FlyerBeek

I flew UA (Express - Skywest E-175) on this route last month. Actual flight time was 29 minutes (although FA announced a 15 minute flight time so they didn't need to do a beverage service in F). Admittedly, even pre-COVID getting a beverage in F in this route was always hit-or-miss regardless of carrier. In my experience, flight time on this route is always 25+ minutes due to the need to be vectored east to join the LAX arrivals corridor.

FWIW, I believe UA is now to 2x daily and DL 1x daily on this route.

-FlyerBeek

skunker

My last time on AA the F FA was young and actually seemed to enjoy her job. She went around to everyone in F and took orders before the door closed. As soon as the captain hit the signal she was up serving the drinks. She even came around and asked if anyone needed something else.

brenc3

I used to live in SAN, and the SAN-LAX was great for TPAC and other domestic connections. AA didn't have a huge presence in SAN so the shuttle gave a lot more options, and ex-SAN fares were often lower than ex-LAX. I liked the Commuter Terminal, very quick in and out. No lines at security and coming back you could go from touchdown to collect luggage to in a cab in < 10min. Nice walk across the tarmac to and from the terminal since invariably you're coming back from somewhere where the weather wasn't as nice as SAN.

The Saabs were phased out somewhere around 2010, down to a few a day and then eventually all jet, mostly E145 but some RJ-900. Despite the ~20min flying time I had plenty of determined flight attendants do multiple drink rounds in F.

Reetmafreen

I did the route in F in both directions back in 2019 on DL on our way to HUX. My wife and I were both shocked to get PDBs on both flights! How AA standards have slipped over the years.

normcpa

I've been on those commuter flights dozens of times, and I agree with the sentiments above. I'm not flying much now, but I do have flights SAN-ICN and PVG-SAN scheduled for next year. Both connect in DFW, the former overnight, and the latter connects all the way through.

I probably wouldn't have chimed in, but I'm somewhat of a nostalgia nut. This is probably the only place I could reminisce about the good old days on the PSA SAN-LAX shuttle in the mid-1970s. I salivate just thinking about it!

Ten one-ways bought all at once. Cost = $80.00 That's right, $8.00 each way!

Fanjet

When I was a little kid back then, my dad would take me up to LAX (flying up in the morning) and we'd spend time plane-watching at the observation deck before flying back home, (When we first arrive, we'd go around to the terminals buildings so I could pick up the airline timetables and then use them as a guide for the aircraft movements below). The only stipulation was that I had to come up with the money for the airfare (he would pay for his ticket). So, I would do extra chores to earn the money, saved my birthday and Christmas money. I believe the RT airfare for a kid was $12.50 around that time. And we did this a couple of times a year. And I would try and pick a different ariline each time, although PSA sort of became the default because of their schedules. I always wanted to do Hughes Airwest, but their child's fare was 2/3 of the adult fare as opposed to 1/2 at most of the other carriers. In fact, doing this was the first time I ever flew with AA... on A DC-10... which I loved because SAN did the airstairs back then, no jet bridges.

As for the topic of whether or not SAN-LAX service resumes with AA. Isn't there a gate-constraint problem with AA at LAX because of the terminal re-work projects? I think AS starting this route might be a better possibility than AA bringing it back in the near term.

metallo

That's a really neat story.