The way it was: TPAC 1st Class 1992

Old Jul 21, 2014, 8:55 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by 5khours
I'll take the flat bed seat over the caviar every time and a million ways to Sunday. International premium commercial travel is so much better now than it ever was in the 80s or 90s.
This. If I were the type to buy F, the seat is the whole deal. If I want fancy food, I'll go to a $100 a plate restaurant on the ground that will blow your posted menu out of the water.

I could eat at said restaurant x30 and still come out ahead for the difference in price between international F and international C.
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 9:24 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by andrewwm
This. If I were the type to buy F, the seat is the whole deal. If I want fancy food, I'll go to a $100 a plate restaurant on the ground that will blow your posted menu out of the water.

I could eat at said restaurant x30 and still come out ahead for the difference in price between international F and international C.
You are not 35,000 feet in the air.

Stick with the Tube x30 - it is a win-win, unless you need to be in BKK or SIN for a meeting. That menu is exactly what was served, back in the day.

At 35,000 feet your options are limited. And remember UA is "the friendly skies".

I could eat at said restaurant x30 and still come out ahead for the difference in price between international F and international C.
I could also eat at KFC, Wendy's and Burger King for $5 for a "value" meal.

Apples - oranges.

I'll be in 2B if you which to compare the difference. Are you kidding me?
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 9:27 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by 5khours
I'll take the flat bed seat over the caviar every time and a million ways to Sunday. International premium commercial travel is so much better now than it ever was in the 80s or 90s.
Plus, a number of the superior overseas first class products out there today feature caviar and premium alcohols, although no caviar on UA.

Yes, you're not likely to have prime rib cut at your table as was the case on some carriers in the old days, but I think it's safe to say that the best overseas FC soft products out there have food selections that are at least equivalent to what was served in the old days.

Last edited by TWA Fan 1; Jul 21, 2014 at 9:38 pm
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 9:32 pm
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Originally Posted by JDT1955
As I recall, it was a very exaggerated barcalounger that did not QUITE go flat
It might have been this configuration with 18 'Sleeper' seats in First:

http://frequentlyflying.boardingarea...cific-service/

I remember Pan Am ushering in seats which stretched out across three windows in First, but don't recall off-hand when those were introduced.

And now a bit of nostalgia: http://youtu.be/vw916DiwXl0
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 9:56 pm
  #20  
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Hard product in overseas premium classes has improved dramatically over the past few decades, culminating in the current best-in-class of Etihad's "The Residence" suites in their A380 first class cabins...
Given the choice, I'd rather have the better seats than the better food.
HOWEVER, why not have both?

Its not like the cost is so great relative to the price of the space on the plan. And of course, other airlines do have fantastic F&B.
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 10:06 pm
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Originally Posted by entropy
Given the choice, I'd rather have the better seats than the better food.
HOWEVER, why not have both?
Of course, which is why I avoid UA GF and fly CX, NH, SQ, TG, EK, LH, etc.
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 10:15 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by TWA Fan 1

1990's overseas First Class.Although this image is from a BA 747, the layout was fairly standard. Notice the seats and the leg-room, which is slightly greater than today's standard domestic FC.
[/IMG]
Actually that is from the 70s or early 80s --

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 10:22 pm
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Lufthansa's current FC menu has similar offerings, though far more inventive.
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 10:27 pm
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Originally Posted by elitetraveler
Actually that is from the 70s or early 80s --

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
You are correct, my bad.

However, since Aerowesty was able to unearth the actual seat map from the UA 747 of the time, we can see that there was no comparison in the FC cabin layout of the time and today's lie-flat seats.
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 11:09 pm
  #25  
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Never flew UA international F at the time. But did fly F overseas on AC, CP, BA, CX and QF back in the 70s and 80s.* Yes, the seats left much to be desired, but the inflight service and meal services were like French service in a good restaurant with roast beef or lamb racks carved at your seat! Veggies spooned out and gravy poured from a Sunday's best porcelain "boat". Ah, those were the days...and we dressed for the occasion too!


* The 90s saw the introduction of business class on international flights and a slight differentiation in seats between F and C. F seats had leg rests that pulled out (but not controlled pneumatically) and thus more pitch, C took over the F seats from the earlier decades, and fancy names like Connaissuer, UA's C.
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 11:22 pm
  #26  
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Originally Posted by TWA Fan 1
You are correct, my bad.

However, since Aerowesty was able to unearth the actual seat map from the UA 747 of the time, we can see that there was no comparison in the FC cabin layout of the time and today's lie-flat seats.
Reduced F seats from 18 to 14.

That said, the former UA sleeper seats had about 62 inch pitch and you could side sleep in a Z position they were so wide.

They didn't go flat on the back but the leg rest went horizontal so they were more comfortable than the J class ski slopes.

Today is definitely an upgrade -- however, the UA GF product today is one of the poorest F products on the market -- both hard and soft.
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 3:15 am
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by kettle1
You are not 35,000 feet in the air.

Stick with the Tube x30 - it is a win-win, unless you need to be in BKK or SIN for a meeting. That menu is exactly what was served, back in the day.

At 35,000 feet your options are limited. And remember UA is "the friendly skies".
Of course your options are limited at 35,000. My point is who pays thousands extra just to eat a meal in the air that would cost maybe $50 on the ground?

In the air, I just want something edible and decent. If I want fine dining, I go to a fine dining restaurant, not an airline.

I could also eat at KFC, Wendy's and Burger King for $5 for a "value" meal.

Apples - oranges.
...except that the meals at $100 restaurants are way better than the menu posted above (and goes without saying, way better than anything I could get on modern F products). So it would be like going to KFC but spending $500 for a bucket of chicken.

The only reason to splash out for First is the seat. The rest is just to make you feel special.
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 3:50 am
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Originally Posted by zrs70
Wow!

Now, just imagine you were on that flight in 1992, and someone gave you a crystal ball, showing you bells and whistles of the 2014 seats, with inflight entertainment, wi-fi (perhaps), and route network.

Which wins?
Fare information, in 2014 dollars please.....
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 7:36 am
  #29  
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What was the aircraft? 744?

Thanks for the post--very interesting!
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 8:12 am
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Originally Posted by ORDnHKG
P.S. I can't really see the main course, the writing is rather blurry, did it have the sUA signature bento box that all the sUA FTers love ?
i didn't know sUA had a bento box. not being sarcastic, being out of the west side of manhattan, EWR-NRT was just always easier for me. i do remember the bento box for dinner on the sCO 772, which was actually pretty decent with the sake they served in BF. i haven't flown that route in a couple years though, i wonder if that's still there.
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