Last edit by: blueman2
Cross Country Comfort: Introducing United Airlines' New Transcontinental Service
Premium transcontinental service EWR to/from SFOLAX and BOS to/from SFO (Boston service starting 1 July 2017)
Complimentary hot meal and beverage service for customers seated in Economy Plus.
Also adding United Club access before flight and after arrival, just like ps
Premium transcontinental service EWR to/from SFOLAX and BOS to/from SFO (Boston service starting 1 July 2017)
- Flat-bed seats with custom-designed duvet & pillow provided by Saks Fifth Avenue
- New amenity kits featuring Soho House & Co's Cowshed Spa products
- Featured cocktail, Moscow Mule
- Hot towel service offered after take-off & prior to landing
- Seasonally refreshed menus
- Dining will be topped off with items from United Polaris' dessert menu.
- Before arrival, snacks such as Boulder Canyon potato chips & Madik’s almonds will be served.
- Note: These routes are not CPU eligible (with need to use RPU/GPU/Miles+copay)
Complimentary hot meal and beverage service for customers seated in Economy Plus.
Also adding United Club access before flight and after arrival, just like ps
Cross Country Comfort: Introducing United Airlines’ New Transcontinental Service
#46
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,296
Just got an email about this. The branding for this new service is very strange. In the email they are very inconsistent with at least 3 different ways of naming this service...What is it actually called?
- Expanded Transcontinental Service?
- next generation of transcontinental service?
- cross-country comfort?
- Expanded Transcontinental Service?
- next generation of transcontinental service?
- cross-country comfort?
#47
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: UA Million Mile, Mileage Plus Premier 1K, SkyMiles Gold Medallion, AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 875
I am very happy about the inclusion of E+. Makes a lot of sense to offer more than just more legroom.
#48
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 659
It's a bummer they couldn't include any of the DC airports. I would have thought that DCA-SFO would have gotten it at the very least. I suppose it has to do with frequency though and available airframes.
Any speculation on whether this will expand to DC in the future (maybe when the MoM comes online)?
Any speculation on whether this will expand to DC in the future (maybe when the MoM comes online)?
#49
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K 1.45MM, Marriott+SPG Plat, Clear, Nexus, Global Entry and MEX Viajero Confiable
Posts: 1,777
being BOS based... very happy with this move! Good job United!
#50
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,574
It's a bummer they couldn't include any of the DC airports. I would have thought that DCA-SFO would have gotten it at the very least. I suppose it has to do with frequency though and available airframes.
Any speculation on whether this will expand to DC in the future (maybe when the MoM comes online)?
Any speculation on whether this will expand to DC in the future (maybe when the MoM comes online)?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...s-iad-sfo.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ua-follow.html
#51
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,595
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-benefits.html
and
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-upgrades.html
Sounds like one companion:
(bolding added)
and
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-upgrades.html
Sounds like one companion:
(bolding added)
You're not even guaranteed 1 companion as a DL platinum. For example, if you're on an award ticket, your companion is not eligible (unless your companion is also a medallion). DL in this regard is terrible and UA is far superior. I hope that UA is not going to change its elite access to E+ policy to match DL because of the meal service its now introducing. [UPDATE: This policy changed in April, so looks like you would get 1 companion on DL. Thanks LBJ]
As a United elite, I book tickets at united.com without looking at other airline prices . . . in large part because I do think United treats its elite members better than the competition (and that is in large part because of its E+). In effect I, and I would be willing to wager that many others, pay more to solely fly UA over the course of a year. So I do believe United profits from having a competitive E+ with its current access policy. The Platinum /1K family benefit (+8 guests) is wonderful. While I rarely use it, on the rare occasion I have a few companions, its nice that we can all enjoy E+.
If UA keeps its current access policy for elites and the meal service is a bonus then UA would have a clearly superior premium economy offering for elite members which would be wonderful and a very elite friendly move, in which case ^^UA!
Last edited by bmw303; Jun 1, 2017 at 8:29 am
#53
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,866
First off, I think it's about time that this change happened ^ and I do like the fact that E+ will get free food and booze ^ but I also remember when PS started and that all pax in Y* received a free meal** but that went the way of the Dodo so I hope say a year/2 years from now, it's still around
*granted it was all E+ back then
**albeit a snack box with a sandwich
*granted it was all E+ back then
**albeit a snack box with a sandwich
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM Plat; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 15,866
it's the sweetest sound I've ever known..."
Sorry. My apologies to Sir Elton John.
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,924
My two cents: If you want a Moscow Mule in E+. sit as far forward as possible. UA will not stock to demand.
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,854
It's a bummer they couldn't include any of the DC airports. I would have thought that DCA-SFO would have gotten it at the very least. I suppose it has to do with frequency though and available airframes.
Any speculation on whether this will expand to DC in the future (maybe when the MoM comes online)?
Any speculation on whether this will expand to DC in the future (maybe when the MoM comes online)?
Exit rows could be an issue, though I haven't flown the 757s in a while - are there any E- seats forward of the exit door - maybe not and this becomes a minimal issue, but especially problematic if you skip a couple of rows, and then serve free food/drinks to folks.
What will be interesting to see is:
1) If UA does decide to follow Delta in making E+ (C+) a separate class of service
2) How this will play out given UA (in general) has far more E+ seats per plane. My thought is that this plays into Kirby's recent statement - i.e. remove E+ seating and add more E-
1) If UA does decide to follow Delta in making E+ (C+) a separate class of service
2) How this will play out given UA (in general) has far more E+ seats per plane. My thought is that this plays into Kirby's recent statement - i.e. remove E+ seating and add more E-
The strongest argument in favor of UA retaining easier access to E+ than DL does for C+ is that UA's ratio of E+ to E- seats is higher than DL's (or pretty much any other US airline).* Thus we might expect "looser" access on UA than other carriers. I would nevertheless expect some kind of tightening in the future...at least get rid of 8 companions if nothing else.
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-benefits.html
and
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-upgrades.html
Sounds like one companion:
(bolding added)
and
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-upgrades.html
Sounds like one companion:
(bolding added)
#57
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
So just out of curiosity I searched for SFO-EWR in mid September and it brought up some $329 flights, UA233 and UA637, both listed as Boeing 777s.
But those are Basic Economy fares. If I choose economy, the price is $380, still not too bad.
They offer Economy Plus Essentials and Economy Plus Enhanced for $150 or $250 each way.
No mention of the hot meals, just the seat, extra checked bag and in the case of the Enhanced, Premier Access and United Club access as well as 500 extra miles.
So elites who are Gold or greater should just choose the Economy seats and should get Economy Plus automatically, with the meal, on this "premium transcon" service or whatever they're going to call it?
But those are Basic Economy fares. If I choose economy, the price is $380, still not too bad.
They offer Economy Plus Essentials and Economy Plus Enhanced for $150 or $250 each way.
No mention of the hot meals, just the seat, extra checked bag and in the case of the Enhanced, Premier Access and United Club access as well as 500 extra miles.
So elites who are Gold or greater should just choose the Economy seats and should get Economy Plus automatically, with the meal, on this "premium transcon" service or whatever they're going to call it?
#58
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,402
All the 777s have E+ on exit rows behind E- seating with the exception of the 3-class version.
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,929
You're not even guaranteed 1 companion as a DL platinum. For example, if you're on an award ticket, your companion is not eligible (unless your companion is also a medallion). DL in this regard is terrible and UA is far superior. I hope that UA is not going to change its elite access to E+ policy to match DL because of the meal service its now introducing.
#60
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
What's interesting is that this doesn't state any new or retrofitted aircraft, as Delta rolled out a few years ago with its premium JFK/LAX/SFO routes.