Oakland Airport (OAK) Flights & Flight Status

Oakland Airport is the most pleasant and recommendable major Bay Area airport if you ask me. That’s mostly because of its compact size rather than any particular amenities or standout features. But I always seek it out if possible precisely because it’s easy to move through. It’s also less subject to weather disruption than SFO across the bay – where if things turn inclement the delays stack up fast.

OAK is great if your destination is the East Bay, but it’s also a decent option for getting to San Francisco. The travel time to downtown SF is not much longer than from SFO. That being said, traffic can be a major factor here (see the transport section below).

Suffice to say that OAK is well worth a look for your next trip to/from the Bay Area, even if you’re headed further afield than Oakland itself.

Tip: If you’re headed to the South Bay/San Jose area, look for flights to/from SJC; as it’ll be quite a hike from OAK to there.

The layout of the airport

OAK is split into two terminals, both a very manageable size. You can walk between the two in minutes and they are also connected airside, past security. Terminal 2 is entirely Southwest Airlines, while Terminal 1 hosts all other airlines – mostly US airlines offering domestic service with a few exceptions.

Security

Each terminal has a security checkpoint. The checkpoint in Terminal 2 is larger but both tend to be busy.

The best thing about the security checkpoint at Terminal 2 is the big living wall full of real plants that adorns one whole section of wall. It’s designed to put passengers at ease and it does a good job. It’s a lot nicer than the usual sterile white walls and forbidding atmosphere that the TSA tends to create.

Unfortunately it’s very rare to find it without long lines, including at the Clear/PreCheck section. So to avoid any stress, I’d recommend planning for an extra half hour to get through security. Luckily this will be the only part of the experience that will slow you down, as there’s no long distances to traverse to your gate.

Where you can fly from Oakland

Oakland doesn’t have as much nonstop service as many in the East Bay would like. Most services are in the western half of the US to hubs like Salt Lake City or LAX, plus some smaller cities thanks to the Southwest network. That means you can get just about anywhere with one connection, at least.

However there are a few interesting routes from Oakland including direct flights to Hawaii (with Hawaiian and Southwest) and the Azores in Portugal. It should be noted that Azores Airlines flight is currently operated by a leased Plus Ultra aircraft, and they don’t get the best reviews. However if you’re headed to the Azores from the Bay Area I can’t think of a more convenient way to do that.

Tip: Advanced Air recently started flying from Oakland to Crescent City, CA – a very convenient option for the California-Oregon border area.

Fly JSX, skip the terminals

If you fly with the airline JSX you can skip the terminals entirely and use a small terminal typically reserved for private aircraft services instead. This means you can show up 20 minutes before the flight departure. I’d highly recommend checking if JSX might serve your needs the next time you’re here (they serve a few destinations including Burbank and Las Vegas).

Parking

Parking at Oakland Airport is a cinch, because the airport is so small. You have everything from parking right in front of the terminal to cheaper lots that require a quick shuttle bus ride. There are also third-party parking lots off-airport where you can save even more money.

Tip: Oakland Airport’s website has a handy chart showing up-to-the-minute parking availability at its various lots.

Transport options at OAK

Your best bet for transport will depend a lot on where you’re headed and time of day. For most people, the best way for the airport is going to be on an Uber or Lyft. Keep in mind the Bay Area, especially around the bridges, can be traffic-choked and rush hour can sometimes last all day.

Public transport

If you need to cross the Bay during rush-hour the BART train could be a better choice. It’ll be cheaper and quicker. However, it has to be noted that the BART train ride is not always a pleasant one. It had a particularly rough patch a few years back in terms of safety. It has improved since and it’s not usually dangerous.

Be prepared to come across a range of characters, some of whom could seem threatening especially if you’re not used to big urban areas. If it’s during the day and you have your wits about you, it should be fine. The choice of taking the train is a matter of personal preference and temperament.

Vans/buses

If you don’t want to rent a car, there are scheduled van and bus services further afield, including a particularly regular service to Marin and Sonoma counties. Look for Sonoma County Airport Express or better yet, head to their website to book a ride.

Rental cars

If you’re going beyond the Bay Area, renting a car is a good option. Renting a car at Oakland is easy – a quick shuttle will take you from the terminal to the rental car center and it’s all pretty efficient.

Alternatives to OAK

There’s no denying that SFO has quite a bit more service than Oakland, including most of the medium- and long-haul, transcontinental (to the east coast) and international service. You can reach just about anywhere from Oakland if you’re willing to connect at a hub like Salt Lake City or Los Angeles first, but if you want nonstop service you’ll be a lot more likely to find it at SFO. However fares out of SFO for shorter domestic flights tend to be more expensive, and SFO is very busy so delays and cancellations can happen more often.

Lounge

Escape Lounge is the only lounge at OAK and it’s probably not going to knock your socks off. However, the Escape Lounge can be a nice place to sit and get some free food away from the bustle of the terminal.

I wouldn’t pay extra to visit, but if you have access via other means it can be a good option. The lounge is open to Priority Pass cardholders, as well as American Express Platinum and Delta Reserve Card holders (the latter only if flying on a Delta flight). As a bonus: children are welcome and those under 24 months enter for free.

What to do during a layover

My layover recommendations depend on how long the layover is.

Up to 3 hours: don’t leave the airport. It’s too tight to enjoy yourself doing much.

4 hours: head to a taco truck nearby. There are several good ones in the vicinity and they’re easily found on Google Maps. If you like tacos it’s worth the Uber fare.

5 hours+: Take a 15-minute ride over to the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum on a retired aircraft carrier. IOr if you have a bit longer than 5-6 hours and you’re in the mood for nature head over to Tilden Regional Park in the Berkeley hills, and maybe stop by the UC Berkeley botanical gardens as well. That’s about a 25-minute drive.

Airport hotels

Oakland Airport does not have an airport hotel directly at the airport. Among the hotels in the area, none are going to be standouts in particular – they are functional, average airport hotels of varying quality.

Downtown Oakland is just 15 minutes drive from the airport so you can still find i something with a bit more character while staying relatively close to the the airport. For example: The Kissel Uptown Oakland by Hyatt. It’s easily better than all the hotels closer to OAK.

Catching a connecting flight at SFO?

I would never recommend planning a connection that requires getting from Oakland Airport to San Francisco International Airport. If you have no choice BART or ridesharing is the best way to get there. BART will generally take an hour and fifteen minutes, while driving could be anything from 30 minutes with no traffic to two hours if things are bad.