United Airlines is signaling that Virgin/Alaska will be in for a tough battle in the fight over San Francisco.
United Airlines is upgauging aircraft, adding service, and increasing service frequencies in several markets this summer. It released the following graphic on Twitter:
Here’s the changes in table format, straight from United’s press release.
Additional flights between SFO and 8 destinations
|
City Pair |
Increasing |
Beginning |
Aircraft type |
|
SFO – Seattle (SEA) |
10 flights daily |
Aug. 1 |
A320 |
|
SFO – Albuquerque (ABQ) |
2 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
EMB-175 |
|
SFO – Baltimore (BWI) |
2 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
A319 |
|
SFO – Indianapolis (IND) |
2 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
A319 |
|
SFO – Kansas City (MCI) |
3 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
EMB-175 |
|
SFO – Nashville (BNA) |
2 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
A319 |
|
SFO – Philadelphia (PHL) |
3 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
A319 |
|
SFO – Portland (PDX) |
9 flights daily |
Aug. 15 |
A319 |
Larger aircraft on daily service between SFO and 10 cities
|
SFO to |
Starts |
Aircraft |
|
Burbank (BUR) |
June 8 |
B737 |
|
Calgary, AB (YYC) |
June 8 |
A320 |
|
Dallas (DFW) |
June 8 |
A320 |
|
Kansas City (MCI) |
June 8 |
A320 |
|
Minneapolis (MSP) |
June 8 |
A320 |
|
Palm Springs (PSP) |
June 8 |
B737 |
|
Santa Barbara (SBA) |
June 8 |
A319 |
|
Bozeman (BZN) |
July 1 |
A320 |
|
Sacramento (SMF) |
July 1 |
B737 |
|
Fresno (FAT) |
Aug. 15 |
B737 |
New and expanded service between SFO and 7 cities starting June 8
|
SFO to |
Starts |
Schedule |
Aircraft |
|
Cincinnati (CVG) |
June 8 |
Year-round, daily |
A320 |
|
Detroit (DTW) |
June 8 |
Year-round, daily |
A320 |
|
Hartford (BDL) |
June 8 |
Seasonal, daily |
B737 |
|
New Orleans (MSY) |
June 8 |
Adding summer |
B737 |
|
Santa Rosa (STS) |
June 8 |
Year-round, daily |
CRJ |
|
Spokane (GEG) |
June 8 |
Year-round, daily |
E175 |
|
Kalispell (FCA) |
July 1 |
Seasonal, daily |
CRJ |
Alaska Also Booming at SFO
It is not just United that will be growing at SFO — Alaska has announced new service to the following cities:
- Philadelphia (begins 31 August)
- Nashville (05 September)
- Albuquerque (18 September)
- Kansas City (18 September)
- Indianapolis (26 September)
- Baltimore/Washington (16 October)
Notice any overlap? Yes, I noticed too. Every route…
Be excited! Fares will drop!
We’ve seen battles for hub supremacy in the past. Typically, the airlines lose and customers win. While it would be nice if everyone could win here, my prediction is that consumers are going to win in terms of scoring cheap deals out of SFO. However, SFO is already congested and when the fog rolls in it becomes even worse. Thus, I also predict an uptick in frustrating delays.
United offers something Alaska/Virgin cannot and will not: an extensive international route network coupled with a worldwide alliance of partners.
> Read More: New United Service from San Francisco to Munich
Will this be enough to secure United’s continued dominance at SFO?
> Read More: United Mainline Returns to Burbank!
> Read More: United Mainline Returns to Fresno, CA
CONCLUSION
The battle lines have been drawn and the merged Alaska and United will now duke it out. United President Scott Kirby now has a prime chance to show how good a chess player he is.
> Read More: United Cuts International Routes, Will Focus on Domestic Travel
(H/T Travel Skills)
Alaska partners with Aeromexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City), Air France (Paris), American (multiple), British Airways (London), Cathay (Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai), Fiji (Nadi), JAL (Haneda), KLM (Amsterdam), Korean (Seoul), and Qantas (Sydney) out of SFO. That’s no small network when comparing to United’s.
True, but the potpourri of carriers across difference alliances and outside of alliances makes earning more difficult and nothing like a vast int’l route network on a single carrier.
While lower fares are mostly good, dear god no more new flights at SFO. As a local, the congestion is truly unbearable. I live closer to OAK and will pay more (sometimes a lot more) to fly out of there because it just isn’t affected by the weather or the overload. I’m late more often than not when flying SFO these days. Very worried Alaska’s coverage at OAK may decrease post-merger, but keeping fingers crossed.
bur is west and north of sba. who knew?
Good catch.
Alaska has one advantage: Its not United.
The biggest one of all 🙂
No comments about Alaska’s old school frequent flier earning system? Basing it on distance rather than price? They’ve held their own in Seattle against Delta…I’m sure in no small part because of that.