nycflyer222

Is this for real?

“As of November 1, 2020, United Airlines customers will be allowed to use lavatories anywhere on the plane, including in a different cabin. In other words, economy passengers can use first class lavatories, and vice versa.”

https://onemileatatime.com/united-ai...vatory-policy/

anteater

I completely understand the you have to go you have to go scenario and should be able to use any lavatory, but... one perk in my book of being in a premium cabin is having easier access to the lavatory and fewer people around you.

The moment Alaska Airlines changed their policy this way, there was a constant stream of main cabin folks using or idling outside of the forward lavatory.

nycflyer222

It seems like UA is prioritizing Y passengers over J in every way since COVID began and doesn’t intend on stopping. Without corporate travel, they have to go after leisure travelers instead.

ISTFlyer

I always find the fact that Y passengers using J/F lavatories, cheapens the J/F product.

Ari

This shouldn't have a negative impact on the premium-cabin experience at all. In fact, this could be the start of a new worldwide industry trend. I hear EK is now considering opening up the F shower suites to Y pax to reduce crowding in the Y lavs.

RobOnLI

How is it not a negative impact to the premium-cabin experience? You will have a free-for-all of passengers up & down the aisles. While the initial reason Y pax weren't allowed to use the F bathroom wasn't actually related to traffic but more related to keeping people away from the cockpit door post 2001, I sure as heck don't want to hear the constant hollow floor clunking every time someone walks past me on a LH/ULH flight. It's already bad enough with the J pax.

I don't like this change one bit if it's for real. I'm flying transcon on Nov 2 so will listen to whether the announcements change or not.

And will it be announced via the FA that all pax can use any lav? Or will they just drop the wording of using the lav in your ticketed cabin?

-RM

ISTFlyer

As someone who has flown a lot of times in transoceanic Y worldwide and transcontinental Y within the USA; on full flights, I always enjoyed the privilege of not waiting 15-20 minutes for the lavatory at the galley before landing and just after pre-arrival meals are collected.

I can't speak of EK as I didn't fly them after the pandemic has started although, on one of my flights on QR, the crew was very succesful sending people back to the Y lavs when they attempted to rush front from the curtain. I was seated in the bulkhead row in Y and there were almost 20 people who attempted that.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

This is really bad. On some planes there's more lavs in back than the one in front, so there will be a greater usage (and waiting) for the one in front. And this applies to a Polaris cabin, too???? This can't be real. A bunch of yahoos parading through the cabin at meal time to see what it's like up front?

fumje

The linked article says
So from I surmise, there will not be an invitation for Y pax to come forward to F; rather, the FAs will not stop them if they do so.

UAPremierGuy

Awful. Another way that UA shows it doesn't care about the premium cabin experience, or loyal customers. And they are STILL boarding people in the back of the plane before those in Economy Plus.

ISTFlyer

We're going off subject, though, I would agree with this.
United only cares about their Global Services when it comes to loyalty. ( maybe 1K's as well )

United's Domestic First product has almost no difference other than Spirit's Big Front Seat except free snacks, drinks, power outlets and USB ports ( on some aircraft ) & personal device entertainment. The rest is the same. I wouldn't be surprised if UA decides to remove the curtain divider like AA on their SH aircraft to add an extra row in Y.

Aussienarelle

Is the logic behind this about minimizing people walking past a greater number of pax?

Having just read about the planned free COVID testing on EWR-LHR flights one would hope this rule would not apply on those flights.

I try not to use the aircraft lavatories but it is necessary on longer flights and the use of lavatories with less seats per lavatory is worth a premium to me. One of the downsides of Premium Plus on long haul flights was the trek to the lavatories and long line up, and now I can walk past the "curtain" with little wait time.

Gig103

And I'm sure that the FAs will be diligently monitoring the curtain to say this to every passenger who comes up.
As if I didn't need a 15th reason to avoid UA travel, here is one anyway. (mild hyperbole)

HNLbasedFlyer

As a AA Exp, what has been your experience on American with no restrictions at least domestically - is it really that bad?

azepine00

Reasonable approach at least near term for narrowbodies. Schlepping from row 6 all the way to the back and lining up while a lav is empty 10 ft away is nonsensical in good days and downright hazardous now...
I would limit it to narrowbodies though and ensure no lining up while waiting in F...