In a recent post, I wrote about how United was introducing a temporary direct flight between San Francisco and Barcelona. Although this flight is scheduled for only a few select days in February, Level by Iberia will now be offering ongoing, non-stop service between the 2 cities, which is pretty great.
Along with Barcelona, San Francisco has picked up some other great new direct flights in recent years, including to Tahiti, Madison, Wisconsin, and, soon, to Amsterdam.
Still, as a San Francisco-based remote worker, there are some direct routes that I dream about. Below is my dream list of new, direct flights from SFO.
San Francisco to Rome, Italy
Although San Francisco has a number of direct flights to Europe, including Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, and London, the options are still fairly limited compared to New York.
The European route that I would value the most would be a direct flight between San Francisco and Rome. Currently, the best way to get to Rome from San Francisco is via Swiss Air with a layover in Zurich (which is quicker than connecting in the U.S. or Canada).
A direct flight would cut travel time significantly and would open up the ability to take long weekends in the Italian capital and surrounding regions.
Proposed airline: United
San Francisco to Bogotá
There are currently no direct flights between San Francisco and South America. The best San Francisco has to offer is a direct flight between SFO and Panama City, Panama and I’ve previously written about how this flight has changed the way I travel.
That said, I would love to see a direct flight between San Francisco and Colombia — and although Medellín is one of my favorite places in the world, I think a direct flight between SF and Bogotá would make a lot more sense.
Proposed airline: Avianca
San Francisco to Bangkok
Compared to New York, San Francisco is a considerably better travel base if you’re looking to travel to Asia. Current direct flights include Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, and Beijing.
Nevertheless, I would love to see a direct San Francisco to Bangkok flight. When I travel to Asia, I usually base myself out of Hong Kong, but if there was a direct flight from San Francisco to Bangkok, I would likely switch cities and base myself out of Bangkok instead. There are a few reasons for this, including Thai food, affordability, and flight times between BKK and places like Bali and Phuket.
Proposed airline: United
San Francisco to Guam
Alright, so as a former Guam resident and current San Franciscan, I’m definitely biased here. But I believe both Guam and San Francisco would benefit from this flight, as Guam currently has no direct flights between the island the mainland United States and San Francisco has a decent-sized Chamorro population.
Guam is already a United hub and there is definitely demand on the island for the flight.
Proposed airline: United
What are some direct flights that you would love to see? Let me know in the comments!
Josh Trips 