California - every visit to OAK makes me want to pull my hair out

Something new every time...

Last night, it was the 35 minute wait to get from the entrance roadway to arrivals for Terminal 2. There's always traffic, but this was particularly bad.

The situation wasn't being helped by the traffic officers who seemed more interested in ticketing drivers on the AirBART curb and talking to women waiting for rides rather than facilitating the flow of traffic at the airport. http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/mad.gif

After flying home after traveling all week, waiting eons for Hertz, and then coming back to pick someone up, the last thing I wanted was a 35 minute wait, you know?

Has the Oakland Tribune or any of the local media taken them to task on this?

I really wish Southwest hadn't left SFO, as my decision to use OAK is purely cost-driven.



[This message has been edited by snorkmaster (edited 08-24-2002).]

It is out of hand. I rarely fly out of OAK anymore. I have posted about it awhile back. On July 3, it took me 40 minutes to get to the Airport Hilton from 880 (typically a 2 minute drive). People were running down Hegenberger Road with luggage from before the Hilton in the hopes of making a flight. A lost cause. Security lines are recently much improved but overall, I dislike this airport now. Expensive and not as convenient parking, overcrowded, no lounges, hardly anywhere to sit, and on and on. And my SFO delays over the past year have not been very substantial.

EastBay1k,

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who's frustrated. I feel like I've been burned so much by OAK: getting stuck in traffic, finding out that there's no parking when it's too late and having to pay for short term for a trip, getting ticketed on the AirBART curb (on a previous visit) after stopping for no more than 2 seconds, waiting forever for security (although this has improved)...

It's not the most hospitable thing, but from now on, I think I'm going to ask visitors to take AirBART to the Oakland Airport/Coliseum station, and I'll pick them up there...

I've been avoiding OAK for months, especially since UA at SFO now has EasyCheckin. However, as an experiment, I went OAK-ORD on 8/25, a Sunday, on UA and found:
--UA Premier line, 5 minute wait
--Security, < 5 minute wait

Once inside, it was crowded, but ok. They've remodeled the bathrooms to increase their size from tiny to smaller-than-average. This mitigiates a major irritant.

I got dropped off, not at the outer AirBART curb, and found the traffic inbound just slightly worse than normal.

My verdict is that I'll use OAK again. When/if they get EasyCheckin it may even be my preference.
Rich

[This message has been edited by rjh (edited 08-29-2002).]

Recent comments, observations, and gripes.

Apparently, OAK is not aware that airline traffic is down. It is still a relative joke and the airport and surrounding facilities can't handle the crowds well.

Saturday, about 10 AM. Park'n'Fly (my first choice of offsite parking) FULL and cars not even being allowed to double park - traffic was backing up onto the street, and she finally came out and waved everyone away. So I drove to the "economy parking" - FULL, but fence wasn't yet put up. The attendant who was coming out to put the fence up told me about a few spaces at the far end of the lot. (This lot used to be a bargain and relatively quick walk to the terminal - its now $15/day + the far end is a long walk). By the time I walked past the entrance, a big gate was up prohibiting any entry.

The terminal - Security - the first domestic flight security line of any substance in many many months, and, other than LAX Int'l Terminal a couple months ago (when only 2 positions were open for the whole terminal) the longest wait - albeit only about 15 minutes. Past security was a zoo - so crowded, it was incredible. Announcements from other airlines audible VERY LOUDLY all over the terminal, such as DL trying to sell $100 gate F upgrades - I was nowhere near DL. AS (my airline of the day) puts a 1104 boarding time for an aircraft that isn't due inbound until 1059a. Actual boarding wasn't until about 1130, and IDs were checked at the gate again despite OAK being an ID @ Security airport (not a big deal, just a comment).

So, that's OAK on a Saturday mid-morning. Fun.