Since last year, UA has added SIN, HGH, XIY to SFO and changed HND to arrive the the morning. SQ's new nonstop also arrives earlier in the morning, and AI is now daily to SFO. There are also about three AC planes on the ground at the same time. Between the hours of 9:30-11:30, Concourse G simply does not have enough gates, and flights are often delayed 30+ minutes on the ground waiting for gates to open. The worst example is probably ANA flight 8, which lands on time but has to wait until 11:15 or later to get a gate. This happens more often than not, and consequently, the return is also delayed. The gate shortage is wreaking havoc on SFO's mid-day transpacific bank. Could UA schedule some 9 AM arrivals into the opposite side, Concourse A? I believe that side doesn't get busy until after 12 PM. Anyways, many of UA's Asian flights don't depart until around 2 PM, plenty of time to tow the planes from one side to the other. That might also relieve CBP processing times with multiple flights arriving at the same time.

What about AC on the A side

theasianguy wrote:

Since last year, UA has added SIN, HGH, XIY to SFO and changed HND to arrive the the morning. SQ's new nonstop also arrives earlier in the morning, and AI is now daily to SFO. There are also about three AC planes on the ground at the same time. Between the hours of 9:30-11:30, Concourse G simply does not have enough gates, and flights are often delayed 30+ minutes on the ground waiting for gates to open. The worst example is probably ANA flight 8, which lands on time but has to wait until 11:15 or later to get a gate. This happens more often than not, and consequently, the return is also delayed. The gate shortage is wreaking havoc on SFO's mid-day transpacific bank. Could UA schedule some 9 AM arrivals into the opposite side, Concourse A? I believe that side doesn't get busy until after 12 PM. Anyways, many of UA's Asian flights don't depart until around 2 PM, plenty of time to tow the planes from one side to the other. That might also relieve CBP processing times with multiple flights arriving at the same time.

I saw a rendering of a design for a short concourse parallel to G, but would require demolishing UA Cargo, and it looked like it could only take 4-6 widebodies. They could conceivably park 788's there.

The International Terminal is for sure congested. In the morning, you have AI from DEL, SQ from SIN (non-stop), United from TLV, SIN, HND, etc. I'm sure in the afternoon and at night are much less busy on Boarding Area G.

AC much prefers to use G so that they can have short turn times and pax connecting from UA domestic don't have to go through security to get to their AC flight. It would probably make the most sense to move AI and/or SQ over to A since they probably don't have too many connections from UA.

I've studied the international flight schedules at SFO and played around with how a daily operation would work out. In the end, there's just no way Boarding Area G can handle all the flights between 10:30 AM-3:00 PM on a theoretical, all on time schedule.

drdisque wrote:

AC much prefers to use G so that they can have short turn times and pax connecting from UA domestic don't have to go through security to get to their AC flight. It would probably make the most sense to move AI and/or SQ over to A since they probably don't have too many connections from UA.

Asiana has been operating in Boarding Area A for years, most likely because it sits at SFO from 10:45-12:40, exactly during G's peak. I agree having SQ and AI to move over to A may be the best solution. NH for sure won't budge; that flight takes on a ton of UA connections. AC used to operate from A, but moved over to G after the F-G connector was built.

This winter, BR will add an extra 3x weekly TPE-SFO that arrives at 6:30 and departs 11:00. The situation's about to go from bad to worse. UA occasionally has international flights departing from gates 80, 82, and 86 in Terminal 3, and that may have to happen on a daily basis going forward. That is, while also accommodating some domestic widebodies to EWR, IAH, ORD, HNL, and BOS.

The problem at SFO on the G side is United has many flights arriving at 8am-9am and then leave at 1pm-2pm that don't pull off the gate and block gates for 5-6 hours during the peak times. For example UA flight from SIN comes in around 8:30ish and then it turns to MUC at 1:45 ish. It just sits on the gate that whole time. The G terminal could be managed a lot better, but United is trying to block everyone out so they leave room only for themselves to grow.

SonaSounds wrote:

The problem at SFO on the G side is United has many flights arriving at 8am-9am and then leave at 1pm-2pm that don't pull off the gate and block gates for 5-6 hours during the peak times. For example UA flight from SIN comes in around 8:30ish and then it turns to MUC at 1:45 ish. It just sits on the gate that whole time. The G terminal could be managed a lot better, but United is trying to block everyone out so they leave room only for themselves to grow.

You sure about that? I've definitely seen plenty of their WBs towed off of those gates.

You can see here what time this aircraft came in and departed on July 25th: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n19951

I can't pull it anymore since it is in the past, but it arrived and departed from the same gate (G94). I did not appear to get pulled off at all as nothing else used the gate during the time. It is a known issue at SFO that United is doing these long stops

Some of this will take care of itself I think. Aren't they going to make it so that you can go from A to G without having to go through security. Not sure on timing, but I see it here on terminal development site http://media.flysfo.com.s3.amazonaws.co ... ojects.pdf . In addition when Terminal 1 starts to come online next year there will be more capacity particularly in Boarding Area A of International. I would think AS, B6 will move out of International other than AS International flights of course.

theasianguy wrote:

Asiana has been operating in Boarding Area A for years, most likely because it sits at SFO from 10:45-12:40, exactly during G's peak. I agree having SQ and AI to move over to A may be the best solution. NH for sure won't budge; that flight takes on a ton of UA connections. AC used to operate from A, but moved over to G after the F-G connector was built.

I think Asiana is switching to a redeye schedule for SFO in October when ICN-SFO goes to an A350 (in around 2PM, out at 11PM). I think connections might have something to do with it and maybe they could move over to G (who knows).

Is there any timeline for the proposed expansion of the international terminal?