How long has WN been using SJC Terminal A?

Old Nov 16, 2018, 7:25 pm
  #31  
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It's convenient if I'm not checking a bag, which is only 50% of the time.
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Old Nov 28, 2018, 12:21 pm
  #32  
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... and the terminal takeover continues; WN1003 to PDX is out of A-14 today.

If this keeps up, by this time next year they'll probably just rename the airport WNX I do see that there appears to be new gate construction past the end of Terminal B (but it seems disconnected from the new gates that just went in about a year ago, so I don't know).
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Old Dec 18, 2018, 2:55 pm
  #33  
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ZOMG WN!

Friday night I was headed to SAN. As with most non-landing-time-constrained flights lately I take advantage of the A-List free standby and book the latest, cheapest ticket for the day then monitor the app for potential seat availability for an earlier standby seat. I'd kept checking for the 7-ish pm flight, the plan being to GO/NO-GO around 5:35 to include time to get an Uber to SJC from work if it seemed open. It was Friday night so I'd expected the 101S to be a CF, but I'd still get there in time to get to a counter agent (had a big bag) and attempt to get cleared at the counter.

All goes to plan, if a little later arriving at SJC than I'd liked, but the bag is checked and she was able to clear me, C-99 or something but I can board at A-"61" and get my rear aisle seat, NBD. It's now 6:25 so I head upstairs, and since I have CLEAR and Pre I really never sweat security anymore. I do have a backpack full of every kind of high-tech shiz, but nothing too uncommon for Silicon Valley (laptop, tablet, portable router, batteries, chargers, cables, fire stick, ...) and I usually don't get a second look, but it is packed fairly dense and sometimes TSA wants to pull it, at which point I'll get the stupid swabbing theater and maybe a re-run after they take something out ... either way, at most 5 mins, most of which is usually just waiting for someone to get to the bag.

I guess 'cause it's close to Xmas they're really putting on the dinner theater being more attentive, so I'm there another 3 mins or so as they go thru my pack with extra love. NBD, they're probably starting to board by now but I still have to wait for all the As anyway.

I leave the checkpoint, and go to the Tote Board to see which gate we're out of. Thing is, I've still got it in my head that I'm on my original flight in Terminal B. I look up to the board and find my new SAN flight ...

GATE 13

(Now, if this were a B-grade movie they'd do one of those shots where all the sound goes away except the ringing in my ears, then they'd shoot a closeup of my face holding a look of open-mouthed exasperation, then pivot to a long zooming-out shot of Terminal B allll the way down to the Terminal A entrance point accompanied by a shreaking violin.) Ffffffffffff ....

I run 3 miles most mornings, but not in loafers with ~25lbs of backpack strapped to me nor in a terminal which this day was even more full of the ... how do I put this? ... "less-situationally-aware people" (frequent SJC flyers probably know what I mean) than normal as human obstacles. Oh, and my backpack (which BTW wasn't repacked properly, as I'd intended to do it at the gate, or while aboard) is now starting to come unzipped as I hurry down the terminal and I almost lost a couple of things out of it. But I'm flying down a terminal that really seems longer today than normal, calling out "COMING THRU!" as required/necessary/(twice, sometimes; see: "stuationally-unaware", above) and get there just as- wait for it- "XT/A-List" is boarding.

... pant, pant, pant. While I'm all up for more gates in my home airport, Gary, you're really gonna have to at least get one check-in desk in Terminal A, especially as it appears your plans are for more gates in A.

I'd love to know how many people don't make it?
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Old Dec 18, 2018, 3:13 pm
  #34  
 
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Yeah...has happened to me twice but made it.

I am staring to learn to look at gate assignments when just traveling with a carry on. I take the parking shuttle and can just as easily get off at Terminal A.

There is now WN and Alaska using gates in A but based in B...New carrier California Pacific uses B but based in A...quite a chit show. Hoping once they get the new Terminal B Gates completed everyone shifts back to their proper terminals.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 11:36 am
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by kennycrudup
ZOMG WN!

.......... then monitor the app for potential seat availability for an earlier standby seat.
How do you monitor the app for seat availability? I just started flying SW exclusively 18 months ago after dumping AA and made A-List in November and made my first go at standby last Friday from DCA - DAL. I had booked a 7:20 PM flight home but we wrapped up everything the day before so I was fee to leave whenever. I called the night before to ask about how full each flight was booked to see which one to target. The 1:55 looked good so went for that. Several years ago when I was flying AA I spent a miserable 8 hours at DCA waiting standby when I stupidly assumed on a Friday with an 8PM flight I could strut out at noon and get on a flight before 8PM......surely.....NOT. Did not want a repeat of that.I would have loved a way to check how full flights were on the app.

On the topic of SJC, I am leaving the 26th from DAL with the family to head to SJC for a wedding in Carmel Valley. Much to their chagrin it is a 6:05 AM flight but coming back it will be a more reasonable 4:45 PM. Based on all this I will keep an eye open on the departure gate to ensure we are able to drive up, drop the car, check what I am sure will be too many bags and get four of us to our gate, which will hopefully be something like 25 and not 12.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 5:32 pm
  #36  
 
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Let's not overdramatize the inconvenience of getting to/from Gates 12/13. The gates are all connected air-side, unlike, say, WN's operation at SAN. For physically able people it's a 5 minute walk.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 5:42 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by TXWayne
How do you monitor the app for seat availability?
It's just a calculated guess, but I get on the app (or website) and try to buy a seat for the city pairs I'm interested in. If it shows "Sold Out" less than ~8hrs before the flight is due to leave I'll give up on that particular one unless I'm suddenly desperate to get there (even if a seat or two comes up the odds are A-List(+) SB aren't getting it; see the "A-list SB thread". If WGA is still available, that's good (as those fares come from early-availability buckets and either sell out first, or get repushed if sales are weak). Then as long as I don't see "only X seats left" on AT/BS that also seems to be a good sign.

Also, it's important to use the app/website to do "flight status" on the flights one or two back from your "target" flight- if they've been delayed so much they'll get in later or close to the one afterwards, a lot of people already in the airport will try to get on that (and have standby over everyone, IIRC).

ETA: and you have to keep checking, and make a judgement call to decide what flight will work for you; most times I'm leaving work early for this and have to factor in the time in traffic, so it's somewhat important to me to get it right so I don't waste valuable time I could be billing, only to end up watching Hulu in the airport as I wait for a seat.

Last edited by kennycrudup; Dec 19, 2018 at 5:50 pm
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 5:46 pm
  #38  
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Originally Posted by darthbimmer
Let's not overdramatize the inconvenience of getting to [Terminal A]
Found Gary's FT shadow account

But the Dark Sith of Bavaria is right, and it's really more of an "aw, dammit" than an "aw shiz" unless you, like that one time for me, realize you've gotta pull an OJ Simpson* Usain Bolt from one end of SJC to the other in no time flat.







* - I guess I'm aging myself with that reference, huh?
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 8:41 pm
  #39  
 
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SW has been in Terminal A since 1991 or so.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 8:43 pm
  #40  
 
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Data point was flying on Horizon. Air from Gate A 10 and had a pilot swap from B 30 it took him a good 12 minutes to walk. I did this walk. many times air side.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 8:51 pm
  #41  
 
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If you are lazy check your bags at B and take the airport shuttle to A and clear security there. On your return exit at Terminal A and walk to the center island and take the airport bus to Terminal B baggage claim. I have done this or ask my Father to wait while I curbside check my bag and drive me to Terminal A to clear security.
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Old Dec 22, 2018, 2:13 pm
  #42  
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Originally Posted by danielonn
SW has been in Terminal A since 1991 or so.
Ha, ha. Then they completely left when B was built and have only recently reclaimed some of those gates in A.
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