Planned Diversions From SFO to OAK/SJC
Jun 18, 2018, 9:21 pm
#272
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 917
Or were you *not* being sarcastic?
Jun 18, 2018, 9:29 pm
#273
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
If you're an actual frequent SFO flyer, even on other airlines, you should probably check your flight status before going to the airport. If your flight is diverted to OAK, you'd almost certainly learn this before going to SFO, unless you're leaving 4+ hours before your flight. For tech-unsavvy infrequent flyers, this could cause problems (as discussed upthread) but if you're posting here you should probably be savvy enough to know where your flight is operating before showing up to the airport blind.
Anything else?
Jun 18, 2018, 9:41 pm
#274
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,639
Well, the other option is to simply cancel the flight all together, as they did with this morning's 7am flight from SEA-SFO. They cancelled it about 12 hours earlier. When my Mother called, they quoted ATC issues. My Mother would have been happy to go to OAK, rather than fighting for the last middle seat on the 10am departure.
Great job, Alaska! Cancel a Monday morning business flight to SFO, when all of your other flights are full. It sounds like their ops department is not ready for prime time.
Great job, Alaska! Cancel a Monday morning business flight to SFO, when all of your other flights are full. It sounds like their ops department is not ready for prime time.
Jun 18, 2018, 9:48 pm
#275
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,792
I hadn't flown AS in forever, usually flying all of the legacies out of either SFO or SJC to wherever. Have literally millions of miles on all: 7mm on AA, 3mm on UA and now almost 1mm on DL. I and wife are getting old and buy whatever the first class fare is. I saw this thread and figured to post this here.
We took Jet Blue out SFO-BOS and it was really quite nice in their mint service. 15 yrs ago, I would have been on AA, but, alas, they abandoned much of the Bay Area except for their hubs, and I give total priority to not making connections.
The service on the AS flight from BOS was fine in F. The Airbus 320 was a dumpy plane, but what the heck. What got me was landing and going to a neutral area to get a bus over to this gate 59 in Terminal 2. Never did this anywhere before at SFO. My wife said, "What is this, Frankfurt?".
While we were taxiing and bussing around, I could clearly see at least 2, possibly 3, empty gates where Virgin used to go in terminal 2. I thought the bussing was really unnecessary and couldn't figure it out. Plus, there was zero help in transiting us through this terminal gate. No sympathy for Alaska, and we did want to give them a try.
I'm sorry, as much as I hated United for what it used to do, I'm not inclined to forgive Alaska for this stuff. Added a definite hour to the end of a 6.5 hour flight. I agree with the other posters that AS is out of its element at SFO. They don't have their act together. Heading back to UA and DL for most of my flying out of SFO. Don't need to tack on another extra hour because AS can't put me at a gate for its flights. Those intensely loyal to AS can speak up for them, but my sympathy for
AS is zilch on this stuff. The skies were crystal blue. It was 10:30 AM on landing. Visibility was a hundred miles. Traffic was light. The taxi time once we had wheels down was an incredible 5 minutes. Then a 30 minute wait for a bus and another 10-15 minutes traveling around the airport and deplaning into a hallway that could barely accept 2 across. There were 2-3 gates at terminal 2 clearly open already. Not impressive. I will go elsewhere.
We took Jet Blue out SFO-BOS and it was really quite nice in their mint service. 15 yrs ago, I would have been on AA, but, alas, they abandoned much of the Bay Area except for their hubs, and I give total priority to not making connections.
The service on the AS flight from BOS was fine in F. The Airbus 320 was a dumpy plane, but what the heck. What got me was landing and going to a neutral area to get a bus over to this gate 59 in Terminal 2. Never did this anywhere before at SFO. My wife said, "What is this, Frankfurt?".
While we were taxiing and bussing around, I could clearly see at least 2, possibly 3, empty gates where Virgin used to go in terminal 2. I thought the bussing was really unnecessary and couldn't figure it out. Plus, there was zero help in transiting us through this terminal gate. No sympathy for Alaska, and we did want to give them a try.
I'm sorry, as much as I hated United for what it used to do, I'm not inclined to forgive Alaska for this stuff. Added a definite hour to the end of a 6.5 hour flight. I agree with the other posters that AS is out of its element at SFO. They don't have their act together. Heading back to UA and DL for most of my flying out of SFO. Don't need to tack on another extra hour because AS can't put me at a gate for its flights. Those intensely loyal to AS can speak up for them, but my sympathy for
AS is zilch on this stuff. The skies were crystal blue. It was 10:30 AM on landing. Visibility was a hundred miles. Traffic was light. The taxi time once we had wheels down was an incredible 5 minutes. Then a 30 minute wait for a bus and another 10-15 minutes traveling around the airport and deplaning into a hallway that could barely accept 2 across. There were 2-3 gates at terminal 2 clearly open already. Not impressive. I will go elsewhere.
Jun 18, 2018, 9:57 pm
#277
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
I hadn't flown AS in forever, usually flying all of the legacies out of either SFO or SJC to wherever. Have literally millions of miles on all: 7mm on AA, 3mm on UA and now almost 1mm on DL. I and wife are getting old and buy whatever the first class fare is. I saw this thread and figured to post this here.
I would suggest you burn some of those miles and treat your wife to a RTW in F. Happy Travels!
Jun 19, 2018, 12:28 am
#279
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
I too have yet to experience the bus gates at SFO...
It will be a while until AS gets its full ops back there. A remodel or two down the road
It will be a while until AS gets its full ops back there. A remodel or two down the road
Jun 19, 2018, 8:46 am
#280
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,792
I know the terminal well, after all these years, especially AA's gates, where I have flown the most. These weren't AA's. They were the lower numbered ones typically used by Virgin and were surrounded by other Virgin planes.
Jun 19, 2018, 11:09 am
#281
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,792
So, I gave AS a try, but will not be using them for an arrival at SFO. AS might do better to let its flyers know up-front about the potential of getting shunted to a different airport and the potential need to take an inefficient bus ride in their routing. Yesterday, we were lucky to get on the first bus. Turned out the other bus took over 20 minutes extra on top of ours. I had a friend who was on it. This can't be competitive with other carriers.
Jun 21, 2018, 3:20 pm
#282
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,639
I have mostly defended the practice in this thread, but today on a nice sunny June day in the Bay Area, SFO-MCI is operating out of SJC instead (there may be others but I just noticed that one). I think I would shy away from QX and particularly OO operations at this point. Mainline you have the normal delay risk (and diversion risk on bad weather days) but it appears with the regionals on any given nice day you have a not-insubstantial risk of ending up at SJC.
Jun 21, 2018, 3:54 pm
#283
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Southwest A-List, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 818
Looking at the inbound flights on OO: Today, it looks likes the flight from SLC routed to SJC. Yesterday, it was the flight from SNA. I'm guessing this is one of the departures that gets pushed over when an OO flight is diverted in the morning.
I know it was pretty cold and overcast this morning, so I wonder if there were flow control delays then. Still, I hope that the expected flow control delay would have exceeded 2 hours or so to justify the reroute. Looking at some United RJ flights, some seemed to only have a 1 hour delay, whereas others like the EUG-SFO flight saw an over 2 hour delay.
I'm really curious now as to the requirements for Ops to decide to reroute to SJC. Would love to hear the constraints that go into their algorithm. I really hope that algorithm is nothing like this though:
)
Last edited by FlyingBear; Jun 21, 2018 at 3:59 pm Reason: Added and created breaks.
Jun 21, 2018, 4:32 pm
#284
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 548
If you're an actual frequent SFO flyer, even on other airlines, you should probably check your flight status before going to the airport. If your flight is diverted to OAK, you'd almost certainly learn this before going to SFO, unless you're leaving 4+ hours before your flight. For tech-unsavvy infrequent flyers, this could cause problems (as discussed upthread) but if you're posting here you should probably be savvy enough to know where your flight is operating before showing up to the airport blind.
Last edited by sfolawyer; Jun 21, 2018 at 4:43 pm
Jun 21, 2018, 4:56 pm
#285
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold / Marriott Bonvoy(age) Titanium Elite, IHG Platinum, WN A+/CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 337
I have been noticing OO3426 (SFO >> MCI) being rerouted to depart from SJC. I am taking this flight next month and am quite concerned because i decided to fly AS from S-F-O since i live in Pacifica over driving to OAK and fly WN. I don't want the bus ride to SJC frankly.....
Anyway, what is the procedure for these unscheduled shuffling of pax:
1. When does AS make that decision to move to SJC? Is it at least 4 hours out? only 2 hours out depending on flow control at the time of the incoming flight (either SLC or SNA, etc.). If its at least 4 hours out; i can choose to drive to SJC instead. Will AS pay for my parking? Will they reroute me on the way back to pick up my car?
2. Is there any leeway to reroute your flights through PDX or SEA to avoid the drive along the 101 freeway? Instead of bussing to SJC?
3. If i decide to buy ticket on WN out of OAK...will they pay for my ticket on WN due to the inconvenience?
Does being a MVP Gold help my chances for above?
I know AS's operation at SFO has been a mess lately (LAX isnt much better either). But, this cant last forever or the VX purchase is not of any value (well perhaps it already didnt have much value, but thats another discussion).
-loyal VX flyer now AS flyer
Anyway, what is the procedure for these unscheduled shuffling of pax:
1. When does AS make that decision to move to SJC? Is it at least 4 hours out? only 2 hours out depending on flow control at the time of the incoming flight (either SLC or SNA, etc.). If its at least 4 hours out; i can choose to drive to SJC instead. Will AS pay for my parking? Will they reroute me on the way back to pick up my car?
2. Is there any leeway to reroute your flights through PDX or SEA to avoid the drive along the 101 freeway? Instead of bussing to SJC?
3. If i decide to buy ticket on WN out of OAK...will they pay for my ticket on WN due to the inconvenience?
Does being a MVP Gold help my chances for above?
I know AS's operation at SFO has been a mess lately (LAX isnt much better either). But, this cant last forever or the VX purchase is not of any value (well perhaps it already didnt have much value, but thats another discussion).
-loyal VX flyer now AS flyer