There's no willkommen mat out for foreign travelers at San Francisco Airport's new international terminal. For that matter, don't look for a bienvenue, bienvenido or yokoso , either. But some travelers are questioning why, in one of the world's most diverse areas, nearly every sign is in English.
Signs directing travelers to the parking garages and boarding gates are in English.
Information posters throughout the terminal listing what's where are in English. Better know your English. You want to make a visitor feel welcome. All of SFO's 24 international carriers this week are scheduled to move into the terminal, the largest international terminal in North America with 2.5 million square feet. SFO spokesman Ron Wilson yesterday said the decision to use English nearly exclusively came down to a matter of space.