America West FlightFund (Discontinued Program) - First Class on HP JFK-LAX

Interesting website, I currently am a United Premier Executive. I've been doing JFK-LAX almost weekly and am about to cross 50,000 miles for this year. So I have earned my 1P for next year. Instead of going to 1K I was thinking of switching over to America West for the remainder of the year. Every time I've flown UA I've been upgraded to Business Class. The service on UA C class is pretty darn good. I was wondering if switching on and off to HP would be a step up or a step down. Figuring a confirmed F cabin seat on HP is $836 rt, I would make elite in no time.

You'll find it a step down from what you're used to in some respects. No footrests for one. However the UA 762's are garbage so the HP Airbii might actually seem nice to you. The meals won't be as good as there will be no menus, fewer choices and not as elegant. The IFE will be about the same, with better screens than those beat up ones on the UA 762's. I recomend flying American as I do when I go transcon but HP might be a good choice. Why not do a trial run on them and see how you feel?

You'll find it a step down from what you're used to in some respects. No footrests for one. However the UA 762's are garbage so the HP Airbii might actually seem nice to you. The meals won't be as good as there will be no menus, fewer choices and not as elegant. The IFE will be about the same, with better screens than those beat up ones on the UA 762's. I recomend flying American as I do when I go transcon but HP might be a good choice. Why not do a trial run on them and see how you feel?

Thanks. I always book the 763 flight (839), P.S. is also coming out so I'm really not sure. As for American, I'm anti AA.

If you are Elite on UA, HP has the "Elite Match" program where they match your mileage status on the other airline. That way, you could book a coach ticket and get your comp upgrade 3 days prior to flight. You will need to send a copy your elite card or mileage statement from the other airline to verify your status.
Give HP a shot, you can't beat the fares ^
Good luck!

If ALL you're looking at is the fares, I'd say go for HP. But in your particular situation, I'd stick with UA, here's why:

UA's service enhancements in the premium cabins literally make HP First class look like coach. You won't find any glassware or silverware, a preflight drink is rare, no hot towels, no ice cream, smaller and less elegantly prepared meals, and smaller F cabins on comprable aircraft. But, HP's restricted F fare is normally around that $800 mark, which is a pretty good deal when you compare that to the fares that UA/AA/DL and the rest all charge on the same routes. But since you say you've always gotten an upgrade to C, then why even switch to HP? Plus, you'll find a much larger selection of flight times with UA. A switch to HP definitely would be a step down compared to UA.

But I encourage you to try HP for yourself. If you choose to, do make sure you at least request an elite challenge from Flightfund, which are widely available to anyone who asks. Or as an above poster said you could just ask for the status match.

See for yourself and post a trip report for us!

You won't find any glassware or silverware, a preflight drink is rare, no hot towels, no ice cream, smaller and less elegantly prepared meals, and smaller F cabins on comprable aircraft.

Glassware and silverware has returned (no knives yet tho) and a preflight beverage has always been offered to me in First.
No hot towels? No ice cream? Smaller and less elegantly prepared meals? Smaller cabins? Good lord what do you think this is? It' a large metal tube that flies thru the air at 500 MPH. If you want more elegantly prepared meals and hot towels, go to a five star restaurant once you get to your destination. You want ice cream, buy yourself a pint of Ben and Jerry's before boarding. Who cares how big the First Class cabin is. A seat is a seat.
Get over it! :mad:

[QUOTE=snokums925]Glassware and silverware has returned (no knives yet tho) and a preflight beverage has always been offered to me in First[QUOTE]

I agree about the preflight beverage, however I can't remember the last time I've seen anything else but plastic cups preflight or during cruise :confused:

Glassware and silverware has returned (no knives yet tho) and a preflight beverage has always been offered to me in First.
No hot towels? No ice cream? Smaller and less elegantly prepared meals? Smaller cabins? Good lord what do you think this is? It' a large metal tube that flies thru the air at 500 MPH. If you want more elegantly prepared meals and hot towels, go to a five star restaurant once you get to your destination. You want ice cream, buy yourself a pint of Ben and Jerry's before boarding. Who cares how big the First Class cabin is. A seat is a seat.
Get over it! :mad:

There's nothing to "get over" if you fly UA, AA or DL. HP is HP a LCC that has a niche but it doesn't pretend to be a big guy, they tried that and failed. You'll have the potential for a great crew or sometimes a not so great crew...the seats aren't so comfortable and the planes are a bit "lived in". I was anti AA until two weeks ago. Flew AA FC from HNL-ORD, AA is pretty AAwesome. They won we back!

Glassware and silverware has returned (no knives yet tho) and a preflight beverage has always been offered to me in First.
No hot towels? No ice cream? Smaller and less elegantly prepared meals? Smaller cabins? Good lord what do you think this is? It' a large metal tube that flies thru the air at 500 MPH. If you want more elegantly prepared meals and hot towels, go to a five star restaurant once you get to your destination. You want ice cream, buy yourself a pint of Ben and Jerry's before boarding. Who cares how big the First Class cabin is. A seat is a seat.
Get over it! :mad:

When you stay at hotels, is a bed a bed regardless of its size or quality? If you are not provided with towels, do you simply say 'ah, well I'll just go outside and dry off'? If there is no shower, should you just use a local lake at some point during your trip? And if you arrive late at the hotel and there is no 24-hour room service, do you resign yourself to starve all night?

Just as many people pay a certain premium to stay at a Westin or Embassy Suites instead of a Red Roof Inn, people here choose to pay for (or receive via status) First Class seating and service. I'm paying for first class so I don't have to go to the restaurant afterwards to get my towel and ice cream - the hot towel, meal, and sundae should be provided onboard on flights of such a length that allow for this.

The analogy is even more true for long-haul journeys, where your roundtrip ticket literally buys you 2 nights (or even 3 or 4 for, say, LAX-NBOrt) aboard an airplane. There, the difference between $1500 for Economy and $5500+ for Business Class becomes $2000 or more 'a night'. A seat is not a seat is not a seat. Good lord what do I think this is? Well, I would hope it would be a five-star airplane seat which, yes, is inside a large metal tube flying through the air - but so what?

The point is that it does matter that HP's low-cost First Class is inferior to AA/DL/NW/CO/UA's, and that since the price is essentially very similar if the OP has status on UA, he will be receiving fewer amenities on HP. And yes, these amenities do matter.

For the price of HP's tickets though, and especially with status on HP, the product is not bad, it is just not the same product as one would expect from a full-service carrier.

If a seat is just a seat, then I have a suggestion for you: bundle up real well, get yourself a folding chair, and plunk yourself in the cargo hold for the duration of your next flight. You'll save yourself money and free up space for more passengers.


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Sorry. The reeling sarcasm was fueled by just having read a horribly aggravating thread about a guy who sued BA (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33257&page=1&pp=15) that goes on for a year and 400 posts but ultimately doesn't even post the resolution. :mad:

Glassware and silverware has returned (no knives yet tho) and a preflight beverage has always been offered to me in First.
No hot towels? No ice cream? Smaller and less elegantly prepared meals? Smaller cabins? Good lord what do you think this is? It' a large metal tube that flies thru the air at 500 MPH. If you want more elegantly prepared meals and hot towels, go to a five star restaurant once you get to your destination. You want ice cream, buy yourself a pint of Ben and Jerry's before boarding. Who cares how big the First Class cabin is. A seat is a seat.
Get over it! :mad:


Well maybe you get glassware, but I don't on my flights!! And your comment about "no ice cream, no hot towels, and smaller and less elegantly prepared meals . . . go to a five star restaurant." Well, snokums, going to a five star restaurant isn't necessary, when one can simply CONTINUE FLYING ON UNITED @:-) . MY POST WAS A COMPARISON AND CONTRAST BETWEEN HP AND UA SERVICE. UA OFFERS ICE CREAM, HOT TOWELS, AND LARGE 24-SEAT F CLASS CABINS ON THEIR 757s (compare to HP's 14 seat cabins) @:-) . AND WHO CARES ABOUT HOW BIG THE CABIN IS?!?!!? UM, CHANCES OF UPGRADES GO UP WITH A LARGER F CLASS CABIN . . . MEANING ON HP YOU'D GET AN UPGRADE LESS OFTEN THAN ON UA, DUH! @:-) What do I think this is?! I THINK IT'S REAL SERVICE ON UNITED AIRLINES @:-) . The poster wanted to know the difference between the service that each offers and I informed him. UA, DL, NW, AS, AA, and CO F class service is MUCH better than HP's, flat out.

And I also love how you assumed that I was complaining about HP service. I wasn't complaining about it, I was attempting to give an unbiased comparison between the two, and with the exception of the silverware, I did so pretty accurately. Why else would I mention hot towels and ice cream and linens if you couldn't get those on UA?!!?!? I totally agree with platbrownguy; go buckle yourself in the cargo hold next flight if it's just "a moving tube" that you think you're sitting in.

Moronic posters like you need to just stop your posting and keep your little :mad: angry faces to yourself when you get upset. After you calm down, learn the facts, THEN make a fool out of yourself again if you so wish to do so.

CHANCES OF UPGRADES GO UP WITH A LARGER F CLASS CABIN . . . MEANING ON HP YOU'D GET AN UPGRADE LESS OFTEN THAN ON UA, DUH! @:-)

Did I miss something or is UA now giving comp upgrades to all elites as HP is?

Having flown all 3 at some point over the last 2 years, I can say that the HP "F" class is a joke. You barely get more pitch than in COACH on UA's E+ or AA's MRTC. And as mentioned here, the service is nothing when compared to either AA or UA.

Personally, after giving each a shot, I'm only flying AA. I usually book about 7-10 days out, and I have yet to find a time when AA's fare isn't equal to or less than HP's. With AA's schedule and FFP, it's a no brainer. If the OP truly hates AA so much, I'd stick to UA.

If the OP truly hates AA so much, I'd stick to UA.

Yeah, if you (to the OP) don't like AA's inflight service, then you won't care for HP very much.

Of course, I'm biased, but have you considered Delta? One of their roundtrips LAX-JFK is operated with BusinessElite configuration on a 767-300ER, providing you with a nice 160-degree recline and five feet of space up front. IFE on these flights is wicked cool, too, for domestic. The rest are on 757s and are still pretty comfortable with 22" wide seats.

DL will almost definitely do at least some sort of a status comp (Ask for Gold (50K) but you'll at least get Silver (25K)), and I've always found upgrades on these segments easy to come by because of the large front cabins (36 on the 767s and 24 on the 757s).

Upgrades are always free for all elites. Hot towels, reasonable meals (at least in quantity ;)), comfy seats, a nice ice cream sundae, and a pretty good drink selection make it a pretty good choice for the route. And if you're worried about DL's financial situation, well... you're already 1P on UA, right ;)?

Moronic posters like you need to just stop your posting and keep your little :mad: angry faces to yourself when you get upset. After you calm down, learn the facts, THEN make a fool out of yourself again if you so wish to do so.

Moronic posters? First off, take a chill pill and keep the personal attacks out of it. If you don't like HP, fly UA, fly whoever the hell you want to. It's your choice. Utilize your ability to make a choice and leave the upgrade seats for me, I don't get near UA. Absolutely like AA but I refuse to fly the MD-80.

Have a great day! :D (oops, sorry. Forgot YOU dont like the smileys!)

Oh, and one other thing--you might want to check your Caps Lock key...it seems to be stuck! @:-)
Sarcasm? You bet.

Moronic posters? First off, take a chill pill and keep the personal attacks out of it. If you don't like HP, fly UA, fly whoever the hell you want to. It's your choice. Utilize your ability to make a choice and leave the upgrade seats for me, I don't get near UA. Absolutely like AA but I refuse to fly the MD-80.

Have a great day! :D (oops, sorry. Forgot YOU dont like the smileys!)

snokums, you started it with your weird rant....you were off base as well. The other posters provided accurate info and I'll second it here and now.

I'm not sure about the LAX and SFO transcons, but out of PHX there is still glassware on routes like EWR, JFK, BOS, and YYZ. For me, that really isn't a factor. The biggest issue is the reduction in Elite bonuses, with smaller issues like tight seat pitch in F and poor quality meals.

I have moved almost completely away from America West but will still continue to use them on the occassional times when it makes the most sense (especially while I have Elite status on them).

I have to second TW1. Though HP FC is , IMO, no where near FC on UA or AA ( and especially not BC on a 3 class plane), the destruction of the FF program has taken me from HP PLT to now silver to soon to be nothing and the other way on UA - from nothing to Premex to soon to be 1K :) - when I can then get international upgrades - another option not available on HP

If you live in LAS - and want to go to JFK, you must connect on UA - using TED (where there is NO First Class,,, :td: ).

So, after 5 years of 1K on UA, I have not made one flight on UA since the introduction of TED, preferring HP First Class non-stop to JFK.
I do agree that UA First Class is superior to HP in every way (even on the tired old 762).

Moronic posters? First off, take a chill pill and keep the personal attacks out of it. If you don't like HP, fly UA, fly whoever the hell you want to. It's your choice. Utilize your ability to make a choice and leave the upgrade seats for me, I don't get near UA. Absolutely like AA but I refuse to fly the MD-80.

Have a great day! :D (oops, sorry. Forgot YOU dont like the smileys!)


Oh, I see, the only way to give me any sort of comeback is to make a low, cheap shot at me? Why not heed your own advice and keep the "personal attacks" out of it? Saying "YOU don't like the smileys" is most definitely a personal attack. Or is hypocrisy just an easier escape? All I did was post relevant information, and your senseless comments caused my rant. As an earlier poster said, YOU started it.

And WHEN did I ever say I don't like HP? I think I've made made it clear more than once that I do like flying HP and, seeing as I have silver status, I do so frequently.

Clearly you're new to flyertalk and haven't read all the posts that have been on this particular forum in the past 9 months or so regarding the service on HP. Nor have you learned how to post respectful comments to previous posts, and remember my response to your post was more than warranted.

I see you've taken to following my advice, and made a fool out of yourself again. Go ahead, post another childish, sarcastic reply, but I won't read it because your own my ignore list.


Moderator(s): I think the original poster has received all the information he/she needs. May I suggest we close this thread?

Moderator(s): I think the original poster has received all the information he/she needs. May I suggest we close this thread?



OK, kids, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

I don't see any reason to lock it yet, as long as we stay on the topic at hand and stop focusing the comments on one another. Chill!