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Cleaning delay on every SFO flight

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Old Oct 15, 2023, 2:18 pm
  #1  
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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?
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 2:20 pm
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Originally Posted by Doppy
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?
​​
I suspect that UA and most other airlines have a staffing shortage that includes airplane cleaners

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 15, 2023 at 8:02 pm Reason: Discuss the issue, not the poster
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 3:38 pm
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Originally Posted by Doppy
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?
​​
Route(s)/AC types?

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
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 3:49 pm
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Originally Posted by lincolnjkc
Route(s)/AC types?

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
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.
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 4:08 pm
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In addition to the low wages for this job, its located in the SIDA side of the airport. Aircraft cleaners are required to pass drug tests by the DOT. Tough ask in CA.
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 5:06 pm
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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.
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 6:05 pm
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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.
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Old Oct 15, 2023, 7:56 pm
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Originally Posted by radonc1
I suspect that UA and most other airlines have a staffing shortage that includes airplane cleaners
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)...
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 15, 2023 at 8:05 pm Reason: removed response to deleted content
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Old Jan 9, 2024, 10:18 am
  #9  
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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.
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Old Jan 9, 2024, 10:22 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Doppy
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..
Scott Kirby didnt say United was the cleanest airline, just the best.
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Old Jan 9, 2024, 10:28 am
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Originally Posted by Doppy
United is obviously aware but chooses not to fix this.
This is more a feature of the Bay Area than United. Basically anything that relies on low cost labor sucks here. They should fly in cleaning crews and fly them home at the end of the day,
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Old Jan 9, 2024, 10:33 am
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Originally Posted by bmwe92fan
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)...
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.
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Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Jan 9, 2024 at 11:16 am
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Old Jan 9, 2024, 10:49 am
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
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.
I think I heard, maybe even upthread, that CA and NY are not only difficult due to CoL, but also because anything on the secure side (cleaning, but also concessions) requires drug testing and recreational weed in those jurisdictions has become an issue for this. I'm not certain it's true though as I thought the requirement was limited to those performing "safety-related" functions.
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