areas where the pet can do their business. There are some experts at the airport too who can help you with your pet.
Spas and showers - There is accommodation for luxury services such as spas and showers. You might have to pay some nominal fee before you can get hold of the services. You can use the showers to refresh yourself if you need to go for a professional meeting. There are spas too where you can get a good massage.
A travel agency - There are specific travel agency booths that are present at the San Francisco International Airport. In case there are any last-minute bookings that you need to make, you can directly head to the airport. You can get your complete travel itinerary sorted along with accommodation bookings.
Yoga Room - San Francisco International Airport is the first airport in the world to have a Yoga Room. The room is located in terminal 2, and you can indulge in yoga while you wait for the connecting flight or for the layover period to be over.
SFO museum - The San Francisco International Airport has a museum and a few galleries installed for travellers' entertainment. There are public art, photography exhibits, student art and video arts that can be found at the San Francisco Museum.
AMTs and currency exchange - The airport has ATM kiosks located at convenient spots. The terminals also have a foreign exchange booth at the departure zones and arrivals. It would be very convenient for international travellers.
Airport lounges – The airport also caters to a slew of lounges located at various departure zones of all the terminals. There are first-class and business-class lounges for travellers holding the respective flight tickets. The airport also has a VIP lounge, meeting rooms and other spaces where one can avail luxury services and hospitality.
WiFi and internet – The airport provides free WiFi services for travellers. You can visit the information desk to get more details on how you can procure the service. Not to mention how the airport also has internet cafes where you can get your work done.
How to reach San Francisco International Airport
Bus
SamTrans, a transit agency of San Mateo County, has dedicated buses that connect to the San Francisco International Airport. You will have to check out their schedules and the routes to know which ones would reach you to the SFO Airport. They can be accessed from the arrivals or baggage counter of the airport.
Car and rentals
The airport sees good connectivity by road, and you can always use rentals or taxis to reach the San Francisco International Airport. You can actually find booths and counters to book transport from the airport itself. Apps such as Lyft and Uber are also available and would be perfect to use when at the airport terminal's arrival section. If you are driving down to SFO Airport, you should opt for the short freeway that links the US 101 with Interstate 280. As the airport is on the US Route 101, this is the most favourable route to reach the San Francisco International Airport. The airport also has short term and long term parking facilities available, in case you plan to do on a day tour.
Ferry
A favourable way to reach the San Francisco International Airport is to take the ferry. From the San Francisco Bay, there are ferry services that go to Oakland and Alameda. You can reach the ferry by taking SFO Airport's shuttle bus services. This can be found at the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal.
