cerealmarketer

Sorry to hear the DL food wasn't up to par anymore. UA tends to to better with main courses, less with the apps - but will get the same menu on DL in a couple weeks and will take the lamb with caution.

For a few years DL was pretty hands down a nicer experience on this route - largely via the soft product and flight attendants.

anc-ord772

I've all but abandoned ps these days, but I check in from time to time. I have an upcoming BOS-SFO, so let's see how things are going. D1 has gone strange with the food. They are trying to be too creative and it is backfiring.

spin88

I 100% agree on the DeltaOne food, it has gone down hill. But I think the "strange" is just them trying to cover up for a lower budget. E.g. They used to have smoked salmon as an appitizer. Yet that probably cost 15 cents more than some weirdo grain thingy they now serve.

Same with the Delta wine. It used to be hands down much better than the crap United serves on PS, but now it is just better by some.

I think Delta is making a big mistake looking at the premium catering budget as a place to cut. They are making the same mistake Jeffie made c2012, just not to the same scale of cuts.

It is a highly competitive market.

Kacee

That was my takeaway, both from my D1 flights and recent MSP-SFO in F. The basic problem was cheap ingredients.

It is odd, because DL otherwise strives so hard to make you feel they're offering a premium product. UA execs should be required to tour SkyPriority check-in at JFK and see how nicely this can be done for elites below the GS level.

physioprof

The likelihood that PS business pax are gonna get Polaris Lounge access in EWR, LAX, SFO, BOS is exceedingly small.

PsiFighter37

BOS won't get a Polaris Lounge, and at least for LAX and EWR, there's no way the spaces they have designated could handle the TCON premium traffic on top of the international J travel.

spin88

I don't doubt you are correct, but then if I fly Delta I get very nice lounges with showers on each end, and on United I get a crappy UC (further crapified as J passangers move to the "Polaris" lounge) and no showers.

Bottom line, United does not appear to want my $2400+ and I'm not gonna give it to them.

matrixwalker2012

And if I fly AA, I would get access to their Flagship Lounges and get showers and nice Flagship buffet on both ends. Plus on AA, if I buy J, I can upgrade further to F, but if I buy J on DL or UA, there’s no higher cabin to go to.

fly18725

I think the comparison between SkyClubs and United Clubs is fairly subjective, excepting showers.

There are nice SkyClubs, particularly if you're flying to SEA and JFK ex-SFO, and there are overcrowded, unpleasant SkyClubs (LAX, many in the big hubs). Conversely, there are nicer United Clubs, including SEA and LAX. It's a transitory period for UCs in SFO right now, which is certainly a valid reason to avoid United.

Also, if you need to shower before and after domestic flights, Delta will probably be a better fit.

Kacee

UA definitely wins at SAN. The SkyClubs at SLC and MSP are as bad as the UCs at SFO or EWR (except the staff is nicer).

But at SFO it's a big DL advantage.

fly18725

No disagreement there.

The clubs at an airport that is an outstation for one airline and a hub for another will always be impacted by very different levels of usage. Even if you build out a great physical space, it can be harder to run a nice club at your hub when it is inundated with people.

MrAndy1369

Not necessarily true - UA still has 3-class F on some aircraft, still... correct?

WineCountryUA

True, but the discussion was in the context of transcon flights. AA has regularly scheduled 3-class on the coast to coast routines, the others don't (UA has an occasional 3-class on some domestic routes but all AA SFO-JFK are 3-class).

cerealmarketer

Personally I find the JFK Delta experience hyped. Invariably crowded lounge, long hike to get to it. The 'food' setup is like a black friday sale - people bumping into each other for junk. Really poorly planned restroom capacity and layout - not close to enough stalls for a lounge of that size.

SFO Delta lounge much nicer - and shorter walk.

With United offering 14 nonstops and Delta 7 - I find both viable options - both can be improved.

minnyfly

Interesting how two of your complaints against UA is mostly due to their current inferior position in the business cycle. Their 757 interiors were installed earlier than DL's, and currently both the SFO and EWR UC situations are at their worst. The cycle is changing as we speak.

I'm thinking there's at least a fair chance they will grant access.

Current Polaris Lounge demand is highly varied throughout the day. The challenge is to accommodate everyone in the narrow banks of long-haul flights. I looked at EWR, which has the most P.S. service, and P.S. service demand under the current schedule will largely be at times when international service is low to non-existent. There's only about a handful of P.S. departures during the evening Europe rush, contributing just a fraction of overall potential demand (UA only adding 2-3 more widebodies to Europe would be the same amount of potential traffic - that's going to happen numerous times over the years). The arrival side has more flights in that peak range, about 8, but arrival demand is undoubtedly less, and some of them would be connecting to an international flight and be eligible for the club anyway. I see it being very possible at the EWR end.

On the SFO end, the Asian rush isn't avoided by P.S. service, but again we're only talking a few flights. Overall it's a small portion of overall potential demand.

LAX shouldn't be an issue with the light and varied international schedule and with the partner lounges already there.

The bottom line is that if UA wants to, there's no reason to restrict Polaris access to P.S. customers. They don't have a space excuse.

You know, if people only read this forum they might think DL has showers everywhere in their clubs. Interesting how a niche amenity only available in a small portion of DL clubs gets so much talk. There are only 8 Sky Clubs with showers. MSP has none (along with hubs/focus cities LGA, SLC, CVG, BOS, RDU, and MCO). DTW just one. JFK and LAX each just one and sometimes not in terminal you fly from/to. ATL just two, and their newest club built there lacks them, throwing into question their future plans for showers. If you want a shower at a DL club, you have to be in the right airport and selective to which club to visit. That's a far cry from what it's portrayed as on this forum.