UA C - Oct 23 - ORD-NRT - #883
Oct 24, 2006, 1:48 pm
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UA C - Oct 23 - ORD-NRT - #883
Preface #1: Due to the several savvy HTMLers on this board who have flown in SQ F, NH F, and other bling bling rides alike, I made the decision that posting photos of UA C would be like talking a Bentley owner into buying a Kia. Number one, HTML and UNITED959 dont mix. And number two, its UA Cdo you really want to see a 5 screen with a few busted pixels and chicken with a bunch of sauce on top to hide its ugliness?? Didnt think so. Also, I still cant come to terms with the embarrassment of photographing my food and video screen. 
1:12 a.m. 23 October
Phone rings during my slumber"which of my friends needs bail money now," I think. It turns out that segment #1 of my original routing (ORD-LAX-NRT-SIN) was downgraded from a 3-class 767 to a 2-class 757. UA wanted to know if Id switch to the ORD-NRT, which I graciously did. (I didnt schedule the LAX stop for the miles; I did it because I really hate flights longer than 9-10 hours.)
Get to ORD
Honorary amigo who happens to work near ORD is gracious enough to drop me at the airport, so I snap up the free ride (although it does get me to the airport a bit early, but surfing the net there is the same as surfing it at home).
I discover my waitlisted upgrade NRT-SIN has not cleared, yet in the rebooking process of my ORD-LAX-NRT to ORD-NRTI apparently lost my exit aisle seat on NRT-SIN. Not happy, but hoping for the bestthat is, my upgrade clearing, so not too concerned.
RCC visit
Enter RCC "B" Concourse. No "good morning" from the matron. Takes my card, swipes it, nothing ever said. "Good morning to you too," I thought.
Is it really that hard to smile?
Stop two of UNITED959s Tour de ORD RCCs. Enter RCC "C" Concourse. Typical line is there, and some redhead/ex Army warden is at the desk. I hand her my intl C BP. She grabs it with her cheetah-like nails, painted fire engine red. Her lips clench as her eyes squint, and she does a visual take of me while screening the BP (as if my photo were on it). Her eyes bounce back and forth about 10 times between my face and the BP. Phew, I got passed the checkpoint. I was waiting for her to pull out some biometric device or draw blood for even additional verification. Because there are soooo many people dying to enter the thread-bare RCC!
I take my seat at a desk, set up my T-Mobileonly to realize I didnt get drink tickets. "Great," I thought. This should be fun. Much to my amazement, all I had to do was show my BP, smile, and a different entrance matron handed me two couponsandget thisyou ready for it? She smiled back! :jawdrop face:
I guess it was the day to announce all international departures in the C RCC except mine. Heard NRT #1, HKG, PVG, KIX. Fortunately I was on the instant messenger when the question was posed, "Dont you board soon?" Oopsie. But not to worry, there were still 28 minutes before actual departure.
Onboard
I slip into my beloved 9J on the 777 XP, and theres a 100% empty overhead bin waiting for me. I was worried a crew member was going to kick my stuff out and gate check it so they could store theirs. You know, for security reasons.
Boarding was otherwise status quo.
Both C lavs had empty containers of the H2O hand lotionannoying. (Yes, they were empty while boarding.)
Service was pretty good. I think we had two of those recently-graduated newbies on the flight; they looked very young and I noticed one of the NRT FAs coaching them. That spoon-chopsticks-bread-picker-upper technique...I still can't do that myself!
I love the 777, but the air gets extremely dry it seems.
Sleep Time
Leaving at 1:00p makes it tough to fall asleep. I did some work, but when I tried to recline and relax, it felt to me like the seats did not go back as far as their counterparts on the 744. I felt a definite incline in my back, and I could never really get comfortable.
Landing and Arrival
We went through some fun bumps upon landing in NRT. Once we touched down, we sat for 20 minutesI was confused as to whether or not we actually left ORD. I kept waiting for the penalty box announcement.
All in all, a decent flight of UAs C class. Nothing memorable, and I cant say anything negative. What I will say, though, is how the NRT crews do a great, great job at customer service. They may not be the most personable, but service levels are great. Some of the more notable things:
- Water/wine glass refills every 10 minutes, like clockwork
- When trays were served, everything was there. No waiting for breads, wine, etc.
1:12 a.m. 23 October
Phone rings during my slumber"which of my friends needs bail money now," I think.
It turns out that segment #1 of my original routing (ORD-LAX-NRT-SIN) was downgraded from a 3-class 767 to a 2-class 757. UA wanted to know if Id switch to the ORD-NRT, which I graciously did. (I didnt schedule the LAX stop for the miles; I did it because I really hate flights longer than 9-10 hours.)Get to ORD
Honorary amigo who happens to work near ORD is gracious enough to drop me at the airport, so I snap up the free ride (although it does get me to the airport a bit early, but surfing the net there is the same as surfing it at home).
I discover my waitlisted upgrade NRT-SIN has not cleared, yet in the rebooking process of my ORD-LAX-NRT to ORD-NRTI apparently lost my exit aisle seat on NRT-SIN. Not happy, but hoping for the bestthat is, my upgrade clearing, so not too concerned.
RCC visit
Enter RCC "B" Concourse. No "good morning" from the matron. Takes my card, swipes it, nothing ever said. "Good morning to you too," I thought.
Is it really that hard to smile?Stop two of UNITED959s Tour de ORD RCCs. Enter RCC "C" Concourse. Typical line is there, and some redhead/ex Army warden is at the desk. I hand her my intl C BP. She grabs it with her cheetah-like nails, painted fire engine red. Her lips clench as her eyes squint, and she does a visual take of me while screening the BP (as if my photo were on it). Her eyes bounce back and forth about 10 times between my face and the BP. Phew, I got passed the checkpoint. I was waiting for her to pull out some biometric device or draw blood for even additional verification. Because there are soooo many people dying to enter the thread-bare RCC!
I take my seat at a desk, set up my T-Mobileonly to realize I didnt get drink tickets. "Great," I thought. This should be fun. Much to my amazement, all I had to do was show my BP, smile, and a different entrance matron handed me two couponsandget thisyou ready for it? She smiled back! :jawdrop face:
I guess it was the day to announce all international departures in the C RCC except mine. Heard NRT #1, HKG, PVG, KIX. Fortunately I was on the instant messenger when the question was posed, "Dont you board soon?" Oopsie. But not to worry, there were still 28 minutes before actual departure.
Onboard
I slip into my beloved 9J on the 777 XP, and theres a 100% empty overhead bin waiting for me. I was worried a crew member was going to kick my stuff out and gate check it so they could store theirs. You know, for security reasons.
Boarding was otherwise status quo.Both C lavs had empty containers of the H2O hand lotionannoying. (Yes, they were empty while boarding.)
Service was pretty good. I think we had two of those recently-graduated newbies on the flight; they looked very young and I noticed one of the NRT FAs coaching them. That spoon-chopsticks-bread-picker-upper technique...I still can't do that myself!
I love the 777, but the air gets extremely dry it seems.
Sleep Time
Leaving at 1:00p makes it tough to fall asleep. I did some work, but when I tried to recline and relax, it felt to me like the seats did not go back as far as their counterparts on the 744. I felt a definite incline in my back, and I could never really get comfortable.
Landing and Arrival
We went through some fun bumps upon landing in NRT. Once we touched down, we sat for 20 minutesI was confused as to whether or not we actually left ORD. I kept waiting for the penalty box announcement.
All in all, a decent flight of UAs C class. Nothing memorable, and I cant say anything negative. What I will say, though, is how the NRT crews do a great, great job at customer service. They may not be the most personable, but service levels are great. Some of the more notable things:
- Water/wine glass refills every 10 minutes, like clockwork
- When trays were served, everything was there. No waiting for breads, wine, etc.
