After I finished lunch and a movie, I put the seat into flat bed mode and got some snoozes. Meal service finished about 2 hours in and I woke up with a bit more than 4 hours to go, so I slept for a good 4.5 hours. The UA F seat is alright for sleeping. They may not have a turndown service. Or mattress pad. Or pajamas. Or a decent duvet - I've had better on DL transcon J. But hey, it's better than Economy, right?? In truth, I guess the pillow is big?
I'll say one positive thing about Global First - the new amenity kits are pretty nice. They're practical and full of stuff I'd actually use on a long flight:
Upon awaking from my slumber, I really wanted a Diet Coke … rather than wait for 20 minutes, I prepared to push the call button, right after saying my last rites. Fortunately, the Diet Coke arrived, although the empty can stuck around for a while after I was finished.
Another annoying thing, like I mentioned, is that there’s only 1 lav in the new config, which is right next to the cockpit and the crew rest area. For the better part of the flight, that lavatory was inaccessible since the FAs set up a fence-like barrier whenever the cockpit was open. This meant that F pax had to use one of the two J lavatories … but I thought you can’t leave your ticketed cabin? Or is this one of those times where that’s okay?
NO LAV FOR YOU
To further blur the lines between “Global First” and “BusinessFirst,” there were absolutely no curtains drawn at either the forward or rear part of the F cabin. That means that light from the galley was quite bothersome (and made me glad I switched from 1A to 2A the day before). From my seat, I could see all the way down to the front of Economy. Again, lucky to be here, but I don’t see the price or mileage premium in this seat over Business. Sorry, Business
First.
Taken from next to Door 1L, while waiting for the lav.
But anyway. As we crossed into the western United States, 'twas time for the second meal service. Remember BKK-FRA on TG? This flight was a mere 150 miles shorter, and only 15 minutes shorter time-wise. Compare
that to this:
Menu
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Cajun-spiced Chicken and Juraregal Cheese Sandwich
Mediterranean-style potato salad.
Ploughman's Selection
Cottage loaf, cheese wedges, tomato and red pepper chutney, fruit and garnishes
Scones and clotted cream with butter and fruit preserves
That's it.
I think I saw this in the Lean Cuisine selection at my local grocer's freezer.
LHR catering knows how to do scones, but the salad was an affront to taste buds everywhere. Blech.
The best part of the meal. I grabbed it in the BMI lounge. The UA FAs didn't bat an eye to it, but I wouldn't dare pull outside food out on a TG/SQ flight.
As the line for the F lav grew, we began our approach into LAX. Smoggy. Hot. Lacking greenery. Good to be headed home!
There's an ocean somewhere there ...
Before landing, the team of FAs came by to thank every passenger for flying Uni ... LOL, JK, NOTHING OF THE SORT. Though there were suddenly a lot of Y and J FAs who marched through the aisles to do whatever it is they needed to do up front. Probably to use the F lav.
Through the parade of FAs, this somehow fell on the ground and remained for the duration of the flight. I would have picked it up, but the seatbelt sign was on ...
We made our way to a gate at T7, and were asked by the purser over the PA to close the window shades to keep the aircraft cool. I made my way to Immigration - I don't have Global Entry but our flight was the first to arrive, so there wasn't any line. I still didn't receive the "back-room treatment" that I sadistically want one day (only to validate the craziness of the trip); instead, I got a polite "welcome home" from the CBP officer.
It took about 20 minutes to get my bags out. I stepped outside to a refreshingly warm and dry 72º day in the Southern California area, with cool ocean breezes waving the palm trees toward the east.
There's no place like home.