No, soft product is much closer to domestic F. A small amenity and a green salad with the meal are the main differentiators.
edit add: also sundae cart.

Meal selections haven't changed for several years now...at least domestic F has seen some variations.

Also requesting a mod to update thread title to remove JFK.

Yep. Fine the first time, but it gets old after two to three years!

So flew in P+ SFO-EWR on Friday. Seats were what I was expecting. Service was underwhelming, but not all bad.

A summary:
- We were 4 - 3 had ordered AVML. Cart comes around and when we asked about the special meals, we're told, that, oh yeah, they have some in the back. I'm used to having these brought out first, or at least FA acknowledgement and confirmation of the order before the cart comes around. So surprised they didn't at least acknowledge
- I took the ravioli, which I understand is complained about as a tired option, but honestly, was pretty decent for this guy who doesn't fly Premium Transcend often, much less in premium.
- My kids liked ravioli even more than me, or their AVML. Gave them some while waiting
- When the AVMLs finally came around, was very surprised to see that the mains were different for each tray. One was korma-like dish and some other Indian-style curry, another was also Indian-style - channa (chickpeas) and a potato/green bean curry, and the third was some sort of Thai-style curry and rice. Kids, who are both of Indian decent, did not like either of the Indian dishes (we passed the trays around). I'm really perplexed though, on how an order of the same kind of meal on the exact same flight, in same cabin, resulted in different entrees. Am I wrong to have expected them to be the same.
- FAs serving the cabin were pretty much gone after the main meal service. I was in row 20, so popped my head into the galley a couple of times to ask for something, and biz attendant was much better - getting stuff right away even through I said really, no rush.

We are doing this the reverse way in March. Learned from this flight not to order my kids the Asian Veg (which we've always done on long-hauls).

Flying SFO-EWR later this year in PP. Are you able to ask for another drink if you want more than 2?

Transcontinental Business and EWR Lounge
 

I am a 1k member, flying with family from EWR to SFO next week on 777, I am booked in transcontinental business and also have a club membership. Is there any exclusive lounge that I can access at EWR prior to travel rather than the usual United Club?

Also what can I expect in transcontinental business? Not flown in a while and have flown Int Polaris many times, can one expect the same level of service?

You have access to the same UC, nothing else. Flight experience is fairly similar to international Polaris imo. You’ll get the Saks bedding and the gel pillow, and they’ll serve you a meal on the plane. No hot towel or table cloth though. You’ll get an Away pouch instead of the hard shell amenity kit from Polaris.

The same tiring meal choices for almost 3 years now. Also same meal choices in PE as J.

Other airlines rotate their menu monthly. UA just mail it in.

I flew SFO-EWR in J two weeks ago, and I got a warm towel. I didn't get a PDB, but I got warm nuts in a ramekin to go with the initial drink service. Bedding includes the pillow, gel pillow, and Saks duvet, though no throw blanket. Did they get rid of the throw in Polaris too?

https://i.ibb.co/f2XTVWf/A3-F4-DE2-A...5-E067-CE1.jpg

Food is still the same – thai chicken or butternut squash pasta eastbound, chicken with broccoli and polenta or pasta westbound. There was supposed to be a menu refresh starting in April, though I don't know if that included p.s. routes.

https://i.ibb.co/g9d5896/AF303052-68...-AC1-A3-B4.jpg

Dessert was separate and is a choice of an egg tart, sundae, or cheese plate.

https://i.ibb.co/XbVM2m9/2-E24-F32-A...FE54-CB5-A.jpg

I flew PP on the return. I didn't get a towel or nuts, but I got a packet of almonds along with the meal (same entrées as J) and a slice of cheesecake all on one tray. The cheese plate before arrival was kind of gross. No amenity kit, though I think that was a miscater. No pillows or Saks bedding either – just the same blanket as in coach IIRC.

https://i.ibb.co/KKZjmdn/507-A229-B-...88-EB34-E3.jpg

same (somewhat lackluster) selection of normal EWR clubs. No polaris access.
Nicer seat, and as pictured, a few nicer amenities.

I disagree that its fairly similar. Meal service is definitely not the same.

As a side note - hot towels seems to be back hit or miss regardless. I was offered one last week SNA-EWR (737). Same goes for the nuts. But neither were offered on the outbound EWR-SNA just a few days prior.

You can always try Classified. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...er-2022-a.html

Well I have gone ahead and booked it, upsell from PP to F was $350 each, I believe that is a decent deal considering the extra space, service and food that you get.

Great deal IMO. I would have pulled the trigger as well.

Wouldn’t say you get extra food. Or service.

Basically the $350 gets you a lie flat seat versus domestic style recliner. And UC access, but you said you already had a UC membership.

We went EWR-SFO on a 777 a week or so ago, split across Business and PP. (Also took the $350 upsell.) The food was the same in J & PP. Service was equally terrible in both cabins. FAs hardly to be seen outside of scheduled services. We were all dying of thirst at the end of the flight.

Not sure if this is normal or just a bad flight.