sfo789

The real issue here is your 12:18pm departure from PDX is way, way later than almost any other reasonable departing option. The only alternative I see is PDX-ORD-CPH-CDG which doesn't get in till 5:50pm (i.e. no better than later SFO-FRA-CDG).

Given that, I would first try to SDC to the earlier PDX-SFO, or PDX-IAD/ORD-CDG (both of which have >90min connections and arrive earlier into CDG). If SDC isn't going to work, get to the airport early and try to standby for the earlier PDX-SFO. If that fails, stay at the airport, watch PDX-SFO like a hawk, wait till the inbound aircraft gets a delay (likely due to departure runway delays out of SFO) and then call in and try to get yourself moved to something that works (*A options aren't great, as discussed; OAL seems unlikely, but there are DL/AF/KL options that go at ~1:30pm).

noah

Yeah, the earlier PDX-SFO leg leaves at 9:35am. That is virtually impossible for me to make due to parenting schedules. Perhaps if I'm lucky I can make the 10:25 via ORD -- but as I'm booked in P its all going to be about my ability to confirm a seat in the front cabin rather than in Y. Thanks all for the advice. Stupid runway construction..

NoLaGent

We're talking about this coming Sunday, right?

I'd actually call in and fight for the ORD connection. Plead your case given the conditions of 28L at SFO, requesting a Supervisor's review if needed. If they look point to point, the ORD-CDG has P1 availability right now.

If not, on the day of I'd consider SDC to 9:35am if possible and if it isn't cxld, perhaps the delay it takes will work with your parenting schedules.

goalie

Fwiw, goalie-parents flew DL* SFO-SEA on Sunday, May 28 at 1:40pm and had absolutely zero delay issues (pushed on time, normal taxi time and wheels' up 10 minutes after pushback)

*and this was on whatever DL's express carrier is called and that had me worried as "express flights"'are usually the first casualties but even their inbound flight arrived on time

NoLaGent

That's amazing and lately, unheard of. Between the construction and ATC/Fog, it's not been so pretty around here on the weekends.

I'm happy for your parents tho, they scored!

noah

Yes, this Sunday.

Was unsuccessful with the supervisor, thanks for the suggestion though. They said they'd let me fly PDX-SFO earlier but wouldn't give me PDX-ORD and said "wait until the day". The agent suggested based on history that I'd misconnect and that going through FRA with an 8 hour late arrival "could be worse" . I suppose I can still make dinner in Paris though..

goalie

Tho I take offense to the word "scored" , I agree 100% that it's pretty amazing and <inserting my Boston accent here> I was wicked nervous as they are both plebes on DL and had visions of something like "we're sorry your flight was canceled and the next flight we can get you on in Thursday (which is the day they are scheduled to return)

chipmaster

So others impacted, SFO delays seem much worse than normal today.

My connect flight is very very delayed and now likely going to miss my international connection.

They want is to board, but now tell us we are likely going to be delayed even more but prepare for the best and get us all on board and wait...

So my question, why given the knowledge of the runway paving and general restrictions they don't have everything adjusted. You'd think the paving and landing impact and risk would then require a reduction even in weekend capacity, or is this just executives thinking with pocket book versus common sense?

This paving has been known for a long time as well as the impact, don't flight operations plan for these and adjust?

mduell

That was my experience at SFO a couple months ago, watching UA interact with disserviced pax during a long layover: no plan, complete surprise, no help, etc.

Existing thread on this topic

Sykes

Anything but a major reduction in schedule would probably just make things worse. The FAA ground delay program essentially hands out arrival slots based on scheduled flights. If United were to proactively reduce the number of scheduled flights, they'd just lose access to those slots, which reduces the flexibility they have to swap them amongst flights to minimize disruption. A major reduction in scheduled flights could theoretically obviate the need for the FAA GDP, but the magnitude of the reduction necessary to make a dent is probably too significant to be practical.

noah

Just to follow-up on this in case anybody was curious..

I watched operations and PDX-SFO flights Saturday, which as @chipmaster pointed out seemed especially bad. The 12:18 flight I was scheduled on the next day was over 2 hours late. I couldn't SDC to anything that worked with my schedule (via IAD just wasn't going to cut it) so I decided to try my luck as scheduled. It wasn't an encouraging sign when I noticed that I'd been protected on the 7pm SFO-FRA connecting to FRA-CDG in Y .

Amazingly, my PDX-SFO flight was showing as on time all morning -- until I got to the gate and they told us that we'd be about 20 minutes delayed. This slipped a bit but eventually we loaded and taxied out to the runway with a wheels up time of 1:05pm. The pilots flew as fast as they could and we landed at SFO around 2:23. It took us about 5 minutes to taxi over to gate 75, and another 5 minutes to be towed into the gate, for a 2:39 arrival. I was the 3rd person off the plane, and I hoofed it over to the International Terminal. I was extremely grateful that we arrived at Gate 75 and not 67 as had been originally scheduled. As I rounded the corner from the United Club along the G concourse, there was a United agent who was standing there looking for me -- and once I confirmed my identity radioed the gate "1A is here, hold the plane". I got to the gate at 2:48, they scanned my BP and closed the boarding door behind me as I entered the plane.

I'm super grateful United went at least slightly out of their way to make sure I made the connection. I would be surprised if I were the only person originating in PDX who was headed to CDG, and if so the other people didn't make the connection.

The taxi out to Runway 28R was an unusual route, alongside the training 767, the maintenance hangers and parking areas and we were airborne less than 40 minutes after I first landed at SFO.

SFO28L

Glad you made your flight, enjoy Paris!

WineCountryUA

All work up to Phase 9 has been completed.
This appears to mean all runway closures have been completed

Most recent published update
Appears all runway closures have been completed

Phase 11 (final phase) is nighttime work until 7/11/2017 (July 11)
"Electrical prep work for 28L continues on a nightly basis."

BH62

Interesting to see what happened regarding the weekend runway work at at SFO:

As posted above: “ Amazingly, my PDX-SFO flight was showing as on time all morning -- until I got to the gate and they told us that we'd be about 20 minutes delayed. This slipped a bit but eventually we loaded and taxied out to the runway with a wheels up time of 1:05pm. The pilots flew as fast as they could and we landed at SFO around 2:23. It took us about 5 minutes to taxi over to gate 75, and another 5 minutes to be towed into the gate, for a 2:39 arrival. I was the 3rd person off the plane, and I hoofed it over to the International Terminal. I was extremely grateful that we arrived at Gate 75 and not 67 as had been originally scheduled. As I rounded the corner from the United Club along the G concourse, there was a United agent who was standing there looking for me -- and once I confirmed my identity radioed the gate "1A is here, hold the plane". I got to the gate at 2:48, they scanned my BP and closed the boarding door behind me as I entered the plane. “

But this was *not* the case for mid-week SEA-SFO pax on last Wednesday (May 31) on UA 214 connecting to the SYD flight (UA 863). There was a 1 hr hold at SEA announced just as regular boarding was scheduled, so I called the 1K line to appraise them of a potential connection problem for ourselves and one other pax. Upon arrival at SFO, there was an announcement to the effect “Atlanta passengers, flight is being held for you”, but nothing re SYD pax. We took off for Intl gate G102, but encountered NO UA agent (as described above) & instead found the door closed although plane was still at the gate. Ms BH knocked on the jetway door, but was instead threatened by some SFO officiant with a call to security. So we hoofed it up the concourse where we found some UA agents who rebooked us on 863 for the next day … but that’s a whole ‘nother story. So, armed with new flight documents & a sheaf of hotel/meal vouchers it was off to the SFO-area Crowne Plaza for an overnite stay.

Bottom line: In the course of a number of TPAC departures from SFO it has not been unusual for us to be sitting on planes being held for connecting pax. You’d think that with one departure per day for, say SYD or HKG or KIX , you’d hope that this would have been the case here. But NOOOO, (sarcasm alert) guess those Atlanta pax were just plain lucky.

channa

Got hit with a couple hour delay yesterday flying on another carrier JFK-SFO. Couldn't take United for this one as they pulled out of the New York-SFO nonstop market.