Only negative of the 744 upper deck is the shorter length of the seats. It is noticeable to me...They are NOT as compromised lengthwise as the 787/2-class 767 C seats, but they are close. Thankfully the footwell are a good size, which makes them tolerable for my 6'2" frame. But to be perfectly honest, I have no problem with sitting downstairs.

No question that some of the planes have "outdated" interiors but I am usually flying in one cabin higher of class than I paid for via use of GPU for international flights. So I have to compare outdated UA Business vs modern brand X in economy. Its harder comparing upgrade to GF with a good alternate airline in Business. I pretty much go for the sure thing with UA if GPU is confirm-able at booking.
Use of GPUs on LH used to be a viable option but with restrictions on fare class now, I hardly bother and only for Biz to F as I would take UA E+ over LH Y any day if I had a chance that the upgrade wouldn't clear on day of departure.

But if SMI/J gets his way and ends GF, I won't be buying any Business Class tickets from him if I can upgrade from economy using a GPU. Any paid Biz would be on another airline.

Those of you flying business or first class on a regular basis, how do you do it?

Most coach class tickets are around $1000-1500 round trip to Europe. Business class is $3000, and first class is $5000-8000.

I'm assuming that most people do not pay cash and use miles or some other program?

I think most are flying on business and their company is paying for it. I know a mid level manager for ConocoPhillips who flies to Africa frequently- always first class.
And oil companies are crying about layoffs due to low prices.

Definitely people flying on business. The only time I bought paid J was for EWR-PVG for the start of my honeymoon - didn't want to chance sitting in the back for a 15-hour flight. Every other time I have flown J has been on miles + copay.

Buy W fares to confirm GPUs at booking for TPAC.
Buy Z TATL fares.
Buy partner (LX/TG/LH/NH) F.

The BIS flying w/ the 13x RDMs...keeps me in J/F and then I also can get a pretty sweet chunk of miles for like a nice F bonus trip when I need.

Is UA outdated? Maybe, but also I just feel it has just become very routine and ordinary when you are flying it enough. It's a comfortable ride, I've never (knock on wood) had any major issue and the loyalty through MP for me pays off a nice dividend.
So yes, I'll take a boring blue/grey interior to sleep flying EWR-TXL when it means coming back in the nose on LH from FRA.

Just to follow up on my experience this weekend:

EWR-San Diego, 6 hour flight, A319, no entertainment, no music, no power, but yes streaming movies to phones that run out of battery

San Diego - EWR, 5 hour flight (+2 hour on board delay), no entertainment, no music, YES power....but no streaming videos to phones! Plane looked new to me (fancy blue LEDs, smallest bathroom Ive ever been in).

Inconsistent. But consistently customer unfriendly.

You either get streaming movies or you get power outlets, but never both. Thanks United!

At least these folks got to watch Friends
https://www.flickr.com/photos/crankyflier/5298893508/

On my San Diego - Newark flight there were 20 business class seats... and according to the app, 18 were upgrades

That would be one of the new 739s. The backbone of UA's future fleet. Should be banned as a torture device.

OPM

I give all the credit to FT

Perhaps most, but certainly not all.

I was absolutely impressed by how tiny they managed to get the bathroom sink. We need Ralph Nader to make that illegal. A sink should be larger than a hand.

GLA/EWR on a 757, Business First ticket paid by company at circa $5500 return ... No headphones present (not a worry as I worked anyway), no wifi (though it said it had it) made work almost impossible so now I'm at the end of a 17 hour day playing catch up and ... the worst bit .... toilets that appear like they did when I used to fly these things several times a week in the 90s ... and smelled like a public convenience.

There's sweating an asset and sweating an asset !

But ... it's not all bad ... the schedule, that's really good (though getting your lunch at 10am then a snack at 2:30 ... Me thinks they should start swapping the service order to match what people's body clocks and typical eating habits are accustomed to

I agree that it's inconsistent, though I think the last of the crappy J and old F should be phased out shortly. Catering lightyears ahead on Lufthansa in both J and F. J lounges better than anything United puts forth and the F terminal is the stuff of legends. I've found Y on Lufthansa to be at least tolerable, with professional service. US airlines are hit or miss.

Again perhaps not the best airline in the world, but I think Lufthansa on the whole (and on average) absolutely compares favorably to United on the whole.

I'll agree the lounges are light years ahead, but as a *G I can access them anyway, so there's no advantage to my actually flying the airline unless it's in F. If I'm in Y I'd take UA's superior IFE and E+ over LH's somewhat better food. The meal takes 20 minutes to eat, the IFE and seat are flight-long.