Trip report - SYD-SFO in F Class
Mar 12, 1999, 3:41 pm
#1
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 111
Trip report - SYD-SFO in F Class
Just realised I should have probably written this in a separate thread, not in the 747-400 one.
Just flew SYD-SFO yesterday in F class on a UA 747-400. F class was full, with all 18 seats occupied.
UA's First lounge at Sydney Airport is located in/next to the Red Carpet Club, a level below the departure level, after customs and immigration. Service was very friendly, with some snacks and free drinks. A concierge escorted us from the lounge to the gate when it was time to board, but left us at the gate, so we still had to line up and wait with all other passengers.
'New' seats, but I doubt that these would be called 'Sleeper Suite'. They are just like large C-class seats, with electronic adjustments and a video player built in. No privacy screens, no 180% degree recline, no 'flat bed'. The seat was not overly comfortable for a First class seat. Not at all comparable to the SQ, QF or BA F-Class product.
Do love the noise reducing headsets. Excellent!
Service was okay, but not great. The Champagne was wonderful, but it appears UA is cutting back on food cost - no caviar, only four courses, that didn't seem that different from C-class. Even the menu seemed to be printed in a cheaper way than before - a simple printed and folded letter size menu, no separate wine list or insert.
More room for improvement: instead of these blankets, how about the duvets currently in use on some other airlines in F-class?
Amenity kits are provided in a large shoe bag. Very much the same amenities as the C-class, except that you also get a small Molton-Brown lip balm. Really small socks! Some suggestions here: aromatherapy balms or facial sprays.
I realise that some of my suggestions might seem quite petty, but keep in mind how much money one pays for a first class ticket!
Just flew SYD-SFO yesterday in F class on a UA 747-400. F class was full, with all 18 seats occupied.
UA's First lounge at Sydney Airport is located in/next to the Red Carpet Club, a level below the departure level, after customs and immigration. Service was very friendly, with some snacks and free drinks. A concierge escorted us from the lounge to the gate when it was time to board, but left us at the gate, so we still had to line up and wait with all other passengers.
'New' seats, but I doubt that these would be called 'Sleeper Suite'. They are just like large C-class seats, with electronic adjustments and a video player built in. No privacy screens, no 180% degree recline, no 'flat bed'. The seat was not overly comfortable for a First class seat. Not at all comparable to the SQ, QF or BA F-Class product.
Do love the noise reducing headsets. Excellent!
Service was okay, but not great. The Champagne was wonderful, but it appears UA is cutting back on food cost - no caviar, only four courses, that didn't seem that different from C-class. Even the menu seemed to be printed in a cheaper way than before - a simple printed and folded letter size menu, no separate wine list or insert.
More room for improvement: instead of these blankets, how about the duvets currently in use on some other airlines in F-class?
Amenity kits are provided in a large shoe bag. Very much the same amenities as the C-class, except that you also get a small Molton-Brown lip balm. Really small socks! Some suggestions here: aromatherapy balms or facial sprays.
I realise that some of my suggestions might seem quite petty, but keep in mind how much money one pays for a first class ticket!
Mar 12, 1999, 4:11 pm
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Pasadena, CA. USA
Posts: 1,438
Dutchboy:
Good report.
I am dismayed though to see that the amenities in your descriptions do not rise to the standards one would hope international F/C services to be. (I fly domestic coach too often and am used to the abuse!)
To be fair, we should give UA (and all the other airlines) time to upgrade, overhaul and standardize their F/C services.
- Ken
Good report.
I am dismayed though to see that the amenities in your descriptions do not rise to the standards one would hope international F/C services to be. (I fly domestic coach too often and am used to the abuse!)
To be fair, we should give UA (and all the other airlines) time to upgrade, overhaul and standardize their F/C services.
- Ken
Mar 12, 1999, 4:12 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CH-3823 Wengen Switzerland
Programs: miles&more, MileagePlus
Posts: 27,041
I just read with much interest your SAS, Thai and now UA trip reports. I assume that you did this on a StarAlliance-round-the-world ticket. Did you?
If so, did you buy it with the old rules or the new ones? (new would be with higher mileage levels: 26'000 instead of 25'000 up to 39'000 instead of 38'000; and the new one includes Air New Zealand and Ansett).
To my experience, on a r-t-w ticket in business, and UA's business-code for that r-t-w fare is "D", UA never grants any upgrades to international first (not even against award miles). How did you manage?
If so, did you buy it with the old rules or the new ones? (new would be with higher mileage levels: 26'000 instead of 25'000 up to 39'000 instead of 38'000; and the new one includes Air New Zealand and Ansett).
To my experience, on a r-t-w ticket in business, and UA's business-code for that r-t-w fare is "D", UA never grants any upgrades to international first (not even against award miles). How did you manage?
Mar 13, 1999, 6:49 am
#4
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Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 111
Rudi, I (or rather my company) did indeed purchase a RTW C-class fare, level 2. It was the 'old' fare that unfortunately did not allow travel on NZ or AN yet. Travel on those carriers would have saved me a lot of time travelling from Singapore to Sydney - now I had to trek through Bangkok!
You are correct - UA would not normally upgrade using Mileage Plus awards, but they did accept my UA Sales Upgrade certificate without a problem. (One of these hard-to-get certs that I received through my company travel agent.)
You are correct - UA would not normally upgrade using Mileage Plus awards, but they did accept my UA Sales Upgrade certificate without a problem. (One of these hard-to-get certs that I received through my company travel agent.)