We know that Air India is currently trying to reinvent itself, including improving every aspect of the passenger experience. We’ve seen the airline roll-out factory fresh wide body planes with new interiors, start to reconfigure existing planes, and even open a new flagship lounge at Delhi Airport (DEL).
There’s now another exciting development, as Air India has formally announced the opening of its own lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and it looks like it’s quite nice!
Basics of the new Air India Maharaja Lounge SFO
Air India has opened a lounge at SFO, which covers 3,413 square feet, with a capacity for 80 guests. Specifically, the lounge is located in the lounge complex at the A Gates, near gate A1, on the fourth floor, between the China Airlines Lounge and Golden Gate Lounge. The lounge is open daily from 6AM until 11:59PM, so it clearly covers more than just Air India departures.
Here’s how Air India describes the design inspiration for the new lounge:
Thoughtfully curated, the space brings together distinctive elements of the brand and Air India’s rich cultural legacy, creating an atmosphere that is warmly familiar yet exquisite. The hues of champagne, ivory, and deep reds mirror the brand’s colour palette. Brand motifs are integrated throughout the interiors, including the ‘Vista’ patterns on the walls and furniture. The lounge has been designed to evoke the essence of quintessential Indian hospitality, creating an atmosphere of warmth, comfort, and understated luxury for guests. To honour the airline’s historical connection to the arts, the space features works by local artists that showcase regional heritage. Select installations also incorporate upcycled aircraft components, thoughtfully reimagined into contemporary art pieces.
Despite its small size, the airline promotes several key features, including the Aviator’s Bar (with cocktails prepared by a bartender), a dining area, a social zone, and even a private zone, available exclusively to first class passengers. The lounge also boasts views of the apron.
Below you can see some pictures that the airline has shared of the lounge.
Here’s how Air India CEO Campbell Wilson describes the new lounge:
“The opening of the Maharaja Lounge at San Francisco builds on the recent launch of our flagship lounge at Delhi, marking the beginning of a new generation of signature lounges for Air India. North America has long been a key pillar of Air India’s network, and our continued investments reflect both, this commitment and our ambition to introduce a new standard of travel experiences in the region in time to come.”
“As Air India continues to transform into a world-class global airline, we are focused on delivering a consistent, elevated experience across our network, blending modern luxury with the warmth and timeless appeal of Indian hospitality.”
I’ve gotta say, the lounge looks super elegant, so this should be a nice facility. However, at just over 3,400 square feet, this is one of the smaller outstation lounges out there, and I imagine it’ll get quite busy prior to Air India departures. At least Air India has a staggered schedule at the airport, so there’s never more than one Air India flight departing at a time.
Air India has massively grown its presence at SFO since starting service to the airport roughly a decade ago. The airline now operates up to 14 weekly flights to the Bay Area, so with double daily service, you can start to see merit to operating a lounge.
This is Air India’s second lounge location in the United States, with the other lounge being in New York (JFK). That lounge is undergoing a major and overdue renovation, so maybe it’ll have a similar design template to the SFO lounge.
Why has Air India opened its own lounge at SFO?
With SFO being a hub for Star Alliance partner United, some people might be surprised to see Air India opening its own lounge at the airport. Well, there are a couple of points worth making.
First of all, United international flights generally depart from the G gates, while Air India flights generally depart from the A Gates. While these terminals are technically connected airside, it’s a really long walk between them. For example, prior to this lounge opening, Air India has been sending its premium passengers to the Golden Gate Lounge (and before that, the Air France Lounge).
Furthermore, the timing of this lounge opening is sort of great. In the past, those traveling in Air India business class could use the United Polaris Lounge at SFO. Yes, it was a hike, but at least access was allowed, if someone was interested. However, with the recent rule changes, Air India business class passengers can’t actually use Polaris Lounges anymore.
Given the number of flights Air India operates from SFO per week, having the airline operate its own lounge makes sense from both a cost and brand perspective. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the lounge monetized outside of those hours, and open to Priority Pass, as is the case at the carrier’s JFK lounge (though as of now, the SFO lounge doesn’t belong to Priority Pass).
Also, thanks to Star Alliance lounge access rules, many premium passengers should also have access to this lounge, including Star Alliance Gold members on other airlines.
Bottom line
Air India has just opened its new lounge at SFO. The roughly 3,400 square foot lounge can accommodate 80 guests, and is located in the A Gates. The lounge looks very nice, though it’s definitely on the small side, so expect crowding to be an issue. The timing of this opening is great, given the recent changes to United Polaris Lounge access.
What do you make of the new Air India Lounge SFO?