United Shuttle Cattlecars
Mar 14, 1999, 10:57 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: NJ
Posts: 3,335
United Shuttle Cattlecars
Just rode on my third United Shuttle in a month, this time from Phoenix to Denver. Had previously been on Portland to SFO, and then SFO to SEA.
I have to say, these are without question the worst seats I have ever been in. The pitch of the coach seats was so bad that I barely had any room from my knees to the seat in front of me, and I'm only 5'9" tall!! When the person in front of me reclined, the seat was virtually in my face if I didn't recline. I was forced to recline so that I could get the seat in front out of my face. No room whatsoever to open up a laptop on the tray table, whether the person in front was reclined or not. In fact, that seats seemed to have such reduced pitch that the lights and vents above seemed to be out of sync. My lights and vents were directly above my head, instead of slightly in front, indicating to me that they had pushed the seats closer together than when the plane was built.
I had no real alternative on these flights (I am on the East Coast, and don't want to start accumulating credit on one of the "West Coast airlines", like Southwest), but took United to get credit on Delta. However, I can definitely say that I will avoid United whenever I can so as not to have to ride these cattlecars again.
Let me just say, that being in the PHL area, I obviously have to fly US Air a lot. It takes a lot of effort, United, to make me appreciate US Air, but you have managed to do it.
Amazing to me that United can keep business with this kind of service.
Djlawman
I have to say, these are without question the worst seats I have ever been in. The pitch of the coach seats was so bad that I barely had any room from my knees to the seat in front of me, and I'm only 5'9" tall!! When the person in front of me reclined, the seat was virtually in my face if I didn't recline. I was forced to recline so that I could get the seat in front out of my face. No room whatsoever to open up a laptop on the tray table, whether the person in front was reclined or not. In fact, that seats seemed to have such reduced pitch that the lights and vents above seemed to be out of sync. My lights and vents were directly above my head, instead of slightly in front, indicating to me that they had pushed the seats closer together than when the plane was built.
I had no real alternative on these flights (I am on the East Coast, and don't want to start accumulating credit on one of the "West Coast airlines", like Southwest), but took United to get credit on Delta. However, I can definitely say that I will avoid United whenever I can so as not to have to ride these cattlecars again.
Let me just say, that being in the PHL area, I obviously have to fly US Air a lot. It takes a lot of effort, United, to make me appreciate US Air, but you have managed to do it.
Amazing to me that United can keep business with this kind of service.
Djlawman
Mar 15, 1999, 6:13 am
#2
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Location: America Central
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Posts: 936
The truly sad part? It's a tremendous success for UA financially. Perhaps all we can hope for is enough revenues derived from cattlecar with wings type service will flow into domestic FC service to make it more enjoyable.
We've only flown the Shuttle in FC -- nothing at all to write home (or here) about...
We've only flown the Shuttle in FC -- nothing at all to write home (or here) about...
Mar 15, 1999, 6:22 am
#3
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Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
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The only true alternative to United's Shuttle is Southwest. I personally do not have much tolerance for their operating methods. "Festival Seating", lack of interline agreements, a worthless frequent flyer program, and employees who act like they just graduated high school, make me go out of my way to avoid them.
United Shuttle's biggest downside is its SFO hub. Delays are common-place.
United Shuttle's biggest downside is its SFO hub. Delays are common-place.
Mar 15, 1999, 8:17 am
#4
Original Member, Moderator: Hotel Deals and MilesBuzz
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Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 14,257
No...the only true alternate to UA Shuttle and Southwest is Alaska/Horizon Airlines. As I am located in Seattle and fly primarily to western states, I learned many years ago that Alaska shines above the rest in matters of comfort, food, customer service and schedule promptness.
Mar 15, 1999, 8:56 am
#5
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Alaska is first rate, however when most of your flights originate at either LAX or BUR it is not a viable alternative to UA Shuttle. Wish it was.
Mar 15, 1999, 9:50 am
#6
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,223
The "cattle-car" formulation definitely captures the experience.
At SFO, I've flown the UA shuttle to LA (both Burbank and LAX) seven times in the past year . . . never ONCE has the SFO-LA flight taken off on time. Only TWICE did the actual flight booked take off (only 3o to 45 minutes late). The other five times, the flight was canceled and I was shuttled (if you will) onto a different flight usually leaving two to three hours later. AAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH. It burns my tooshie UA is able to derive so much profit from such poor service. I'm considering moving my business to Alaska for the short-haul LA flights; I won't lose TOO many ff miles and it will SO much less aggravating.
At SFO, I've flown the UA shuttle to LA (both Burbank and LAX) seven times in the past year . . . never ONCE has the SFO-LA flight taken off on time. Only TWICE did the actual flight booked take off (only 3o to 45 minutes late). The other five times, the flight was canceled and I was shuttled (if you will) onto a different flight usually leaving two to three hours later. AAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH. It burns my tooshie UA is able to derive so much profit from such poor service. I'm considering moving my business to Alaska for the short-haul LA flights; I won't lose TOO many ff miles and it will SO much less aggravating.
Mar 15, 1999, 10:54 am
#7
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Location: Cambridge, MA
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KatW - if you flash your BA Exec Club card at Alaska's employees, they will give you a minimum of 500 BA miles for each flight you take with them, and a 50% bonus if you fly in First. 1-800-ALASKAAIR (252-7522)
Mar 17, 1999, 12:46 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 45
Noticed there are a few flights between lax and sfo that have a flight # under 2000. Are they still considered shuttle by united? Utilize shuttle aircraft, actual miles rather than 500 minimum earned, etc. Anyone happen to take one of those flights?
Mar 17, 1999, 2:00 am
#9
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about a year ago UA 961 SFO-LAX was ONLY credited as shuttle (and I rember having seen "somewhere" in small print, that also some few flights with numbers below 2'000 are flying "under shuttle rules").
Whenever I can (and if it is not a LAX connection), I take the NORMAL flights (with NORMAL UA service) from/to SNA (Santa Ana, Orange County, John Wayne Airport) to/from SFO: not only for the 500 minimum miles, but also for the comfort of getting there, parking (costs), the small and clean airport, the nice small Red Carpet Club (overlooking the airport). the staff at the airport, the direct access to/from my rental-car, the very fast baggage delivery and the nicer hotels, the 10 minutes drive to Newport (and the hotels thereand one of the nicest shopping paradises), and the fast (little traffic jam) access to Disney/Anaheim.
Whenever I can (and if it is not a LAX connection), I take the NORMAL flights (with NORMAL UA service) from/to SNA (Santa Ana, Orange County, John Wayne Airport) to/from SFO: not only for the 500 minimum miles, but also for the comfort of getting there, parking (costs), the small and clean airport, the nice small Red Carpet Club (overlooking the airport). the staff at the airport, the direct access to/from my rental-car, the very fast baggage delivery and the nicer hotels, the 10 minutes drive to Newport (and the hotels thereand one of the nicest shopping paradises), and the fast (little traffic jam) access to Disney/Anaheim.
Mar 17, 1999, 2:32 am
#10
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 6,790
In January I flew a round trip LAX - SFO - LAX and went FC to get the 25K miles bonus. Both of my flights were on UA flights numbered below 1000, yet both appeared on my MP account, with the proper flight numbers, credited as Shuttle flights - just actual mileage plus FC and PremEx bonuses 
Mar 17, 1999, 7:01 am
#11
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 2,581
there is some small print somewhere in the timetable referring to flights with low numbers that are Shuttle. I think the moral of the story--they convert a route to Shuttle, not individual flights. All flights (no matter the flight number) over a specific route (LAX/SFO, DEN/PHX) are, presto change-o, Shuttle!
Mar 18, 1999, 1:02 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 45
Thanks for the info. Not surprised that they only give actual miles, but always looking for an opportunity to pick up a few more miles. Based on the horror stories about shuttle flights, it would be nice if extra miles were given to those who have suffered through them.
Mar 18, 1999, 8:44 am
#13
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Omni (sort of)
About ten years ago if you stayed until the end of an extra inning night game at Candlestick Park (in SF), on the way out you got a little metal pin they called the croix de candlestick. Those of you who have been to night games at the Stick know why.Reference Mark Twain's quote about his summer in San Francisco.
Perhaps the UA Shuttle should have a similar deal for using the LAX gates. I knew I'd get back to the topic eventually.
About ten years ago if you stayed until the end of an extra inning night game at Candlestick Park (in SF), on the way out you got a little metal pin they called the croix de candlestick. Those of you who have been to night games at the Stick know why.Reference Mark Twain's quote about his summer in San Francisco.
Perhaps the UA Shuttle should have a similar deal for using the LAX gates. I knew I'd get back to the topic eventually.