zombietooth

I wholeheartedly second this opinion.
LAX has become a nightmare with the horrendous traffic all around the airport and, especially, entering the horseshoe. Even with the cut-off over to terminal 7, it's still bad. In addition, it looks and runs like a third-world airport. I don't fly there anymore, but it could take 30-45 min to get to the rental cars/parking lots previously. SNA is around 5 min to your rental car, has an efficient baggage system, the shortest TSA lines that I've ever experienced, and a much more pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. It is well worth sacrificing flying in lie-flats and paying the average higher cost to fly into SNA.

JimInOhio

Transcon p.s. is not offered because people will pay for it. It's offered because people will pay for it AND their competition offers it.

flyingrohit

This sounds about right. SNA is my home airport and on a weekly basis experience, I can say that there are really only 3 ​​​​​​boarding groups: GS, 1K and everyone else is Gen member . Half the plane is on board before group 1 hits anytime I fly to SFO. Literally the best airport and with the exception of IAD I can get to any UA hub I need to from SNA which is super nice!

NYC2SGN

Until recently, fares in Y were regularly around $750! It was insane!

NYC2SGN

Anyone know what the deal is with the SNA-EWR nonstops? I'm assuming they've been cut temporarily due to the lack of demand during COVID... yet somehow UA has kept two daily nonstops from SAN-EWR and four daily nonstops from LAS-EWR (and there are two red-eyes exLAS leaving within 9 minutes of each other!). The SAN-EWR flights don't seem to be that full (todays flight went out with several seats in F empty). I'm assuming there is strong demand for LAS-EWR flights during the pandemic (because what better way is there to deal with your unemployment than drinking and gambling?), but what's the rationale for keeping the SAN flights (if the demand really isn't there)? Is it strategic (because DL and B6 also fly SAN-NYC nonstop, so they have to maintain their SAN-NYC nonstop flights to stay competitive)?

fbcooper

there is no sna ewr, they always cancel them about a month out and it becomes a connecting flight usually to denver sometimes sfo. I have just stopped trying at this point.

cesco.g

Could be, that UA is maintaining higher LAX-EWR frequencies to keep the pressure on B6. Any pax from O.C. helps in that endeavor.

Dublin_rfk

I miss the old days of the '57 coming out of SNA. Sometimes the flight crew would explain the take off as different. On one time the Capt. came on and explained that we were close to the curfew so get ready for a ride that doesn't happen often. He was going to run up the engines and make a mad dash down the runway before leaping into the sky. He followed that up with not to worry when the engines throttled back and the airplane leveled off and coasted out over the coast.

I have the flexibility to plane/seat shop when flying. I flew EWR-SNA-EWR 8 times last year. With 1K status and liberal use of upgrade instruments I had exactly 1 upgrade. Comfort over speed I ended up with a large number of SDC’s to one stops and upgrades into F. This year EWR-LAX on a 787 and 20PP’s for the win six times. When EWR-SNA returns I will too, just because I’m lazy and stubborn.

SPN Lifer

It is a lot closer to drive to LAX from SNA than from SAN or LAS.

fly747first

Fair point

jp12687

any update on the EWR-SNA flight? This is a flight I used to take about 8-10 times a year and looking to restart in the near future. I see American is offering a JFK-SNA flight starting soon so wondering if united will compete on this? My understanding is it was a GS/1k heavy flight with people paying a premium for convenience.

zombietooth

I fly this route almost bi-weekly and have been hoping that they would re-start it soon. The TA/GAs at SNA who know me have vaguely said something about mid-June for a possible re-start.

trk1

One daily roundtrip is one the schedule starting on July 1

zombietooth

Thanks for the info. All of my flights lately have been last-minute bookings, so I haven't tried to look that far out.

flyingrohit

I'm impressed that you can do this. I love SNA more than LAX any day, but the 2 times I flew this route all I could think was how tight even E+ was on those 737-700s