How long has WN been using SJC Terminal A?
 

Deplaned WN6208 from MDW into Terminal A, gate 12. In over 8 years flying in/out of SJC this was new to me- how long has this been going on?

My late evening LAX-SJC flight arrived to terminal A's gate 12 in the last week of July 2018. Passengers were unsure of which terminal to head to for baggage claim (bags arrived in B). No Southwest staff or signs were present directing folks. Some signs directed Alaska passengers to terminal B baggage claim. After hanging out and deliberating for a couple minutes, about 95% of folks went to B, and a few folks headed out to terminal A bag claim.

A week ago, I walked by gate 12. Thankfully, signs had been updated to direct Southwest passengers to the correct bag claim. Gate 12 is quite the trek for departing passengers entering at the terminal B checkpoint, near gates 26 and 27. A moving walkway or two would really help!

Since operations cease at 11pm at SJC...they wind up with a lot of planes that overnight vs flip and head out for the next flight and more planes then they have gates. Have had late night arriving flights on both Alaska and WN that will dump off at an open A gate then they move them to parking later in the evening if all the B gated are occupied.

Gets really confusing for deplaning passengers if there are not lots of GA to tell them which way to go as bags still wind up in B.

Never boarded a WN flight in A, only arrived.

Huh. But- I'd arrived at 11:15am and there were a bunch of empty gates in Terminal B. I'm sure it was done for some appropriate ops reason (the next segment (to LAX) didn't leave 'till around noon), but having never had it happen nor seen it documented on FT, I was just surprised.

Huh?!? I was not aware of post-11pm departures at most WN stations, unless they suddenly have decided to start doing red-eyes. Sorry, but the 11pm curfew has very little effect on WN operations or gate choices at SJC.

The best in value architecture and value engineering. Since it doesn't affect the station manager, it gets approved.

I hope this eventually gets added, and it was a glaring omission when I'd first started commuting into SJC a while ago. It rarely rains in the SFBA, but when it does it can be a deluge.

I never use the moving walkways in places they have 'em; extra exercise AFAIC, but I can see where those with mobility issues could use 'em (which I guess explains why they're de jure in the South and Midwest and touristy places like Vegas :D).

Of course...having a limited number of gates available to WN at SJC and the number of operations coupled with all planes that overnight from ALL the airlines (some do issded fly all night) have zero bearing on gate assignments when they need a reliever gate. That pilot must just like the food in the A terminal better...thats it.

I'm not getting either of y'all's points; again this was @11am and I passed several open Terminal B gates on the walk to the exit

FWIW, I think that Southwest will continue to use this gate in terminal A throughout the day as demand warrants. From my general observations, there was an airport-wide gate shakeup a little over a month ago. Delta no longer utlizes gate 8, which has moved to house most United flights. Alaska operates a good amount out of gate 18 now, and I think Air Canada moved from 1 to 3.

As we all know, the airport is squeezed for gates. The airport authority may have demanded Southwest operate out of terminal A to balance the gate burden felt by Alaska, who has a pretty crummy gate arrangement at SJC IMHO. Southwest always seemed to have the the best setup of the airlines in terms of being located in the nice terminal B with consolidated operations at gates 19-26. Certainly warranted, considering WN is the largest carrier here by a mile.

Things seem to be in flux at SJC with rapid growth, etc, so it's definitely interesting to observe how the different airlines and airport make the best of a tight gate squeeze.

Yeah, things definitely changed at SJC in the last month or so. My flight into SJC from SNA, landing shortly after 8am arrived at gate 12 and it was a really long walk to the rental car area. Multiple empty gates as I walked down all of B. This was the end of August. Then on 9/7, my 3:15pm flight back to SNA went out of gate 12. Again, many empty gates in B. The only good thing about that is that I usually spend time at the Club @ SJC before the flight out, so it's a pretty short walk from there to 12 (shorter than walking back to my usual 22'ish gate).

Edit:
Forgot to add that walking from 12 in the morning gave me the opportunity to meet possibly the rudest person I've ever met. While walking thru a particularly thin area my bag clipped the bag of someone going the other way. It was enough that it knocked my bag handle out of my hand and it fell to the ground. When I turned around to pick it up, he looked at me and said "Excuse you". I just stood there dumbfounded. I was so shocked I couldn't even come up with a good retort. Others around heard the exchange and stood there with mouth agape as well. Great start to my day

A lot of SJC-SNA flights are going through Gate 12 this month. I asked a 2 GAs last week if it was temporary, one just laughed and said the airline is taking over San Jose. The other GA said 12 and 13 are both going to Southwest full-time. They admitted the signage needs some work, more permanent signage is apparently on order.

I used to think the hike from gate 19 to the rental car center was long -- after last week's flights I expect I'll be getting plenty more exercise in the future :)

It's nostalgic to be back in Terminal A. These gates were Southwest's home 15 years ago.

Thanks for the update!