Hey! In April (I know its a long time away), I will be travelling United's Buisness Class on flights IAD-SFO (762) and LAX-IAD (744). They are both Breakfast and Snack flights. I am wondering, What I can expect in terms of food, entertainment, service, seats, planes, etc.? Thank-you!

The 767 is really bad. Narrow, cramped seats. The 747 should have the good, new seats with footrests and personal video.

Food service is like domestic F only worse. No nuts, ice cream, or appetizer.

I would definitely avoid C class on the 767 but on the 747 you're trading better seats against better food service.

What does that mean?

I just recently (June 1) flew a 767 (it was a -300), and it had the new buisness seats, PTV's, and foot rests.

Also, on that same flight (June 1), they served a steak dinner, on a 2.5 hour flight. It was really good too! So how could this food be bad?!

UALover7: QuietLion was referring to the 767-200ER plane which SUCKS in C. I burned 20k last year for a BOS-LAX rt. My worst UA investment. Desastrous food, service, enter' and seats (bulkhead)

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check it out : The Airline First and Business Class Service Reviews web site at
http://www.stormloader.com/havane/sl...roduction.html

The 762 (I'm surprised its on that route) has old crappy seats with no in-seat video, etc. (Maybe you will get a equip change to a 763). Personally, I like the size of that cabin, but the 762 seats are pretty bad... and very worn out. The width is a bit on the narrow side. (By next April, who knows... maybe you will have new seats).

The meal service is "variable". You will have a choice of 2 or so breakfast entrees (hot and cold), and a sandwich snack before landing. Its an ample amount of food. The quality of the "snack" is variable, from inedible to pretty good.

Expect a lot of "mixed reviews" on what people think of 767s. You will find that no one likes the current 762 seating/entertainment. I am a sorta-fan of the 763 though.

Chgeck out the real time comments on LAX-IAD 747 seating here:
www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/002242.html

767 and 777 Business Class on United both like Crowded zoos - people everywhere these days ... got for 747 BOTH ways IMHO! Glen

Thank-you for everything. Keep on replying, I love reading them.

BTW- I went to http://www.stormloader.com/havane/sl...roduction.html and it said UAL Business (internationally) has PTV's.

Now I understand that the flight is not international, but both the flights (IAD-SFO and LAX-IAD) are planes that flew international routes. Therefore meaning the planes will be eqiped with international services.

Thats how I got to fly Buisness Class on a 767-300 from IAD-MIA. It had the new seats and PTV's because the flight goes Milan-IAD-MIA-IAD-Milan.

When I asked (via e-mail) a United Employee, my friend, about Transcon. Buisness Class flights, he gave me this...

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*Hot, scented refresher towels during flight and at the end of the flight

*Separate airport check-in line(s)

*Access to United's Red Carpet Club

*Early boarding

*Pre-departure beverage service of champagne and orange juice

*Option of three entrees on all flights, served on fine porcelain.


*Premium wines, choice of fruit and cheese or dessert with port and liqueurs, Starbucks coffee, and Godiva chocolates

*Fully adjustable, ergonomic seats complete with Backcycler� lumbar support designed to provide more room to work, relax, or sleep. Chairs also include leg rest, foot rest, and adjustable head rest

*Complimentary in-flight amenity kit containing travel necessities such as eye shades, a toothbrush, and more

*Personal TV's on each seat that are stored in the armrest's

*Priority deplaning and priority baggage delivery at the final destination
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He told me this is what I should expect on the 762 IAD-SFO and the 744 LAX-IAD. In your flying expieriences (on UA Buisness), did you receive this?

Also, what is a Buisness Class breakfast and Snack (what does it consist of).

That is what I meant, sorry!

Thank-you all so much for your help!

Is transon in C really worse than in F on a two class?

I just about bet money there are no footrests on a 767 and I can guarantee the recline is pretty average. The 747 KILLS it. Hands down. Price is the same. Go for the 747 on a 4-5 hour flight. More booze, far wider choise, as the 747 plane has come in from somewhere o/s and is loaded thus. #962 starts in LAX and then goes on to Munich for example, so EVERYHING is in stock, and fully loaded.

choiCe!

UAlover7...Personally, I've never received an amenity kit on a United transcon. Only on international flights. The rest of the list is pretty accurate if your aircraft has the new seats.

Totally agree with QuietLion that the 767 is one of the worst widebodies, IMHO. Not so "wide" body and low ceiling give this a very cramped feel, and Business feels like Economy Plus to me on these, new seats or not.

zrs70 questions: I think that depends what you want. I think the seats and space in 3-Class Business is better than 2-Class First. But the service and meal presentation is better in 2-Class First, IMHO. I think this has to do with Business Class being designed for, well, Business travelers. Business travelers who are more likely to want to just get the meal over with so they can get to sleep or work. In Business your entire meal (appitizer, main and dessert) is usually brought all on one tray.

In 2-Class First, the service seems to be more "First Class" with each course being brought separately, and on some flights even the famous United Ice Cream Sundae Cart.

So for me (I can't sleep on planes and love the attention) I prefer the 2-Class First. But if you can/need to sleep or work on your flight, I would suggest 3-Class Business.


[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 06-22-2000).]

UNLESS you get the redone plane by then, the 767-200 seats, as indicated by the above posts, leave a lot to be desired. (I like the 767-300 seats.) They do have footrests, which don't go up high enough. I've flown the 767-200 (and, for that matter, the 767-300) transcon more times than I can count (although generally from or to JFK), and have never received an amenity kit on either equipment. Breakfast is typically 3 choices: fruit plate with cereal, an egg concoction of some sort, and something like pancakes/French toast. They NEVER stock enough (supposedly storage space is too limited) for everyone to get their first choice. They did for a time offer 2 choices for the snack, but nowadays it's only one. "Premium wines" is a bit hyperbolic; while they're definitely better than those half-frozen baby bottles in Y and certainly drinkable, they're typically wines like Cartlidge & Brown you could buy at about $5 or $6 at retail (imagine what UA pays for them). I wasn't aware of the RCC access, but I'm a member so it wouldn't have mattered. Service depends largely on the particular crew; most of them tend to do a disappearing act.

I agree with the consensus that you'll like the 744
and not necessarily be thrilled with the 762.

re individual claims by UA:

*Hot, scented refresher towels during flight and at
the end of the flight

Yes, almost always

*Separate airport check-in line(s)

Yes, but they may be surprisingly crowded

*Access to United's Red Carpet Club

I don't think so - for nonmembers, you get in
only on international flights; you could make
a case for getting in if you could somehow
convince the concierge that you were promised.

*Early boarding

Yes

*Pre-departure beverage service of champagne and
orange juice

Usually

*Option of three entrees on all flights, served
on fine porcelain.

The porcelain is okay.

*Premium wines, choice of fruit and cheese or dessert
with port and liqueurs, Starbucks coffee, and Godiva
chocolates

Not with breakfast. Wines will be available for the
asking: the Kinderwood wines they've been pouring
have been variable even within type - one of the worst
Cabs I ever tasted last week, but that was one out of
four tries, the others okay

*Fully adjustable, ergonomic seats complete with
Backcycler(R)

Probably: but a chance that they'll be broken on the
762. On BOS-SFO recently I found two broken seats.

*lumbar support designed to provide more room to work,
relax, or sleep. Chairs also include leg rest, foot rest,
and adjustable head rest

Some of these features may not be available on the 762

*Complimentary in-flight amenity kit containing travel
necessities such as eye shades, a toothbrush, and more

Definitely not within the US

*Personal TV's on each seat that are stored in the
armrest's

Don't remember: probably not on the 762 except in first

*Priority deplaning and priority baggage delivery at
the final destination

Maybe and maybe

Also, what is a Buisness Class breakfast and Snack
(what does it consist of).

Fruit plate with cereal or yogurt - generous serving of
fruit of variable quality (sometimes fine)

Possibly the breakfast sampler - quite variable, usually
not too good but I've been surprised

Possibly pancakes (gunky)

If you're lucky there may be an omelette choice;
if you're really lucky it may be good, although the
last one I had was gigantic (3 eggs at least) and
completely tasteless, but it was catered out of MEL.

Breads variable depending on the local supplier -
I've had some quite good croissants on occasion.

Coffee from Starbuck's, if you like that sort of
thing; tea murky and indifferent; frappuccino on
request.

Orange juice last I checked was Minute Maid.

I hope your flights are good ones.

Re the 744 flight from LAX to IAD. No toilet bags (aka amenity kits) are given out, but if this is your thing, try the seat backs behind row 7 (last row in forward C cabin)- there are usually a bunch from the last int'l flight stashed there. BTW, this am flight from LAX to IAD has now been downgraded to a 777, effective early June. Has anyone been on this one? Can't imagine they'd let you in the RCC on a domestic ticket. Ditto above re the wines: these are cheapo wines, not premium wines- drinkable at best- some of the reds can leave you with a very sore head the next morning so beware.