US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Newbie FC transcon question

I fly UA quite a bit. Booking on US for the first time and was wondering if you would share insights and if doing a transcon in F from LAX~CLT is there any benefit to choosing the A321 over the A320 for service, seat room, quality etc? What sort of F meals are to be expected? Similar to United First?

Thanks much,
Cyber1K

Only difference between the 321 versus 320 is the number of FC seats (26 vs 16). Pitch and width are the same.

As far as meal service, there's a current thread on "hot meals in F". Do a seach and you'll find your answer.

Not a reply, but adding my question to this title. I've tried Search, but most of the info is a year old or more, or transat instead...
I've had a bunch of DM miles that I started accumulating back in the good old Piedmont days -- finally decided to make use of them. DH and I are travelling transcon from BDL to LAX via CLT and back in September, and have our award tickets booked (A321 and A320). We're looking forward to more room especially, and ... what else? Other than more seat and legroom, what does Envoy get you? News about the return of a hot meal is welcome. Maybe we won't need to eat breakfast in CLT between flights after all!

Any preferred seats? I tried Seatguru, but the diagram for the A321 does not load properly to the page (over multiple efforts).

The confirmation email included a coupon for 50% off the one-day price for US Club membership. Is it worth it? What does it offer?

So far, I've been in the back of the bus for domestic flights, but I have done BA Club World a few times which set the bar pretty high. I know US Envoy won't touch that... :D

And thanks to the FT board, we knew to avoid the more frequent BDL routing via PHL. We like CLT, ever since those Piedmont days. ^

BDL to LAX via CLT? If that is the correct routing you will in domestic F. Envoy is their Intl C product.

Domestically you will get more room in F, complimentary meal and drinks (including alcohol), complimentary headsets for the IFE, and the infamous snack basket :) Depending if when you go you may get the return of a hot meal in F and if it is in the fall, hopefully we'll see the return of the XOXOs.

On the A321 I like row 4, which is in the middle of the F cabin, but with the exception of the bulkhead row all of the seats are pretty similar. In F the rows are staggered so there is no one directly across from you.

On the A320, I like row 2. Good view of the LCD screen then in row 1 or 3 and not right up against the fore or aft bulkhead as in rows 1 & 4.

All of the A321s and A320s have Empower ports at every seat in Y & F so if you have an adapter a a laptop you can run your computer for the entire flight.

The confirmation email included a coupon for 50% off the one-day price for US Club membership. Is it worth it? What does it offer?
^

I just took them up on that offer this past Tuesday during a segment run and checked out the clubs in CLT and PHL.

Personally, I didn't think it was worth it. But then again, I was doing a segment run and didn't have hours of time to kill in the airports. They are definitely nice, and quieter than being out in the airport. The snacks were kinda' lame I thought. In the morning all that was out was some mini muffins and coffee and yogurt (I think). After that it was just regular old pretzels. Later that day, around lunchtime, I had some drinks (the alcoholic kind) which are not free anymore. According to them, they charge a "nominal" fee, but it was $5, and for a drink, I think that's pretty much full price.

Also ate lunch there, I thought the lunches were the same price that they are in flight (which I thought was $7). Well, no, it was $11 for half of a wrap with some turkey and lettuce on it, a bag of chips and a couple of cookies. Definitely not worth it.

I was looking forward to the world famous cheese and crackers, but they didn't start until 4PM so I planned on getting some in the club in CLT, but couldn't because my flight leaving PHL pulled back on time but then sat for 1 1/2 hours before taking off, so I had to high-tail it to make my connection in CLT. So no cheese and crackers for me.

Anyway, I ended up spending a total of $56 on the day pass and food and drinks.

I think I would have enjoyed myself much more spending it at more mainstream restaurants and bars in the terminal.

But that was just me. You might like it. I would probably recommend trying it if you are curious. I just didn't think it was worth it. And I couldn't imagine paying hundreds of dollars a year to be a member and then still have to pay for every alcoholic drink that you had.

Many thanks for the quick responses: you told me just what I needed to know.

And Kennyboy, I agree about the, um, "usefulness" of the club pass offer. Our connection times are not that long, and we know CLT has some good browsing/noshing opportunities out there for all to enjoy. No need to spend more $$ for less benefit! (We'd rather save them for our time in Kauai... ;) )

Thanks to all who replied. After reading some other posts about disappointing F Class experiences on US, I have refunded the US ticket and booked UA. Hope to try US after I hear a little more positive feedback.

Hopefully things will get better with the merger. I have never flown in FC, but will be making US GP next week thanks to the challenge.

I look forward to booking my first mileage run as a GP in August and using my new status to, hopefully, upgrade to FC. I will probably continue to do 8 segment day trips up and down the East Coast, but with hot meals returning to FC on August 1, I am very tempted to do a day trip out to SFO and back just to spend 5 1/2 hours each way in FC enjoying the meals, movie and drinks, assuming of course I could snag the upgrades. Looks like CLT to SFO is usually on an Airbus 321 though, so there would be a chance on a mid-week flight I believe.

Can't wait to try out those new GP "superpowers". :D

So I'm flying mid August SFO-CLT-FLL in paid FC. I've never flown on US Air, but the flight times and price was much better than UA. So I in the search I saw Hot Food is to return on August 1, so is this comperable to UA FC meals? The flight out is at 6:45 am - so obviously breakfast. The flight back is at 7:20 pm, will I still get dinner or is there a cut-off time when flights no longer have meal service?

Thanks.

Also what is XOXOs? Thanks.

I flew first class CLT-LAX last week on US 193, departure 17:40, and LAX-CLT yesterday on US 192, departure 07:15. In both cases the first class meal was simply the coach meal (box), offered at no extra charge. No hot meals were offered.

you need a calendar, dude. it's not august yet. ;)

Also what is XOXOs? Thanks.

They're chocolate bars that sort of look like KitKats and taste really good. US Airways removes them in the summer because the chocolate melts due to warmer temperatures.

They're chocolate bars that sort of look like KitKats and taste really good. US Airways removes them in the summer because the chocolate melts due to warmer temperatures.

If I would have known there would be candy involved, I would have started working on my miles so much eariler in life.

Now, if only there were some way to get the candy bars on the Dash-8s that fly out of CHA to CLT about half the time, I'd be the happiest camper.

jaymay-

Your comment about XOXOs on Dash-8s got me thinking what might happen to our beloved chocolate snacks once HP takes over. Will the snack basket continue?

By the way, the snack basket has all kinds of treasures- Cape Cod potato chips (though sometimes they're missing), Biscoff wafers, Walker shortbread chocolate chip cookies, cashews, pretzels, cereal bars (for morning flights), etc.

jaymay-

By the way, the snack basket has all kinds of treasures- Cape Cod potato chips (though sometimes they're missing), Biscoff wafers, Walker shortbread chocolate chip cookies, cashews, pretzels, cereal bars (for morning flights), etc.

Slightly o/t: My parents were at the PIT club yesterday AM, and they said they had Biscoffs out instead of the usual biscotti. I've never seen Biscoffs in any of the clubs before.

Slightly o/t: My parents were at the PIT club yesterday AM, and they said they had Biscoffs out instead of the usual biscotti. I've never seen Biscoffs in any of the clubs before.


I have also seen the Biscoffs out at PIT, and they weren't in the plastic wrappered two-packs. I was tempted to ask the ladies at the desk if someone actually unwrapped a whole brick of Biscoffs...

So I'm flying mid August SFO-CLT-FLL in paid FC. I've never flown on US Air, but the flight times and price was much better than UA. So I in the search I saw Hot Food is to return on August 1, so is this comperable to UA FC meals? The flight out is at 6:45 am - so obviously breakfast. The flight back is at 7:20 pm, will I still get dinner or is there a cut-off time when flights no longer have meal service?

Thanks.

Also what is XOXOs? Thanks.


Even though hot meals will return, they still won't be comparable to UA F service. UA offers a bigger, more generous, and it's safe to say better quality food. Also, presentation would be better on UA, with linens, real silverware and real glassware used, compared to plastic everything on US. But even so, I've found US transcon F meals, especially breakfast, to be pretty tasty, and compared to the cold boxed meals currently offered, the return of hot meals will be leaps and bounds of improvement.

Even though hot meals will return, they still won't be comparable to UA F service. UA offers a bigger, more generous, and it's safe to say better quality food. Also, presentation would be better on UA, with linens, real silverware and real glassware used, compared to plastic everything on US.

What's your basis for this statement? I'm not disagreeing with you at all or trying to be argumentative. I'm just wondering what you've read or heard that I have not, insofar that you already know the new hot F service will be substandard to UA.

Thanks.