When United launched their first nonstop 744 service from JFK to HKG in April 2001, I jumped right on. I found that the lower C cabin was remarkably empty, with only a few other pax among, IIRC, 60 some-odd business seats. Once, there was only one other pax down there, and I thought that the service would be amazing. Well, even back in those days, UA was UA, and the service was about what it would have been in a full cabin. None-the-less, those flights were the most comfortable I've ever experienced, including uncountable transpac suite journeys up front. I just about cried when that non-stop 744 route terminated in August '01, only five months later.