bubbashow

You need to change your expectations with UA. I flew this route and the service and seating was not discernible from the ORDLAX flight I had taken the day prior. Other than the fact you land in a different country, you will not notice any difference in this flight (nor should you - it is rather short).

Hartmann

Those are the crew rest seats on the Micronesia fleet which are necessary for flights like the Island Hopper. The new FAR rules require this.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Have you flown to Cancun with DL or AA? The amenities are not that much better 9better food on DL). You are confusing what is basically "North American" service, with longer international TPAC, TATL, or longer South American routes. UA is not unique in treating the US, Canada, and Mexico/Central America as one big "domestic" market. Your expectations were unrealistic, except for having working video.

jasonp622

Free drinks

abaheti

Exactly. Same thing when I go to Canada on UA or AC. The only first/business experience to CUN that adds a little "extra" is Virgin, but that is still their domestic product -- it is just that they have better food, drink, service than the other carriers in general. :-)

IAH-OIL-TRASH

?

UA serves free drinks in F

IAH-OIL-TRASH

never mind

CO_Nonrev_elite

Expect to be disrespected and talked down to at every turn. Expect your flight to be cancelled, Expect to be stunned when they finally get you in a middle seat in E- three days later, and stand there as if they are doing you a favor. If not cancelled, expect to be delayed. Expect to be very disappointed at boarding as the board others before first class just to make sure you don't get to feel special. Expect to be ignored by the crew as you board. Expect the area around your seat to not be that clean, expect them to forget to give you a pre-departure drink. Expect to be given attitude if you ask them to hang your coat. If they give you a meal at all, expect it to be small and poor quality. Expect to be on a dark 737-900 with no wifi, no entertainment and no power. Expect to arrive late. Expect to arrive without your luggage. Expect to get attitude from them (if acknowledged at all) when you try to get your bags back.

These sorts of things happen with regularity at United airlines. A quick glance at their Facebook or twitter page will show you these comments (multiple per minute) round the clock.

Now, if you go in with these expectations, you can only be impressed when you have a good flight.

Soccerdad1995

I was right there with you up until this last sentence. I think UA can easily find a way to perform below the expectations that you have listed here.

Maybe change the "when you have a good flight" to "in the extremely rare case that you have a good flight".

jasonp622

Not to buck the trend of endless united bashing but I have found the FA's, in first from sfo-Cancun, to be some of the best

abaheti

Me too from LAX-CUN. Always great crews in my experience.

caseminole

Crew was excellent.

The experience itself wasn't.

My initial point is that why shouldn't the experience be a bit better. Everyone on the flight is going on vacation. To a foreign country. Cmon.

I don't care that the experience might be the same on DL or AA.

I just think its an easy improvement to make

IAH-OIL-TRASH

The reality you are missing is that leisure destination routes don't carry a lot of higher-fare paying business travelers and margins tend to be lower. They're not going to spend money to improve the experience on these types of flights and it doesn't matter if it's domestic or international. A prime example is the Hawaii flights. They fly some int'l configuration planes there but don't offer the same amenities they do if that was a EWR-LHR route. Why? Because the average fare is higher between EWR-LHR than between DEN-OGG. There are plenty of people who will pay $6000 EWR-LHR, not many that will pay even $3000 DEN-OGG, about the same distance. That's why there are so many upgrades to Hawaii and Mexico. Those cabins are full of upgraders wondering why they aren't being treated royally. You yourself were flying on a coach fare (as probably were just about everyone else in the cabin) and you expect an int'l experience? You need to fly a flight where most of the cabin is paying front cabin fares - then UA will give you the international amenities.

About the best you can expect is a Mexican beer choice. Was there one?

embarcadero1

This is exactly right. I fly F to Mexico City occasionally and there are seldom blankets or pillows in F. Meal service is the same that you'd get if you're going to Chicago during their ultra tight meal hours. And the drink service totally depends on the disposition of the crew. Sometimes they're awesome, sometimes they want to do their crossword puzzles.

flyer121

Just flew Business Class from IAH-SJD and the crew was outstanding. Food was very Ok, however not that bad. The crew did an amazing job keeping the cabin well boozed-up.