Sonoma County Airport Adds Direct SFO Bus Service With Checked Bags and Security Screening

A new bus service connecting Charles M. Schulz Airport to SFO will let North Bay travelers check bags and clear security before leaving Sonoma County, with eight daily round trips and connections to five airlines beginning November 17.

The Landline Company announced Monday that the new direct bus service will begin November 17, with eight daily round trips between Santa Rosa and SFO, as the North Bay Business Journal reports. The one-way fare is $55 for adults, while children 15 and younger ride free with a paying adult. The trip is expected to take a little over two hours, depending on traffic.

Unlike a conventional airport shuttle, Landline's 36-seat coaches will drop passengers directly inside SFO's secure area at Gate A3 in the International Terminal, allowing travelers with connecting flights to proceed without going through security again. According to the blog The Points Guy, the company is partnering with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and United Airlines, with plans to add more carriers.

Passengers can check their luggage in Santa Rosa, where Landline staff will tag bags for their final destinations and transfer them to connecting flights at SFO. Travelers who already have mobile boarding passes and aren't checking bags can reportedly bypass the Landline counter and head straight to security at Sonoma County Airport.

Passengers arriving on their return trips at SFO can collect their bags at baggage claim before boarding a Landline coach outside any terminal. Return buses will run from approximately 8 am to 11 pm, while departures from Santa Rosa are scheduled for 5, 7, 9, and 11 am, 1, 3, 5:30, and 8 pm.

Sonoma County Airport Manager Jon Stout told the Business Journal that the new service isn't expected to affect the operations of the airport’s existing shuttle operated by Groome Transportation. Groome's service, which has connected Santa Rosa with SFO and Oakland International Airport since acquiring Airport Express in 2017, includes multiple stops and doesn't offer advance security screening.

Landline coaches won't make stops between the two airport airfields, and their baggage compartments will reportedly remain locked and monitored, under Transportation Security Administration guidelines. The buses have leather seats, extra legroom, Wi-Fi through Starlink, charging outlets, restrooms, and wheelchair accessibility.

Reservations are already open through Landline's booking website. Customers enter their flight information to receive a recommended bus departure, and boarding is expected to begin about 15 minutes before departure. Per the Business Journal, the company will have staff at Sonoma County Airport to handle boarding passes, luggage, and documentation for international connections.

Landline will reportedly pay airport fees under its agreement with Sonoma County, which is not paying for the service, and the airport is expecting additional revenue from passenger fees, facility use, leases, parking, and concessions.

Company founder and CEO David Sunde said a bus connection makes more sense than a short flight between regional airports when boarding, taxiing, and other airport procedures are factored into the overall trip.

“Sonoma County is a big and growing population center. It needs connectivity to an international airport,” Sunde said.

Landline launched in 2019 and has since expanded to more than 200 daily departures across North America. According to the Points Guy, its existing partnerships include Sun Country Airlines, Air Canada, American Airlines, and United Airlines.

The Santa Rosa route is reportedly Landline's first in the Pacific time zone.

Sunde said the company is considering similar connections to SFO from Monterey Regional Airport and Stockton Metropolitan Airport, with Modesto City-County Airport and Sacramento International Airport also potential future additions, as the Points Guy reports. The company is currently working with SFO to secure a more centrally located gate, since Gate A3 is inconvenient for United passengers departing from Terminal 3.

Per the Business Journal, Landline's arrival follows Delta Air Lines' October 6 launch of flights between Santa Rosa and Salt Lake City, along with the introduction of curbside check-in for Delta passengers at Sonoma County Airport.

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