mherdeg

The KAL Limousine service from ICN airport comes with in-flight magazines and comfortable seating (but no lav, which for a 70+ minute ride can be a bit alarming).

United would have to step up their game to offer connecting bus service from hubs. But I can see it making sense in certain markets — maybe SFO yes, IAH not so much?

EmailKid

Back when CO flew EFD to IAH, there would be no plane on a semi regular basis, and they would send us in taxis. And yes, to answer an earlier question, I got 500 miles for the journey

Kacee

I think the main reason Sacramento pax fly to SFO is to avoid the traffic nightmare. All the way down the eastshore, across the bay bridge, and through the city. That drive can easily take 3 hours for approx. 80 miles.

BearX220

Until 1987 or so, Continental Trailways was the national-network bus competitor to Greyhound -- a bus line unrelated to Continental Airlines.

Baze

Thanks for correcting the name. Yes, I knew they were unrelated, was making a joke.

PushingTin

I've taken LH trains before. The trains I took were actually 3/4 being delayed, one for mechanical- as is dead at a station, try another train dead.

mdobbins

I use the LH bus service from FRA to Strasbourg France. It's comfortable, on time and relatively inexpensive (50 euro).

Plane-is-home

UA Style would be a school bus.

BearX220

Ah, sorry. Thick of me.

I've ridden an LH train from Bonn down the river to FRA. It was very nice - nicer than LHR by air on that route.

wto605

Generally I'm already unhappy about the CXL or 2+ hour delay... so bus (or usually cab, since I take SMF-SFO more frequently) substitution is a welcome solution.

ORC, you bet

Generally that kind of reaction is why I get when I tell people UAX flies SMF-SFO in the first place.

There's no service on SMF-SFO anyway (well, occasionally if it's a smooth climb they'll get up and walk around with cups/water) the flight is usually 28 minutes (and half that time is spent lining up to land on the 28s) so cruise altitude is usually 10,000 or 11,000 feet (and only that high so we can get into the approach pattern).

OXR hasn't had commercial service since 2011 (iirc), and with the end of the EMB120 fleet in 2015 they've announced the end of CIC and CLD commercial service. OO and it's predecessors had a long history of flying such routes (Sun Aire Lines especially) so while they've been slowly drying up there used to be a lot more.

Unless OO can convince the DoT that the CEC EAS money should be moved to ACV or UA that CEC is just as good as ACV both of those will stick around. Frequencies will probably drop to ~2x per day but CEC/ACV is a 370 mile, 6.5 hour drive to SFO (and no closer to SMF) vs 80 miles <1.5 hours EWR-ABE and 100 miles 1.5 hours IAH-BPT (and real interstates, the 101 is mostly undivided and not even two lanes the whole way).

SMF is a 100 mi, 2 hour drive without traffic, but 80 regularly adds 1~2 hours during certain times. Maybe it's wishful thinking but I expect they'll keep this around for all the major banks at SFO (mid-day service on UA is pretty light at SMF already, so SFO is sometimes the only option).

SBA is a pretty heavily served airport: F9 A319 xDEN, OO DBA USX CRJ xPHX, OO DBA UAX xSFO/xLAX is mostly EMB but some of the LAX flights are already moving RJ (SFO may follow or may get axed, they'll probably give it one season's try) so it's obviously profitable enough (plenty of short RJ flights, ORD-MKE springs to mind).

For some others: RDD is similar to ACV (although closer to SMF) and would be a likely candidate for EAS if the industry decides it isn't profitable. SAN, SBP, BFL, and MRY are too well served to just dry up completely (and UA is pulling significant portions of traffic at all of them). FAT in addition to having a fair amount of service is still an OO base so at they very least it will take longer to get rid of. YUM has already been axed (still served by USX xPHX) as part of the EMB120 retirements too.

The biggest thing for me actually ends up being late night arrivals. If I want to leave the east coast after 4PM and be in my bed before 2AM I need to fly into SMF (xLAX, xORD, xIAD, a new xDEN late-night, etc.) and avoid the 2 hour drive SFO-SMF. Connecting via SFO on the way home is rarely a better option (between delays and MCT you're landing in SFO 2 hours before you get to SMF anyway) so I've only flown SFO-SMF twice, but SMF-SFO is a mainstay for me.

TomMM

Last week while waiting for our baggage from NRT that was stuck on the plane, an UA agent made this announcement: "As soon as my supervisor allows me, I'll provide an update."

Baze

United Express from/to SBA to/from LAX and SFO has had regional jets for years.

changey2

this is funny. Hope I won't encounter this..

Mrtrash757

Question for both of you... (Disclaimer, I have only done this journey once and it was driving. seemed ok, and I know little about SFO/CA.)... anyway have any of you done the Capital Corridor to OAK and then BART->SFO? wondering why this wasnt brought up. im sure it would take a hell of a time though. (and perhaps it works better if you were going to OAK...)

AlreadyThere

When I was doing this regularly, needing to leave WAS or NYC late-ish, and certainly preferring paid or upgraded F on the IAD/JFK-SFO nonstops rather than connections, I soon found that there is virtually NO traffic from SFO to Sacramento after a certain hour. Even the Bay Bridge is easy. The drive is fast and almost fun, certainly less than 2 hours.