Got Back From SFO: What's With Everyones Beef With SFO?
Dec 7, 2017, 12:55 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,649
Clear weather, the wind is slightly off normal and they're down by one runway and can't manage to tow an aircraft to the gate. An hour late so far because ground ops can't give them a 20 second slot to move a plane across a runway. The plane has been at SFO for 19 hours.
Instead they had to replan an incoming plane and send us to a new gate after 45 minutes. Someone else will get out out of position plane.
UPDATE
And back to the original gate....#clownshow
Instead they had to replan an incoming plane and send us to a new gate after 45 minutes. Someone else will get out out of position plane.
UPDATE
And back to the original gate....#clownshow
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 7, 2017 at 1:35 pm Reason: merging Update posts by same member
Dec 7, 2017, 3:03 pm
#32
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K \\ ConciergeKey
Posts: 531
SNA -> SFO is my favorite route to get bumped at. It's almost guaranteed around the holidays 
Last year I flew it three times just to get voluntarily bumped 3 times. This is what I do in my holidays LOL.
Maybe you just caught it at a good time. Like @Kacee said, the UC's are overcrowded since the Polaris club construction. Oh and with winter coming around, Karl will be making an almost daily appearance along with some rain. Then the magic happens.
Last year I flew it three times just to get voluntarily bumped 3 times. This is what I do in my holidays LOL.Maybe you just caught it at a good time. Like @Kacee said, the UC's are overcrowded since the Polaris club construction. Oh and with winter coming around, Karl will be making an almost daily appearance along with some rain. Then the magic happens.
Dec 7, 2017, 3:27 pm
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,681
But of course flying in night before is always safest.
Dec 7, 2017, 3:56 pm
#34
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,578
non locals. I avoid this airport as much as possible. Earlier this year had a 7 a.m. flight out of PHX which didn't make it out until around 4 p.m., of course arrived at one of the 60s gates,
hobbled over to the International Terminal and made the FRA flight just as the doors closed.
Dec 7, 2017, 4:21 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 1,766
Dec 7, 2017, 5:02 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 721
Is there a SE plan for NUQ?
Dec 7, 2017, 5:23 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
David
Dec 7, 2017, 5:29 pm
#38
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 19,051
I love the maps from this page:
https://laughingsquid.com/a-roadmap-...ys-in-the-sky/
https://laughingsquid.com/a-roadmap-...ys-in-the-sky/
https://www.flysfo.com/media/weather-impact
including the SJO error
Dec 7, 2017, 8:59 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,703
Man I fly out of SNA to SFO twice a month, and im 6/6 on delays due to weather. I usually just wait it out, BUT I have a SNA - SFO at 6:50am to try to connect to SFO - TPE leaving at 12:30pm. Getting nervous especially with winter and karl that I should fly in the night before - given that it's two separate itins...in retrospect I should fly in the night before, but I really don't want to. Flight is Dec. 18th fyi so right in the thick of it all.
I'm flying LAX -SFO on one itin, and SFO to TPE on another a week before you. I'll let you know how it turns out
But I wouldn't be worried. I prefer to spend the night in my own bed and get up early to head to the airport. Less traffic, less chances of delay, it's just an all around winner.
Dec 7, 2017, 9:19 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K (2MM); AA LT Gold (1.9 MM); SQ; WN; DL; "Bonvoy Ambassador""
Posts: 398
I really enjoy the various museum exhibits in T3 gates 70 to 90 corridor. Since the UC is frequently jammed, I have spent hours taking my time--the current exhibit is a history of UA called "Flying the Mainline." Check it out!
Dec 8, 2017, 5:24 am
#41
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Bay Area
Programs: UA 1k now; AA (no status); HY Diamond; SPG Platinum
Posts: 707
I fly in and out of SFO at least 15 times a year.
flying out is great except for weather.
flying in isnt bad except when SFO ground crew take forever to put luggage on conveyor belt and usually random with no sense of priority for frequent or business/first flyer.
flying out is great except for weather.
flying in isnt bad except when SFO ground crew take forever to put luggage on conveyor belt and usually random with no sense of priority for frequent or business/first flyer.
Dec 8, 2017, 10:52 am
#43
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
Programs: UA 1k, AS 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 643
I recently moved to the Bay Area from Chicago, so switched from flying in and out of ORD a lot to being based in SFO. The airport itself is nicer than ORD (not hard) and I've had much better luck with pre-check being open and not having much of a line in SFO. However, I've had a much higher rate of delays at SFO, both in and outbound, and on flights that are usually fairly reliable, for example, waiting on the ground for 1 hr for a gate to open up on an early morning flight. I'm still working with a smallish sample size, but my impression is that SFO is less reliable schedule-wise than ORD, which seems kinda backwards considering Chicago weather
Dec 8, 2017, 11:14 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
I recently moved to the Bay Area from Chicago, so switched from flying in and out of ORD a lot to being based in SFO. The airport itself is nicer than ORD (not hard) and I've had much better luck with pre-check being open and not having much of a line in SFO. However, I've had a much higher rate of delays at SFO, both in and outbound, and on flights that are usually fairly reliable, for example, waiting on the ground for 1 hr for a gate to open up on an early morning flight. I'm still working with a smallish sample size, but my impression is that SFO is less reliable schedule-wise than ORD, which seems kinda backwards considering Chicago weather
SFO, when weather and runways conditions are good, works. When the wind shifts or they work on runways, or both, or Karl comes into play, doesn't.
David
Dec 8, 2017, 1:18 pm
#45
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,083
So I just got back from SFO which was my first time ever flying into San Francisco. Driven and taken the train but this weekend was my first time flying into SFO. On this forum, we will get people saying SFO this and SFO that not in a good way. I went to the end of ALL of United's Concourse and back including the International Section. Also, I went inside all three of the domestic United Clubs there. Except for the United Club across from gate Gate 71A which while clean and nicely stocked, was deep inside the building without any natural lights, kind of was depressing. The other two were fine. The terminal concourse were all bright and clean with a variety of food options. The staff in the lounges were all pleasant as well.
My flight back home was oversold so as a VOLUNTARY bump, I was offered $400.00 voucher plus I told them I wanted first class on the alternative flight to which they agreed to. The supervisor even offered up $20.00 dollars food voucher. With 4 hours to kill till my next flight, I explored every corner of UA's concourse. No nasty lounge dragons were around. The gate staff were excellent. The only issue was with a passenger in FC who security had to be called on once we landed but other than that it was smooth sailing.
My flight back home was oversold so as a VOLUNTARY bump, I was offered $400.00 voucher plus I told them I wanted first class on the alternative flight to which they agreed to. The supervisor even offered up $20.00 dollars food voucher. With 4 hours to kill till my next flight, I explored every corner of UA's concourse. No nasty lounge dragons were around. The gate staff were excellent. The only issue was with a passenger in FC who security had to be called on once we landed but other than that it was smooth sailing.