San Francisco DUers! Please tell me about your airport!!!

[CTyankee]

I'm getting a pretty good deal on going to Burbank via San Francisco from CT, but hubby says the San Francisco airport has problems. I only had one problem which was when it was fogged in and my plane from Burbank to SF, connecting me back to CT, was cancelled.

Do you think I should chance it on my next trip to see my grandson in Burbank? I thought they had a pretty good shuttle service going to Burbank, but the fog thing worries me. However, that was in October a few years back. I am travelling this time in February. It is otherwise an extremely good itinerary.

[CatholicEdHead]

1. Hard floor to sleep on

Was stuck there after I missed a connecting flight back to MSP. Not much to see, just foggy when you try to look out the windows. This was also pre-9/11.

[CTyankee]

2. Uh, oh, that was what I was afraid of. I have 2 stops both going and

returning and I don't want fog to do me in.

I'm trying to keep from a long drive from Bradley International Airport north of Hartford (one hour from my house, which would invariably be a late night drive given the nature of West to East flights).

[Der Blaue Engel]

3. I've never had a problem

It doesn't get fogged in that often. (Well, it's never happened to me anyway.)

[fleabert]

4. I live in the Bay Area, fly thru there often.

i have been delayed way more often in Dallas and Atlanta. the airport is on the Bay side of the peninsula, south of the city, so it is less likely to get fogged in. There might be fog, for sure, but not nearly as thick as on the ocean side or nearer the city.

after some thought, I can't remember ever getting delayed in SF airport.

have fun!

[AlCzervik]

5. my advice--get there early. I fly out of SFO almost every time i travel

so far no problems but again i always get there early.

[musiclawyer]

6. Not high risk

It will be rainy season. Fog happens--but not enough usually at that time of year to cause delays.

[Bullwinkle925]

7. I've never had a delayed flight at SFO .....

Denver, yes - Dallas, yes.

[gardenista]

8. I've flown out of and into SFO countless times. Never a problem.

wait, once there was fog that caused a 20 minute delay in landing. That was it. No fog in February.

[SPKrazy]

9. It's A Large Place With Runways For The Planes to Land

a tower for the air traffic controllers

a check in area for departures

a security area

a terminal or more

a baggage claim

and a lot of policemen to keep you from leaving your car unattended

[CTyankee]

12. Good one! But, here's why I asked:

I was really more interested in the fog situation, not living there. The fog that screwed up my flight last time caused lots of confusion and craziness. I vowed not to get myself into that predicament again, so I turned to the "wisdom of crowds", DU, to get the situation from people who use the airport, live there, and know when and where the fog rolls in. So far it looks like I was successful! I now know that fog is less likely in February and that frequent users have had better luck there than at Dallas (where I have had pretty good luck). I have also learned my lesson about Denver, even before the recent snow disasters at the airport there!

[Gormy Cuss]

10. Yes, you could get a delay. No, it's not that likely.

Fog is as natural here as rain is for Bradley. Most of the time there are only short delays for fog or wind at SFO but like most others who have chimed in, my experience is that it's no worse than other big city airports. The terminals are actually pretty decent too, as airports go.

You could get a snowstorm delaying you out of Bradley too. Would that stop you from booking a flight? We all just take our chance with the weather.

[CTyankee]

13. I'm actually avoiding Bradley for that very reason!

It's a long trip from New Haven and in the snow, very bad. I can get a flight out of New Haven's dinky Tweed Airport (US Air). I have to go to ATlanta, then SF to Burbank, but getting there in snow is not a problem, since I live in New Haven. If it's really bad, of course, the flight wouldn't go period, but I'd be home, not on 91N...

[Gormy Cuss]

14. Now there you go. I wouldn't book a flight at a small airport in winter.

When I traveled for business I learned that the bigger airports were a better bet if there was a chance for weather delays because the airlines seem to put a priority on moving their biggest planes full of revenue, er, passengers. My home airport for years was Logan in Boston and I flew out in snowstorms more than a few times.

I-91 would be a nasty place to be stuck in the snow!

[CTyankee]

18. Well, I'd be home if the departure flight didn't go and I'd just wait

for the next one. If I knew I couldn't get into Tweed on return I'd stay over another night in Burbank with my daughter and grandson, then leave. I would hate being stuck all night in an airport somewhere (actually, I wouldn't, I'd get a room at an airport hotel and pay whatever it cost).

[BikeWriter]

11. It was congested forty years ago when I was last there.

[Midlodemocrat]

15. Last time we went there a guy died while touching down.

Seriously. One row in front of us. Not that that particular event has anything to do with the airport, but I thought I would warn you.

[NV Whino]

16. Avoid at all costs

Fly into Oakland.

[Book Lover]

17. Fog on that side of the peninsula is only a problem

during dawn and dusk. And you are travelling during February? With the weather we have been having, I'd almost say wear shorts.

[SOteric]

19. When I fly into San Francisco I usually fly into Oakland

and BART into SF. Pretty easy to do, really. Lots of shuttles to BART terminals.

[Parche]

20. airline

It depends on which airline you fly, for example Alaska airlines jets are mostly equipped with
the 'Heads up' system that allows them to land with extreme minimums.
Only a few United jets have that capability.
The 2 runways 28L/28R are too close to each other and in cloudy weather, they increase the
distance between each plane, so alot of times there are no 'side by side' landings when
the weather is rough.