Clear security in Santa Rosa, ride straight to the gate: Sonoma County Airport adds a coach link to SFO

SANTA ROSA: Starting Nov. 17, North Bay travelers flying out of San Francisco International Airport on five airlines will be able to begin the trip at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, checking in, dropping their bags and clearing TSA security in Santa Rosa before boarding a secure coach that drives nonstop to the SFO airfield. The service, called Straight to Gate, was announced Monday by The Landline Company together with Sonoma County Airport and SFO.

Passengers departing SFO on United, Alaska, Hawaiian, American or JetBlue will check in and drop checked bags at Sonoma County Airport, known by its code STS, and pass through security there. The coach then carries them directly to the secure side of SFO, where they step off inside the terminal and walk to their gate without clearing security a second time, while their bags are transferred to their flight. The Points Guy reported that the coaches arrive at Gate A3 in the International Terminal and that the ride takes a little over two hours, depending on traffic.

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Eight round trips a day, $55 a seat

Service begins Nov. 17 with eight daily round trips. Coaches leave Sonoma County Airport at 5, 7, 9 and 11 a.m. and at 1, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m., with return trips leaving SFO from about 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. One-way fares are $55 per adult, and children 15 and under ride free with a paying adult. Reservations are open now through Landline's booking site, where travelers enter their SFO flight and the tool recommends a coach departure. The announcement said more airlines will be added in the coming months; The Points Guy noted the rides are not eligible for airline loyalty points.

The coaches have extra-legroom leather seats in a two-by-one layout, Starlink Wi-Fi, power at every seat and an onboard restroom, and are wheelchair accessible, according to the announcement.

The trip home works differently

Travelers arriving at SFO on any airline can ride Landline back to Sonoma County Airport. On the return, passengers collect their luggage at baggage claim and board the coach at the curb outside every SFO terminal, including the International Terminal.

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"People love traveling. What they don't love is everything it takes to get to the airport," said David Sunde, founder and CEO of Landline, in the announcement. He said Sonoma County already has a great local airport, and that the service connects it to SFO's global network so trips can start close to home.

A model imported from the East Coast

Straight to Gate builds on the remote terminal model pioneered by Massport at Framingham, Massachusetts, where travelers check in and clear security in the Boston suburbs before riding to Boston Logan International Airport, also in partnership with Landline. The Points Guy reported the Sonoma County route is Landline's first on the West Coast. Landline said it has carried more than one million passengers and operates more than 200 daily departures across North America.