A lot has changed since the merger with Continental: Here’s what you need to know
Domestic First Class is the little brother of the airline world. In almost every respect, except price, it’s junior. So the key to flying First Class in this country is getting a “seat upgrade,” which means finding domestic routes on which a carrier uses international aircraft because those planes have the best seats.
United presents a great example right now, not only because of the merger with Continental, but because it is past the three-quarter mark when it comes to rolling out a new international seat for Business and First Class.
The new international seat has already been installed on the carrier’s B787-800s, B747-400s, and three-cabin B767 300s. By the end of January 2013, the airline says, all B767-400s and the two-cabin B767-300s are slated to have the seat. The B777s new seat completion date is set for spring 2013.
But whether you get the new or the old international First Class seat, it’s an upgrade from the domestic First Class one. If you get the new seat, you might even regard it as a free double “in-class comfort upgrade.”
The International Seat
United’s new First Class seat is called Global First. It’s 31 inches wide with the armrest dropped, and it turns into a 78-inch-long flat bed. United’s old First Class seat is 20 to 21.5 inches wide and converts to a 78-inch-long flat bed.
The new Business Class seats (19 to 27 inches wide, depending on the aircraft and with the armrest dropped) recline 180 degrees and have 55 to 77 inches of pitch, depending on aircraft. Old Business Class seats recline to 147 degrees, are 19 to 20.5 inches wide, and have 55 inches of pitch.
Compare those figures with the comparative paltry specs of normal domestic seats: The airline won’t even reveal how far it (doesn’t) reclines, and seats only offer 38 inches of legroom (compared to 77 inches on United’s new Business Class seat).
As far as I’m concerned, you could say that you’d be getting 100% more value by knowing “where the seats are.”
Where to Find the International Seat on Domestic Routes
The chart on the next page shows the current United routes and flight numbers with international seats, whether old or new. Use it, but with one caveat: United changes flight numbers often. For example, on Chicago-Denver on Jan. 13, United operates an international B777 as flight 423; but on Jan. 23 the flight number changes to 269, even though it’s the same aircraft departing at the same time. The routes listed in the chart on page 6 usually offer a good chance of operating throughout the year, but with different flight numbers. So call United to check for the most updated flight number and departure time on your travel date. Most search engines, including United’s will list the “type of aircraft” in their search results.
When to Use Miles
United has not lowered First Class fares on domestic routes as much as American and Delta have (see issue page 2 for “The End of domestic First Class As We Know It”), so on a route where fares are high—the return on miles is, too—it pays to use miles for an upgrade or an award ticket.
Free Mileage Award: Return-on-Miles Math: On the Houston-Honolulu route, United uses a B777. This route offers a great return on miles. Fares are usually high—a First Class ticket easily costs $5,750. United charges 100,000 miles for that ticket, which equals a 5.7¢ per mile (5,750 divided by 100,000). Going to Hawaii? Think about connecting via Houston.
Where to Find United’s International First and Business Class Seat on Domestic Routes
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[aside headline="Good Connection" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Keep the flight numbers and routes in the chart handy when booking, so you make the right connection. When flying Houston-Davenport for example, connect in Chicago to catch UA1136 and UA3643; or when flying Denver-Frankfurt, route via Houston to catch UA1180.[/aside]
Mileage Upgrade: Return-on-Miles Math: On Washington, DC-Chicago, United uses its B787-300 which offers the new flat-bed Business Class seat. Subtract the published Business Class ticket cost ($2,838) from the upgradeable economy ticket, and then divide the result by the miles required (40,000): $2,838 minus $400 (upgradable economy fare and co-pay) equals $2,438, divided by 40,000, yields a return of 6.1¢ per mile.
Getting Miles
United is a point transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards. Spend $3,000 in the first three month after receiving the card and you’ll get 40,000 Chase Points, enough for a free round-trip domestic upgrade on United.
When to Pay Cash
On short-haul routes, it’s usually smarter to pay cash. A good example of this is Houston-Denver, on which United uses its newest aircraft, the B787-800. The fare for a departure on Jan. 13 and returning on Jan. 22 is $832 round trip in Business Class. The return on miles if you would request a free award ticket is only 1.7¢ in Business Class ($832 divided by 50,000 miles). On short-haul flights, always do the math before spending miles.
Getting the Double In-Seat-Comfort Upgrade
Use the chart when booking. Look for flights such as Houston-Chicago UA1136 (Monday through Friday, and Sunday) on which United uses a B787-800, which has the new Business Class seat—giving you a double in-seat-comfort upgrade because, not only is the flight an international aircraft, but it also has the new seat.
In other words, think of the airline as offering “three levels of Business Class service”—all at the same price. If you know how to get the best of the three, compared to someone who doesn’t, you could call it a double upgrade.