Take a look inside Alaska Airlines' swanky new lounge at SFO

When Alaska Airlines switched operations from Terminal 2 to Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in mid-June, passengers still had to make a long trek to Terminal 2 to use the airline's lounge.

But now that Alaska Airlines has opened a new, swanky 11,000-square-foot lounge in Terminal 1, that hassle is long gone.

Finding the new Alaska Airlines lounge at SFO

The new Alaska Airlines lounge is in Terminal 1 across from Gate B6 and Amy's Drive-Thru and is just a few doors down from The Club at SFO. You can find the entrance between the Pack-N-Go store and the Proper Food grab-and-go venue — once you're inside, you'll need to go up a floor via the elevator or stairs to access the lounge.

Visitors can expect 230 seats (that's 55% more seating than the T2 lounge), impressive views of the airfield, upgraded food and drink options (including dual pancake printers) and plenty of charging ports.

Need quiet?

Once you enter the new Alaska Airlines lounge, turn right into the quiet area. Here, you can take your pick of plush seating options, from couches and cubby booths to Alaska's popular lounger chairs.

Since seats are arranged near a set of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the tarmac, Alaska's quiet area is a fantastic place to spot planes in peace.

If you need to take an important call, the SFO location is the first Alaska Airlines lounge to offer TalkBox Office Phone Booths, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Keep in mind that while these booths do offer privacy, they are not totally soundproof. I stepped inside and pretended to have a heated work conversation, and people seated nearby could hear me.

Plenty of complimentary food and drinks

For food and drinks, turn left after you check in at the welcome desk.

If you need a bit of jet fuel yourself, there are two barista-staffed coffee stations in the lounge that serve up complimentary espresso drinks made with beans from San Francisco's Ritual Coffee Roasters.

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Remember the popular candy station from the Terminal 2 lounge? It's moved here. Help yourself to jars filled with squares of Ghirardelli chocolates, various hues of Jelly Belly jelly beans and multicolored fortune cookies made by the Oakland Fortune Factory.

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However, travelers cannot (or should not ) live on caffeine and candy alone. So, if you move along to the "real" food section, you'll find muffins, sourdough bread, English muffins and a bagel station with spread options that include butter, jams and garlic guacamole. Also, there's not just one but two of the fan-favorite pancake-printing machines, along with an assortment of syrups and toppings.

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The buffet table spread varies by season, but during our visit, options included a well-stocked ramen noodle station and everything you'd need to make a healthy protein-rich salad. There was also a nice selection of soups, meats and rice dishes.

If the complimentary food items aren't quite enough for you, the bar offers a food-for-purchase menu from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The options include pizza ($7), cheeseburgers ($12), chicken tenders ($10), chicken teriyaki pot stickers ($12) and tater tots or fries ($5).

Drink up!

In addition to the espresso station, the new Alaska lounge has self-service coffee machines, water machines and a Coca-Cola Freestyle soda machine that lets you mix and match flavors, as well as a bar staffed by friendly bartenders. If you want a place to unwind with the drink of your choice, there are plenty of seating options near large TV screens and windows.

Other than complimentary local craft brews, West Coast wines, cocktails and creative mocktails, the bar offers premium wines and top-shelf spirits for purchase.

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Bonus amenities and features

Power outlets are next to just about every seat and can (seemingly) accommodate any kind of plug.

Sustainability rules here. So, while baristas will give you the option to have your espresso drink served up in a to-go cup, you will find very few single-use items in the lounge. There are no paper plates or plastic utensils in sight. Instead of individual plastic packs of butter, jam, salt and pepper, the food area is stocked with glass jars filled with butter balls and jam, as well as salt and pepper shakers. Signs on the paper napkin dispensers ask you to "Save the trees" and "Take only what you need."

What's missing?

Regular visitors to Alaska Airlines' lounge in Terminal 1 may notice that a few features didn't make the switch over to Terminal 2. The vintage-style sourdough cart is gone — sourdough bread is now just an option at the bread station. There's no cozy fire pit. Additionally, the memorabilia-adorned San Francisco Giants-themed kids room is no more.

Still, the new lounge is so "wow" that had we not mentioned what's missing, you probably wouldn't have noticed that these former features are gone.

How to get into the Alaska Airlines lounge at SFO

Single-entry day passes for Alaska Airlines lounges may be available, depending on lounge capacity.

Entry to this lounge is also open to Alaska Lounge members, Alaska Lounge+ members and first-class passengers with paid or award tickets on flights 2,000 miles or more. For full details and to see if there are other ways to access the new lounge, see Alaska Airlines' list of lounge policies and rules.

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