UA [First Class] YVR-ORD
 

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Flight: UAL452
Route: YVR (Vancouver) to ORD (Chicago O'Hare)
Date: June 17th, 2010
Aircraft: Airbus A319-100
Seat: 1D

Hello FlyerTalk. I have been active on the forum for a while now, and with the amount of flying that I do, have never had the time to create a trip report. Well, until now! I decided to take pictures and take some notes of my latest trip from Vancouver to Chicago. I'm actually writing this outside gate B5 at O'Hare, awaiting my continuation on UAL972 to Brussels.

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I left home around 7:00pm and headed for the Canada Line to YVR. Using my monthly pass I was inside the terminal within 25 minutes. To my surprise, the United check-in desks were closed and we were told to line up in the international check in section along side the likes of BAW, KLM and DLH. After getting some problems sorted out, I grabbed my bags and head for international security. For all the times I have been at YVR, this was the first time I was actually headed in this direction.

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After being instructed to take my laptop out of my bag and take my shoes off, I was finally outside of security and inside the terminal. The beauty of the airport is really one of kind, and the international terminal did not disappoint!

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I decided to use the free wifi and went on chatroulette (hahah). I found some nice looking girls and had a few chats. It's good to kill time. Anyway, I sat there with LiveATC and watched the operations for the 08's. I was then asked if I was the missing Mr. Singh traveling to London, to which I replied, no.

I watched the boarding process of the KLM to Amsterdam.
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Around 10:00pm I headed to Gate 70 and was assigned 1D. I boarded using the Premier Line and took my seat in tonight's full United First cabin. \

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I wasn't able to snap a picture of the seat since it was dark, but the legroom is dreadful in row 1. The captain came into the F cabin, introduced himself and took over 5 minutes explaining how he enjoyed our business and what route we are flying, weather, etc. Very classy! ^ Sprite no ice is my usual pre-flight drink, and tonight would be no different.

We took off on 08R and flew the YVR4 dep to HUH (Whatcom VOR). I was offered a turkey sandwich which I accepted. I must say ever since UAL introduced it's updated catering on domestic F on flights of 3:45 or more, the food is looking very good!

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After the meal, I went to sleep, waking up to the captain's announcement of our decent. The weather in ORD was very bad, with thunderstorms and a low ceiling. Listening to channel 9 was nice. We arrived at ORD on time and taxied to M12 in the international terminal. Since customs is closed at 10:00pm in Vancouver, there was no pre-clearance and we had to clear at ORD. After talking to a b*^#ing customs agent, I cleared and took the train to Terminal 1.

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Well here I am, DMC to Brussels in hand, hoping for United First. I will surely post my next report for UAL972!

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OD

Good start of your TR! I never knew YVR airport would display Chinese. Must have lots of Chinese living in YVR!

Also I noticed the food for United International First, is not exactly flash compared to asian airlines (even on Y). Maybe I am just way too spoiled living in Asia Pac region ......

....nice TR...lots of persons of Chinese decent live in Vancouver, in fact, also in Toronto....and in the City of Richmond, near the airport, it is probably pretty close to hong kong with equivalent amounts of chinese and english on all sinage...i would suspect that at least a minimum of 20% of the population in Vancouver is from Hong Kong...although slightly more these days from the mainland...i agree, for the same flight, say HKG to NRT, the food is pretty amazing....keep in mind, this was a red eye...

Very nice! I am loving the timeliness of your trip report, being filed mere hours after your flight. Gives an interesting alternate perspective on my own day, as I slave away at work only a few miles east of ORD. :D

This is actually domestic first, not international first. Canada > US > Canada actually called it as transboarder, but the service is just like any other domestic service depends on the length of the flight.

Also as illustrate by UA's rules, flying US-Canada-US even in F are not allowed to use UA's international first lounge, not even UA's Red Carpet Club unless the person is *G.

The panini looks much better than the one I had ex-SFO this week.

Love the KLM MD-11!

Thanks for the report. I'm actually doing this flight tomorrow night, so good to have an idea of what to expect - looks like I'll be able to use the international MLL at YVR instead of whittling my thumbs in the transborder pier at YVR tomorrow night. A bit :td: though to having to clear FIS at ORD though.

Looks like you arrived in the morning, had a 18 hour connection, before connecting to BRU??

I like the transborder MLL better than the international one...

I definitely agree with you on this point, mkjr. In fact, I doubt you even need to know how to speak english in Vancouver or Richmond in order to have a normal life. The mainland population is definitely increasing compared to Hong Kong descent.

Thanks for the TR, I didn't know UA ever had a red-eye out of YVR. and nice to see a decent meal on the red-eye and of course Gold BP^

I really don't think putting your full name and seniority date on FT is a good idea.

Yeah, didn't even notice until now, I'm putting a modified version up. Thanks!

I just moved from YVR. At one point they had 5 daily flights to HKG. I lived in Central Vancouver and monetarially benefitted from selling my place.

I was in that terminal in Dec. and it is huge. Even though I was on the morning AA flight I was wondering if it ever fills up.

Nice report and nice panini!