Syzygies

I've flown UA transcon in both cabins between SFO and BOS, JFK, EWR, BWI, IAD. It honestly baffles me how the soft product is varied to tip UA's hand on what it thinks of the route. What are we talking about, a few dollars here or there to invest in the impression someone might form that first class is worth paying for? I'm not being flip here, and I don't have deep experience in making business decisions, but this is bad poker playing. Unless one is confident no one is experiencing multiple routes to make the comparison.

Isn't "mutton dressed as lamb" a course in business school? If I were testing this equipment, I'd also give the crew practice putting on the dog, full p.s. service. An audition for them, p.s. service has to be a better gig.

The most head-slapping instance of this is surprise lie flat bed equipment on a route, but no pillows. Huh!? I wouldn't be the kind of CEO that fired people for this, but after a very pleasant surprise conversation just so I could understand the unbelievable situation, I'd leave them wondering why they hadn't been fired.

So, report back: p.s. service bedding, or does United not have the business acumen to own these toys?

spusillo

Interestingly, I flew JFK-LAX last Sunday evening (11/16) and was shocked to walk on the plane and find an old 752, non p.s. - and so was the flight crew! Somehow my upgrade held, but many weren't so lucky. It was a long day in NYC, so I passed out immediately after my meal in my recliner, so I didn't miss the lay flat, the entertainment (aisle TV's) or wifi in this case, but normally I would be livid for this equipment switch. The inbound LAX-JFK was switched to this plane, which came in from MCO. Not sure if this was them repositioning to run a LAX-BOS route, but I hope not. An equipment switch to prevent a cancellation is acceptable... to test a new route is not. On a happy note, upon landing in LAX, I had an email apologizing for the equipment change, and I got a $300 eCert.

iflyuaaa

If they put a ps bird on bos, they either reduce a frequency at jfk or substitute a plane at jfk. It's a zero sum game seeing as you can't snap your fingers and make a new plane appear.

jjmoore

To this point, I think it would be good if UA would reconfig some additional aircraft for P.S. trans-con service... add the BOS-LAX/SFO, and replace standard aircraft with P.S. aircraft for IAD/EWR-LAX/SFO during peak hours to try to out-compete any competitors in these markets with a superior first class cabin. I would be willing to pay extra for this, as I do some trans-con flying, and wouldn't mind having this on a 6 hour flight. JFK is out of the way for me, and I prefer to connect at EWR or IAD to avoid a cross-city transit in NYC.

EWR764

Looks like a handful of EWR-SFO this week and next will also see the p.s. config...

entropy

VX offers a better product , and B6 is looking to expand Mint to BOS-SFO once they finish deploying out the JFK-SFO/LAX. BOS/SFO has plenty of VC/Tech/Pharma traffic.

JOSECONLSCREW28

Where are you seeing this? All I see is a few intl 752s flying EWR - SFO.

Today:
1534 EWR - SFO #135
1289 EWR - SFO #108
1120 EWR - SFO #139
1293 EWR - SFO #104

Tomorrow:
1483 EWR - SFO #137
1663 EWR - SFO #135
1289 EWR - SFO #104
1293 EWR - SFO #101
1125 EWR - SFO #109

Thursday:
1475 EWR - SFO #141
1289 EWR - SFO #110
1581 EWR - SFO #137

Friday:
1289 EWR - SFO #106

weirdlyndon

While I, too, am trying to figure out where there's slack in the p.s. schedule to put a p.s. bird on non-p.s. routes, one thing I keep thinking about is that PMUA had 13 p.s. airframes (IIRC) and now there are 15. So there could in fact be some wiggle room there.

EWR764

Check next week... maybe I was seeing things for this week, but at least UA736/471 on 04DEC/05DEC

There is also a 767-400 on the 10pm SFOEWR redeye on 05DEC.

Kacee

While they're at it, they should try stocking pillows in F on the BOG-IAH red-eye, especially since this is now a GPU only route.

The cheapness of this airline is staggering.

ffoh

Fwiw, update on BOS-LAX flight yesterday: ps plane, ps pillows and blanket; only thing different really is standard tray meal and no water bottle upon waking. Otherwise more or less the same product. Pleased to have gotten this on a non-ps route, and if it sticks, a lot less likely to switch now that I'm BOS based as opposed to EWR/JFK.

Photomodo

I was on UA506 LAX > BOS and it definitely was an Intl 757. Light years ahead of the UAs new 737s, makes sense to being a trans con flight.

I'm kicking myself for not upgrading to BusinessFirst for $250 after I booked my flight.

Word to the wise, row 20 doesn't recline -- at all.

JOSECONLSCREW28

You were actually on a PS configured 757 and yes row 20 on this particular aircraft is one of those exit row no legroom/no recline rows.

ElliottMB

Flew this in C (F?) last Tuesday and seemed to be standard F service and product. Nice change to the recliners though! Interesting to note was the IFE map displayed JFK-LAX as origin-destination for a while during the beginning of the flight.

N1120A

Oh wonderful - barely a HOD. What status do you hold with United?