MatthewLAX

For those attacking the OP, HNL-GUM was by no means just a "domestic flight" in terms of flight catering until recently. It was treated as an international longhaul and the menu reflected that. Even meal service in coach reflected a longhaul with a meal, ice cream mid-flight, then a hot sandwich prior to landing.

So while not technically international, it was treated like an international flight and it is a shame UA has cut back on this flight too.

Kacee

I don't typically get caught up in pmUA v. pmCO (I kind of preferred CO), but you are aware that Continental management has been running the combined airline since day 1, right?

tuolumne

I'm probably one of the only people to really love that old intl. F Suite....I had many great years in that chair, and always loved how it was designed. Back then, it was an intl. F product that put UAL on the same playing field as BA, SQ, LH, etc, since only UAL and AMR offered flat bed seats among US carriers - it made them tier I... I loved how I could power it forward and work on the fold out desk...how I could collapse the armrest and sneak off to the restroom during my meal...hell, I thought the little light arms looked uber sophisticated.

Anyhow, my point is that I'd be very happy to get onto the last old configured 777...it reminds me of UAL's time at the top in the mid late 90s. Oh, and the legacy CO "full BF service" that had those horrible electric (Kioto?) BarcaLoungers with the rod that would jab into your back....forget it, no great food could ever make up for that seat. To this day, one of the most uncomfortable premium products I've flown...it's like what were they thinking...?

swm61230

+1

Many people that I run into complain about what united has done to their beloved continental airline. When I tell them that it is all continental management in charge they fight with me and say that is not true and that it is all the united people that have destroyed the great airline that was continental.

What kind of kool aid did these people drink?

kenn0223

Well, with CO GUM was their Asian gateway hub and promoted & sold it as such (aka, fly with CO to HKG via GUM). Now that the combined UA has NRT as an Asian Gateway GUM has transformed into a ex-Asia leisure destination and a hub for the various government & commercial support to Guam & CNMI (which has greatly reduced the traffic CONUS & HNL to Guam. Specifically, the only reason to fly HNL-GUM is to get from HNL to someplace in Micronesia (or vv). I even wonder if the primary reason for this flight is something besides the passenger revenue (either cargo or equipment rotation).

I don't think its appropriate to compare the service on the HNL-GUM route to GF service. It's not unlikely that the OP was on a three cabin aircraft (since there are only 9 [out of 52] 777-222s in 2-class config), the flight it not marketed with GF and the OP should not have had an expectation of getting GF service. While no one likes to see service downgraded, I can totally see why this has been done based on the clear change in the passengers on the flight and the expanded network of the larger airline. I suspect this was a clear move regardless of who was at the helm.

northpole999

No, Guam is NOT a part of the USA. It is a US territory, but it is not a part of the United States of America. Only the 50 states plus DC are. If you have any doubt, please note that CBP can and does conduct immigration and customs inspections on persons arriving from Guam. Further, there are limits on how much alcohol etc. you can bring in -- just like other entries from outside the United States.

If you don't believe me, check this out: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det....-(u.s.-virgin

Surprising to many? Yes. But it's true.

Kacee

This thread is really mis-titled.

While I sympathize to some degree with OP's frustration (though noting that he was in fact warned in advance in the GFL thread that this is not a true GF route), but his issue is specific to one route route (GUM-HNL), not an entire class of service.

amartin1979

If it isn't Global First, then why was my Boarding Pass titled "GLOBAL FIRST" and I was able to access the Global First lounge.

Kacee

dude, let go of it. It's been explained multiple times, including in the GFL thread before you departed.

It's not like you paid for GF.

EWR764

The point is not who is managing the airline, the point is that the product was significantly better in every respect on this particular route prior to the merger.

Not so much an indictment of either pre-merger CO or UA as an indication of how far down the beancounting/cost-cutting rabbit hole this management team has gotten in the last few years. It wasn't always that way at CO, nor UA.

kenn0223

This isn't exactly correct. Yes, CBP has different rules for people coming and going from Guam and other territories but due to 1) Guam being outside of the US Customs Zone (and having its own, more rigorous custom rules) and 2) due to the special visa waiver program for Guam and CNMI designed to increase tourism. These are both exceptions to US Law specific to Guam and CNMI and do nothing to change it's status as part of the US.

Guam is without question a part of the USA.

The above is in Title 8 which addresses nationality, but nearly all other definitions in the USC are similar. There are some exceptions related to a mid-90s executive order directing the executive batch to treat PR as a state which left Guam, CNMI, USVI, and American Samoa to be administered by the DOI but I can assure you Congress, the President, and the US Government consider Guam (and the other territories) US soil.

northpole999

I must say that I don't agree. The federal code considers the territories part of the US for specific purposes in a number of cases. However, that is just for those limited purposes. In essence, Congress is only mandating that they be treated as if they were a part of the US, it is not making them a part of the USA. Nor can it under the Constitution, short of admitting them into the union as members. Keep in mind, federal law also mandated that the Panama Canal Zone be treated as part of the US, but that was only leased territory. Further, federal law even today mandates that Guantanemo Naval Station be treated as part of the US for some purposes - but nobody would be crazy enough to say that Gitmo was part of the US.

If Guam were a part of the "United States of America" then no customs rules could apply under the Constitution. Remember, under the Constitution there can be no customs duties on trade items between or among the states and the various states cannot be treated differently for customs purposes. The federal government can and does do this with Guam and the other territories precisely because the Constitutional restriction only applies to the United States, not its possessions. In light of that, I believe it is impossible to conclude that Guam is a part of the USA.

denCSA

Let's no go down this path again. CO was a great airline, UA was alright as well. It was the intersection of the merger and mix of concurrent circumstances (i.e. Smisek taking the helm) that has led post-UA to this point; GUM-HNL service standards being a good example.

amartin1979

Paying for an upgradable fare and using an GPU is paying for it. If this is considered domestic service, passengers should be warned in advance rather than being duped into paying for something subpar. According to the GF/BF food thread, as recently as January, this route was catered to international premium standards. Cutting back to domestic catering levels with no notice should warrant a refund of my GPU and the premium I spent to get an upgradable fare.

Here is a link to a *menu* provided by mh3265a from the Jan 23 service on the GUM/HNL route. This route was recently downgraded, as I never even received a menu in GF.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22206263-post97.html

JerseyCityS

No, it's a complete surprise to me. Of course I know that.

I am refering to CO under Bethune. It was a totally first class airline. Bethune hasn't run it in a while as you know. I long for those days.

Yes, I agree the most recent CO management has destroyed old CO, and old UA.