Oakland Airport, CA (OAK) Flights & Information

San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) is one of the three major airports in the San Francisco area, along with San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC).

As a long-time Oakland resident, I often chose Oakland Airport not just for its convenience to my own home, but for its ease of use and accessibility in comparison to the bigger, busier San Francisco International Airport across the Bay. While SFO has many more flight options, Oakland Airport is often more convenient to travel through, even on trips to and from the city of San Francisco.

Oakland Airport recently added “San Francisco Bay” to its official name as a marketing tool to help publicize the airport’s location- but don’t be confused, it’s the same old OAK, albeit with continuing improvements.

How to get to and from Oakland Airport

Oakland Airport is conveniently located on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay with good area connections.

Oakland airport location

San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) is located, as the name describes, in the city of Oakland adjacent to the San Francisco Bay. The airport is about a 20-mile drive to downtown San Francisco and about an 8-mile drive to downtown Oakland. It has easy highway access and good public transit service.

I’d recommend Oakland Airport as the best Bay Area airport to use if you’re traveling to the East Bay or driving onward to tourist destinations like Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe or Yosemite. Travelers trying to get to those destinations from SFO must battle city and bridge traffic, sometimes adding more than an hour to the trip compared to OAK.

I’d also consider Oakland Airport as an alternative to SFO if you’re going to the city of San Francisco. OAK is just 8 miles farther from the San Francisco city center versus SFO, so if you can get a better flight deal into OAK, don’t hesitate to take it. Bridge traffic can potentially be a hassle between OAK and San Francisco, but public transit via BART is available to speed the commute.

Shuttle services at OAK

Free hotel shuttle buses are available for select hotels near OAK, the best option if you just have an overnight layover or local business. On-demand shared shuttles and vans (like Super Shuttle) are available, but really are only a good choice to save money on longer rides to San Francisco and beyond. But the downside is multiple stops will add to the travel time.

Taxis and rideshare services at OAK

Taxis can be easily found in a lineup just outside baggage claim between the two terminals, a decent choice for shorter trips into Oakland. Uber and Lyft do their pickups at a designated median area outside baggage claim. It’s a pretty smooth pickup and dropoff process for ride shares, in my experience. Depending on Bay Bridge traffic, rides can be expensive to San Francisco, consider using BART to save money.

Public transit access to OAK

One of the most convenient things about OAK is BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) public transit train access right to the terminals. A small spur line connects the airport with the main East Bay BART lines running north to Berkeley, south toward San Jose and west to San Francisco. BART also connects to the Amtrak station in Oakland for long distance train service.

I’d recommend BART as the most cost-efficient and even the fastest transport between Oakland Airport and San Francisco (or any other local town) during rush hour. BART can become a little sketchy later at night, but I’ve used it plenty of times with luggage to and from OAK during the day without any problem.

Rental cars at OAK

Renting a car at OAK is pretty easy, although you do have to take a shuttle to a nearby rental car center to get to the cars. Nine rental car agencies have cars in the airport center, with good availability. Shuttles arrive regularly curbside outside of baggage claim. Nearby highway access will get you on the road with your car quickly.

Navigating OAK terminals

I think Oakland is quite a convenient airport to use for travel. It’s on the smaller size, making for an overall less-stressful experience especially when compared to SFO across the Bay.

Oakland Airport’s flight gates are divided between two terminals, with Southwest Airlines operating out of the 12 gates in Terminal 2, while Alaska, Delta, Hawaiian and a few discount carriers fly from the 17 gates of Terminal 1. The terminal split makes it pretty easy to figure out where you’re going, and you can usually get to your gate pretty quickly after arriving at the airport.

I’ve often seen Southwest’s Terminal 2 have its biggest congestion on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons when business travelers use it most. You’ll want to allocate a little more time to get to your flight during these peak travel times. As most of these business travelers use TSAPreCheck, that line doesn’t save much time during rush hours.

Airport security

Oakland operates a TSA security checkpoint area in both Terminal 1 and 2. I’ve found the process usually much smoother and quicker than the security checkpoints at the larger SFO. TSA PreCheck is available at both security lines, and can be more helpful during weekend leisure travel times versus weekday commutes.

Airport food and drink

OAK has the usual assortment of fast food and chain outlets, but I’d recommend trying some local area favorites. Many spots are new, giving the airport a fresh, lively feel. The OAK Clubhouse in Terminal 1 features expansive runway views to accompany your beers and pub food. Southie, in Terminal 2, is a new outlet for the popular Oakland soup, salad and sandwich shop. My go-to food selections at OAK are the Bahn Mi Vietnamese sandwiches at Tay Ho in Terminal 2.

When in Oakland Airport I’d recommend you definitely stop at the Oakland Coffee Collective in Terminal 1 for some local flavor, even if you’re not a java enthusiast. In addition to coffee from local roasters, the shop sells tasty pastries and sandwiches from regional suppliers and has a great Oakland vibe.

Lounges at OAK

Oakland Airport’s only lounge is a single Escape Lounge room located in Terminal 1, which is pretty inconvenient for Southwest passengers. If you do go to the lounge and have a Southwest flight, allow some extra time to get to the other terminal.

OAK’s Escape Lounge is a typical outlet in this chain of airport lounges. It provides snacks including warm items in a buffet format, and complimentary drinks at the bar. It’s club Wi-Fi is fast, seating comfortable, and service usually friendly. If you have complimentary access with airline status or a credit card, and a flight out of Terminal 1, it’s a worthwhile stop. Otherwise, I’d recommend skipping it as the daily rates aren’t worth the benefit.

Airline service from Oakland Airport

With a substantial Southwest Airlines presence at Oakland Airport, the airport has great service to Western U.S. cities and Hawaii, with competitive pricing and frequent flight schedules. I’d recommend looking at flights from OAK particularly to these areas. Currently, neither United nor American Airlines fly out of OAK, limiting traveler options, though the airport is always trying to expand its airline partners, so stay tuned.

Oakland airport currently has direct flights to more than 40 cities including a handful in Mexico and Central America as well as some seasonal flights to Europe. So while OAK isn’t nearly the international travel hub as SFO, it’s still worth considering for many cross-country flights to and from the Bay Area, given the manageable size of the airport and the potential for flight deals.

International travel to and from OAK

Oakland Airport offers regular service to a few cities in Mexico and Central America. While these destinations represent only a small fraction of international options at SFO, travelers should periodically check for new routes and deals, as OAK often announces new destinations and is proactively trying to grow its flight map. Global Entry is available for passengers who are part of that program.

Parking at OAK

I’ve found Oakland Airport parking to be pretty reasonable for pricing and access to the terminals, having parked my car there for both short- and longer-term timing. Frequent shuttles connect all of the lots to the terminal, but you can easily walk from the closer sections.

Oakland airport offers four sections of parking consisting of Premier, Hourly, Daily and Economy. If you’re parking for a day or two, the Daily and Economy lots are both good calls—and they’re a short walk to the terminal. I’d say skip the Premier section as it is just about 50 feet closer to the terminal than the Hourly section of the lot.

OAK’s Economy lot is separated from the other main parking lot and requires a shuttle, so account for a little extra time in your planning. The price makes the extra time worthwhile if you’re parking for more than a couple of days. Reservations are available for all of the lots, but I’ve rarely seen them get completely full.