Part 6: UAL 896 (HKG-ORD) in F with Pictures
Sep 7, 2003, 9:15 pm
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2000
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Part 6: UAL 896 (HKG-ORD) in F with Pictures
Review of Sixth Segment:
Flight: UA 896
Route: HKG-ORD
Aircraft Type: 747
Class: First Class
Seat: 4J
Departure: September 6, 2003 (Saturday) 12:30
Arrival: September 6, 2003 (Saturday) 14:40
Previous segment reviews can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003996.html
Well, ready for my trip back to Toronto after a wonderful week in Asia (4 days in Bali and 2 days in Hong Kong).
Pictures of this segment can be located here:
http://public.fotki.com/ACfly/air_tr..._hkg-ord_in_f/
Check-in: (See pictures)
I checked in at 1030 at the First Class check-in. I was warmly greeted by two check in agents. One was preparing my boarding pass, the other was filling out for me the declaration form for leaving Hong Kong. (wow!). Was given the pass to the First Class Lounge. The agent gave me the directions to the lounge, and wished me a pleasant flight. The check-in was fast efficient and friendly – my best experience with check-in so far on this trip. 5/5 for check-in.
Lounge: (See pictures)
United (along with the other Star Alliance) has a beautiful and spacious lounge in HKG near Gate 60, where most of United flights depart from (see pictures). The lounge is located on the top floor (maybe 2nd? Had to take an elevator up) and the lounge is right above the Pier (CX’s lounge).
Was again warmly greeted by the lounge agent and escorted to a discreet frosty doors which led to the First Class section! This First class lounge was empty when I entered but quickly filled up closer to boarding. It was quite large for a First class lounge but about a third smaller than the main business lounge. I found the first class lounge a little dark. There was one computer with a VERY SLOW internet access in this First class lounge (I really wish that lounges would upgrade their internet links with high-speed. It doesn’t cost a lot. A lot of people now rely more and more on internet access including me). The lounge has two full y equipped private bathrooms with shower facilities which are filled Molton Brown toiletries. There was a nice bar and a small selection of hot and cold food buffet (see pictures). The hot food consisted of a selection of dim sum (steamed shrimp and pork dumplings and pork buns) and a Chicken fettuccini pasta selection. For the cold section, there were pre-made and pre-wrapped sandwiches, some vegetables, and an assortments of nuts, cheese and crackers.
There were two attendants in the lounge. One was responsible for the cleaning and the other was a server. Once I entered, I was asked by the server what I wanted to drink… I found a nice quiet seat in the corner and began my trip report for this segment as the agent brought my drink selection.
With two and a half hours before my flight, I managed to do some lounge hopping to the Business class section and to the Thai lounge right next door.
The Business section of the United lounge is much larger than the First class section (about 3 times larger). I found it to be brighter and more spacious (see pictures). There were three computers hooked up to the internet (again way TOO slow access) and had a very nice view of the planes docking outside (including the United Boeing 747 to Chicago – see picture). I did hot find any hot food in the business section of the lounge (only cheese and crackers, instant noodles, etc…).
After taking a few more pictures, I went right next door to the Thai lounge. It was odd to see the Thai lounge right next to the United Lounge given that both are Star Alliance members. I showed the lounge attendant my boarding class and was invited to the First class section of the lounge which was to the right. The Thai lounge is much smaller than the United Lounge… It was decorated in a Thai motive which I thought was very nice! There was a nice selection of food (both hot and cold). I went into the Business class section, and it had similar offerings… After taking some pictures, I then went back to the United lounge. The Thai lounge agent looked rather confused and asked if everything was ok with the lounge. She thought maybe there was something wrong because I was leaving within less than five minutes of coming in… I informed her that I was coming in to just take pictures for my FlT report.
Noticing that I was taking some pictures, a manager of the United lounge came over and advised me that taking pictures was not allowed. I exercised my First Class privilege and showed her my boarding pass.. She saw that I was in F class and apologized… The power of being in First Class J I continued my picture taking without any further interruptions…. (you can see my sacrifice to get these pictures for our folks at Flyertalk! J)
At 11:30, an agent came by my seat in the lounge to inform me that boarding had commenced. There was a long line of people queuing the first and business class line.
Prior to takeoff, menus pillows, blankets, headsets and the amenity kit were distributed. The amenity kit for First class was exactly the same as the Business class one. There was nothing particular interesting about it. The kti (in what looks like a small shoe bag) contained toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizers, sock, eyeshade and lip balm. There were no pajamas or slippers in F-class which was a disappointment. I was beginning to wonder what the difference was between F and J cabin…
Service – 1 out of 5
Well, I must say, after being pampered on Asiana Airlines and Cathay Pacific, I can definitely say United service SUCKS in First Class. There was no greeting when I boarded the plane. There was a food cart in front of the galley that prevented me from getting to my seat 4J… None of the crew on board offered to move the cart, and I had to backtrack to the other side to get to my seat. There were no FA’s in the F-class cabin o help with the carry-on. About 2 minutes after I was seated, one of the FA’s came offering drinks… I can definitely confirm that the rumor of old depressing hags serving F-class in United is not a rumor… It was alive and, unfortunately servicing this cabin… The FA serving the drinks was the most depressing person I have every seen… She had this “I don’t really want to serve you, but I was forced to until I get my huge package” look….She had the meanest look, did not smile at all, and did not greet passengers. I kept praying for a smile… but sadly no smiles. Unlike Asiana or Cathay, there was no “Hello, and welcome onboard United Mr XXX. We value you business greatly. My name is YYY and I have the privilege of serving you on this flight. May I offer you Champagne or Orange juice?’ Anyways, she came over and said with a snappy voice :” Champagne or orange juice”.. I could just sense her thinking… [I}” Come on, hurry up and make the selection so I can sit”[/I] Anyways, you get the idea….. This continued throughout the rest of the flight… and I had to continually push the attendant button ask for things such as more water, coffee fill-up. At one point, I gave up asking, and just went and got the bottle water from the trolley. I should have also gone in and heated up my own dinner because at dinner, the FA came by seat and informed me that she forgot to put my selection in the oven, so it would be 30minute wait.. and walked away with no apologies…I might sound a bit harsh, but this is FIRST CLASS for goodness sake…Thank goodness I was using points and not having to pay for this flight…
Meal
Shortly after takeoff the Lunch menu was handed out.
The wine list was as follows:
The food was mediocre at best. Quality was substandard even for business class but I was expecting a little more for First class. I had the Sea Bass and it was way too oily. The rice was way too soft for my liking. Everything was pre-plated other than the cheese selection.
Shortly before landing we had a snack with a choice of either of Savory chicken and mushroom stew in a puff pastry or fresh seasonal fruit plate with creamy yogurt.. Given the 14 hours flight, one full meal and a snack doesn’t quite cut it… The Asiana flight had 3 large meals…. As a result a lot of folks on UA were definitely hungry as the snacks bar was quickly depleted.
Food was definitely not up to standards of Asiana First Class, CX Business Class, or Air Canada International Business First class…
The SEATS:
The seat was the only thing making this flight in F-class enjoyable, and which distinguished it from J cabin. The seats were the new suites. There were 14 suites on this 747 with a 1-2-1 configuration. It felt rather crowded on and tight in First class with the suites. After reading some suggestions from fellow FT’s, I played with my seat prior to take off to make sure that it was working properly. Everything seemed to be in order other than the reading lamp which I was told had no battery and would not work .The suite was very comfortable… It can turn into a 180degree bed very quickly. I was quite impressed with the design of the suite. It allowed passengers to eat and do work at the same time and had lots of storage space and work counter.
The IFE was okay, not great… The screen was small and there was no AVOD. Instead F-class passengers were given tapes of the movie(s) that they wanted to watch. The selections were ok,, but not as good (I thought) as CX.
The seats have laptop power and so I was able to do a lot of catch up on work.
What I didn’t like about the seat was that there was no privacy screen, and given how close the seats were to each other, you could see the other person sleeping….
In addition, there was no barrier or curtain separating First Class from Business class.. It was wide open.. and as a result the 2 washrooms that were designated for F-class were always crowded with J passengers….
If you are flying this route, and are in F class, I would recommend seats in row 2. Avoid rows 1 and 5. Row 1 is so close to the wall, you could feel rather triap for space. Row 5 Is the last row and closet to the galley and washroom – quite noisy.. and the lights from the galley are turned on throughout the flight so sleeping could be a problem. Row 2 is the best row because it’s 1-1 configuration.. there are no middle 2 seats so there are no neighbors to contend with.
We landed in ORD about 10minutes earlier . Upon deplaning, an agent was wating outside for F-class passengers who had connections to invite them to the Arrival Lounge which was locared in terminal 1 concourse C. I don’t quite understand why the arrival lounge would not be in the international arrivals terminal.
After a 15 minute commute to concourse C, I found the discreet door tucked away by Customer service which led to the F-class arrival lounge. The lounge was nothing particularly special (see pictures). I was surprised that it was quite large (larger than the one in HKG), but it did not offer as many amenities as HKG. There was no hot food. Just cheese & Crackers, selection of Fresh fruits, owls of nuts., and a self serve bar. There was no computer In the lounge. I made my way to the Shower room upon presenting my Boarding pass. There were six shower rooms (which were VERY nice – all MARBLE)…There were all the toiletries required, however they were not Molton Brown like those in HKG. They were Aerosense products (I have never heard of them before). I was pleasantly surprised to seat a towel warmer as well as a nice terry robe. Once showered and shaved, it was time to catch my flight from ORD-LGA.
RATING
Overall, I would never pay first class on United if I am going to Asia… Would definitely chose any of the Asian Arirlines (like CX, SQ, OZ)…
LOUNGE: 5/5 Excellent lounge.
CHECK-IN: 5/5 Fast, friendly and efficient
BOARDING: 3/5 Long lines.. First and Business boarded together
FOOD: 2/5 OK for Business not First Class
SERVICE: 1/5 Get rid of the attitude FA’s… This is FIRST class for goodness sake….
SEAT: 5/5 Very Comfortable…
IFE: 4/5 not AVOD, small screen,
OVERALL: 2/5
[This message has been edited by ACfly (edited 09-07-2003).]
Flight: UA 896
Route: HKG-ORD
Aircraft Type: 747
Class: First Class
Seat: 4J
Departure: September 6, 2003 (Saturday) 12:30
Arrival: September 6, 2003 (Saturday) 14:40
Previous segment reviews can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003996.html
Well, ready for my trip back to Toronto after a wonderful week in Asia (4 days in Bali and 2 days in Hong Kong).
Pictures of this segment can be located here:
http://public.fotki.com/ACfly/air_tr..._hkg-ord_in_f/
Check-in: (See pictures)
I checked in at 1030 at the First Class check-in. I was warmly greeted by two check in agents. One was preparing my boarding pass, the other was filling out for me the declaration form for leaving Hong Kong. (wow!). Was given the pass to the First Class Lounge. The agent gave me the directions to the lounge, and wished me a pleasant flight. The check-in was fast efficient and friendly – my best experience with check-in so far on this trip. 5/5 for check-in.
Lounge: (See pictures)
United (along with the other Star Alliance) has a beautiful and spacious lounge in HKG near Gate 60, where most of United flights depart from (see pictures). The lounge is located on the top floor (maybe 2nd? Had to take an elevator up) and the lounge is right above the Pier (CX’s lounge).
Was again warmly greeted by the lounge agent and escorted to a discreet frosty doors which led to the First Class section! This First class lounge was empty when I entered but quickly filled up closer to boarding. It was quite large for a First class lounge but about a third smaller than the main business lounge. I found the first class lounge a little dark. There was one computer with a VERY SLOW internet access in this First class lounge (I really wish that lounges would upgrade their internet links with high-speed. It doesn’t cost a lot. A lot of people now rely more and more on internet access including me). The lounge has two full y equipped private bathrooms with shower facilities which are filled Molton Brown toiletries. There was a nice bar and a small selection of hot and cold food buffet (see pictures). The hot food consisted of a selection of dim sum (steamed shrimp and pork dumplings and pork buns) and a Chicken fettuccini pasta selection. For the cold section, there were pre-made and pre-wrapped sandwiches, some vegetables, and an assortments of nuts, cheese and crackers.
There were two attendants in the lounge. One was responsible for the cleaning and the other was a server. Once I entered, I was asked by the server what I wanted to drink… I found a nice quiet seat in the corner and began my trip report for this segment as the agent brought my drink selection.
With two and a half hours before my flight, I managed to do some lounge hopping to the Business class section and to the Thai lounge right next door.
The Business section of the United lounge is much larger than the First class section (about 3 times larger). I found it to be brighter and more spacious (see pictures). There were three computers hooked up to the internet (again way TOO slow access) and had a very nice view of the planes docking outside (including the United Boeing 747 to Chicago – see picture). I did hot find any hot food in the business section of the lounge (only cheese and crackers, instant noodles, etc…).
After taking a few more pictures, I went right next door to the Thai lounge. It was odd to see the Thai lounge right next to the United Lounge given that both are Star Alliance members. I showed the lounge attendant my boarding class and was invited to the First class section of the lounge which was to the right. The Thai lounge is much smaller than the United Lounge… It was decorated in a Thai motive which I thought was very nice! There was a nice selection of food (both hot and cold). I went into the Business class section, and it had similar offerings… After taking some pictures, I then went back to the United lounge. The Thai lounge agent looked rather confused and asked if everything was ok with the lounge. She thought maybe there was something wrong because I was leaving within less than five minutes of coming in… I informed her that I was coming in to just take pictures for my FlT report.
Noticing that I was taking some pictures, a manager of the United lounge came over and advised me that taking pictures was not allowed. I exercised my First Class privilege and showed her my boarding pass.. She saw that I was in F class and apologized… The power of being in First Class J I continued my picture taking without any further interruptions…. (you can see my sacrifice to get these pictures for our folks at Flyertalk! J)
At 11:30, an agent came by my seat in the lounge to inform me that boarding had commenced. There was a long line of people queuing the first and business class line.
Prior to takeoff, menus pillows, blankets, headsets and the amenity kit were distributed. The amenity kit for First class was exactly the same as the Business class one. There was nothing particular interesting about it. The kti (in what looks like a small shoe bag) contained toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizers, sock, eyeshade and lip balm. There were no pajamas or slippers in F-class which was a disappointment. I was beginning to wonder what the difference was between F and J cabin…
Service – 1 out of 5
Well, I must say, after being pampered on Asiana Airlines and Cathay Pacific, I can definitely say United service SUCKS in First Class. There was no greeting when I boarded the plane. There was a food cart in front of the galley that prevented me from getting to my seat 4J… None of the crew on board offered to move the cart, and I had to backtrack to the other side to get to my seat. There were no FA’s in the F-class cabin o help with the carry-on. About 2 minutes after I was seated, one of the FA’s came offering drinks… I can definitely confirm that the rumor of old depressing hags serving F-class in United is not a rumor… It was alive and, unfortunately servicing this cabin… The FA serving the drinks was the most depressing person I have every seen… She had this “I don’t really want to serve you, but I was forced to until I get my huge package” look….She had the meanest look, did not smile at all, and did not greet passengers. I kept praying for a smile… but sadly no smiles. Unlike Asiana or Cathay, there was no “Hello, and welcome onboard United Mr XXX. We value you business greatly. My name is YYY and I have the privilege of serving you on this flight. May I offer you Champagne or Orange juice?’ Anyways, she came over and said with a snappy voice :” Champagne or orange juice”.. I could just sense her thinking… [I}” Come on, hurry up and make the selection so I can sit”[/I] Anyways, you get the idea….. This continued throughout the rest of the flight… and I had to continually push the attendant button ask for things such as more water, coffee fill-up. At one point, I gave up asking, and just went and got the bottle water from the trolley. I should have also gone in and heated up my own dinner because at dinner, the FA came by seat and informed me that she forgot to put my selection in the oven, so it would be 30minute wait.. and walked away with no apologies…I might sound a bit harsh, but this is FIRST CLASS for goodness sake…Thank goodness I was using points and not having to pay for this flight…
Meal
Shortly after takeoff the Lunch menu was handed out.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">LUNCH Menu
- Appetizer – Choice of:
Sauteed shrimp on shiitake polenta, Roasted garlic and tomato sauce
or
Oven-roasted tomato on a puff pastry with goat cheese, cilantro olive tapenade vinaigrette - Garden Fresh Salad
- Entree: Choice of
(a) Filet mignon with bacon demi-glace
or
(b) Breast of chicken stuffed with spinach and ricotta
or
(c) Stir-fried seafood with egg noodles and black bean sauce
or
(d) Deep-fried sea bass with mushroom garlic sauce. - Cheese and fruit Selection
- Haagen-Dazs ice cream with sundae toppings
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">WINE LIST
- Champagne: Pol Roger Brut
- White Wine: Rully Chardonnay 1998 Burgundy
- White Wine: Hugel Pinot Gris 1999 Alsace
- White Wine: Jackson Estate Marlborough 2002 Sauvignon Blanc
- White Wine: Alderbrook Dry Creek Valley Sonoma 1999 Chardonnay
- Red Wine: Nuits St. George Pinot Noir 1999, Burgundy
- Red Wine: Syrah Gigondas 2000 Cotes du Rhone
- Red Wine: Robert Mondavi Napa Valley
Shortly before landing we had a snack with a choice of either of Savory chicken and mushroom stew in a puff pastry or fresh seasonal fruit plate with creamy yogurt.. Given the 14 hours flight, one full meal and a snack doesn’t quite cut it… The Asiana flight had 3 large meals…. As a result a lot of folks on UA were definitely hungry as the snacks bar was quickly depleted.
Food was definitely not up to standards of Asiana First Class, CX Business Class, or Air Canada International Business First class…
The SEATS:
The seat was the only thing making this flight in F-class enjoyable, and which distinguished it from J cabin. The seats were the new suites. There were 14 suites on this 747 with a 1-2-1 configuration. It felt rather crowded on and tight in First class with the suites. After reading some suggestions from fellow FT’s, I played with my seat prior to take off to make sure that it was working properly. Everything seemed to be in order other than the reading lamp which I was told had no battery and would not work .The suite was very comfortable… It can turn into a 180degree bed very quickly. I was quite impressed with the design of the suite. It allowed passengers to eat and do work at the same time and had lots of storage space and work counter.
The IFE was okay, not great… The screen was small and there was no AVOD. Instead F-class passengers were given tapes of the movie(s) that they wanted to watch. The selections were ok,, but not as good (I thought) as CX.
The seats have laptop power and so I was able to do a lot of catch up on work.
What I didn’t like about the seat was that there was no privacy screen, and given how close the seats were to each other, you could see the other person sleeping….
In addition, there was no barrier or curtain separating First Class from Business class.. It was wide open.. and as a result the 2 washrooms that were designated for F-class were always crowded with J passengers….
If you are flying this route, and are in F class, I would recommend seats in row 2. Avoid rows 1 and 5. Row 1 is so close to the wall, you could feel rather triap for space. Row 5 Is the last row and closet to the galley and washroom – quite noisy.. and the lights from the galley are turned on throughout the flight so sleeping could be a problem. Row 2 is the best row because it’s 1-1 configuration.. there are no middle 2 seats so there are no neighbors to contend with.
We landed in ORD about 10minutes earlier . Upon deplaning, an agent was wating outside for F-class passengers who had connections to invite them to the Arrival Lounge which was locared in terminal 1 concourse C. I don’t quite understand why the arrival lounge would not be in the international arrivals terminal.
After a 15 minute commute to concourse C, I found the discreet door tucked away by Customer service which led to the F-class arrival lounge. The lounge was nothing particularly special (see pictures). I was surprised that it was quite large (larger than the one in HKG), but it did not offer as many amenities as HKG. There was no hot food. Just cheese & Crackers, selection of Fresh fruits, owls of nuts., and a self serve bar. There was no computer In the lounge. I made my way to the Shower room upon presenting my Boarding pass. There were six shower rooms (which were VERY nice – all MARBLE)…There were all the toiletries required, however they were not Molton Brown like those in HKG. They were Aerosense products (I have never heard of them before). I was pleasantly surprised to seat a towel warmer as well as a nice terry robe. Once showered and shaved, it was time to catch my flight from ORD-LGA.
RATING
Overall, I would never pay first class on United if I am going to Asia… Would definitely chose any of the Asian Arirlines (like CX, SQ, OZ)…
LOUNGE: 5/5 Excellent lounge.
CHECK-IN: 5/5 Fast, friendly and efficient
BOARDING: 3/5 Long lines.. First and Business boarded together
FOOD: 2/5 OK for Business not First Class
SERVICE: 1/5 Get rid of the attitude FA’s… This is FIRST class for goodness sake….
SEAT: 5/5 Very Comfortable…
IFE: 4/5 not AVOD, small screen,
OVERALL: 2/5
[This message has been edited by ACfly (edited 09-07-2003).]
Last edited by ACfly; Jun 4, 2006 at 2:59 am Reason: Updated links
Sep 7, 2003, 9:56 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: SEATTLE, WA USA
Programs: UAL, AA, AS, CX
Posts: 1,973
Ya know I have to say the UAL F seats don't look all that private compared to BA or QF. I liked it allot on QF when you sat in your F suite no one could really see you from behind. These sat backs look lower and similar to CX.
Sep 8, 2003, 9:33 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: Bar Alliance Gold
Posts: 16,271
Thanks for the pictures!
F on a 747 sure looks a heck of a lot more crowded than on the 777, which I am sure is due to the design of the 747.
Sorry to hear that the FAs were sub-par. Seems to be the rule, and not the exception on trans-Pacific premium cabin travel. Can't understand why all my domestic FC crews are universally absolutely fabulous. I always figured it was my cheery attitude, but all of you have it too, and it seems to just bounce right off the international crews.
Must say the food sure looked less then appetizing. Especially for International First. www.airlinemeals.net shows much tastier offerings in Business class across the Atlantic. Heck, I've eaten better in domestic First recently.
On the positive side, the lounges (especially First) looked really nice. And the food looked better then what was aboard, so I would just take one of the trays with me.
Looks more and more like I will fly SEA-JFK to fly ANA XF to NRT rather than go direct on UA.
[This message has been edited by SEA_Tigger (edited 09-08-2003).]
F on a 747 sure looks a heck of a lot more crowded than on the 777, which I am sure is due to the design of the 747.
Sorry to hear that the FAs were sub-par. Seems to be the rule, and not the exception on trans-Pacific premium cabin travel. Can't understand why all my domestic FC crews are universally absolutely fabulous. I always figured it was my cheery attitude, but all of you have it too, and it seems to just bounce right off the international crews.
Must say the food sure looked less then appetizing. Especially for International First. www.airlinemeals.net shows much tastier offerings in Business class across the Atlantic. Heck, I've eaten better in domestic First recently.
On the positive side, the lounges (especially First) looked really nice. And the food looked better then what was aboard, so I would just take one of the trays with me.
Looks more and more like I will fly SEA-JFK to fly ANA XF to NRT rather than go direct on UA.
[This message has been edited by SEA_Tigger (edited 09-08-2003).]
Sep 8, 2003, 9:52 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 94
ACFly you've provided an excellent report. Thank you!
At first I was a little shocked to see photos in the cabin of other passengers. I felt like I was snooping on their privacy to look at the photos... then realised you have been very discreet (none on their faces are visible and are blurred).
Please, if anyone sees me asleep with my mouth open on a long haul flight, do not take my photo!
Thank you for the photos. Your photos help a great deal to see what the arrangements are really like.
[This message has been edited by vigneron (edited 09-08-2003).]
At first I was a little shocked to see photos in the cabin of other passengers. I felt like I was snooping on their privacy to look at the photos... then realised you have been very discreet (none on their faces are visible and are blurred).
Please, if anyone sees me asleep with my mouth open on a long haul flight, do not take my photo!
Thank you for the photos. Your photos help a great deal to see what the arrangements are really like.
[This message has been edited by vigneron (edited 09-08-2003).]
Sep 8, 2003, 10:46 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Medford, OR
Programs: UA1K/3MM, AA & DL 1MM, *wood Plat, Hertz Pres.
Posts: 588
I just did the HGK-SFO flight in First and the crew is HKG based. Wow, what a difference. They were nice, polite and helfpu. Take the SEA-NRT (875) flight and again you will see the the iceage didn't get all the dinosaurs, some fly for United. Just as you recall, being polite, kind and offering assistance was a true ordeal for some.
------------------
UA-GS/1K, (M-M)-AA/DL,
Hilton Diamond, Starwood Plt.
------------------
UA-GS/1K, (M-M)-AA/DL,
Hilton Diamond, Starwood Plt.
Sep 8, 2003, 2:37 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
Thanks for the report!
UA service can really be a bumper, especially you have the ORD-based crew. Nevertheless, I have great USA-based crew before, like a nice NRT-LAX flight a couple years ago. The HK based or the NRT based or even the TPE based (history soon) is better though... of course, nothing comes better than the historical BKK and SIN-based F/As -- best service ever...
UA F meal services are extremely weak. I personally think most airlines' J meals are better than F meals... F meals used to be good when they still have the canape service, soup service, salad cart... but this has become history... The light meal concept is really awful too... I think UA should serve two full meals and one light meal for the 15 hours flight between ORD and HKG.
I guess the differences between F and J in F will be elaborate meal service (no casserole entree dishes), cheese tray and sundae cart, and the suites...nothing more... nothing less...
It is sad to see UA come to this end... I think it is time for United to reconsider the two class concept, but I guess the Japanese markets demand F class (and some FT members like F class too).
Carfield
UA service can really be a bumper, especially you have the ORD-based crew. Nevertheless, I have great USA-based crew before, like a nice NRT-LAX flight a couple years ago. The HK based or the NRT based or even the TPE based (history soon) is better though... of course, nothing comes better than the historical BKK and SIN-based F/As -- best service ever...
UA F meal services are extremely weak. I personally think most airlines' J meals are better than F meals... F meals used to be good when they still have the canape service, soup service, salad cart... but this has become history... The light meal concept is really awful too... I think UA should serve two full meals and one light meal for the 15 hours flight between ORD and HKG.
I guess the differences between F and J in F will be elaborate meal service (no casserole entree dishes), cheese tray and sundae cart, and the suites...nothing more... nothing less...
It is sad to see UA come to this end... I think it is time for United to reconsider the two class concept, but I guess the Japanese markets demand F class (and some FT members like F class too).
Carfield
Sep 12, 2003, 2:51 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: New York, NY AA EXP
Posts: 92
Great report and loved the photos. American carriers continue to have little or no understanding of service. Flew first on Qantas to New Zealand last year and had an absolutley amazing flight. In addition to the food being very tasty and well presented, the staff could not have been more professional! Always there to help you...even in the middle of the night when everyone was sleeping. Shouldn't this be the case when someone (or in my case work) is paying well over $12,000 return!!!
Sep 12, 2003, 3:49 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 579
In responce to the lack of curtains between first and business class, all US carriers were required by the end of June 2003 to remove cabin dividing curtains in the intrest of security. This allows the flight attendats to have an unobstructed view down the aisle and it allows any sky marshalls(sp?) to have a view down the entire aircraft.
Some UA flight attendants elect to make an announcement regarding the open curtains and they request that passengers utilize the restrooms within their own cabin. Not everyone listens.
Some UA flight attendants elect to make an announcement regarding the open curtains and they request that passengers utilize the restrooms within their own cabin. Not everyone listens.
Sep 12, 2003, 9:00 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: ORD, HKG
Programs: UA*G, AA Emerald, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt globalist
Posts: 10,279
Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with the crew. In contrast, I do had the best on united F and C, rather than others. Been on J in CX, LAX-HKG, even pursers didn't greet any F or J passengers at all, just keep chatting with other FA, although she did mention my name for the dinner orders.
Curtains are not allowed to close or they had already taken it off due to security measures. It is good though you only need to share the toliets with C passengers. On CX, since their configuration for 744 had a large part of Y class, it always need to share with Y passengers when you seated in J, they always come to the front, and no FA could stop them from comming.
Curtains are not allowed to close or they had already taken it off due to security measures. It is good though you only need to share the toliets with C passengers. On CX, since their configuration for 744 had a large part of Y class, it always need to share with Y passengers when you seated in J, they always come to the front, and no FA could stop them from comming.
Sep 12, 2003, 11:47 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
hi,
i am a big fan of the UA lounge in HKG. I dont use showers so I dont care that they look dirty most of the time. If I need internet, I use the TG lounge or the Priority Pass lounge (lots of free computers) right close to the UA lounge. UA lounge also has one dedicated LH lady to greet the LH pax. I have never seen the lounge crowded.
i am a big fan of the UA lounge in HKG. I dont use showers so I dont care that they look dirty most of the time. If I need internet, I use the TG lounge or the Priority Pass lounge (lots of free computers) right close to the UA lounge. UA lounge also has one dedicated LH lady to greet the LH pax. I have never seen the lounge crowded.
Sep 13, 2003, 10:19 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA Mileage Plus Premier Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,467
ACFly,
Sorry you ran into a US-based crew coming into ORD. UA does have some great staff, but sad to say they are not in the US, at least not on the Int'l routes.
Coming back to SFO from BKK I had an amazing Asia-based crew from BKK->NRT, but when I went to board my NRT->SFO, boy did I know I was heading back into the States!
I can't see myself flying UA F. I've been in their C/J class often enough to know it meets my needs and I'd rather save the miles.
It's too bad too because I know people who used to rave about it.
Thanks for your report, the 4 Seasons Bali looks simply amazing.
Sorry you ran into a US-based crew coming into ORD. UA does have some great staff, but sad to say they are not in the US, at least not on the Int'l routes.
Coming back to SFO from BKK I had an amazing Asia-based crew from BKK->NRT, but when I went to board my NRT->SFO, boy did I know I was heading back into the States!
I can't see myself flying UA F. I've been in their C/J class often enough to know it meets my needs and I'd rather save the miles.
It's too bad too because I know people who used to rave about it.
Thanks for your report, the 4 Seasons Bali looks simply amazing.