Rumor - UA To Start MSP To SFO in Summer '09?
#46
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: DAL
Posts: 3,384
Really if so when?
[KVS Availability Tool 5.0.1/Diamond - ITA: Awards-Upgrades/X1/US-X1]
[KVS Availability Tool 5.0.1/Diamond - ITA: Awards-Upgrades/X1/US-X1]
Code:
SFO San Francisco Int'l CA US [KSFO] MSP Minneapolis St Paul Int'l MN US [KMSP] SUN 22 Nov 2009 Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Availability --------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- UA 157 SFO 10:48 MSP 16:28 320 0 F9 P9 A9 Y9 B9 E9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 T0 S9 K9 L0 G0 XY6 NY7 XF8 NF7 XC0 NC0
#48
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSP, WLG, or the forward most A seat in Y I can get
Programs: UA Plat (and all the derivatives on cars and hotels that implies)
Posts: 489
Thanks.
So they've moved the flight 2 hours earlier. Not unreasonably the software seems to prioritize keeping you on a flight close to your original departure time. A quick phone call, and back on the non-stop.
The timetable feature on the website still shows UA94 at 12:50 rather than UA157 at 10:48 on 11/19.
So they've moved the flight 2 hours earlier. Not unreasonably the software seems to prioritize keeping you on a flight close to your original departure time. A quick phone call, and back on the non-stop.
The timetable feature on the website still shows UA94 at 12:50 rather than UA157 at 10:48 on 11/19.
#49
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAS - I'm All In!
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott PP
Posts: 3,639
1048a is a much better departure - you'll have a lot less long layover after asia flights...
#50
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSP, WLG, or the forward most A seat in Y I can get
Programs: UA Plat (and all the derivatives on cars and hotels that implies)
Posts: 489
Yes, obvious reason they changed. It now won't connect with the Sydney flight (10:43 scheduled arrival), but I'm sure UA has actual data about how many go SYD - SFO - MSP. Probably not many.
#51
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Slightly to the left of center
Posts: 3,475
Thread title could be updated to remove "rumor"
#52
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,043
What about a LAX-MSP flight on UA? UA does pretty well in MSP and this is another NW monopoly route. And what about SFO-DTW?
#53
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: RIC
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 3,385
DTW is almost exclusively United Express now. I think it has one (maybe two) mainline frequencies to Chicago ... no chance the station could support SFO-DTW, overflying two hubs.
#54
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: somewhere between ORD and Willis Tower
Programs: UA MM, Premier Plat, Costco EM
Posts: 1,392
just had a sched change, put on MSP-SFO n/s, dep 1625 arr 1825, on a Saturday in March, 319, weird weird timing - not sure what it connects to in SFO for intl - seems too early for SYD dep ... can't imagine this flight would be for dom conx.
#55
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: RIC
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 3,385
It's like MSP-SFO has permanently moved to an afternoon departure - not just on Saturdays.
#56
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SF (Bernal Heights)
Programs: UA GS 2 MM; , SPG Plat Amb/LTP, Marriott Gold, HH, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 172
pm departure is good news
hooray for the 4:30pm n/s to SFO - usually try to take an evening departure back and end up going through ORD or DEN, cheaper than staying the night for the morning n/s.
I fly this route pretty regularly and try to go for the n/s as often as I can, have noticed what appear to be connecting pax from the Asian bank on the way to MSP, but not as many on the way to SFO. Not sure why that is.
I've been worried about the status of this flight as it is never full - sometimes only 60%, maybe the afternoon departure will help it pick up more pax (and some of the consultant traffic between the two cities).
I fly this route pretty regularly and try to go for the n/s as often as I can, have noticed what appear to be connecting pax from the Asian bank on the way to MSP, but not as many on the way to SFO. Not sure why that is.
I've been worried about the status of this flight as it is never full - sometimes only 60%, maybe the afternoon departure will help it pick up more pax (and some of the consultant traffic between the two cities).
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,419
A good way to circumvent the IAD-SFO almost non-upgradeable nonstops and add some xtra miles along the way.
#59
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K, NW forever
Posts: 1,390
Took SFO-MSP today for the first time -- there must have been about 30 people on the plane: 8 in F, ~10 in E+, and ~12 in E-.
I go to MSP to visit family about 2x/yr, and it's wonderful to have the nonstop. I hope that today's load was unusually light, and that the route stays!
Indeed it has, effective Feb. 13. I'm going back via DEN to avoid the 7am departure.
I go to MSP to visit family about 2x/yr, and it's wonderful to have the nonstop. I hope that today's load was unusually light, and that the route stays!
Indeed it has, effective Feb. 13. I'm going back via DEN to avoid the 7am departure.
#60
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSP, WLG, or the forward most A seat in Y I can get
Programs: UA Plat (and all the derivatives on cars and hotels that implies)
Posts: 489
Having now taken this flight several times a year since its inception it's become harder to upgrade every time I've flown (As Premier Executive I was about 30th on the u/g list and 80% of an A320 boarded in Group 2 or higher last time I did it), and the timetable shows it going to two a day on some days in summer 2013, with the addition of a morning flight.
So at least from my anecdotal impression this flight shows that sometimes you gotta stick in a market for a while. MSP seems a secondary market for UA that it's worth taking seriously. Going inter-continental DL offers you non-stop to Tokyo, Amsterdam and Paris (with good connections beyond), and non-stop with no connections to London. UA with its flights to SFO, IAD, ORD and EWR offers a domestic connection, and then the international flight to the secondary European/Asian cities. Not clear if you're doing a lot of international flying that DL is really much better.
So at least from my anecdotal impression this flight shows that sometimes you gotta stick in a market for a while. MSP seems a secondary market for UA that it's worth taking seriously. Going inter-continental DL offers you non-stop to Tokyo, Amsterdam and Paris (with good connections beyond), and non-stop with no connections to London. UA with its flights to SFO, IAD, ORD and EWR offers a domestic connection, and then the international flight to the secondary European/Asian cities. Not clear if you're doing a lot of international flying that DL is really much better.