Free Wi-Fi Coming to San Francisco International

Joining Mineta San Jose and Oakland Airports, SFO will soon launch complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the airport. The switch from paid service, currently offered by T-Mobile, to free service, is expected September 1, 2010.

Air Traffic Control Recording From Recent SFO incident

Check out this summary of the March 27th near-miss aircraft incident near San Francisco International. Following the summary there is an audio recording link of air traffic control (with normal moments of silents between communications), and comments from aviation experts which question how serious the incident actually was and speculation as to who was at fault. Hats off to the flyertalk forums for providing this information.

Virgin America to Launch San Francisco to Orlando, Toronto

Hot off the press is word Virgin America plans to launch daily service between San Francisco and Orlando, Florida beginning August 19th. In a statement, the airline also announced plans to start a Los Angeles to Orlando flight as well. The new service effectively allows passengers from other Virgin America west coast cities (San Diego and Seattle) to connect in SFO enroute to Orlando.

The airline also said service planned between SFO and Toronto is pending government approval, but is tentatively set for launch in June 2010.

In a bit of unfortunate news, the airline reports it will end service to Orange County airport effective May 26th.

Swiss Airlines to Launch Flights Between San Francisco and Zurich

Swiss Airlines confirmed this week they plan to launch flight between San Francisco and Zurich, Switzerland beginning June 2, 2010. The flight will operate 6 days a week on a 3-cabin Airbus 340 aircraft.

The schedule is as follows:

SFO - ZRH Departs 7:25 PM, arrives 3:40 PM the next day.

ZRH -SFO Departs 1:15 PM, arrives 4:30 PM the same day.

Swiss is a member of the Star Alliance network.

United Set To Launch New Routes from SFO This Week

After making announcements earlier this year, United Airlines says it is ready to launch several new nonstop routes from San Francisco International Airport later this week. Here is a listing of those routes:

• SFO to Spokane, Washington (GEG) 2 flights per day - Regional jet service
  
• SFO to Pasco, Washington (PSC)   2 flights per day - Regional jet service
  
• SFO to Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP) 1 flight per day - Airbus 319/320 service
  
• SFO to Toronto, Canada (YYZ) 1 flight per day - Airbus 319/320 service. 
  

United also plans to add nonstop service between San Francisco and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in early September. 

Visit United Airlines for more information and to check availability. 

FasTrak Users "Good to go" at SFO

San Francisco International Airport says FasTrak is now available in all of the airport garages, enabling people to enter and exit the garage more quickly and efficiently while at the same time reducing emissions caused by engine idling.

Over 1 million existing FasTrak users now have access to this expedited method at SFO. Customers will need to use the FasTrak designated lane upon entering (no ticket will be issued), then exit using the FasTrak lane, whereby a receipt will be provided.

Rent a Hybrid at SFO and Save $15

San Francisco International has launched the nation's first Green Rental Car program that rewards customers for renting "green" alternative-fueled vehicles. Customers who rent a hybrid at SFO from a participating rental car agency will receive a $15 discount at the counter. According to the flysfo website, it is estimated that more than 4,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year will be eliminated through the implementation of this program.

Participating car rental companies are: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National and Thrify. Click here for more information.

SFO Opens Walkway Between International and Domestic Terminals

Amidst the hustle and flow of passengers throughout San Francisco Airport the day before Christmas, San Francisco Airport officials quietly opened up a long overdue convenience for passengers connecting through the airport.

Next to Gate 75 in Terminal 3, a new walkway opened up, allowing connecting passengers the convenience of remaining within the airport, instead of taking a shuttle bus between the International and Domestic (United Airlines) terminals. Although the bus operated throughout the day, passengers had to wait 10-15 minutes at times before boarding. The new walkway is a direct passage linking the terminals with just a couple minutes walk.

Be sure to let friends and family flying through SFO know about this helpful improvement at the airport.

Emirates Launches San Francisco Service Today

The inaugural flight between San Francisco and Dubai will also go down in the books as the world's longest green flight trial

At 3:45 PM today, Emirates Airlines will launch nonstop service between San Francisco and Dubai. The 16-hour flight will, at least initially, operate three times a week utilizing brand new Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, featuring luxurious private suites in First Class, lie-flat seats in Business Class, and generous space for Economy Class guests. 

But today's flight is much more than the debut of a top notch premium airline. The flight from SFO later today is also a trial to launch a new environmental program to execute the world's longest green journey. Simply put, it means rolling out the most environmentally-sophisticated route and trip possible to save an estimated 2,000 gallons of fuel and 30,000 pounds of carbon emissions. 

Specifically, today's inaugural flight will demonstrate many fuel and emission saving measures including:

• The new 777-200LR will be specially washed beforehand to minimize drag.
• A pre-planned priority departure route out of Dubai will provide an unimpeded climb through to cruise altitude, allowing the aircraft to reach its optimum cruise altitude as quickly and efficiently as possible.
• The aircraft will track close to the North Pole following extensive work by Emirates and aircraft manufacturers to open this new routing. 
• Flexible routings will be pursued over Canadian airspace.
• The FAA and San Francisco Air Traffic Control will seek to offer optimal routings for arrival and if possible a continuous descent approach to minimize fuel burn.
• All on-board glass, newspapers, aluminium and paper will be collecting for recycling.

Passengers traveling through San Francisco Airport today will have an opportunity to see the new Emirates aircraft parked at the International terminal. The scheduled arrival time from Dubai is 1pm. Immediately following the arrival, local media will attend a press conference on the new service and best practices in Eco-efficient air travel. 

For more information on Emirates and the world's longest green flight, visit www.emirates.com.

Also Read: "Emirates Airlines' flying to S.F raises issues" -SFGate

United to Cut 300 Jobs at San Francisco International

After shrinking overall company operations, including eliminating nearly 20% of its fleet, United Airlines says it now needs to reduce staff. Earlier this year, the airline said it plans to cut 7,000 jobs, in total. Included in this number are 300 jobs at the San Francisco maintenance base, where some employees will receive layoff notices effective January 11, 2009.