SFO Airport Cell Phone Waiting Lot

You get what you pay for. In this case it is free.
Great concept, but prepare to drive another 10min plus from this location to SFO.
Location been improved, easier to find now since they put more sign, plus google maps or any gps you use can find this place. Well lit and have portable toilet for those been stuck in traffic on their way here.
I personally will use it again since I do not like people that I pick up wait (in this case it is my wife), so I always come earlier. Happy wife happy marriage :)

Great idea since the airport has strict rules on parking in front of the San Francisco airport loading and unloading passengers. The cell phone lot is off the beaten path but it is better then paying $ 43 (that is what the sign says) and having the traffic enforcer patrol yell at you.
Strange thing is that I thought it was closer to the main terminal. So much for parking lot reviews.
BTW…Cost is free!

This is great place to wait while you p/​u friend, relative etc. You park here (for free) and wait until your party calls you that they have luggage and they are ready to be p/​u! Then you drive strait upfront of the ARRIVALS level terminal and pick them up… WHILE THEY ARE FINISHING THEIR CIGARETS-​lol

This is a parking lot, pure and simple, with the added caveat that it’s actually a waiting area so you can’t really park here. Nevertheless, the portable bathrooms, vending machines, and even flight status screens make for a nice pit stop while you’re waiting for folks to come into SFO, don’t want to pay for parking, and don’t want to be shooed away by airport security at the terminal arrivals areas. Easily accessible from 101 and the airport ramps too.

Brilliant idea!
Especially around the crazy holiday traveling season.
If you arrive early (for pickup) and are tired of doing the merry go round while waiting to pickup… just go to the cell phone lot and wait.
So chill. Less than 2 minutes to arrivals.

Come to SFO a lot, but this is my first time utilizing the cell phone lot. It’s not too far from the domestic and international terminals. There is plenty of space, and most importantly, there are porta-​potties! It was a sight for sore eyes after sitting in that 80 traffic coming in from Sac! The lot itself is easy to miss if you don’t really pay attention. The signs directing you here is far and few in my opinion.

A stone’s throw away from Long Term Parking, not SFO itself. Very convenient to sit and relax, instead of circling around SFO for 20 minutes, waiting for your passenger.
For some reason, a lot of people wanted to make a left out of the Cell Phone Waiting Lot. Since that’s not easy to do, they’d turn right and make a U-​Turn, which snagged up traffic. So you can imagine a bunch of San Franciscans acting in a very surprising way: honking in Prii/​BMWs and then peeling away fast and furiously. The guy parked next to me (not involved in the traffic) decided to toot his horn for no legitimate reason.
To hop onto 101, you can make a right out of the Cell Phone Waiting Lot, so I can’t tell figure out why everyone wanted to make a left.
In spite of the road dramz, I am so glad that the cell phone waiting lot exists. About a 7 min drive to SFO with reasonable traffic.

The signs for the cell phone lot are extremely confusing, as I apparently ended up in the Über lot, parked and Über kicked me out. I said I thought this was the cell phone lot, the arrow pointed me here, and they said «no, go out, make 3 rights and a left and you’ll be at the cell phone lot» and guess what? Three rights and a left is the freakin AIRPORT again. This is ridiculous. I didn’t even think Über was allowed to serve SFO, and here they are in what I know used to be the cell phone lot near the big United Airlines building. SFO, please improve the signs to the cell phone lot, as it was extremely confusing and the Über guys were so dang rude about it. I’m usually pretty sharp about things, but even I was scratching my head, and I saw cars stopped all over in weird places, presumably others as confused as me.

I have to pick up my friend at the airport and need to wait for landing about half an hour. One of my friend suggest me to park at SFO cell phone parking lot. So, I don’t need to drive around the airport. There are a lot of space for parking which is definitely free for 60 mins :)

Difficult to find, but I’m thankful that it even exists! This is the perfect place to park and wait in your car until whoever you are picking up lands. Especially if you get there too early, if their flight unexpectedly becomes delayed, or gets there a little passed the estimated time of arrival.
The lot isn’t big… but I would say the amount of parking spaces is sufficient for you and your fellow eager beavers.
Plus, you won’t have to pay for ridiculous airport parking. **But do not leave your car here unattended under any circumstance! I’m sure it’ll be ticketed/​towed**

I recently used SFO Airport Cell Phone Waiting lot as I was there to pick my wife. I did have a hard time finding it as some construction work was going on. There’s a snack truck where you can get some drinks/​snacks if you have longer. You can’t complain for free waiting lot although it is 6 – 8 minutes drive from the airport.

Time to nap! Make sure your phone isn’t on vibrate or else your friend will be waiting forever!

Awesome invention that I thought it was exclusive from SAN airport. It is very easy to find out if you are aware of the signs that say take one exit passed the airport for the cell parking lot. It is huge, cost nothing and you wait to pick up that special person quietly and even can take a nap in your car, as it seems to be very safe (at least during the day). I don’t like to pay astronomical parking prices but still like to go and pick up my friends at the airport. This is a great solution for people who want/​need to be parked for up to an hour.

Closed from 1am-​5am, so you’re SOL on red-​eye arrivals.
Other than that, this place gets the job done without too much hassle. It took me a few visits (and I swear they added clearer signage over the years) to figure out how to get there from the southbound approach (I used to turn around at the airport) but now fairly smooth sailing.
Crowded on popular travel days, but never hard to find a spot with all the turnover.
Only gripes: people who leave their lights on, blinding other people waiting in their car, and über drivers who ignore the sign saying they have to use the taxi/​limo lot.
I’ve also felt a little creeped out when it’s entirely empty, but I’m never there for too long.

PROS:
–free parking up to an hour
–bathroom (porta-​potty)
–vending machines
–screen with accurate arrival times
–lots of parking spaces
–keeps you from being yelled at by the constant presence of airport security guards
CONS
–pretty dang far from some of the terminals
–not very well signed when you are driving around the airport
I guess with the size of SFO, it can’t really be located any more close to the terminals, but I sure wish it would! Make sure to have your pick-​up person give you at least a 5 – 10 min heads up before they want to be picked up so you can make the drive!

Well listen everybody it’s a free parking lot. You don’t have to drive around and around and around. You just drive up here and park. And you sit in your car and wait a little bit. Let’s face it to find anything free at an airport is incredible. And you’ll have plenty of time to write a nice review about a service that is really wonderful. This is a good thing to do and it’s really eco-​friendly. Only an idiot thinks you’re going to get drive thru service at an airport and be able to always never walk more than 25 steps that’s crazy. Enjoy free there aren’t many things like that thesedays

The airport pickup: inconvenient but great for karma.
I write this review from the lot as my friend files a lost baggage claim.
As others have said, this lot is surprisingly far away from SFO, about a 5 – 10 min drive.
On the up side, I’ve never had a problem finding a spot. In fact, I’ve never seen the lot even half full.
All in all, it does its job and is a much better alternative than circling around the terminals getting harassed by traffic security.

No lie, I once drove around the airport for an hour while waiting on a friend who was having luggage issues. Wasting an hour of gas while texting and driving to coordinate all the whilst being chased away by the airport security guards gave me an epiphany– I never want to do this again. There has to be a better life out there. Greener pastures and bluer skies.
The next time I came to the airport (I know, people visit SF all the time) I found the promised lands– the Cell Phone waiting lot. No more texting and driving, no more driving in circles around SFO seeing the same fellow drivers circling, no more being chased away by hawkish airport security guards. Now I can sit in the comfort of my car blasting music while playing Angry Birds until my friend is ready for pickup. Life is good.

It’s a cell phone waiting lot, what do you expect?
It’s poorly marked with poor directions around the airport to get to the lot, and leaving it to get to the terminal to pick-​up is even more messy.
Get some larger signage with arrows for people leaving.

This waiting lot is just five minutes from the terminal so as soon as I get the call, I can be there just as my traveler reaches the sidewalk.
I use this lot all the time.