Originally Posted by
chinatraderjmr
I find it very bizarre that an airline such as EK that wrote the book on luxury first class travel has a biz product that is so far below airlines like CX/SQ and comfort wise are not any better then UA's (and in some cases worse). But.........what saves EK J (IMO) is the sheer number of A380'S in the fleet. The F suites are the same on the 77W & the 380 but in J it's like 2 different airlines. the 77W looks cramped and uncomfortable in J while the 380 has truly lay flat private seats and the onboard lounge can make a big difference on a long haul.
I agree it is somewhat bizarre. I don't find the 380 J seat that much better and find it hard to tell that the 77W seat isn't fully flat. The lounge does make a big difference, particularly since on the 77W there's very little space that's not in the galley.
Originally Posted by
chinatraderjmr
I guess without differing points of view the only point of FT would be upgrades and free flights
. It is interesting to read the experiences of others when phrased the way your post was (leaving out complaints such as the shape of the hot towel or the lack of enough cherries for an extra Ice cream sundae
I agree this is a good discussion with interesting points. I was thinking more about why I mentioned the hot towels and realized it's indicative of a bigger distinction with EK: attention to small details. There are lots of little touches in flight, like putting the cheese course on a piece of slate, that EK does well, partially to offset for the weaker hard product. I think United is focused on offering a better hard product, which is nice when your primary focus on an international flight is to sleep.
I also find it much easier to do business with United. The website, apps, call center and airport staff are much more efficient and effective.