Originally Posted by
mjcewl1284
I don't doubt anything you are saying. I guess it's because I have a variety of ways to get to my destinations in Asia which is why I said that.
Same with you, I will probably tell all my clients to avoid this aircraft unless they are sitting in Polaris.
It's just a bit presumptuous to say that one awful experience on one specific aircraft can lead to impugning an entire airline, is the point I was trying to get across.
I have been flying since the early 70s, when I was a little kid, and my best estimate is that I have about 4.5MM under my belt.
I am not going to let a single factor turn me off, because I know enough to avoid things that are bad. However, I think with most international Y travelers, a single bad experience is enough to turn them off UA, particularity when it involves physical discomfort. I have put up with United's dog food, lack of IFE, etc for year, for $200-300+ savings on each ticket, I'll put up with United's bad service and soft product. But I am NOT going to put up with being in physical pain, and in the few times I have been jammed in uncomfortable seats, I have long remembered it (e.g. I got stuck on a 3-4-3 77W on ANA, and while they have gone back to ordering new birds at 3-3-3, I will not book them ex-SFO so as to avoid the risk of getting that plane).
as UA rolls out the 772s at 3-4-3, more than half of UA's long haul fleet, will be this bone crushing configuration, and the 789 at 3-3-3 is not much better. At that point, the entirety of UA's Long Haul offerings will not be very comfortable (expect the remaining 763s) in Y, and choice will be to fly these horrible configurations, or pick another airline to fly.