New Nonstop Route SJC-EWR
 

When I saw a headline saying there would be new nonstop flights between SJC and Newark, I was sure it would be UA. WRONG!

In 2017, Alaska will add a daily flight from San Jose to Newark on March 12.

I would rather they do a SJC to JFK for some competition with JetBlue.
But any competition with UA is always good (even though there is no UA SJC to EWR)

AS forum thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...rvice-ewr.html

While AS to JFK could pair well with AA code shares, I'm just as happy that this new route means there will be flights to both EWR and JFK from SJC. And probably AS would have gotten heat from code-share partner AA for operating a transcon at one of their hubs.

A coincidence? So now UA has announced that UA, also, will offer one nonstop flight per day between SJC and EWR, beginning two days earlier than AS on March 10. And the flight operates at exactly the same times as the AS flights -

Eastbound - Lv SJC 6:30 am Ar EWR 2:55 pm
Westbound - Lv EWR 4:05 pm Ar SJC 7:40 pm

And by the way, UA also announced that they will resume nonstop flights between SJC and ORD on the same dates --

Eastbound
1) Lv SJC 6:40 am Ar ORD 12:55 pm
2) Lv SJC 1:50pm Ar ORD 8:05 pm

Westbound
1) Lv ORD 10:30 am Ar SJC 1:05 pm
2) Lv ORD 8:05 pm Ar SJC 10:44 pm

But UA will drop SJC as soon as Alaska goes.

I'm glad to see UA returning service to SJC. It's been... what, 8 years... since UA served ORD, their main worldwide hub, from SJC?

I'm not thrilled with the flight times eastbound, though. In the old days there was an 8:12am SJC-ORD flight that formed the backbone of my trips to Chicago and other midwestern cities. Now it'll be a choice between the too-early 6:40am departure (meaning I have to wake up at 4am, and I don't even live that far from the airport!) and the 1:50pm departure that gets into Chicago too late to make a connection and leaves SJC too early to get in more than barely half a workday.

The few times I have taken one of those early 6 am flights, I am always amazed how packed they are and how crowded the airport is at that time. I guess they must work well for a lot of people, but I too find it really tough on my aging body and brain.