by Charles Lockwood
Last October, United rolled out its new p.s. “premium service” on three-class transcon flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco. This was part of the carrier’s switch to reconfigured narrow-body 757s for the route.
My initial reaction? Oh, no!
I mean, who’d want to fly cross-country in the plane that everybody (except the pilots) loves to hate? United’s three-class 767 transcon flights were just fine, particularly in Business Class. So why mess with a good thing? But out of journalistic duty, I paid $550 for a discounted one-way New York-Los Angeles Business Class ticket late last year. Since then, I’ve flown two more round-trips.
My new reaction: I like it. In fact, I think United’s premium service provides a better and more spacious Business Class experience than its 767 did. The Business Class cabin feels extraordinarily roomy, because of a seven-foot open area between rows eight and nine to serve the emergency exits (tip: get a seat in row nine).
Premium service planes have 12 lie-flat seats in First Class, 26 in Business Class, and 72 seats in the allEconomy Plus coach cabin (35- to 36-inch pitch). The First Class seats are Singapore Airlines’ new Business Class “Space Bed” seats, minus some of the entertainment features; the Business Class seats are the ones on United’s international flights. The seats have extendable footrests, adjustable lumbar support, individual reading lamps, and an adapter–free 110-volt power outlet for laptops. Business Class passengers enjoy international flight amenities such as earplugs and cotton socks.
Most importantly, the seats push back — way back. The rows are spaced far enough apart so that you don’t feel penned in if the passenger in the row ahead pushes back to full recline.
The meals I had were quite good, the equal of the Business Class food on United’s 767 transcon flights. (One caveat: United only serves a snack on its mid-evening flights in Business Class. While the sliced meats, cheeses, fruits, and breads were highquality, I wanted a real meal.) Wines were a notch above most competitors’ premium cabin offerings. So was the entertainment set-up: individual DVD players and noise-reduction headsets.
The flight attendants are some of United’s best. One incident sums up their élan: About 20 minutes before landing in Los Angeles, I asked for a cup of coffee. The crew had already tossed the coffee, but without missing a beat, the flight attendant said, “I’ll make a fresh pot for you real quick.” And he did.
On one flight from California, I asked my seatmate, who had American AAdvantage Platinum luggage tags, why he tried United’s premium service. “I didn’t make the decision,” he replied. “My office just put me on this flight.” But then he added, “In this era of increasingly bad service, it’s great to see an airline give passengers something really extra. I just hope it works out.”
So do I.
Charles Lockwood writes about air travel for the travel sections for Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. He has been a regular California-New York transcon passenger for 20+ years.
by Charles Lockwood
Last October, United rolled out its new p.s. “premium service” on three-class transcon flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco. This was part of the carrier’s switch to reconfigured narrow-body 757s for the route.
My initial reaction? Oh, no!
I mean, who’d want to fly cross-country in the plane that everybody (except the pilots) loves to hate? United’s three-class 767 transcon flights were just fine, particularly in Business Class. So why mess with a good thing? But out of journalistic duty, I paid $550 for a discounted one-way New York-Los Angeles Business Class ticket late last year. Since then, I’ve flown two more round-trips.
My new reaction: I like it. In fact, I think United’s premium service provides a better and more spacious Business Class experience than its 767 did. The Business Class cabin feels extraordinarily roomy, because of a seven-foot open area between rows eight and nine to serve the emergency exits (tip: get a seat in row nine).
Premium service planes have 12 lie-flat seats in First Class, 26 in Business Class, and 72 seats in the allEconomy Plus coach cabin (35- to 36-inch pitch). The First Class seats are Singapore Airlines’...