chrisdeaner

Started to look into my flights for 2012 and noticed something disheartening...it looks like the SFO->CLE nonstop redeye goes away as of 1/3/2012 from what I can tell with some quick searching. I usually take it Sunday nights and after 1/1/2012 it doesn't show up for any Sundays through Feb. I searched around and didn't see this mentioned before so hopefully I'm not late to the party on this but if it's true it'll definitely get a big from me since this really messes up my commute to work each week

gusd

Yes, it is. I was on it for a flight mid-February, and that one got canceled about three weeks ago. They put me on what it was 12:00pm then, but then last week it changed to 1:45pm.

chrisdeaner

Sad news...going to have to connect through ORD it looks like which I can only imagine is going to cause a lot of headaches. At least I'll get getting the DEQMs through January (assuming I book the higher fare class) :/

channa

Unless there's a lot of O/D traffic on this one, it really doesn't make sense in a combined CO/UA network.

The combined network has redeyes from SFO to IAD, ORD, EWR, JFK, PHL, BOS, and IAH.

The IAD, ORD, EWR, IAH and to some extent PHL support connections. You can get to anywhere you need to go connecting through those that you could have through CLE.

Also, in the CO network, without a West Coast hub, CO had a liability for every plane it flew West in the afternoon/evening. They really couldn't cycle it back into the network until redeye time or the next morning because timing never made sense (SFO-CLE leaving past 12 noon is already practically too late to make most connections in CLE).

So in the CO scheme of things, scheduling a redeye to CLE may have made more sense because it allowed them to use one of their many inbound SFO aircraft to CLE rather than parking it at SFO overnight, then again at ~7:00 a.m. out of CLE.

With UA having SFO and LAX as hubs, many of the aircraft that come into the West Coast late can do other shorter missions (e.g., LAX, SAN, LAS, PHX, SEA, etc.) rather than redeyes. Plus with the two West Coast hubs, there is a need for a large amount of aircraft to start running first thing in the morning from the West Coast. So the pressure to get the aircraft out of SFO just simply isn't there.

Maybe we'll see it come back as seasonal in the summer if there's enough O/D traffic to support it.

buckeyefanflyer

The second CLE-SFO nonstop has been operating seasonal. The second flight used to leave at 9:00PM, this year it was changed to 4:45PM. Even know it does not operate every day but both flights have been very full. Every time I took the redeye in the Summer it was full. I would fiqure with the UA merger they would keep both flights. Even if CLE was not a hub they should have 2 flights daily. Alot of the traffic is O&D. The morning flight is now a 757-300.
On another note they still operate the SEA nonstop seasonal and during holidays. SEA is not a seasonal destination, it is a large metro area with alot of businesses. The last time I went without the direct flight I had to connect at IAH which is way out of the way and adds 2 hours of time. Now we have ORD and DEN which is more direct.

chrisdeaner

Sonofa...just checked and they're nixing the 4:45 nonstop CLE-SFO so now my return nonstop is going away as well. Definitely going to mess things up both ways

MBM3

This route has been oddly serviced for years and I have yet to figure out why they keep changing it up. The AM departure from CLE has been consistent, but the equipment has ranged from 73Gs to 753s and I don't ever recall a flight with empty seats. Yes, I know that does not indicate profitability, but I do know that the flight has often been sold out or full fare only when I was shopping for tickets.

The rest of the day has seen as many as two additional flights to/from SFO, with the redeye in question on and off the schedule, seemingly more than seasonal. I thought this would change given the UA hub in SFO, but it seems they are only focusing on feeding the Asia flights and funneling everything else through DEN, LAX and ORD.

N830MH

It's not gonna easy for you. It's tough to fly during daytime flight. I think you can fly SFO-IAH-CLE is during on redeye flight.

jsonman

Not just your flights they are messing up. My flight from SJC to DEN has been downgraded from an A320 to a CRJ700 and this week now I'm down to a CRJ200.

Gotta love downgrading service were flights are already over sold

Joshua

SFO->CLE always had high loads, even on weeknights, in my experience, although it was not an elite heavy flight. I had the best luck upgrading as a Silver on this redeye; upgrading got a lot harder this year as the route network got integrated and the flight got filled up with UA elites.

I'm guessing it's getting cut due to UA/CO's general shortage of planes. My advice would be to stick to LAX->CLE redeye: you're less likely to get mired in SFO fog.

Please, please, please don't ever take our LAX->CLE redeye away. :'(

Critic

The PHL redeye might not be long for the world either. I was booked on the SFO-PHL redeye on December 27, and got a schedule change notice two months ago. Checked the schedule, and there was no replacement redeye; now booked SFO-LAX-PHL.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

They're also discontinuing Orange County to Maui on same date. Might make LAX-OGG EUAs harder to get than they have been....

buckeyefanflyer

If they went back to the 9:00PM departure and the red eye back that would not utilize a extra plane you could use the exisiting aircraft that terminates SFO. They would have an aircraft for the 9:00PM departure too.

trk1

Note on the Cle/Sfo routing


1 per day 1/6 to 4/1

then the route is being changed over to United service

2 per day on airbus equipment (including redeye sfo to cle)

also note Cle to Lax will go 3 daily also with United equipment

other routes such as Cle to Mco and Den will also go United equipment

chrisdeaner

Hmm well I guess it's better than nothing...just have to wait until April :/