Premium Plus (Premium Economy) seats and Experience
Mar 25, 2019, 6:44 pm
#317
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL GM/MM, HH Dia, PC Plat, MR Gold, ALL Sil,
Posts: 4,552
Mar 25, 2019, 6:56 pm
#318
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,844
Update: Based in a dummy booking as a non-MP member, E+ was listed as "included" on legs without PP when booked with a PP fare. Very Surprising!!!
E+ seating was able to be selected online without any extra fee!
Makes sense but not consistent with previous UA practice.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 25, 2019 at 7:11 pm Reason: Update
Mar 26, 2019, 12:23 am
#319
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: Delta Platinum, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 308
Spent some time on the bulkhead PE seats (window and aisle pair) on the 777-200 last week. A few observations:
- There is a ton of wasted space between the window seat and the window. The ride would be so much more comfortable if that armrest could just go down. Really a huge wasted opportunity there.
- Lowering the aisle armrest can be really helpful for comfort, if you happen to be wider physically or want to fold your legs / feet onto the seat. Look for a flap on the front of the seat, right below where the armest is. Downside: With the armrest lowered, you can't really use the tray table since that gets lowered as well.
- The footrest in the bulkhead row is manually opened by "folding" it out from the legrest. So what does the button do? Well, it turns out you can extend the footrest by pressing the button and pushing the footrest outward. This allows it to accommodate taller passengers. Hopefully this will alleviate some concerns for the bulkhead row from the taller posters.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:41 am
#320
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
The rebranding of old world First to new world business and old world business to new world PE has a bit to do with trying to make sure business passengers buy what’s called business class. With larger business class cabins that are all lie flat there is a case to be made that business travelers need to be able to sleep on long hauls so they arrive and can work. The main business risk of PE is not that some portion of Y passengers won’t pay a premium for Y, but that eventually businesses who would otherwise buy J buy PE instead because it is offered. One could imagine corporate travel policies eventually being modified to only allow PE for daytime flights or flights in between 6-9 hours which would cannibalize J revenue. Part of reducing the risk of that is rebranding it Business and PE instead of the old-school First and Business.
Mar 26, 2019, 7:04 pm
#321
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Wayne, NJ USA
Programs: UA Million Miler, Lifetime United Club member
Posts: 2,175
Was on a flight last week from Frankfurt to SFO and seated in PP. Someone asked if there will be more work for the FAs in Economy and PP together when it starts in April. The FA said PP will actually be served by C class FA so it'll be one less section for them. Not sure if it's true or not.
I will know more on the inaugural EWR-CDG flight this Saturday. Looking forward to reporting back.
Mar 26, 2019, 8:09 pm
#322
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: UA MP (1K, 1MM)
Posts: 268
Currently I'm booked in PP on SFO-PEK on April 7 ... should be able to compare experiences a week apart! (Though I'm wait-listed for business class and it might actually clear for once ... )
Mar 26, 2019, 8:30 pm
#323
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YEG
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 755
Sat in the new PP bulkhead seat (20A) and it was a wonderful experience seatwise. Recline was good and the footrest made it feel like napping in recliner. I also appreciated the minicabin vibe that kept most of the hooligans and screaming children out of your area. Given the darwinian conditions of the 3-4-3 layout in 777 economy classes now I think it was well worth the $160 upgrade for a vastly better flying experience.
The downside is that the PP minicabin is too compact for its own bathroom so you have to share with the rest of economy. While some users mentioned that they were able to use the forward bathrooms in business up ahead, on my flight back I saw a flight attendant kick a guy out who was not polaris and looking for a bathroom up front.
The downside is that the PP minicabin is too compact for its own bathroom so you have to share with the rest of economy. While some users mentioned that they were able to use the forward bathrooms in business up ahead, on my flight back I saw a flight attendant kick a guy out who was not polaris and looking for a bathroom up front.
I still didn't think the footrest was useful for my 6'3" frame although in the bulkhead there was more overall legroom and the window passenger was able to get out with me having to get up which was nice.
The washrooms were the huge problem, you had to wait in line with regular Y passengers, and since they usually lined up behind the bulkhead behind 22K, and there is no lavatory occupied light in front to see like in business, you would getup to use the lav and discover a lineup, so without a dedicated lav HUGELY disappointed.
Also the width of the armrest again is a huge bummer, another inch or two between you and the other passenger would of made all the difference, in fact all you get a whole 1" of armrest each in between your seat and the neighbour which is almost useless. You can tell its not like domestic first as you can't put 2 glasses side by side on the drink tray between the seats, in PP the drink tray is barely able to hold one glass so your neighbour has to put theirs behind yours.
Overall the chair width is OK, footrest useless for tall people, armrest is useless between neighbours, and seat cushion still as uncomfortable as Y.
I would not pay more than $100-200 TOPS more for this over Y, in fact I would take an empty Y set between me in the middle section of the plane in Y over this, mainly due to the armrest issue.
Mar 26, 2019, 9:12 pm
#325
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,844
Next to the audio jack & USB charge port
Flip up the center armrest and in the far back, can be a bit on a contortion to access
pic
Flip up the center armrest and in the far back, can be a bit on a contortion to access
pic
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 26, 2019 at 9:19 pm Reason: pic link
Mar 26, 2019, 9:20 pm
#326
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Wayne, NJ USA
Programs: UA Million Miler, Lifetime United Club member
Posts: 2,175
Next to the audio jack & USB charge port
Flip up the center armrest and in the far back, can be a bit on a contortion to access
pic
Flip up the center armrest and in the far back, can be a bit on a contortion to access
pic
Thanks, found this image as well.
)
Mar 27, 2019, 11:30 am
#329
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,172
New livery
New “informal” announcements
All April 1. Trifecta you betcha
The Polaris preplated Petri dish seems like a PP level offering. Perhaps a larger portion of Y in a nicer tray?
Mar 28, 2019, 9:18 am
#330
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 6,020
Matthew from Live and Let Fly has the scoop on this: WHAT MEAL SERVICE LOOKS LIKE IN UNITED PREMIUM PLUS (PREMIUM ECONOMY)
Looks like re-purposed domestic first class meals, with a menu.
Looks like re-purposed domestic first class meals, with a menu.