Based on your spreadsheet, it looks like SFO on United is above 80% (not < 70%). Is that what it typically is?
I forgot this site now pulls in the entire spreadsheet and doesn't link you to the site it is on. I added a link on the bottom to the google sheets actual page, it is easier I think. The main page is just the average for all of them for the year. Each tab has a breakdown by month for each airline/route.
If you go wayyyy right on the tabs at the bottom. United is almost at the end you will see this for the SFO_UA tab. So September was 65.72% outbound and 72.22% inbound. But yes its year average is over 80% because it usually is a lot better. I also just looked back at 2018 and September was its worst month there also so that drop off must be normal.
^I think that SFO flight is a fairly popular one for those of us flying TransPac, since it's one of the few where you don't have to backtrack. (Like Delta through ATL or AA through DFW, for instance.) It's not the only one, nor even necessarily the best, but it's not at all bad. And there's a certain merit to making the short flights longer and the long flights just a little less ridiculous. (Says they guy flying through ATL to get to SPD/Shanghai in a few weeks. I'm taking video this time. Just . . . by the way.) Anyway . . . did they recently upgrade that one to mainline? Was a SkyWest ERJ-175 last time I was on it. Which is a pretty good size RJ, but it's still easier to fill than a 737 or an A320. That alone could explain the disparity.
SFO may have been related to runway work there which i think occurred during that time which could impact performance. United may have allowed free itinerary changes which could have shifted connections to another hub.
Also backtracking connections makes sense sometimes. The backtracked hub could have a much better schedule. Also anyone wanting to earn more points or status it could work if either has any mileage flown component to earning.
^Oh, sure. There's a reason I've done it and am doing it. But . . . it's nice to avoid it when you can. The time difference isn't enormous when you're talking about a flight that takes a day or a day and a half anyway, but it's still a difference. Runway work at SFO makes sense, though. I can't imagine they can take much of a hit to capacity without it making a mess, so shifting connections away while capacity is down would make sense.
Any news/photos on the ongoing renovations in C/D?
None going on at the moment. The ones in C are done. I haven’t seen any pics. D/E haven’t started yet. I’m under the impression they still are going to happen though.
^I suppose I should have taken photos of the new dropoff areas at T2. That's . . . weird. I still can't for the life of me figure out how that's supposed to work more efficiently than the pull-through spaces that were there. I feel like I'm just stopping in the middle of a lane. I don't think I'd ever want to be to the inside as you'd get blocked in. Maybe they need an educational video on how the thing is supposed to flow. I'll trust it does work better, but . . . how? Where's Wendover when you need him?
That said, the improvements downstairs to the pickup area can't come fast enough. Or the baggage claim, apparently. (Just picked up a friend off Southwest. Upstairs in the dropoff area, as the line for the pickup lane was halfway to the cellphone lot. And seemingly halfway to T1. And a large portion of the way back to 70.)
That said, the improvements downstairs to the pickup area can't come fast enough. Or the baggage claim, apparently. (Just picked up a friend off Southwest. Upstairs in the dropoff area, as the line for the pickup lane was halfway to the cellphone lot. And seemingly halfway to T1. And a large portion of the way back to 70.)
Yep, I was also picking a buddy up from Lambert at T2 last night around 9:45 or so and it was a mess. This happens every year so I tried getting into the airport another way (170 to Scudder to Air Cargo via McDonnell) and still got trapped there too. It was backed up halfway to 170 on the east airport entrance from 70 from what I could tell. Myself and my friends and family ALWAYS use the departures level for pickups. I don't know why more people don't. After about 20min of sitting in arrivals traffic I finally got up on the departures level and there was a grand total of one car up there.
It wouldn't be so damn frustrating if the airport didn't have so much extra space available. But there is and they don't use it, just dumb.
That said, the improvements downstairs to the pickup area can't come fast enough. Or the baggage claim, apparently. (Just picked up a friend off Southwest. Upstairs in the dropoff area, as the line for the pickup lane was halfway to the cellphone lot. And seemingly halfway to T1. And a large portion of the way back to 70.)
Yep, I was also picking a buddy up from Lambert at T2 last night around 9:45 or so and it was a mess. This happens every year so I tried getting into the airport another way (170 to Scudder to Air Cargo via McDonnell) and still got trapped there too. It was backed up halfway to 170 on the east airport entrance from 70 from what I could tell. Myself and my friends and family ALWAYS use the departures level for pickups. I don't know why more people don't. After about 20min of sitting in arrivals traffic I finally got up on the departures level and there was a grand total of one car up there.
It wouldn't be so damn frustrating if the airport didn't have so much extra space available. But there is and they don't use it, just dumb.
They need to get it so it is all the busses on the near lane and only cars on the far lane. 3/4 of it is busses now and that is too many. Hopefully when they add the new cutout down there that can be enough to get busses out of one of the lanes.
Yep, I was also picking a buddy up from Lambert at T2 last night around 9:45 or so and it was a mess. This happens every year so I tried getting into the airport another way (170 to Scudder to Air Cargo via McDonnell) and still got trapped there too. It was backed up halfway to 170 on the east airport entrance from 70 from what I could tell. Myself and my friends and family ALWAYS use the departures level for pickups. I don't know why more people don't. After about 20min of sitting in arrivals traffic I finally got up on the departures level and there was a grand total of one car up there.
I was there maybe an hour before you. Sounds like you did the same thing, save that I parked in the cell phone lot for a little while. The T2 cell lot is on Air Cargo south of Scudder somewhat. I prefer the cell lot over by T1 for spotting reasons, but . . . that left turn lane is murder when it's busy. Another of my favorite spotting locations is just off Scudder, so I go up that way somewhat regularly anyway. But I don't think I've ever seen it back up quite so badly on Cargo road before. Lambert International's always a hariball during the evening rush, but man, it was bad Monday evening.
They need to get it so it is all the busses on the near lane and only cars on the far lane. 3/4 of it is busses now and that is too many. Hopefully when they add the new cutout down there that can be enough to get busses out of one of the lanes.
Valid point on the shuttle busses. It's always seemed odd that half the busses, private cars, and rideshares were all sharing more or less the same space. The same small space, I might add. Extending the lane, adding the cutout, and simplifying the signal cycle by eliminating that left off Air Cargo will surely help.
That'd make things a lot easier for anyone arriving at gates E34-40 and taking Metrolink into the City. They could walk directly down the D corridor to the Terminal 1 platform, instead of working their way through Terminal 2 and then up and around the T2 parking garage to get to the Terminal 2 platform.
I know this isn't a strong reason to be privatization curious, but MetroLink accessibility/promotion is something I believe the current airport operations haven't fully taken advantage of (similar to most of the region). Both internally at the airport but also in the community. The platforms are hard and unpleasant to find. Not a single airport advertisement on a Metro park-and-ride, train, or platform. I look at the garages/lots at Hanley, Brentwood, Shrewsbury, Belleville, Clayton, Forsyth, etc and wonder why anyone would pay $7 a day to park in the C or D lot. As one of the primary attractions on a 52 mile light rail network, they need to be wielding a much larger sword in all MetroLink conversations.
I understand a % of funding comes from parking, but there are ways to mediate that.
Search on twitter, "@stlmetro", you'll probably find a post each week from visitors talking about how awesome it is that it exist in STL
It Metrolink free to ride between terminals one and two?
That'd make things a lot easier for anyone arriving at gates E34-40 and taking Metrolink into the City. They could walk directly down the D corridor to the Terminal 1 platform, instead of working their way through Terminal 2 and then up and around the T2 parking garage to get to the Terminal 2 platform.
I know this isn't a strong reason to be privatization curious, but MetroLink accessibility/promotion is something I believe the current airport operations haven't fully taken advantage of (similar to most of the region). Both internally at the airport but also in the community. The platforms are hard and unpleasant to find. Not a single airport advertisement on a Metro park-and-ride, train, or platform. I look at the garages/lots at Hanley, Brentwood, Shrewsbury, Belleville, Clayton, Forsyth, etc and wonder why anyone would pay $7 a day to park in the C or D lot. As one of the primary attractions on a 52 mile light rail network, they need to be wielding a much larger sword in all MetroLink conversations.
I understand a % of funding comes from parking, but there are ways to mediate that.
Search on twitter, "@stlmetro", you'll probably find a post each week from visitors talking about how awesome it is that it exist in STL
It Metrolink free to ride between terminals one and two?
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I asked either metro or the airport about a year ago or so and they said no it is no longer free. But I would hope that isn’t enforced.
I think someone mentioned previously an idea of consolidating the rental car facilities to the Hanley MetroLink. I think that alone would do wonders for introducing people to the system.
A short adjustment track could be added at Hanley, allowing an airport to Hanley MetroLink shuttle to operate every 5 mins in addition to the systems overall 12 mins.
Honestly a second Hanley Park-n-Ride garage would probably handle the 3 companies inventory.
I always pick up and drop off upstairs. I don't get why more people just don't arrange for that. I guess it's a mild pain if you have a lot of passengers but most of the time it's just one or two people with carry on's so it's less of a pain for everyone involved. It's incredible how long that arrivals line for T2 gets though.
^I think it's technically against the rules. The cab companies reputedly cannot, and the ridsesharing apps direct you downstairs. (Probably a part of the agreement they signed to get the shortlived rideshare ban lifted.) I was halfway waiting for someone from STL traffic management to give me an earful, but maybe they were all downstairs cleaning up the cluster.
Actually, that might be another modest part of the problem: it takes longer for rideshare drivers and passengers to identify one another than actual family and friends or cab companies, so it slows the process down somewhat. With the cabs I believe it's just a line. The rideshares are a little more complicated, since the passengers can be more or less anywhere along the lane and you don't know what they look like most of the time until they get into your car. The GPS helps, but it's a touch imprecise at best. And the rideshares aren't quite as easily spotted as a cab. (Easier now than a few years ago, but its still more subtle than the usual cab-grade neon colors and signage.)
^I think it's technically against the rules. The cab companies reputedly cannot, and the ridsesharing apps direct you downstairs. (Probably a part of the agreement they signed to get the shortlived rideshare ban lifted.) I was halfway waiting for someone from STL traffic management to give me an earful, but maybe they were all downstairs cleaning up the cluster.
Actually, that might be another modest part of the problem: it takes longer for rideshare drivers and passengers to identify one another than actual family and friends or cab companies, so it slows the process down somewhat. With the cabs I believe it's just a line. The rideshares are a little more complicated, since the passengers can be more or less anywhere along the lane and you don't know what they look like most of the time until they get into your car. The GPS helps, but it's a touch imprecise at best. And the rideshares aren't quite as easily spotted as a cab. (Easier now than a few years ago, but its still more subtle than the usual cab-grade neon colors and signage.)
I agree and I don't know a Ford Fusion from a Buick Verano so there is that problem when 20 cars are coming at you, especially in the dark.
When I went to New Orleans this last month, I used Uber both to and from the airport. T2 does have specific / marked rise share app pick up. It was heavily delayed in traffic. I am NOT sure if you can specify a different pick up spot. Uber also gives you the license plate.
New Orleans had a specific line that you waited in, and you gave your Uber an ID code that they were able to enter and obtain fare info. So they too waited in line for the users.
^It may have a specific pickup spot, but that's advertised to riders, not drivers. And it's not entirely clear. As a driver I was chasing a dot on a screen and hoping they were sharp enough to look for my license tag. Which . . . nobody ever seemed to notice. I only drove for about a month before I chucked the thing, but I still had the wrong passenger get into my car at least once that I recall. In the dark, when it's bumper to bumper, it's absolute chaos. (And T2 was hardly the only difficult spot, but it was a tough one.)
