ucdtim17

Not defending it, but they're probably not just doing it for fun. The alternative was a delay of some period of time; even if it were just an hour there's still a pretty good chance dude would miss his connection. The alternative is not running all flights on time.

Edit: They say alternative was cancelling, in which case he would also miss his connection.

halamadrid

The low ceilings have been real this week (had a couple of delays), but what I would say is avoid E175 operated flights in and out of SFO like the plague if you want to avoid being diverted. It is only when I've been on flights operated by the E175s that I've experienced the diversions. Many times I've been able to catch earlier flights and don't do so because they are operated by E175s out of SFO and sure enough, my original flight a couple of hours later leaves before that earlier flight on the E175 (which are sometimes diverted or outright cancelled). Now, this is not scientific and others may have experienced diversions on aircraft other than regional into/out of SFO. Now, I only take flights operated by E175s if they depart before 6:30AM as SFO ATC normally doesn't start doing holdbacks until after that time.

sltlyamusd

sfozrhfco

Not to mention that on their web page, it says you need to be at SFO two hours in advance of your flight--figure out whether you need to go to the ticket counter in Terminal 2 or in the international terminal and then figure out where the bus is and when it will leave. Then you have to presume the bus takes another hour and you need to recheck in at OAK/SJC in time to meet the bag cut off. There are just so many points of potential customer service disasters before you even get to the correct airport. Most of these notifications are also coming just about an hour before you would need to arrive at SFO to even get your new boarding pass and make the bus. If they can't operate their schedule to SFO and in July it will only be worse as the fog can last all day and peak summer travel season means all airlines are offering more flights, why not just permanently move a bunch of flights to OAK/SJC and give people advanced notice of more than a few hours to give time to rebook connections or deal with any issues? Seems like it is time to come up with a longer term solution rather than having people spin the wheel before their flight to see if they end up in OAK/SJC or SFO.

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...-from-bay-area

WebTraveler

Stop misrepresenting the facts and my statements. I have said that diversions and irregular flight operations exist, and its life. I have never - not once - said that any other airline offers regular diversions from SFO. Not once ever. I have said other airlines offer diversions from time to time across the country, world, etc., and life goes on. You are getting all heated over this and neglecting to read what I have stated, and instead glossing over words, and then filling in your own emotional bias. It's clearly important to you - and that's fine. So buy a ticket on another carrier and life will go on.

What I have said, and I will be clear. Alaska Airlines clearly does not meet your needs. That said, you have three choices: (1) accept it and go with it, (2) fly someone else, or (3) decline the planned re-route and wait for SFO to re-open for operations and get re-booked. Alaska can choose to re-book you later, or refund your money. Alaska will provide the transportation if you choose this option. Yes, its a hassle, but your option is often sitting in an airport with an unknown departure time. OR - maybe a 4th option. Don't book SFO unless you can't avoid it. This doesn't happen often to Oakland and San Jose. Your chances of being diverted or re-routed are minimal.

My flights are PDX-SFO, and for a 1 hr 45 min flight I am not going to stress too much. Yes, I know it's scheduled for longer, but that schedule is padded.

These are the options that are offered. What you do with it is entirely up to you. I have been diverted before and I have dealt with it. To me, I'd rather have the certainty of an arrival time, albeit delayed, than to sit on the departure end with no idea when it's happening. Now if I have to take off from SFO, and I get good notice, I will deal with it, otherwise I will consider my options, and make a decision of what works. I may just hop on BART and live with it, it's not that hard. So to be clear, I commend Alaska for these planned diversions. They make sense for me as a customer, whether I am flying a flight that will be delayed, OR on a flight leaving Portland or Seattle that might have been delayed because the inbound from SFO has messed up the the entire schedule for Alaska.

Clearly Alaska is not for you if this upsets you so much. Be a consumer and taking your hard earned dollars elsewhere. That's the best feedback you can offer Alaska. Pick your battles in life. If this is the biggest challenge you have then you have a pretty good life.

WebTraveler

But consider that they probably missed their connection anyway if the arriving flight can't land, so then what? Or maybe the connecting flight is delayed as well. There's all sorts of variables before one can conclude how this might impact.

NoLaGent

Ok, you're hilarious and are obviously injecting your own biases into this thread.

1. I've never been heated in this discussion, but your post history in this thread shows that you most certainly are.

2. VX, and now AS do meet my needs. I even posted last weekend about the P fare reduction in the SFO-SEA market that netted me over $600 into My Wallet for purchased travel in the next 3 months due to their guaranteed airfare credit.

3. My flights, as mentioned above, are predominantly SFO-SEA, and I'm not stressing at all. That's not the point of this thread. The point is to make AS travelers aware of a very specific problem that is currently affecting only them, and hopefully enable them to plan and prepare for it.

4. The only one upset here is you. But I am thrilled that the actual topic of planned diversions continues, as it's relevant to anyone flying AS through SFO (or OAK...or SJC..., but I digress).

dayone

Moderator Note: It might be time for everyone to take a breath. Let's stay on topic and respond to the idea and the opinion, not the person.

dayone, AS Moderator

WebTraveler

I like what Alaska is doing, and it works. [redacted personal comments] Sure, it works for me because I have no issue hoping on BART and dealing with it, and no issue riding a bus when I know I would be sitting in Portland anyway doing nothing. Neither BART nor a bus is beneath me - I deal with it. At least I am within a drive or a subway ride of getting to where I need to go. WIll that work for everyone? Probably not the guy connecting, but he probably missed his connection anyway, so he is messed up nothless. Connections will get messed up no matter how you shake it. But if I had a connection I definitely could not miss I don't think I'd go via SFO anyway. Life goes on.

tusphotog

Eastbay1K

They may be doing it because no one in ground ops @ OAK is familiar with the aircraft, nor would any "quickly available" replacement crew be around. Further, the current AS catering doesn't work with the Airbus flights.

channa

Maybe they'll do it to SEA when they open up PAE.

Or maybe send a SEA flight up to BLI every now and then.

At least the SEA customers would eat it up and rave about how great it was the flight operated albeit to the wrong airport.

ucdtim17

I believe I saw one A320 go to SJC a little while back. They are on the upcoming schedule for JFK so I expect they'll be ready to handle the Airbii. I haven't seen any OO E175s at OAK, just 737 or QX E175. Perhaps for the fall there will be an update for OAK service and they'll also start to see some Airbus. It'd be a little odd to have A320s going to SFO and 737s to OAK permanently. But if they intend to keep OAK as small a station as it is, maybe it's not worth the effort to change.

lg20

It's been a long time, but I remember some flights and busses via BFI when SEA had fog.

jrl767