Got Back From SFO: What's With Everyones Beef With SFO?
Dec 8, 2017, 2:18 pm
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,630
Dec 8, 2017, 2:29 pm
#48
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,230
I flew through SFO last week and loved it as no delays so very few people in the terminal or Centurion Lounge. Week before it was a nightmare. Flight delays and people everywhere.
As others said when SFO has no delays it is a great airport and airport experience. When there are delays which is my usual experience in SFO it is a nightmare.
My two recent EU compensation claims were when I was connecting through SFO. The claim before that the connecting airport was LAX.
I prefer connecting through LAX because if the flight is delayed I can get an Uber down to San Diego.
As others said when SFO has no delays it is a great airport and airport experience. When there are delays which is my usual experience in SFO it is a nightmare.
My two recent EU compensation claims were when I was connecting through SFO. The claim before that the connecting airport was LAX.
I prefer connecting through LAX because if the flight is delayed I can get an Uber down to San Diego.
Dec 8, 2017, 5:27 pm
#49
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 451
I like the fact that you land and turn left and are at the gate. Well, unless another plane is there and then you wait. Same with taking off. Unless there is a line, the runway is near the UAL gates so it is fast. In some places like LAX and ORD, taxiing can take what seems like hours.
Dec 8, 2017, 9:28 pm
#50
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS after 40+ SFO/OAK
Programs: UA MM (recovering former 1K), Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 550
SFO as an airport is quite pleasant... good food options, nice lounges (including the Centurian Club), but as other have mentioned, it's the delays that come with ATC and runway construction that makes it less than desirable. As I often transit through SFO from LA, flights from LAX are some of the first to get delayed/cancelled, often times just under the 3 hour maximum tarmac time before they have to head back to the gate. Despite giving myself a buffer of over 4 hours for a connection (LAX-SFO-HKG) I barely made my flight in SFO to HKG.
It's the stress, unknown and what ifs of flying THROUGH SFO which gives me heart palpitations, so I tried to avoid it whenever possible.
It's the stress, unknown and what ifs of flying THROUGH SFO which gives me heart palpitations, so I tried to avoid it whenever possible.
As a 40-year resident of the Bay Area, SFO is a tale of two worlds. The customer culture is quite good, and the operational (SFO not UA) sucks because of the runway configuration and the impact of "low clouds", etc. On top of that, it appears that the airport is scheduled over capacity at times, as I've experienced and seen long taxi times lately, e.g. just yesterday on a fine day weather-wise delays were posted for departing flights due to capacity (paraphrased from FlightAware during the mid-morning "rush").
There also appears to be some consideration of the airline. For example on the SFO/PDX route where UA/AS/VX/WN all have service, I've seen situations where in the same time window one will be close to schedule and others will have significant ATC delays even though the aircraft are available to go, suggesting that the airlines are making their own decisions given the available slots, and since UA has many more ops, the short-hauls can suffer.
Dec 8, 2017, 9:32 pm
#51
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS after 40+ SFO/OAK
Programs: UA MM (recovering former 1K), Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 550
I like the fact that you land and turn left and are at the gate. Well, unless another plane is there and then you wait. Same with taking off. Unless there is a line, the runway is near the UAL gates so it is fast. In some places like LAX and ORD, taxiing can take what seems like hours.
Dec 8, 2017, 9:45 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS after 40+ SFO/OAK
Programs: UA MM (recovering former 1K), Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 550
UA has multiple flights from IAH to SFO. It used to be that the only flight which reliably departed IAH on time was the 0700-ish - even the 0900-ish were subject to ATC delays. These are both CST departure times so the point is that even at 0700 PST the "low clouds" ground holds can be in place for mid-cons (I was flying IAH/SFO every other week). Now I see that the schedule has changed so there's an 0600 and 0823 (today) - the 0600 would definitely be fine on an ATC delay day, but even the 0823 could very well be delayed. And, don't forget that we're talking hub-to-hub were there could be a significant number of TPAC connections on the IAH/SFO flight.
Dec 9, 2017, 1:39 pm
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,836
SFO is my home airport and bias aside I would say it is one of the best world class in the USA. There are plenty of coffee stands and healthy food concessions in all of the terminals (no comment on T1) and the newer spaces are quite comfortable with many electrical outlets, etc. It takes me no time to clear security thanks to CLEAR, and never any traffic issues around the terminal (compare horrid LAX).
As you can see from above the main complaints are (1) ATC weather delays and (2) Overcrowded UC fka RCC clubs (3) slow luggage. I guess I have been lucky because I rarely have any delays though I did have one when the north bay fires were raging. In general the international flights are less delayed than domestic, and worse for arrivals than departures. As for UCs is there a hub where they are not overcrowded? This will get better when UA finishes the new Polaris lounge. But I never have trouble finding a seat at the club near Gate 80, and more recently no problem with the club near Gate 60. I'm sure international is awful right now, but that's the price of progress
I try not to check luggage - SFO does not seem worse than other locations though I wish UA would adopt the 20min guarantee that AS offers as it is the only thing that seem to incentivize fast delivery.
IMO the biggest minus is lack of priority pass lounges, but this is true for many USA airports including IAH. I don't do AMEX but that is an option here though I'm told it is always packed.
PS - Another plug for OAK, it is unfortunate that UA/CO abandoned OAK as you could avoid some of these issues but that is another subject discussed on another thread.
As you can see from above the main complaints are (1) ATC weather delays and (2) Overcrowded UC fka RCC clubs (3) slow luggage. I guess I have been lucky because I rarely have any delays though I did have one when the north bay fires were raging. In general the international flights are less delayed than domestic, and worse for arrivals than departures. As for UCs is there a hub where they are not overcrowded? This will get better when UA finishes the new Polaris lounge. But I never have trouble finding a seat at the club near Gate 80, and more recently no problem with the club near Gate 60. I'm sure international is awful right now, but that's the price of progress
I try not to check luggage - SFO does not seem worse than other locations though I wish UA would adopt the 20min guarantee that AS offers as it is the only thing that seem to incentivize fast delivery.IMO the biggest minus is lack of priority pass lounges, but this is true for many USA airports including IAH. I don't do AMEX but that is an option here though I'm told it is always packed.
PS - Another plug for OAK, it is unfortunate that UA/CO abandoned OAK as you could avoid some of these issues but that is another subject discussed on another thread.