BearX220

It has absolutely nothing to do with regulation. It's all about management and poor execution, and UA having no mechanism for, nor interest in, reining in mutinous cabin crews. The chasm in service quality between US and Asian / ME carriers is culturally driven. UA isn't the only Stateside carrier that can't compete in global F, it's just the worst one.

gtownflyer

As long as employees can fly space available GF it makes no business sense to spend money to improve the soft product in First.

5khours

NH, JL, LH all do fine with regulatory/union burdens. What are they not burdened with is bad management. As they say, the fish rots from the head down.

Always Flyin

I can't get a competitive Global First experience on UA no matter what I am willing to pay.

Most of my travel is international. I need to be where I need to be, but I do it as comfortably as possible with some rationale consideration of the price.

It is not UA any more (I fly home from SIN in a couple of days on CX in F). UA is no cheaper than the competition, so why would anyone with half a brain fly UA under those circumstances?

UA GF is a disappointment because UA doesn't care if it is. Those who look at is as a commodity can feel free to accept part of the blame. Accept mediocrity and they will lower their standards to accommodate your expectations.

If UA offered a legitimate GF product, it would be full of revenue passengers, upgrades, and mileage redemptions. It's only an employee cabin (and it mostly isn't, by the way) because it is such a poor offering.

Bonehead

My internal inconsistency detector just went off...

Always Flyin

It shouldn't. UA isn't getting the revenue GF passengers, the first category on the list and thus the most important.

nerdbirdsjc

All three have greatly reduced the footprint upon which they offer a longhaul F product, with further reductions to come.

LaserSailor

Mrs Dr Laser Sailor frowns upon my revenue GF desires, despite my birthday requests every year.

Apparently the headmaster of the school of rotting fish is rotting....

bocastephen

Are you suggesting that foreign carriers are not subject to civil air regulations, or these air regulations (which like the FAA's regs, are based largely on the ICAO blueprint) are somehow "lightweight" and suggest extra risk? We're not talking Malaysian Airlines or Air Asia here, but Singapore, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, BA, LH, BR, etc.?

Also, my email inbox can't seem to survive a week without at least one warning about some sort of threatened, impending, averted or actual labor action by LH employees of one department or another.

Odd, that NH is adding longhaul F to at least a couple more markets in North America.

adambrau

I think I have half a brain and my rationale is Global Services. If UA is so awful stick with CX but don't criticize those of us who chose to pay for UA's premium cabins. It is so tedious to hear how awful UA is...anyone who travels a lot knows US Carriers don't/can't/won't compete with Asian carriers' service. After 14 years as a member of FT a lot of things have changed at UA. Where we're headed who knows? But turn up at EWR 25 minutes before int'l checkin with UA GS or CX similar position and see which plane you get on. I would love to arrive at an airport hours before my flight to enjoy the pampering, but that isn't my reality.

spin88

I actually think that most cabin crew want to do the right thing, and want to give good service. I hear an awful lot about how they wished they had the tools, and are embarrassed about the ---- they have to offer for soft product. Serving Freshbrew coffee to GF passengers, or offering "soup" as your distinguishing item, or not having the wines on the list (so can the list....) makes the FAs frankly embarrassed by what they have to offer, service suffers. IMHE, when soft product is improved (giving the FAs the tools) service got better.

While I have only flown them in J a few times, Delta - with its new spanky direct isle access seats and improved soft product -IME now offers very good, pleasent service. The DL FAs want to be there, and while its J, the soft product blows UAL GF out of the water, and the service follows that product.

If UA spend more on catering GF, offered real wine/booze/coffee and slippers/PJs, as well as some special ammenities, I bet the service would get better very quickly.

Always Flyin

"Greatly reduced"? Hmmm. Care to expand on that? LH has adjusted it first class offerings, but I haven't seen great reductions elsewhere on major foreign carriers.

Sorry that you have endure dissenting opinions. One of the problems with public message boards.

So you acknowledge that UA is a sub-par experience in GF, it is not priced any cheaper, but is worthwhile because they will allow a GS member to arrive late and still make the flight?

I have news for you: So will CX, SQ, LH, OZ and NH if you are in first class. I know because I have done it on all of them. Won't work at EWR on CX, however. CX does not fly F into EWR.

BTW, where does the reference to pampering at the airport come from? Most certainly not from me. My ideal flight is arriving at the airport, completing formalities as quickly as possible, heading straight to the aircraft, boarding, and having the door close behind me. I seldom make it to the lounges.

The only problem with GS is that you are still stuck flying on UA.

swm61230

I agree. And then they think GF is worthless because they have treated it so poorly in the last few years that they have a self fulfilling prophecy of it not worth having.


But if they would invest in it and get a real GF experience like most other airlines do then they would have the revenue passangers that pay the big dollars for it.

Really how bad would it be to allow your GF to use the GS checkin and board with GS. Would it really cost them that much? And it is such a small thing to offer but it shows you care about the money that was spent on it.

My problem is that GS members think life is great and don't understand where the rest of us are coming from and just think we are all whiners.

Oh and on the pampering I get to the lounge to grab a coffee or a quick snack and I am out the door again. I will use the lounge on a long lay over. But I do try to avoid that problem.

But the only time I plan to use and take advantage of pampering is leaving BKK on TG and getting a massage before a 24hour travel day home.

Always Flyin

Used to be that when flying GF, you were GS for the day. Did they stop that?

Probably a silly question. It's UA. Of course they stopped it.

The LH Honors Terminal and Lounges at FRA and MUC (lounges) are nothing to sneeze at either.

LaserSailor

Life is great on both UA and DL for me,

If I think you are a whiner I put you on ignore, so I don't think you are all whiners