sfjeff From United States of America, joined Dec 2009, 38 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 9 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 5381 times:
Southwest has been operating around 43-45 flights a day out of their 4 gates at SFO for several years now. Now that they have acquired Airtran, they have 5 gates, so I assume that they could operate at least 50-55 flights a day from SFO. Does anyone know if they plan to keep the additional gate and if they plan any expansion from SFO? It would be nice to see a few more destinations from SFO. I think they now have the third highest passenger count at SFO (behind UA and AA), impressive considering that they dumped SFO a few years ago. If I am wrong about the number of gates, please excuse me. I've found it difficult to find out what the gate assignments are at SFO.
OzarkD9S From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 4680 posts, RR: 23 Reply 1, posted (1 year 9 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 5247 times:
We'll probably see 2-3 DAL flights, unless WN opts for DAL-OAK instead, cant really see both immediately after Wright goes away. SFO/OAK have found their respective niches at WN, OAK as the primary WN Bay Area base with SJC thrown in the mix as well. I think for the time being SFO will be served primarily thru WN's larger stations (LAS/PHX/DEN/MDW) and the 3 intra-Cali routes (LAX/SNA/SAN). Wouldn't surprise me to see HOU in time. And ATL/BWI/MKE(?) once FL is
absorbed.
Personally I would LUV to see WN at PSP from SFO/OAK/SJC/SMF/PHX/DEN so those dang fares would come down
a little to my favorite Cali destination. The fares out of STL have been insane compared to last year. And don't tell me to fly into ONT.
srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (1 year 9 months 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 5124 times:
Quoting OzarkD9S (Reply 1): We'll probably see 2-3 DAL flights, unless WN opts for DAL-OAK instead, cant really see both immediately after Wright goes away. SFO/OAK have found their respective niches at WN, OAK as the primary WN Bay Area base with SJC thrown in the mix as well. I think for the time being SFO will be served primarily thru WN's larger stations (LAS/PHX/DEN/MDW) and the 3 intra-Cali routes (LAX/SNA/SAN). Wouldn't surprise me to see HOU in time. And ATL/BWI/MKE(?) once FL is
absorbed.
Hold up on the DAL service, as that won't be possible for a few more years when the Wright Amendment rides off into the sunset in 2014. They can currently offer indirect connections and that's it. So any WN SFO-DAL service is a few years away from being allowable. Until then, and SFO to DAL service will entail a stopover in a city that is within the Wright Amendment territory.
Quoting OzarkD9S (Reply 1): Personally I would LUV to see WN at PSP from SFO/OAK/SJC/SMF/PHX/DEN so those dang fares would come down
a little to my favorite Cali destination. The fares out of STL have been insane compared to last year. And don't tell me to fly into ONT.
An operation like that sounds like a job for the 717.
Atrude777 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 5613 posts, RR: 54 Reply 3, posted (1 year 9 months 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 5094 times:
Quoting srbmod (Reply 2):
Hold up on the DAL service, as that won't be possible for a few more years when the Wright Amendment rides off into the sunset in 2014.
He knew that...that's why he added at the end of the sentence...
Quoting OzarkD9S (Reply 1): cant really see both immediately after Wright goes away.
Quoting sfjeff (Thread starter): Southwest has been operating around 43-45 flights a day out of their 4 gates at SFO for several years now.
Correct on the 4 gates, right now WN is at 45 daily out of SFO to 7 cities.
It is possible WN will add more to ATL, and MKE perhaps. I suppose its a 3 way to see how WN decides SFO/OAK/SJC together after all is said and done.
Alex
Good things come to those who wait, better things come to those who go AFTER it!
SANFan From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 4720 posts, RR: 15 Reply 4, posted (1 year 9 months 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4347 times:
Personally, I think WN is pretty okay with their situation at SFO. They knew (from their first run of service at the airport) that weather and traffic delays were (still) issues there, and of course they probably noticed that UA had a bit of a hub there. They also had their operations at OAK and SJC well established.
Given all those factors, I think that when they made the decision to return to SFO, they figured on a moderate presence with concentration on So Cal service (58% of their flights are intrastate service.) The remainder of their current capacity is to WN's western hubs of LAS, PHX and DEN plus 3 flights to the Midway hub. That's what it's been for quite a while now and that's what they are comfortable with.
It will be interesting to me to see how much of the FL service is retained; I would bet on ATL staying, BWI ending, and, as usual, MKE is a big ????? I don't know if the FL gate/ticket counter is anywhere near WN's existing ones but if they aren't, IMO, I think all the AirTran resources will simply be unloaded. The 4 WN gates can easily absorb those couple of FL flights that may continue. If the FL gate IS near WN's gates, I'm sure they will keep it for overflow and a bit of future growth.
I would expect to see a couple of DAL flights once the W A ends as that will be another major hub that WN will probably want to connect with SFO (plus plenty of O&D traffic.)
Also, if/when WN begins Hawaii service, I would not expect SFO to become a gateway; I think that will fall to OAK and/or SJC.
flySFO From United States of America, joined Apr 2011, 92 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (1 year 9 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2051 times:
Any chances WN will take over the old CO rotunda in Terminal 1 now that CO is in T3 and AirTran is part of Southwest? That would give them gates 32-32A, 33-36 which correct me if I am wrong, are currently unused minus the small AirTran operation. That leaves Alaska with 20-24, and US with the other rotunda, 26-31. Am I forgetting someone? It seems like there is now room for B6 to finally move into a proper domestic terminal?
aa61hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13975 posts, RR: 59 Reply 7, posted (1 year 9 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2002 times:
Quoting SANFan (Reply 4): Also, if/when WN begins Hawaii service, I would not expect SFO to become a gateway; I think that will fall to OAK and/or SJC.
OAK and SJC would be an interesting fight going against AS. AS has relatively cheap fares to Hawaii. I was out at KOA in January and got there for $300 R/T in Y from OAK. Flight was full too.
warden145 From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 426 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (1 year 9 months 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 1892 times:
Quoting 4everRC (Reply 8): Actually, with US moving to T3 where AA used to be, the B gates in T1 will being only WN and AS.
When's that supposed to happen? ...last I heard, they were planning on keeping T3-E empty to renovate it at a future date, although last I had heard, that date hadn't been set yet.
Quoting flySFO (Reply 6): It seems like there is now room for B6 to finally move into a proper domestic terminal?
It would be nice...I'm a bit tired of seeing confused pax at the international terminal trying to figure out how to get from security to the baggage claims, or people there to meet pax who don't know where domestic flights exit from.
With that said, I thought that the medium-term goal was to empty T1-B so they could rebuild it? ...although I'm not sure what the plans are at this point; it seems like things keep changing...
Southwest will not be able to expand much past what they have. Gate 32a will be the only gate on the rotunda. Let's not forget this concourse is scheduled to be torn down in the next few years. It makes no sense for WN to expand in gates/flights to only be temporarily relocated to an area were they can operate that many flights.
"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"
4everRC From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 322 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (1 year 9 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1761 times:
The last that I have read is that the T3 E gates are being renovated right now, and I flew in and out a couple of weeks and it looks like there is some action going on there. The work will last about a year, with US and AC moving in mid 2012.
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