|
Originally Posted by gaobest
(Post 24157185)
Or their employer has a contract dictating UAL even for paid F (?). Could ual have a corporate contract with adequate discount so that the ual F is significantly cheaper than LH f for sfo/fra? Do such discounts exist?
I'm just curious what would prompt a passenger to pay GF on ual instead of any intl competitor. I thought Schedule, then pondered ual/LH having similar times for sfo/fra. But perhaps ual schedule for sfo/syd is much better than on qantas. Or sfo/Shanghai is better than what CX can do. if someone is paying GF, then they don't really need MP or a loyalty program!
Originally Posted by kevanyalowitz
(Post 24157463)
GS
Exactly my point. If you remove GF you are going to have a lot of GS paying for P/Z rather than D/C/J. Further, the advance purchase and/or change restrictions on P/Z fares make them unattractive for most business travelers.
Originally Posted by ironmanjt
(Post 24158257)
Not sure if this is sarcastic, but personally I'd MUCH rather have a comfortable lay-flat seat than food that will (a) taste better on the ground and (b) in no way justifies the premium over lower cabins.
...of course, why can't we have both like SQ, NH, etc
Originally Posted by 1kBill
(Post 24158321)
Or else a price level that is appropriate for the service level provided.
Originally Posted by LeviFlight
(Post 24158357)
As mentioned before, Global First is really a Business First product. What UA call Business First, well Business at best these days. Just because marketing people call it something doesn't make it so.
|
Originally Posted by UrbaneGent
(Post 24156358)
This is what they used to do for me not only for the beef, but also at a time when they served lamb chops. They had no issues cooking them both a little bit more if it was too rare.
For at least the last 20-25 years (and probably longer, but my first-hand knowledge only goes back that far), "cooking" only occurs on the ground in the flight kitchens. The ovens on the aircraft are designed to only reheat things to make them warm enough to serve. In fact, they have no temperature settings - they are preset to a certain temperature which cannot be adjusted in flight. All the F/As do is press the green "Start" and set a timer. So the only variable is time. If something is not warm enough (and therefore may seem to rare), either it was not put in the oven long enough or the pre-set temperature needs to be adjusted. All the crew can do is leave it in longer and hope it gets up to the proper temperature, which can give the impression of more "well done." Of course, the longer it is left in, the more the meat will tend to be dried out. |
Originally Posted by Always Flyin
(Post 24159650)
Don't understand why anyone would pay United the amount of money they have to in order to make GS. At the end of the day, you have spent a lot of money and are still on UA. Once you are on the airplane, you are getting the same service as the first time flyer paying for F. And compared to the competition, that service and amenities are poor.
In exchange for a lower quality international product in GF and Business, my domestic travel is significantly improved because of GS. Almost 100% domestic upgrades and excellent IRROPS. Yes GF on the 747's is obviously inferior to many of UA's competitors - no question (and with UA getting rid of the GFL at LAX the value has gotten even worse for me). But the trade-off for better domestic is worthwhile, for now. For someone with GS, a slightly worse GF product is well worth it because of the other benefits. Last month, my flight landed late at SFO, leaving 7 minutes before my connection time to CDG. The GS team got me to my connecting plane via Mercedes in time to catch my flight, which was waiting for us (they were clearly holding the plane as they shut the door right behind me). No way I could have made it on foot from the domestic or int'l terminals and I would not have even tried. I have also received calls at my home in the morning from GS reps to apprise me of a likely delay later that day, and several options. |
Originally Posted by channa
(Post 24152397)
As to the topic of this thread, UA Global First is a joke. I had the (dis)pleasure of flying UA GF from ICN to SFO after SHARES dropped my CA F segment, and was served this as the main meal:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps3c7a49db.jpg |
In Business Premier on NZ, you get poached eggs for breakfast. On United? The same awful breakfast as on domestic F for the last 3 years.
|
Originally Posted by matrixwalker2012
(Post 24155421)
let's face it, UA's primary objective is to get me to my destination and they do a decently good job of doing that. I've had my fair share of misconnects but so far, I haven't been delayed more than a couple hours to my destination. A few times, UA even got me to my destination earlier after a misconnect. And of course, the wonderfully long connections that UA offers to me in ORD just when I need to go to ORD to visit friends who live near ORD :D
I've flown UA's GlobalFirst product and the hardware is terrific, it lays flat, it's a full suite, it's got good IFE, it's pretty darn comfortable. Am I concerned about the meal? not really, a couple years back on my first time flying GF, I managed to eat too much and had a pretty bad stomach-ache the rest of the flight. Not fun, though the FA did let me jog up and down the 747 business class stairway to help alleviate some of it. So I try to keep my eating to a minimum in the air since I'll basically be in a sedentary state the whole time. As for service, I find UA's service good enough. Yeah, I know they're better products out there, but I like UA's schedule and I'm familiar with UA's service and UA gets me where I need to go, UA's not the best, but they're good enough. Now of course, if UA served me a coach meal in GF, I'd be pretty disappointed and unhappy with the service, but it wouldn't stop me from booking with UA again if I needed to get somewhere and UA was the most convenient option. If you really want luxury, go book a cruise. Airline flights don't have to be perfect, they just have to be good enough. If I had to vote between arriving on time versus waiting for the meals to be catered, I'd vote to leave on time and most pax would do so as well, reasonable flight length obviously. |
This thread has been immensely entertaining and all I can add is that I'm now craving a CX steak. :p
|
Originally Posted by elitetraveler
(Post 24160689)
Low expectations easily met. And as you point out obviously UA has to date been able to find enough customers who accept the product they provide at the prices they charge.
And I also don't mind being able to use GF awards. No complaints actually with the four crews we encountered. I thought the EWR crews catered to us quite well. And with the new Centurion Lounge in the UA terminal at SFO, it's hard to visualize changing airlines if you live in the Bay Area. |
Originally Posted by DiscHandler
(Post 24160959)
Like the $1500 Business fares from the West Coast to Europe last year? Yeah I bought a few of those.
And I also don't mind being able to use GF awards. No complaints actually with the four crews we encountered. I thought the EWR crews catered to us quite well. And with the new Centurion Lounge in the UA terminal at SFO, it's hard to visualize changing airlines if you live in the Bay Area. |
Originally Posted by elitetraveler
(Post 24161810)
When you are serving $12 bottles of wine don't hit me with bluster about your wine cellar in the sky.
Let's say a Dry Creek cab runs in the mid-20s. The Joseph Mellot Sancerre 2012 runs mid-20s (actually enjoyed a few glasses). I've seen the Feuilatte Brut 2008 Champagne for $40. The 2008 Quinta do Noval Port is $20 and it's a WS90. It's not the greatest stuff but it's not swill. |
Originally Posted by N1120A
(Post 24160471)
In Business Premier on NZ, you get poached eggs for breakfast. On United? The same awful breakfast as on domestic F for the last 3 years.
|
Originally Posted by DiscHandler
(Post 24161997)
And where did you pull that $12 number out of? What is the dollar value for a bottle that should be assigned to a pour in global first (in your mind)?
Let's say a Dry Creek cab runs in the mid-20s. The Joseph Mellot Sancerre 2012 runs mid-20s (actually enjoyed a few glasses). I've seen the Feuilatte Brut 2008 Champagne for $40. The 2008 Quinta do Noval Port is $20 and it's a WS90. It's not the greatest stuff but it's not swill. Also, check out this entire thread -- lots of reference to UA serving $10-$20 wines in F and J CX Chateau Lynches Bages served on CX I believe retails for around $90 |
Originally Posted by elitetraveler
(Post 24162163)
Faustino Gran Reserva Rioja on AA F PEK-ORD @$17 in a recent trip report.
Also, check out this entire thread -- lots of reference to UA serving $10-$20 wines in F and J CX Chateau Lynches Bages served on CX I believe retails for around $90 There were other much more expensive wines served after departure.... |
Originally Posted by bmwe92fan
(Post 24162276)
On my TG F flight a few weeks ago they served me a 2009 Nicolas Potel Montagny 1er Cru - that's a $200 / bottle Chardonnay. Nicolas Potel has several vineyards in the region - this wasn't from them - this was from the best. I was stunned and sheepishly asked to take a picture of the bottle for Vivino....
|
Frankly most of these are swill and they are cheap:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/chateau+greysac http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dr...california+usa You'd be hard pressed to find many $20 bottles among them. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 2:18 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.