Daniel on the way

I am long term United customer. Beginning this year, UA changed their policy on HKG-SIN. You must use GPU to upgrade this 3 hours and 45 minutes flight and before you can get complimentary upgrade. As a foreign United customer, I have no use for RPU. Please at least make this segment RPU capable. We all know after United changed its policy this year, there are over half of it business class seats empty.

We can use RPU for over 5 hours flights such as JFK to SFO. There is no points we cannot use RPU on HKG-SIN, NRT-ICN, NRT-SIN etc.

Please hear our voice!

Singapore_Schwing

I'm in exactly the same boat, and for this reason, I do not fly UA intra-Asia. I would much rather fly SIngapore or Cathay coach than burn a GPU on a 3.5 hour flight.

The only thing I can think of is that if someone flies from the US, traditionally they refund the GPU if a GPU required flight isn't upgraded. By doing this, they can dump one in coach for 15 hours, but still burn the GPU on a 3.5 hour flight. It's utterly ridiculous and manipulative.

For reference, SIN to NRT has always required a GPU.

sincx

I'm surprised HKG-SIN has lasted for so long. Honestly, I think the combination of NRT-SIN and GUM-SIN makes more sense with UA's network. GUM-SIN is only 200 mi longer than BOS-SFO and should be doable with the 738s.

Kacee

It's a good use of the aircraft, which would otherwise sit on the ground at HKG for sixteen hours.

Singapore_Schwing

HKG-SIN had gone to a PMCO guppy for a while (god it was awful- no ife in any cabin, and no E+).

It was both funny and pathetic, as it made United's plane far and away the smallest in T3 at Changi, and by an even wider margin, the worst product (hard and soft) out of T3. It was essentially air Asia, with older planes and bitter cabin crews.

It also wasn't large enough for the route. If you didn't book a month in advance, you sometimes couldn't get ANY seat on the plane, never mind business. Since the service was once per day, United couldn't price any itin to SIN through HK on those days.

It was a mixed blessing, as it made a GPU to HK much more likely (that flight to SIN isn't typically full, but a good chunk of the passenger load to HKG continues on), but you had to book a separate CX or SQ onwards ticket.

JOSECONLSCREW28

All GUM based 737s have IFE and the GUM based cabin crews are some of the best in the system.

Singapore_Schwing

Perhaps I was a bit harsh on the flight crews (though I can't say my experience was all that great during my stints on the 737 HKG to SIN). I have little other experience with the GUM based crews, but have heard that they are quite good in general.

That said, I definitely had flights on that route which had no IFE. Not sure if all of them having IFE is a more recent development (it went back to a 777 a few years ago) or if I got 'lucky' with equipment swaps.

Kmxu

HKG-SGN is about two hour flight. You have to burn a GPU to sit at the front. RPU cannot be used. That is very savvy.

raehl311

UA changed all flights to Northern South America to GPU from CPU/RPU, but didn't make the seats lie-flat. I responded by switching all that flying to Copa, where I almost always clear the upgrade and even if not still get good legroom and food in Y.

Although the lounge in PTY is nearly as poor as the UA ones.


But, big thumbs up to the GUM crews. I recently flew HNL-GUM-HKG and back (with legs to the states) and was blown away by the service on those flights that touched GUM. Far and away better than even the better service I get in the states.

sbm12

Indeed. It matches the offering of every other airline in that market. :-:

goingbananas

HKG-SGN? it matches the other carriers? I haven't flown UA lately so I didn't realize they have lie flat in business class on those 737's like CX does on those routes....I am either on the new CX business class seat or the old coffin style one.

TerryK

HKG-SIN is 1,587 miles. Block time is usually around 3:50 although actual flight time is less than 3:30.

sbm12

The upgrade policy does. :-:

Singapore_Schwing

But the product does not (at least soft product).

Ecuacoflyer

Based in UIO, I have switched much of my flying to the US to COPA for the same reason. The seats and service up front are far from "Business First."