Mumbai30 Nov 23 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.
About WestJet Airlines
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canada-based airline that came into existence in 1996. The airline originally commenced operations as a low-cost alternative to the major airlines that were competing in the market during that time. The airline has since managed to rake in a tremendously good number of destinations it flies to from Canada. WestJet Airlines has scheduled flights to more than 100 domestic route and international route destinations across Canada, Europe, the United States of America, Central American, the Caribbean and Mexico. The airline is also recognised as the second-largest Canadian air carrier and falls right behind the country's flag carrier, Air Canada. It operates about 777 flights and accommodates more than 66,000 passengers in a single day. It was reported in 2018 that WestJet Airlines carried a whopping 25.49 million passengers. With this record, the airline became the ninth-largest airline across North America with respect to the number of passengers carried. WestJet Airlines is a subsidiary of Kestrel Bidco Inc. and currently has about 14,000 employees. The airline hasn't joined any of the three airlines alliance, namely Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance.
Between 2000-2003, the airline underwent some serious expansions. While a restructuring of the Canadian Airline post its takeover from Air Canada took place in 2000, WestJet Airlines used this as an opportunity to further conduct its own expansion plans within Eastern Canada by commencing operations to cities of Ottawa, Ontario, Hamilton, New Brunswick and Moncton. For these operations, the airline chose John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport to be the focus city for WestJet Airlines' Eastern Canada operations. The airline continued to work on extending its reach as it brought in newer domestic routes such as Comox and Fort McMurray under its wing. It further added Sault St. Marie, Manitoba, Ontario, Thompson and Brandon, among a few. However, operations in these cities have since been suspended. Instead, WestJet Airlines' subsidiary took over operations of these cities. Soon, the airline's expansion plan also witnessed destinations such as Montreal, St. John's, Halifax and Windsor. The airline did get embroiled in a controversy with Air Canada where the latter accused it of industrial espionage. A lawsuit was filed, and eventually, WestJet Airlines did take ownership for the same. They agreed to pay a sum of CAD 5.5 million to Air Canada and pay for the investigation fees.
In 2004, WestJet Airlines decided to move its operations internationally. They announced a list of US destinations that the airline planned to operate from. They were Los Angeles, New York City, Tampa, Orlando, San Francisco, Phoenix and Fort Lauderdale. The airline further roped in San Diego and Palm Springs to its list of international destinations. From Vancouver, WestJet Airlines announced an international route that would connect the Canadian city to the Hawaiian Islands such as Honolulu and Maui. Eventually, with a significant rise in its presence across the North American market and Canada, WestJet Airlines decided to go overseas and acquire destinations in European countries. In 2013, the airline commenced its first flight to Europe. WestJet Airlines introduced seasonal planes from St. John's in Newfoundland to Dublin in Ireland. Following this, they further expressed their desire to expand more and acquire more European cities such as London and Paris. At the same time, the international route to Dublin continued to work as a seasonal flight.
Fleet size of WestJet
In terms of fleet, WestJet Airlines is an all-Boeing fleet with about 127 aircraft that are currently operating. The airline has 13 Boeing 737-600s, 52 Boeing 737-7000s, 39 Boeing 737-800s, 13 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, four Boeing 767-300ER and six Boeing 787-9s. Among these, they have additionally ordered for a few more Boeing aircraft, deliveries of which are expected to be completed by 2021-22. The airline received its first Boeing 737-700s in 2001 along with other models namely Boeing 737-600 and Boeing 737-800s, later in 2005. The final 737-600 aircraft from the order was delivered in 2006. Following year, WestJet Airlines placed an order to purchase 23 Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft. Originally a Boeing 737-700, the airline received conversion rights to Boeing 737-800s. In 2014, WestJet Airlines' CEO Gregg Saretsky stated that the airlines were planning on acquiring wide-body aircraft to join its fleet. The idea behind roping in wide-body aircraft was to enable long-haul international route operations. The same was confirmed later, and the airline announced that they would be purchasing a second-hand Boeing 767-300ERs from Qantas. With the efficiency brought forth by the wide-body aircraft, WestJet Airlines announced to seek more such aircraft to be part of its fleet. While the mainline fleet is predominantly a Boeing exclusive, the airline's subsidiary Encore has Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s in its fleet.
Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance on WestJet Airlines is the standard policy followed by a majority of international airlines. According to the policy, the passenger is allowed to carry only 23 kg weighing checked baggage. The dimension of the baggage is also very important as the airline might accommodate or reject a passenger's baggage solely on the dimensions. WestJet Airlines allows checked baggage to be within 157 cm and not more than that. In case passengers fail to follow this protocol, the airline will refuse to take the checked baggage. In fact, passengers will need to ship the baggage as cargo instead. Hence, to be on the safe side, it is advised that passengers follow the protocols that have been laid out by the airline. As for passengers with overweight baggage or oversized, the airline has recommended that they reach the airport a few minutes before the check-in time to enable screening of the baggage and ways to accommodate it. For carry-on baggage, the airline allows the dimension to be no more than 53 cm x 38 cm x 23 cm. The personal accessory bag which could be a handbag or a laptop bag should be within the dimension of 41 cm x 33 cm x 15 cm.
In-flight services
WestJet Airlines is known to offer some of the finest in-flight services ranging from plush and comfortable seats to hot and scrumptious in-flight meals. Passengers can avail the best of their in-flight services depending on the cabin class they are travelling by.
Popular routes and top cities for WestJet
As of 2020, WestJet Airlines currently connects to about 109 international route and domestic route destinations across 24 countries. Along with its subsidiary WestJet Encore, the two airlines collectively connect to about 108 destinations in 25 countries. With respect to daily departures, the airline's largest hub is the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Meanwhile, its main connection is the Calgary International Airport and Eastern Canada. The airline is known to operate the highest number of Canadian flights to Orlando and Las Vegas. It also caters to about 20 destinations located in the Caribbean while some seasonal flights to destinations in Mexico. WestJet Airlines has recently ventured into exploring the European market with Paris, London and Dublin as some of its destinations. With respect to its domestic route connectivity, the airline travels to cities such as Comox, Prince George, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg, St. John's, Deer Lake, Hamilton, Halifax, Sydney, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor, Victoria, Quebec City Saskatoon, Montreal, Calgary and Whitehorse.
As for its international route destinations, WestJet Airlines travels to cities such as San Jose, Belize City, Santa Clara, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Paris, Dublin, Manzanillo, Huatulco, Cozumel, San Juan, Barcelona, London, Glasgow, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Orland, Tampa, Honolulu, Maui, Boston, Las Vegas, New York City, Austin and Houston.
Why travel by WestJet?
WestJet Airlines has shown tremendous growth during its time in the Canadian aviation industry. What started as a domestic route operations airline, WestJet Airlines has certainly managed to transform it into a massive profit-making venture. In a brief period of time, with strategic business and operational moves, WestJet Airlines has not just bought a plethora of Canadian cities together but has also enabled the transit of Canadians to various parts of North America, the Caribbean, parts of Europe and more. Much of their operations have been taken up in a series of phases. European destinations such as Paris, London and Dublin are recent achievements. Evidently, without being part of the airline alliance groups, WestJet Airlines has managed to become a powerhouse in the Canadian aviation industry.
The airline does offer a slew of perks apart from its excellent route connectivity and impressive list of destinations. Passengers can now book a WestJet Airlines flight ticket on their official website and also conduct web check-ins on their page. A dedicated slot has been set to know about WestJet Airlines' flight schedules that would help travellers form a plan accordingly. To ensure better connectivity with the customers, WestJet Airlines also shares flight status with the passengers ahead of the journey. All the experience is further enhanced thanks to their exquisite in-flight services and airport facilities such as personalised check-in kiosks and much more. It should definitely be on your list of airlines to opt for, in case you are looking for a considerably decent fare.
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.
