Good questions. SFO is MUCH different than LAX for a number of resons and I have flown into both extensively and my current Company China Airlines flies both PAX and FRT to both.
SFO has generally bad winter weather (chamber of Commerce need not take not and I am not running for office in Northern California so Arnold is safe). From what I see, SFO hates using any different RW configuration other than departing on the ONEs and arriving on the 28s. They have a CROSS runway, so this is easier than LAX in many ways provided they don't meet at the intersection <bg> and that the pilots don't do anything other than the controller expects like turning onto an active runway or landing short when the controller expects you to roll through the intersection. SFO has parallels and this IS a problem and it it still an open issue actually as SFO sometimes tells you NOT to overtake the guy ahead when using 28L and 28R visual parrallels. Some days it is an issue and some days not. Depending on your landing speed, it is not often possible to comply and you don't know it until after the game is played out because some pilots fly slow (er) and others are fast (er).
LAX has a double set of parallels and the north and south complexes each have close parallels. In the case of LAX, they can't be "EVEN" parallels on the North or South complex,but the North can handle one and the South one at the same time at least when visual. I hope you understand what I mean.
In LAX's case, the runway for landing is easily predictable . If you come from the North Pacific, RNO,PDX,SEA,SFO, Canada, you'll land 24R in a west operation. If from SAN,the South Pacific, and generally the east, you get 25L. Freight usually gets 25L. But LAX is interesting because they try to accomodate you by the terminal which you will be going. United generally arrives on the 25 complex and departs the same unless traffic is heavy on departure and then the ground controller gets a workout.
LAX is usually more visuals.
SFO has ceiling requirements that often are not high enough for parallel and even staggered visuals.
SFO also has an interesting drill that goes on during the midnight shift and pilots are EXPECTED to take off 10L over the bay if POSSIBLE and land to the West on 28 if possible. This means that they can't work many airplanes because they have to be careful on not releasing one the opposite direction until the other one is assured.
LAX takes off west most of the time and during the midnight lands east when possible. I have arrived from Hawaii at 0500 many times and you get either 6 or 7 landings unless the tailwind (usually there) exceeds 10 kts.
BTW, some carriers and airplanes have a 10 kt limit and others have a 15 kt limit.
So anyway, they are both unique...