Cleaning delay on every SFO flight
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,769
Cleaning delay on every SFO flight
The majority of SFO departures I've been on for six months or longer have had a cleaning delay. In most cases these are planes that arrived several hours earlier.
It always seems to be a surprise to United at the last minute that these planes need to be cleaned. What is the deal?
It always seems to be a surprise to United at the last minute that these planes need to be cleaned. What is the deal?
#2
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,520
The majority of SFO departures I've been on for six months or longer have had a cleaning delay. In most cases these are planes that arrived several hours earlier.
It always seems to be a surprise to United at the last minute that these planes need to be cleaned. What is the deal?
It always seems to be a surprise to United at the last minute that these planes need to be cleaned. What is the deal?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 15, 2023 at 8:02 pm Reason: Discuss the issue, not the poster
#3
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,242
The majority of SFO departures I've been on for six months or longer have had a cleaning delay. In most cases these are planes that arrived several hours earlier.
It always seems to be a surprise to United at the last minute that these planes need to be cleaned. What is the deal?
It always seems to be a surprise to United at the last minute that these planes need to be cleaned. What is the deal?
Could be staffing shortages but if the aircraft are turning from an international arrival it may be a delay in customs releasing the aircraft back to UA and/or in repositioning the aircraft for its departure
Last edited by lincolnjkc; Oct 15, 2023 at 3:51 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,179
Experienced same repeatedly in 2021-2022 on SFO-ORD - and same as OP: when a/c arrived hours earlier INTL and towed over to T3 departure gate for domestic run. This is an underperforming team at SFO.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,769
Usually AC that were international arrivals that seem to suffer this problem. Obviously I understand when planes arrive late, etc, but these are all cases where the plane is on the ground for hours in advance of boarding.
#7
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: San Francisco
Programs: 1K 2.2MM
Posts: 2,352
This is certainly very common with united at SFO...not sure what the issues are but it's constant. Last week, for example, SFO EWR 7 am departure delayed for cleaning. Aircraft had landed previous afternoon.
It seems that if they can't clean one of the first departures of the day that's been on the ground overnight, they need to reorganize operations or reduce the schedule if the can't staff the operations.
It seems that if they can't clean one of the first departures of the day that's been on the ground overnight, they need to reorganize operations or reduce the schedule if the can't staff the operations.
#8
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,486
Staffing shortages have been common for several years now -- other airlines seem to be able to handle it without the large amount of delays (it also affects EWR)...
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 15, 2023 at 8:05 pm Reason: removed response to deleted content
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,769
My nearly unbroken streak of cleaning delays continued this weekend, this time causing me (and many others) to misconnect, fortunately only resulting in a three hour delay in my final arrival, but probably worse for some.
United is obviously aware but chooses not to fix this.
And naturally even though it was clear well before the posted boarding time that boarding would be delayed at least 30 minutes, the boarding time in the app didn't change until well past the originally scheduled boarding time.
United is obviously aware but chooses not to fix this.
And naturally even though it was clear well before the posted boarding time that boarding would be delayed at least 30 minutes, the boarding time in the app didn't change until well past the originally scheduled boarding time.
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 58,095
My nearly unbroken streak of cleaning delays continued this weekend, this time causing me (and many others) to misconnect, fortunately only resulting in a three hour delay in my final arrival, but probably worse for some.
United is obviously aware but chooses not to fix this..
United is obviously aware but chooses not to fix this..
#11
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,901
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,108
An airport like Houston probably has a lot easier time attracting/keeping employees at the lower wage ranges than an airport like SFO just due to proximity/size of that workgroup population. Airport jobs can be tough w/ remote parking/shuttles/security clearance/etc. Probably can get job w/ similar pay in Bay Area w/o all the hassles.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Jan 9, 2024 at 11:16 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,458
An airport like Houston probably has a lot easier time attracting/keeping employees at the lower wage ranges than an airport like SFO just due to proximity/size of that workgroup population. Airport jobs can be tough w/ remote parking/shuttles/security clearance/etc. Probably can get job w/ similar pay at in Bay Area w/o all the hassles.