United Offering Travel Waivers Ahead of SFO Runway Shutdown
United Airlines just announced that it will be offering advance travel waivers to those flying to, from or connecting in San Francisco (SFO) between Sept. 7-26, 2019. The airline controls about 45 percent of traffic at SFO.
The news comes as a result of the the international airport closing down a major runway for repairs during that time. United's travel notice page reads, "we expect it'll cause flight cancellations and delays. We want to help, so we removed some flights from our schedule and rebooked customers to help reduce any disruptions to their travel plans." Waivers give customers the flexibility to change their flight or connect in a different city.
The airport recommends switching to an early-morning departure since delays are fine as the delays are expected to begin after 9am.
As for the repairs, runway 28L — which according to the airport is one of the two used primarily for arriving flights — will be receiving a new base layer below the runway surface. The time period for the construction was chosen to avoid busy travel periods like the summer and end of year, and also for the low probability of precipitation, since dry weather is needed for asphalt paving.
In addition to the runway repairs, there is also construction being done on the the AirTrain at night, so SFO officials recommend giving yourself extra time to get around the airport if you have an evening departure and will be using the AirTrain to get between terminals.
There are currently no other waivers offered for SFO during the construction period by other airlines.
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