AA Travel Alert: SFO (runway closure 7-27 Sep 2019) OVER 21 Sep
Sep 9, 2019, 11:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 139
AA Travel Alert: SFO (runway closure 7-27 Sep 2019) OVER 21 Sep
Looks like AA finally released a travel waiver for SFO due to the construction.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp
Sep 9, 2019, 1:53 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BMI
Programs: AA EXP, Delta, Amtrak, Hertz PC
Posts: 657
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has closed 2 runways for repairs and they will remain closed through September 27
Um, they are only closing one runway, unless they are counting 10R and 28L as two different runways !?
Sep 9, 2019, 3:57 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
It's certainly been a doozy of a runway closure and for some reason schedules aren't being or weren't more proactively updated to reflect the construction traffic restrictions.
Sep 9, 2019, 6:25 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: AA,UA,AS
Posts: 319
I believe they are closing 1L for ten days and 1R for ten days as they are redoing the area where the three runways intersect. So at any given time there will be two runways closed.
Sep 9, 2019, 9:09 pm
#6
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
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NBC 7 report. link
Occasionally other runways will be affected, as the runway renewal detail shows in the SF Chronicle graphic below. (Red circle added to emphasize runway intersections affected.)
SF Chronicle, quoting SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel: In 2017, airport engineers saw that the 1,900-foot strip on Runway 28L was in bad shape, with pavement deteriorating in the concrete base layer between the runway surface and the soil. Crossed by two other runways, the half-century-old section was built at a time when planes were lighter and flights less frequent.
Last edited by JDiver; Sep 15, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Sep 14, 2019, 11:40 am
#7
Join Date: May 2012
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA
Posts: 163
I was caught up in this last weekend.
Flying home from JFK Sunday night and booked on the 5:45 PM flight (paid a lot as we booked last minute SFO/JFK for Friday-Sunday) I hadn't heard about the closure so when we checked in early Sunday without checking a bag, I asked if we could get on the 4:00 and the agent said there wasn't a 4:00. I had seen it that morning and didn't question her further. Then it got stranger, we went to the Flagship Lounge to buy a day pass and they didn't charge us, we are both platinum but I had never gotten into the lounge free on a coach ticket before. We thought, maybe she thought we were charming
.
About an hour in, our flight was moved to leave at 10:45 PM, so I decided to try and change to Monday at 7:00 AM. They rebooked me right away without a charge and still no one mentioned the runway construction. I wasn't given a seat and my SO had a middle seat assigned in row 13. Luckily we were proactive because they cancelled the flight
Monday morning, I checked in at 5:00 and still didn't get a seat. they asked for 3 volunteers for 1K as they were oversold. I ended up with row 22 (last) and middle seat but got back with no further delays.
I am embarrassed that I didn't know about the SFO issues living in SF and having 2 trips scheduled at the end of this month. I am surprised AA never mentioned it when we booked the JFK ticket the day before we traveled.
I have to leave for Dallas on the 23rd and LHR on the 28th with BA. Trying to decide when/if I should make changes.
Side note- the TWA Hotel at JFK is super cool and comfortable at a great price.
Flying home from JFK Sunday night and booked on the 5:45 PM flight (paid a lot as we booked last minute SFO/JFK for Friday-Sunday) I hadn't heard about the closure so when we checked in early Sunday without checking a bag, I asked if we could get on the 4:00 and the agent said there wasn't a 4:00. I had seen it that morning and didn't question her further. Then it got stranger, we went to the Flagship Lounge to buy a day pass and they didn't charge us, we are both platinum but I had never gotten into the lounge free on a coach ticket before. We thought, maybe she thought we were charming
.About an hour in, our flight was moved to leave at 10:45 PM, so I decided to try and change to Monday at 7:00 AM. They rebooked me right away without a charge and still no one mentioned the runway construction. I wasn't given a seat and my SO had a middle seat assigned in row 13. Luckily we were proactive because they cancelled the flight
Monday morning, I checked in at 5:00 and still didn't get a seat. they asked for 3 volunteers for 1K as they were oversold. I ended up with row 22 (last) and middle seat but got back with no further delays.
I am embarrassed that I didn't know about the SFO issues living in SF and having 2 trips scheduled at the end of this month. I am surprised AA never mentioned it when we booked the JFK ticket the day before we traveled.
I have to leave for Dallas on the 23rd and LHR on the 28th with BA. Trying to decide when/if I should make changes.
Side note- the TWA Hotel at JFK is super cool and comfortable at a great price.
Sep 14, 2019, 2:33 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2017
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 369
I was caught up in this last weekend.
Flying home from JFK Sunday night and booked on the 5:45 PM flight (paid a lot as we booked last minute SFO/JFK for Friday-Sunday) I hadn't heard about the closure so when we checked in early Sunday without checking a bag, I asked if we could get on the 4:00 and the agent said there wasn't a 4:00. I had seen it that morning and didn't question her further. Then it got stranger, we went to the Flagship Lounge to buy a day pass and they didn't charge us, we are both platinum but I had never gotten into the lounge free on a coach ticket before. We thought, maybe she thought we were charming.
About an hour in, our flight was moved to leave at 10:45 PM, so I decided to try and change to Monday at 7:00 AM. They rebooked me right away without a charge and still no one mentioned the runway construction. I wasn't given a seat and my SO had a middle seat assigned in row 13. Luckily we were proactive because they cancelled the flight
Monday morning, I checked in at 5:00 and still didn't get a seat. they asked for 3 volunteers for 1K as they were oversold. I ended up with row 22 (last) and middle seat but got back with no further delays.
I am embarrassed that I didn't know about the SFO issues living in SF and having 2 trips scheduled at the end of this month. I am surprised AA never mentioned it when we booked the JFK ticket the day before we traveled.
I have to leave for Dallas on the 23rd and LHR on the 28th with BA. Trying to decide when/if I should make changes.
Side note- the TWA Hotel at JFK is super cool and comfortable at a great price.
Flying home from JFK Sunday night and booked on the 5:45 PM flight (paid a lot as we booked last minute SFO/JFK for Friday-Sunday) I hadn't heard about the closure so when we checked in early Sunday without checking a bag, I asked if we could get on the 4:00 and the agent said there wasn't a 4:00. I had seen it that morning and didn't question her further. Then it got stranger, we went to the Flagship Lounge to buy a day pass and they didn't charge us, we are both platinum but I had never gotten into the lounge free on a coach ticket before. We thought, maybe she thought we were charming
.About an hour in, our flight was moved to leave at 10:45 PM, so I decided to try and change to Monday at 7:00 AM. They rebooked me right away without a charge and still no one mentioned the runway construction. I wasn't given a seat and my SO had a middle seat assigned in row 13. Luckily we were proactive because they cancelled the flight
Monday morning, I checked in at 5:00 and still didn't get a seat. they asked for 3 volunteers for 1K as they were oversold. I ended up with row 22 (last) and middle seat but got back with no further delays.
I am embarrassed that I didn't know about the SFO issues living in SF and having 2 trips scheduled at the end of this month. I am surprised AA never mentioned it when we booked the JFK ticket the day before we traveled.
I have to leave for Dallas on the 23rd and LHR on the 28th with BA. Trying to decide when/if I should make changes.
Side note- the TWA Hotel at JFK is super cool and comfortable at a great price.
Sep 14, 2019, 10:39 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2012
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA
Posts: 163
Sep 15, 2019, 8:14 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Booked before all of this mess but I've got a SFO/LAX flight Wednesday morning with a connection in LAX about 3 hours later. The flight to LAX leaves at 7:55AM. I assume I have plenty of time. Initially took the connection to get some nice views of the coast (the East coast is so ugly compared to the west coast) and the 77W out of LAX (which is pretty easy to upgrade on).
Sep 15, 2019, 4:49 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PEK and BOS
Programs: BA - Blue
Posts: 4,531
I was flying PEK-LAX-SFO today. The first few days, LAX-SFO was a total disaster, average 4-5 hr delays. Finally lost my nerve and switched to LAX-SJC on Saturday morning...Murphy's law: in LAX now and services are all running smoothly...and of course I can't change back without a change fee!
I haven't changed my return because that's a very early morning SFO-LAX that has been running to time for the most part.
tb
I haven't changed my return because that's a very early morning SFO-LAX that has been running to time for the most part.
tb
Sep 17, 2019, 4:27 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: London, UK
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 602
Anyone heard anything yesterday and today about how flights are going? My parents are flying to SFO-LAX tonight to then get on their flight to Tahiti with only a 2.5 hour connection. Mom said she spoke to the American Rep yesterday worried about delays, but I guess they didn't offer to change flights to an SJC or OAK flight (which surprised me), but I don't know AA well enough.
Sep 18, 2019, 5:51 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Anyone heard anything yesterday and today about how flights are going? My parents are flying to SFO-LAX tonight to then get on their flight to Tahiti with only a 2.5 hour connection. Mom said she spoke to the American Rep yesterday worried about delays, but I guess they didn't offer to change flights to an SJC or OAK flight (which surprised me), but I don't know AA well enough.
Sep 18, 2019, 7:38 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: WAS/NYC/LON
Programs: AA EXP, HH DIA, Hyatt DIA
Posts: 286
Anyone heard anything yesterday and today about how flights are going? My parents are flying to SFO-LAX tonight to then get on their flight to Tahiti with only a 2.5 hour connection. Mom said she spoke to the American Rep yesterday worried about delays, but I guess they didn't offer to change flights to an SJC or OAK flight (which surprised me), but I don't know AA well enough.
Sep 18, 2019, 10:03 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: London, UK
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 602
Thanks George & Complex!
I didn't know if AA even flew between other bay area airports and LAX, so that very well might have been the case.
Every time I checked Flight Aware or SFO websites, they were saying there were 1+ hour delays, but my parents arrived a few minutes early at their destination. Guess they weren't caught up in long taxiing queues.
And then they made their flight to Tahiti with time to upgrade their seats
I didn't know if AA even flew between other bay area airports and LAX, so that very well might have been the case.
Every time I checked Flight Aware or SFO websites, they were saying there were 1+ hour delays, but my parents arrived a few minutes early at their destination. Guess they weren't caught up in long taxiing queues.
And then they made their flight to Tahiti with time to upgrade their seats