Oakland International Airport is one of three international airports of the bay area (the others being San Francisco and San Jose). The airport is located about 10 km south of downtown Oakland in the east of the San Francisco Bay. Oakland is also the closest airport to downtown San Francisco, both in terms of distance and travel time. The Bay Bridge connects Oakland with San Francisco by car and by BART train.
The airport has two terminals:
Terminal 1: consists of Gates 1-17 for all airlines except Southwest Airlines as well as a baggage claim, Customs, ticket counters
Terminal 2: consists of Gates 20-32 exclusively for Southwest Airlines as well as a baggage claim, ticketing desks, a newsstand and a coffee shop before security.
Transferring between the terminals
To travel between the terminals before security, you can easily walk between them using the outside walkways.
To travel between terminals after security, use the connector between Terminal 1 and 2 which is located next to Gate 20 (Terminal 2) and Gate 4 (Terminal 1)
Oakland airport is closer to downtown San Francisco than the regular SFO airport in the south of the city. Oakland and the east bay area are connected to San Francisco via the Oakland Bay Bridge for cars and an underground tunnel for BART trains.
Taxi
Getting in and out of San Francisco by car can be very challenging depending on the time of day. The Bay Bridge is often congested especially around typical rush hour times.
Location: In front of the terminal
Duration: 25 - 90 minutes to downtown San Francisco
Cost: USD 60-80
BART
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is San Francisco's metro system and it offers the most reliable and cheapest connection between Oakland and San Francisco. Since 2014 OAK is connected to the BART system through an additional air train. Passengers must change at Coliseum station to board the BART trains into San Francisco.
Location: Across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim area and a short walk from Terminal 2
Duration: 40 minutes to downtown San Francisco
Cost: USD 10.45
Uber/Lyft
Private ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft are very popular in the bay area and are a good alternative to a regular yellow cab. Use one of their smartphone apps to get a driver who will take you anywhere you want. It's mostly a matter of minutes to get a driver at OAK airport.
Power outlets are widely available in terminal 1 and 2. Terminal 1 has public charging stations at gates 8 and 10. In Terminal 2, most gates have workspace and seating areas withoutlets or charging stations.
All major rental car companies are represented at OAK airport. They are all located in a separate rental car center which is a short drive away from the terminals. Rental Car Shuttle buses operate between the terminals and the Rental Car Center, every 10 minutes. However, they operate "on demand" between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.
While the Rental Car Center is open 24 hours a day, travelers should check with their car rental agency's reservation center for hours of operation at OAK and make arrangements for special arrival and departure requests.
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