Why does everybody hate on the UA BF product?
Aug 25, 2013, 1:35 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
I like the UA C seat. It is a nice upgrade over the barcaloungers. The IFE is really nice and available from the time you sit down till you deplane. The hard product of the seat IMO is good. Stepping over seatmates etc. is a tradeoff of having more C seats.
Being a leisure traveler and a 1k, I need to make my W fares and GPU's work. The more C seats to upgrade into the better for me. I like the lie flat and the IFE for sure. The more of them for us the better.
Being a leisure traveler and a 1k, I need to make my W fares and GPU's work. The more C seats to upgrade into the better for me. I like the lie flat and the IFE for sure. The more of them for us the better.
Aug 25, 2013, 2:57 pm
#33
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
Programs: BA Gold, B6 Mosiac, VS, AA, DL (and a legacy UA 2MM)
Posts: 2,274
I like the UA C seat. It is a nice upgrade over the barcaloungers. The IFE is really nice and available from the time you sit down till you deplane. The hard product of the seat IMO is good. Stepping over seatmates etc. is a tradeoff of having more C seats.
Being a leisure traveler and a 1k, I need to make my W fares and GPU's work. The more C seats to upgrade into the better for me. I like the lie flat and the IFE for sure. The more of them for us the better.
Being a leisure traveler and a 1k, I need to make my W fares and GPU's work. The more C seats to upgrade into the better for me. I like the lie flat and the IFE for sure. The more of them for us the better.
And, I don't get it - if you are 6 feet like me (or inseam >31" at least), it is certainly possible to climb over the sleeping person next to you without touching them (and I'm over 60). Hold on to the divider in front of you, get up on your toes, and lift your legs high as you step over! If you can't do this movement, get yourself to the gym.
I'm kidding a bit here, but it's really not a huge deal.
Aug 25, 2013, 3:09 pm
#34
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA 1.6MM EXP; UA GS; SPG LTG,Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,477
What I dislike about the PMUA C seats (never been on PMCO) is the lack of storage and the width. I'm not what you'd call a POS but at 6'2 and ~220lbs, I have unfortunately enough shoulder width that the seats are quite cramped when flat. and IIRC there's a bit more width on the 747 vs. the 777, so that helps. The middle 4 are great for families but not exactly a premium experience in terms of privacy for a business traveler.
The other issue of course in an aisle seat is that if you look up, you're pretty much staring at the person in the next row across the aisle. Hard to avoid; I think the BA config does a decent job of mitigating this but since I'm always in an A/K seat there I don't know firsthand!
FWIW I do like the rear-facing seats, particularly UD windows
The other issue of course in an aisle seat is that if you look up, you're pretty much staring at the person in the next row across the aisle. Hard to avoid; I think the BA config does a decent job of mitigating this but since I'm always in an A/K seat there I don't know firsthand!
FWIW I do like the rear-facing seats, particularly UD windows
Aug 25, 2013, 3:50 pm
#35
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Base: EWR/LGA/JFK. 2016: BOM, DEL, HYD, BKK, SIN, HKG, ICN, NRT, LAX, SFO, DEN, ORD, BNA, IAH, MIA, MDE, BOG, CHO, IAD, LHR, LCY, FRA, ZRH, LIN, MXP
Programs: UA 1K, Hertz Presidents Circle, Ritz Lifetime Platinum Premier, SPG Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 146
pmUA is definitely cattle-class C. pmCO is at least a comfortable product and can compete with some premier C lie flats. I'm just glad they don't have LH angled lie flats. I find those annoying.
2-4-2 in a 747/777 is a bit insulting given where pmUA metal competes. LAX/SFO-NRT routes vs NH make UA look like a bench. Even connecting flight plans from Asia to NYC vs AC are a no brainer. pmUA can't compete with NH 1-2-1, AC 1-2-1 herringbone (my favorite), or even LX 1-2-2: they are all the same price. It was nice to see the 787 go with pmCO C product.
...and to anyone who says the food is good on UA C, I just got back from a LAX-EWR flight where I had the Osso Buco-style Chicken. I'm still treating my food poisoning.
2-4-2 in a 747/777 is a bit insulting given where pmUA metal competes. LAX/SFO-NRT routes vs NH make UA look like a bench. Even connecting flight plans from Asia to NYC vs AC are a no brainer. pmUA can't compete with NH 1-2-1, AC 1-2-1 herringbone (my favorite), or even LX 1-2-2: they are all the same price. It was nice to see the 787 go with pmCO C product.
...and to anyone who says the food is good on UA C, I just got back from a LAX-EWR flight where I had the Osso Buco-style Chicken. I'm still treating my food poisoning.
Aug 25, 2013, 3:57 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: London; Bangkok; Las Vegas
Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA MM Gold; Marriott Lifetime Titanium; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,745
I like the CO business seat better than the UA seat, provided that I can get a bulkhead seat on CO. Otherwise, the miniature size footwell is a deal breaker for me.
Aug 25, 2013, 4:01 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
Aug 25, 2013, 4:55 pm
#38
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: MEL
Programs: OZ Diamond, QF, VA
Posts: 235
Having flown PMUA and PMCO configurations, my opinion is that PMUA is the inferior design. Honestly, 4 across in BF is rubbish. Plus the PMUA 20" seat width is narrower than PMCO and again in my opinion less comfortable. PMUA is nothing more than an economy seat - narrow and uncomfortable.
Aug 25, 2013, 5:28 pm
#39
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: UA-GS, Hyatt-Defiantly Diamond, Marriott-Platinum, SPG-Platinum
Posts: 499
UA is farther ahead in terms of getting lie-flats on the entire fleet, but the product is sub-par. I've flown pmDL for years from Detroit, and DL upgrade is wider, softer, all-aisle access. Attendant service is slightly better than UA, although some UA crews (seemingly usually from LAX) do outshine many others.
+1 Where DL has it, its J product is MUCH better than any other US carrier.
+ another 1. Whoever designed the UA business seat with no foot-area storage must have been crazy! I have always wondered what drove that design decision. The 787 with the CO seat solves that problem, but still doesn't solve the aisle-access issue.
Also I don't know how "hit or miss" it is. DL has retrofitted entirely several of their fleets with a far far better hard product, and DL has better soft product. Since I know the routes that this is on, if I am buying J on those routes, I would prefer to take DL. Ditto the AA 77W routes.
+ another 1. Whoever designed the UA business seat with no foot-area storage must have been crazy! I have always wondered what drove that design decision. The 787 with the CO seat solves that problem, but still doesn't solve the aisle-access issue.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Aug 25, 2013 at 5:48 pm Reason: merge
Aug 25, 2013, 5:44 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BOS
Posts: 3,534
I never hate any business class product when the alternative is sitting in economy. However, whoever thought that a business class middle seat was a good idea should never have been allowed to implement the 2-4-2 seating on the sUA 777s.
Aug 25, 2013, 6:19 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,432
t much different that a 2-2 business class layout on a single-aisle airplane. Each of the middle passengers has one person to cross over to get to the aisle.
Aug 25, 2013, 7:02 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA 1.6MM EXP; UA GS; SPG LTG,Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,477
Not to mention the window pax in the 2-x-2 widebodies...
Aug 25, 2013, 7:02 pm
#43
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Houston (IAH,HOU) / Kāʻanapali (JHM,OGG)
Programs: UA GS 2MM, AA P 2MM, DL PM, US P, VS G, SPG LT P, HH D, HYATT P, PC P, AVIS PC, HERTZ PLAT
Posts: 970
I would be happy to have either configuration on the iah-hnl route. Anything that is flat means sleep, and everything else is details. UA can put the 242 config on that route if its not wanted elsewhere
Aug 25, 2013, 7:04 pm
#44
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: ITH/SYR
Programs: UA, AA
Posts: 72
Personally I don't like the narrow footwell at all. I like to sleep somewhat on my side, and I like to move my legs around relative to each other, both of which are impossible. Finally, the seat's leg rest sometimes doesn't come up to the level of the footwell. Since you can't move your legs around much, that can be hard on my knees.
Aug 25, 2013, 7:34 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263