Originally Posted by
PsiFighter37
According to Routes Online, they are upgauging SFO-PPT to a 789 starting March 10, 2020. 33% increase in J seats...must be making decent coin up front.
In our experience, J was full with what seemed to be paying pax - if there were non-revs they were playing it very low key. I've heard that this is a favorite destination for FAs with their spouses, since they have a longish layover given the flight schedule. There were some with us (we saw them at the IC, later) but they were not in J.
Originally Posted by
zombietooth
I found the food abysmal on these flights, having done 2 roundtrips in Polaris since March. Yes, there was a "vegetarian" option available, but the flights are only ~8 hours long, and I believe you would be better served by seeing what the Polaris Lounge could offer you and eating there before you fly. Menu here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31594948-post707.html
Also, the buffet had quite a few veg. selections.
The chow is just regular UA INTL J pig slop, expect no more or less. I do have to say that the layout of the midflight "snacks" at the from of the J cabin was even more of a feeding trough for the crew than usual. They mowed through it like they hadn't eaten in a month.
Originally Posted by
bsdstone
Looking to take this flight in 2021 for our 20 year reunion...anyone know if the business class is lay flat?
Originally Posted by
zombietooth
The lounge never was "full" but they only had 3 staff working, so maybe that caused them to limit access. I didn't actually count how many pax were there but I estimate that it was only about 25, which is kind of odd because the J-cabin was completely booked (36 seats). The lounge would probably hold 60+ comfortably so I don't know exactly what causes them to limit capacity. My wife noticed that some Priority Pass holders that had initially been turned away were later allowed in.
We arrived at around 1830 and were told by some others in line that had visited several times before that they should've opened at 1900, but they didn't end-up opening until 1935 (our departure time was 2115). By that time, everybody was very cranky because the upstairs area is warmer than downstairs because there is virtually no air circulation. Many pax got on their phones, complaining to someone to no avail and, while many lounge staff walked past all of us multiple times as they stocked/staffed the lounge, no one ever got an answer as to when they would open.
There is no chance that I would leave the wonderful A/C in that place once I got in, even though it is probably the worst lounge that I have ever been in. The WiFi is unusable and, while the desktops work fine and quickly, they have a funny keyboard with misplaced letters from the QWERTY keyboard that I am used to. The food is abysmal, everything I tried was just awful. I assume the limited selection of alcohol was OK but, since I don't drink, I just don't know. A/C is the only reason to go.
Lucky's review here:
https://onemileatatime.com/air-tahit...lounge-review/
I completely disagree with this. The Wifi was fine for us, the food was acceptable and restocked even as they stayed open late for our delayed UA flight - this isn't a UA lounge, so I was surprised given that most of the actual UA lounges slam their doors stop on the scheduled closing time even when it's still stuffed with delayed pax.
As to the "odd" keyboard - um PPT is in FRENCH Polynesia, and what you experiences was a FRENCH keyboard - I wouldn't expect anything else.
Originally Posted by
ainternational
Just another long crappy UA flight in C on this route. And PPT is a disgrace to airports globally. Truly abysmal in every way possible. The only part of that airport worth a damn is the private terminal for the flights to The Brando.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to see UA add Tahiti, but they should have built a lounge there or contracted one out. The airport doesn’t even have AC. Shockingly bad. And the paid lounge the FS setup there is a complete and utter joke. It’s a partially air conditioned nearly empty room with wicker couches. They didn’t even have water and it cost around $200 to use for a couple hours. Hence my honest commentary employing the word abysmal which the entire experience very much lives up to.
Um, UA HAS contracted with Air Tahiti Nui for use of their lounge. It's upstairs and a bit hard to find, but was wonderfully air conditioned when we were there. I found baggage claim and immigration to be OK - although we were first off the plane and the lines did look longer as we were finishing up. There's a convenient Duty Free as you leave if you want to stock up on some drinks before being hit with Tahiti prices.
The general boarding area is as hot as hades, but the lounge offers respite.
Over all, I've been in much worse.