SJC Gates 31-36 (Interim Gates Facility)
 

Last night on my flight into SJC I heard the purser announce, "We'll be landing at Gate 33." That's got to be a mistake, I thought to myself. SJC doesn't have that many gates. I was wrong! There's a new wing connected to Terminal B, with gates 31-36. A quick news search shows that it opened less than 2 months ago.

SJC calls this new wing the Interim Gates Facility. Inside it's very low-rent, with simple, cracker-box construction and a minimum of modern creature comforts inside. It reminds me of schools I attended that were built hastily in the population boom years of the 1950s-60s. Many of those were originally considered temporary; quickly thrown up basic, cinder block buildings intended just to meet the space crunch until nicer facilities could be designed and built. Well, decades later those schools were still there, the "temporary" having become permanent as political will to budget for anything nicer evaporated. We'll see if this "Interim" facility also remains years from now....

Which airline? (I ask 'cause you'd mentioned "purser", but I thought only WN used those additional gates.)

The exterior design likes many express terminals elsewhere. Rest assure that this will be permanent unless SJC will have a new terminal for WN (moving or newly built).

When commissioning the new gates, SJC leadership was quick to indicate that planning was already underway for a permanent expansion. They even had conceptual drawings on hand to show press. I cannot imagine such a tight space will satisfy the needs of SJC medium-to-long term. It's already bursting at the seams even WITH the added gates (security, baggage, etc.)

https://airwaysmag.com/airports/san-...mmense-growth/

Indeed, the IGF only adds gates to the airport. It does not add facilities or space for check-in counters, security screening, baggage claim, or shopping and dining.

Difficult to say. Even the City of San Jose can't answer you.

SJC is perceived the worst airports among the 3 major one within the Bay Area, given that it is the only airport without convenient public transportation. VX was previously pulled out from SJC. Its SFO hub has been assumed by AS. OAK is still WN's main focus city in the area. Many other airlines just maintain a minimal presence at SJC.

So the question is given their respective commitment with SFO/OAK, will AS/WN invest significantly in SJC?

The fate of SJC can be only answered by AS/WN.

According to whom? SJC is a breeze compared to the others otherwise.

I haven't been to SJC in a few years but I assume it and OAK have a similar level of breeziness compared to SFO. OAK has the added convenience of the BART connection, but SJC has in general added much more useful service in the past few years and has the benefit of two airlines (WN, AS and maybe soon DL) competing hard for market share while OAK basically just has WN.

If you like buses.

David

I don't what kind of breeze you are talking about.

1. SFO - Direct BART service, every 15-20 minutes. Samtrans SFO-Millbrae Station shuttle with Caltrains or BART. Midnight options available.

2. OAK - Auxiliary BART service connecting main BART service, every 6 minutes. AC Transits Line 73 connecting OAK-Coliseum BART. Midnight options available.

3. SJC - VTA Airport Flyer (Route #10 ) is the only public transportation option going to SJC. Many connections with the Airport Flyer have questionable schedules. No midnight option.

And BART has no plan going to SJC.

Alaska was using some temporary gates at that end of the terminal. Did that single hallway with (I forget if there were just 2 gates there?) get replaced by this new thing? We've been using those gates for a while now. Much better than being shunted to the gates in the other terminal.

-David

I have a car (or someone else's; Uber/Lyft). It's a breeze.

Extended on top of those (gates 27(?)-30 are still there, then the hallway).

Enough with the snark OK?
 

I flew WN out of gate 35 earlier this week...

... it definitely felt like a dump. Like the B43+ part of JFK T4 except worse -- and DL uses those gates for regional jets so fewer pax. My flight was Monday night and not very crowded but I doubt it's a pleasant experience at peak times.

Bit of a walk too.

FTFA: "This facility is expected to operate for five to seven years while Terminal B Phase 2 Expansion is being planned and built. The design of the Interim Gates Facility allows it to remain 100% operational during Terminal B expansion construction."

Ugh. I just mentally increased the fare differential I'm willing to pay to fly DL over WN on SJC-LAS.