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Reminds me of virgin America. No lounge, staff were rude, no meal or snack and that was in their so called first class. No wonder they went. Oh and the hostie was cutting her finger nails behind the curtain. Lovely.
I travelled New Zealand to U.K. with United. I booked diabetic meals which were confirmed. The cabin crew on board told me that they never serve such meals despite taking bookings. With a 27hr journey time and a 13hr time difference I was very uncomfortable as I was unable to gauge my insulin dosage. To add insult to injury they sold my medical details to a health service provider who tried a hard sell on me. Full diabetic care is free in the U.K.!
Actually there are flights out there that treat economy class better than most of United states flights business class. Etihad, Oman Air, Gulf air, Lufthansa all have great economy class with tvs and blankets and great food.
They first called it the slave ship section,,,,, then marketing changed it cattle..... then they switched it again to "coach" and every time they changed the name.... the moved the seats an inch closer together. , bringing people closer together,,,, a few inches at a time.
@@dustycakemydude1970 It isn't just the policy, it is also the presentation of the aircraft. I only flown Delta once, and did not have a bad experience, but I have flown United 3 times, and did have bad experiences ranging from the late arrivals to the dirty seats.
I stopped flying united because I had a crazy experience them. They lost my luggage, tried to talk to a manager at the airport, he told me to relax, they lose on average 25% of luggages, I should just make a claim, not to mention, he then made a pass at me. A distressed passenger! My bag was eventually found Alaska after 5 days. Guess what? They lost it again while trying to deliver it. Gave up at that point. Useless airline.
@@jameshorton3692 Clearly reading comprehension is a problem for you. Would have been better if you read my comment and understood it before insulting me. Regrettably, no idea if true or not but the useless manager at the united desk did say that to me at the airport as a way of calming me down.
Your review is spot on! My wife and I flew United Polaris Business class from Denver to London April of 2022. Everything you touched on was exactly what we encountered. The flight attendants were down right surly and bordering on rude when it came to mask wearing or even trying to get service ( such as a drink or a snack) The sleeping position of the seat was extremely uncomfortable. I have flown Thai Air and ANA first class and they offer a much better product.
Yeah they do that when it's their job and then they don't even wear mask in the public or even where it says "mask required" stating its their right and exercise their freedom, quite the contrary. Typical Americans.
great that you mentioned how dirty those airplanes often are, even in business class. it's curious that even the covid pandemic only changed the airlines marketing about hygiene and cleanliness, not the actual level of dirt around the seats and lavatories. very few airlines are consistently clean, most not at all.
Indeed. You have to replace the mask between bites, which is totally pointless, but they don't bother to disinfect or even properly clean the plane. Shame on them.
Yeah, gotta love when employees express employment dissatisfaction on strangers. Don't like your company, fire your boss AKA QUIT. 20 ppl quitting hits harder than being a douche to 2000 customers.
I've worked in the service industry a ton and almost all my bosses were jerks but never once did I take it out on a customer who had literally nothing to do with that. If people can't separate their boss from a customer then they are in the wrong line of work. Yes I know personally it's not "that easy" to just get another job but you'll be fired anyway if you get enough complaints so what's the end game of treating customers like crap?
First class has slipped so much over the years. I flew with my Dad who was in his final years to see the Grey Cup in Canada years ago. I booked 2 first class seats since he needed the space due his leg problems. The airline said we were seated together and then we were not. I thought since it was a long flight I could get some sleep but coach passengers kept coming in first class to use the bathroom and were loudly closing the door. The service was mediocre. People gave you a drink and then disappeared for long lengths of time. I spent a lot for those tickets and I learned that most people in first class got bumped up or used points which as you well said devalues first class in the U.S. My experience of first class in the US is it is over priced and not worth it as it has been devalued by all the upgrades. I would like to try first class outside the US to get a sense of what first class truly can be.
“The crew were particularly icy and unfriendly on this fight.” It’s not just this flight. My limited experience flying United that has always been the case. It’s as if they’re doing you a favor by doing their job. My friend once described his experience as feeling “his human rights were violated.” Spot on.
I have found that on both United and American Airlines. Their flight crews seem to have an attitude of, "F-you for flying with us" But by far United is the worse .
@@jamescollier3 any middle eastern airline, Singapore airlines and Turkish easily beat any European or American airline by a million times. The European and American Airlines act as if they are letting you fly for free and doing a favour. No wonder most of their premium products are not profitable as no one is really willing to pay for it.
Yeah, Covid is a real thing but what the governments and companies say is not based on reality and science. Masking like that *is not* going to help. It's just making life worse just to virtue signal that they're helping stop Covid without... Actually helping.
@@assaulth3ro911 not only that, but constantly taking off and putting it back on completely defeats the purpose of masks. the staff are terrible anyway too.
I’ve actually flown United first class, and was not impressed. The plane was old, and the seats felt ancient. Why do foreign airlines do it so much better than their American based counterparts? And their economy seats is pure hell. I remember flying to Brazil on their red eye a few years back, I was denied access to the bathroom.
I worked at United...most employees who travel frequently choose to fly with competitors. I can say that the ground crews give 100% effort for loading the planes. Its sad to here that flight crews destroy that effort with a bad attitudes.
Ive always flown Alaska besides the time i flew Hawaiian to go to Hawaii and have never had any complaints other than being a bit crammed and short on leg room but thats expected for a 6'4 guy in economy class
@@Trektrendy I flew 1st Class on Alaska in June from East coast to West coast and the flight was awesome. FAs were great, food was great, drinks were great, seats were great. Flight was great.
@@spydude38 I am doing the same thing in January east coast to west coast for the first time. I was fortunate enough to get first class for my first solo flight with Alaska, is there anything I should know a head of time?
United has been treating business (and business class) travellers badly for a very long time. I did a lot of business travelling using United in the 90s and 2000s and seriously despite the fact my company was paying for seriously expensive tickets so the ticket could be changed more easily. It was like eff-you and the airlines are scratching their heads on why the business travelers aren't rushing back now.
Over the past three decades I have flown United and regretted it each and every time. "Fly the Friendly Skies," is more marketing than actual practice. The United Airline flight atendants are some of the rudest in the business and Joan Rivers would say they are the worst. They always speak to you through gritted teeth, hissing out their respinses like snakes about to take a bite. I have never known a United plane's bathrooms to have an empty trash can, even if it is the first flight for the day. Over priced and overbooked, it is like the company is too cheep to add enough flights to fully service their customers. Yet if you are going to have a flight canceled or delayed, one can always depend on United to screw up your day.
back in the summer of 2006, I flew united business-class on a 777. the seats were essentially lazy boy recliners which was awesome! plenty of room to recline and if you needed to get out of your seat and you were in a window seat and the other person was fully reclined with the footrest out, you could still get to the aisle without disturbing them. it was an excellent experience. I had no complaints. fast forward to September 2022: ok, this time i flew united business-class on a 737 max-8 from Chicago to Anchorage. there are NO lazy boy style recliner seats on this plane. i honestly assumed they didn't have business class seats on this because it was a 737 but, they called what i was in.... business class. the ONLY things which separated it from coach seating was: a mediocre dinner, a few complimentary beers and enough personal room for my arms to not spill over into the other person's seat as I have broad shoulders. the seats themselves weren't any more luxurious than what you could expect from coach and around the three and a half hour mark in a six and a half hour flight, my butt was getting sore sitting in that stiff, cushion-sparse seat. the seats themselves were a _massive_ disappointment. this wasn't business-class, it was really just coach-plus. I was ready to disembark the aircraft by the four hour mark but, we still had another two and a half hours to go. the united CEO should be _required_ to fly business class at least twice a month for a year to see what kind of experience they are offering their passengers at inflated prices. make them fly coach too and give them a middle seat! 😄 I guarantee there would be some changes. btw: mask rules are a _COMPLETE_ waste of time. masks simply do NOT work!
@@Daddy-Samy What do you have withhim? We fly what we like and love, and UNDERSTAND THAt no one has that amount of money to pay a first-class on a 5-star airline like QATAR, Singapur, and ANA
I was surprised about the eating with a mask rule, but the crew's nasty attitude assuming that the passenger is deliberately disobeying rules is offensive.
This is definitely a case of where rule has overstepped rational understanding, so to think the FA's are also going to, I don't feel like that's a stretch. Usually where management is micromanaging passengers nonsensically as such, they also are doing the same to the staff. In any terms of cross contamination & covid transmission this rule is actually backwards as you're then using a contaminated hand to eat, but that's united soooo....
I used to escort blind students to their flights at SFO. Many airlines were very accommodating and kind to the blind people as they tried to catch their flights through the confusion of the airport. But two airlines stood out as just rude and nasty. One was Air Canada and the other was United Airlines. I would always politely ask if someone from the airline could escort the blind person through security and to the gate. Every other airline at SFO would go out of their way to help my students, usually a flight attendant and sometimes even the Captain or First Officer would take them. Not so at United or Canada, they couldn't care less. "We don't do that!" was the usual hostile response or "They can go to their gate just like everyone else" was another answer. Fortunately a fellow passenger would usually step up at that point and offer to help them. Because of their lack of empathy, we tried hard not to schedule flights on Air Canada or United and used them only as a last resort.
I completely agree with you. I have stopped flying United and will never return to it. I have had a series of poor experiences with United. A couple of years ago from being denied water by FA to intentionally delaying flight with no food or water arrangements. I recall water denial has happened to me on 2 flights and when I complained to United, they offered me $50 coupon. I don't need that. What I need is an explanation, apology and a promise that it won't happen. I have even had flight delays in excess of 7 hours and return from run-way on United. United knew that this situation could occur and should have arranged for back-up crew. Yet, they delayed the flight in excess of 7 hours.
During the pandemic, I flew many times for business. About twice every 3 weeks as we slowed down a bit. In the beginning on United in Economy Plus, we could remove the mask during eating or drinking. Then one day, a male flight attendent about flipped his lid and demanded that I wear the mask while chewing and to lift it up to take sips of my drink. I told him, "I wasn't aware of the change" and he scoffed at my statement and said "Now you know and you can be arrested if you don't comply".... but no one in the exit rows seemed to know either about this change. This is where a lot of frequent business travellers sit when we don't get upgrades. It was bizzare and his manner of handling it was the worst United service I had experienced from my last 1000 flights. Most flights the cabin crew are pretty nice. You get the few that are worn down and tired and aren't much for saying anything or smiling. I get it. Sometimes I would fly the same routes in a back to back week and I'd see the same cabin crew members and get to know them a bit.. That's pretty fun. But smiling and being nice goes a LONG way as they get used to drones of people and everyone hating them on a regular basis.. when you're nice to them it's a good way to get some free snacks and extra drinks. Your mentioning of the mask issue brought back my mask memory. lol. I don't really let that one person ruin the rest of my experiences. Anyway, thanks for sharing your videos.
I’m Guest Services Manager onboard cruise ship, and I completely understand that Guest can be difficult, but there’s a way how you need to address something to the Guest, and the rudeness is not the way for sure. Unfortunately I experienced something similar. I hope that you will enjoy your future flights, and that the people who are not supposed to be in hospitality business, will change their job. Greetings!
I'm with you 100%, especially with regards to the mask rules there are many difficult passengers. But unfortunately I don't feel a one size fits all approach works, it leaves a passenger who has never been difficult feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. Greetings to you too my friend, wishing you safe and exciting future sailings
The RUclips "United Breaks Guitars" has now 21 million views, song #2 has 2.4 million, and song #3 has 1.2 million. These are great, and well worth a listen!
US Airlines were a shock to me when I first encountered them 20 odd years ago. Flew from Vienna to Tampa via Atlanta on a European Carrier, cattle class but manageable. in Tampa then I hopped onto a delta domestic flight to New Orleans...it felt like transitioning from a BMW to a Lada
I used to work for United as cabin crew. I wanted to since my father was a pilot for decades. So proud when putting on the uniform for the first time, and later getting my wings. Many things made it difficult to really enjoy the job: the pay (although I knew it), some senior staff who worked and complained with all the union and corporate changes, the attitudes of some colleagues in general, scheduling changes, short layovers, immediate managers, and the hurry-up-so-we-can-sit attitudes regarding service. I left a few years later. I’m glad I took a job there, but wish the company and union would treat their employees better.
@jcn694 . Ignore Kourtney’s rude comment. I find most comments like her’s really rude to read. That comment is to quote her: “most unnecessary”, and frankly, to keep comments to themselves.
@@jadefischer4704 But you can't because it's a small airline with a fraction of the routes UAL operates. So it's not really amazing that UAL will cost more when the cost of operations is so much higher than that of JetBlue. If you want to pay for premium on a regional airline that's your choice but you won't be able to get to as many places as UAL
@@fmifu4100 Agreed MINT is a limited service in terms of routes. However, the comparison was between JetBlue MINT and UAL business as a product and the cost of both.
I used to love flying first class on Continental before it was purchased by United many years ago. I agree that UA and AA are the worst of the US legacy carriers and I don't think status matters much these days. Delta, Jet Blue and Alaska are your best options for first class domestic. I don't think I'd ever fly a US carrier internationally unless there was no other option. I think reviews like this are awesome and the more that are put out the more likely these airline will improve.
Same, I always chose to fly with foreign carriers. The experience is so much better. That being said, I do miss the days of Continental. I always enjoyed their food and service.
@@jah309 I've had horrible service on Lufthansa and Iberia this year. Even United was better than them. I think things are changing in the post-pandemic environment, and the blanket statement that a lot of us tend to throw around. i.e. "International carriers are always better", isn't necessarily true in 2023. Just my recent experience, and I'm sure time will tell.
Alaska mistreats their entire grounds staff JetBlue mistreats their entire staff Delta is does the same shit as united with 4 different first classes But yeah at least their better right
I was going to Cape Town from New York recently. There was a direct 16 hour flight on United, but I opted to fly Emirates with a stop in Dubai, even though my flight time increased by 6 hours. I just couldn’t imagine myself being in United coach for 16 hours straight.
Flew from LAX to NRT with United on their 787 WITH Polaris and ALSO flew back to the US from HND to ORD with polaris. It seems to me united offers Polaris flight to and from Japan. I had a good experience in Polaris, the FA genuinely seemed like they wanted to be there and the Polaris Lounge is one of the the best lounges I've been to.
Exactly. The new product wasn't developed when they were delivered. They are in the process of installing the new product on the fleet. That takes time with such a large fleet and COVID didn't help so it was delayed. They have started upgrading the international feel again since the worst seems to be over. You run into a mix of new and older hard product on virtually any large international carrier.
@@johniii8147 yeah basically the 787-10, 777-300ER, international 777-200ER, and international 767-300ER have the new seats. Their are 4 777-200ER planes with the Domestic/Hawaii configuration and the 3 767-300ER planes that have not been reconfigured are currently found on domestic and Hawaii flights. The 787-8 is in the process of being reconfigured right now. The 787-9 has some planes delivered with the new product but apparently they want to start renovating the type by the end of the year. Their is a lot of confusion around the 767-400ER right now. It looks like United has this airplane type on the fence between retirement or renovation. Their are no plans to renovate the type yet and their are rumors that United may get rid of the type if travel numbers don’t recover. I don’t think that they have the 767-400ER in their schedule right now as they are using their 787-9s and 767-300ER planes instead.
Those were transferred over from Continental. UA was not allowed to purchase planes due to their bankruptcy from 9/11, that stole their employees pensions.
There still seems to be quite a number of retrofits still to take place (there’s a tracker on United own website showing this) but from my research: 6 out of 12 787-8s 9 out of 32 787-9s 31 out of 38 767-300ers 0 out of 16 767-400ers 46 out of 50 777-200ers So you see there’s still quite a percentage here which don’t feature Polaris. Hopefully these will continue to progress over the next few months but there’s still a very real chance you’ll get a non Polaris product on a long haul / transcon route.
@@Trektrendy that website was last updated a long time ago, everything but some 789s and the 764s are retrofitted. (There's 4 763s but they are stored and will get retrofitted before returning to service as well)
@@grass69420 thanks for letting me know. It’s a shame they’ve not updated this and it’s after all a good news story to push as aviation is beginning to recover. I still find it frustrating when an airline advertises one product and you get another though as I had tried hard to get transcon Polaris. I had a friend just last week have the same on a transcon swapped to non Polaris. I will endeavour to give them another go though on an international routing, perhaps LHR
Quite a revealing review, although I expect only full transparency from the best airline vlogger on the planet. After watching your review, I was quickly reminded of why I usually opt for other international carriers.
My husband recently flew United business class on a 4 hour international flight. There was no "hard" drink service, and no food, not even a snack. The seats weren't all that premium either. What's the point of flying business class if there are no premium amenities?
While air travel is crappy in the US, it’s because consumers voted with their dollars. Also: (1) expectations should be kept in check for an hour-long flight, and (2) give intra-Europe “business” class a try sometime. They block the middle seat but otherwise it’s the exact same seat as economy, same legroom and all.
@@bubbledoubletrouble But air travel isnt all equal in the US. Take JetBlue mint or shorter / mid haul Alaska - they provide a quality consistent product. I've also shown in the video that this is not specifically about this one hour flight but as United in general across domestic sectors. I've not drawn comparison to intra Euro flying, but seeing as you mention this. Euro flights are rarely longer than an hour or two : Full lounge access, full dining, polite/welcoming crew, priority boarding/security and the cabin is not full of the entitled upgrade brigade. Meanwhile in the US you can be stuck for 8 hours in a 2-2 armchair full of upgrades, no lounge access and poor service. It's all perspective and after-all my opinion, but having travelled extensively in both markets this is the reality.
@@Trektrendy Since you brought up JetBlue and Alaska: I won’t disagree with you that JetBlue overall is a better experience. I’ve never had a poor flight with them, kudos to their cabin crews. But if you want to compare the Mint product as a whole to United’s offerings, it’d only be fair to do so with a transcontinental flight since that’s the only time Mint is available. As for the “upgrade brigade” as you call it, of course they wouldn’t be flying Mint, because complimentary upgrades to that class (i.e., not simply the result of oversold economy) don’t exist; they’re simply not part of the business model. I wonder if you would have been less turned off by the upgraders had you flown one of the 737 or A320 that are far more common on the SFO-LAX route, both of which have considerably smaller premium cabins. Speaking of Alaska and 2x2 armchairs-I suppose you already know that their entire domestic F seats are of that type-I saw your catering call out and am curious what flight that you consider to be comparable to the 1-hour hop that was the focus of this video. Credit where credit is due, Alaska does offer paid F customers access to their lounges…such as they are. JetBlue, of course, does not have such an amenity despite not being anywhere near as budget as Spirit or Ryanair. By the way, United First does in fact provide access to the priority security lanes at SFO. You must have had some poor luck to end up at the only checkpoint in the airport that doesn’t have priority lanes (F3), as both the checkpoint for terminals A and the main checkpoint for terminal G do have them. I have seen the lanes go unstaffed in the wee hours when there’s little traffic, but that’s hardly the same as it not being offered at all.
In general, real Polaris seats are not bad, especially on 777-300ER. The food is usually mediocre in the first class and service is inconsistent with rare exceptions. It is highly not recommended to use United as well as other US based carriers for international flights if you have an alternative. Unfortunately, we are stuck with them in the US.
you can actually walk to F11 from the international terminal to the United lounge. And the Polaris new outfitted cabin is in all their new 787-10 and 777-300ER
Nice trip report! I've flown with UA once from NRT to LAX, and the crew on that flight were icy too. It's so disappointing to see the table so dirty, unacceptable during COVID-19.
Same for me flying United from Narita to Chicago. Crappy food, my IFE screen didn't work and the FAs had a bad case of the red ass for some reason. The flight to Tokyo was on All Nippon Airways (ANA) and was totally different. It was like flying in First Class although I had the last seat in the back of a 777. FAs were so nice and the food was outstanding. One of the FAs stopped and chatted with my Wife and I and gave us a small deck of ANA cars and wished a happy visit to Japan. I've never had that happen on any flight before or after.
I've found United's service to be very hit and miss. I have great memories of United flights with awesome crews. I've also been on United flights with crews that were rude and indifferent to passengers.
Just wanted to mention that the "new" Polaris configuration is one of the most comfortable I have ever flown. Got it on 777-300 from BOM to EWR last year. Slept like a baby and had great service. Also had it on a 767 from HNL to ORD last December. Worth checking out on another review. Love your channel!
United is the WOAT in airline business worldwide period. As an international biz traveler, I always try to avoid flying UA as much as I can...unless there's timing issue. I once flew UA and they lost my checked in bag in Denver. The ground staff told me that the bag was lost cos I checked in too early... shocking, simply shocking. I once flew the biz class and went to the pantry to ask for an OJ. The attendant pointed her finger to bottle of OJ on the countertop...I ended up self-serving. The list goes on... hard to believe that they are still business.
Before COVID I flew United every year from Melbourne to LAX business class on their Dreamliner. Never noticed any rudeness from the staff. They even gave me a birthday card when I flew on my birthday. I have no complaints about United.
I too have flown MEL-LAX in business class on the Dreamliner. My advice is not to take the window. You still have to climb over the person next to you. The middle is perfect 👍
A note on the crews of AA/UA vs other airlines, I flew to Seattle on Alaska and back on Southwest, and lemme just say that, beyond any other aspect, the crew had such a stark difference. On the Alaska flight, there were only two as it was a smaller plane, but I felt my needs were taken care of, and the crew were so sweet. The pilot was celebrating his birthday, which added to the experience, and I was given cans (albeit airplane-sized) of drinks. On Southwest, I really felt like a pig on my way to the slaughterhouse: cheap plastic cups of drinks that were 90% ice, rude and cold crew, and the general chaotic nature of seating (open seating) did not help. As long as I live I will never fly UA/AA/SW ever again, but I admire your tenacity and willingness to get dragged through hell by these cheapskate airlines to review them for us! p.s. Raven if you are reading this, you are my favorite flight attendant ever :)
You seriously expect glass cups on a low cost airlines (Southwest)? They atleast give you a free drink, free snack, two free checked bags and two free carry ons. Sounds like a bargain compared to what Frontier, Allegiant, and Spirit offer.
I flew United First from SLC to Boston recently. Basically a shabby premium economy seat. The worst part though was that the fridge was broken so their was no food service… in first class! A bit galling to see the cart rumble past on the way to economy though.
Living in Houston I fly United a lot. It's pretty much a coin toss whether you get a good crew or not, and that really makes the difference. I don't really care about the hard product, because flying is never comfortable for me no matter what the seat is like. But the crew do make the difference, and with United it really is either A+ or F
I flew SFO to FRA in business class (polaris?) about a month ago. The seat was the updated suite type, very private and incredibly comfortable. Food was okay, certainly not stellar and the service was ok. A much improved experience than what you showed.
United is horrible honestly. Just last week I was returning from a snowboard trip. our flight was planned from KHDN- KDEN -KORD- KMSY. There was a snow storm that lasted from about 8AM-1 PM. My family and I arrived at 10 and expectedly our flight was delayed till around 1 with our plane diverting to Denver 1 hour flight time away. Around 1 our Denver flight gets cancelled and all of the passengers on the Denver flight that were connecting to ORD (Chicago) are automatically rebooked on a separate flight that goes straight to ORD. At first this wasn't a big deal because for us we would still make our connecting flight. 3 rolls around and we are notified that our plane is on the way but there is the crew that is coming were going to be over duty time (pilots and flight attendants) and would not be able to fly us meaning we would have to wait for a whole new crew to be flown in. Noted KHDN only has 6 Gates and all of them were full and because of the storm 4 of the 6 gates were dealing with crews over duty time. 3 of those 4 were United... Because of this, when our plane arrived it had no gate to park at and had to wait 3 hours before the united flight to Dulles (D.C) departed. There was a flight in the gate next to us that also didn't have a crew but instead of towing the plane away to a holding spot, they kept the empty plane at that gate for 5 hours. Around 5PM we are told that our plane will fly with the original crew 45 minutes to Denver, switch crews and clean the plane, and continue to ORD. Still not a big deal all though it would leave us only 15 minutes between landing and boarding. We leave around 6 and land in Denver at around 7. For some reason it takes the crew an hour and a half to clean the plane and change crews, a process they promised would take 30 minutes. We board in Denver at 830 ensuring we will miss our connecting flight and damning us to an overnight in Chicago. As we taxi out of Denver it is snowing. As a pilot in my mind I was wondering why we hadn't undergone the deicing process but let it be as the pilots are professionals and know they're job. We taxi all the way to the hold short and sit for 25 minutes when the captains says " well folks it looks like your long day is about to get longer." We then taxi back to the deice pad and do all that. we leave Chicago at 10 and land in ORD at 1245 AM. Account for time change and its now 145 AM on a trip we were expected to arrive HOME at 1045, yet here we are in Chicago. AT least United gave us meal and hotel vouchers. However, as i was traveling with a party of 9 including me it is obviously hard to rebook 9 people on next day flights. We get to the hotel at 0245 where we are finally informed that our party was split into 3 groups. Me, my fiancé, my brother, and his fiancé would fly to Atlanta then to MSY with the first flight at 0745. My mom and dad got lucky with the direct flight home to MSY at 0845. The last 3 of our party (family friends) would fly home via Washington DC (Dulles) then MSY starting at 0736. As we got to the hotel rooms at 3 this ensured we only got 3 hours of sleep in our free hotel... All went well on the next days flights except... oh yeah... they lost our bags. Got em back a week later but yeah. Sadly this isn't anywhere near my first bad United experience. maybe next time my mother will let me book the tickets.
I flew United back in the summer of 2000 when they had a horrible year due to incompetence. The CEO of United even resigned because of it. Here we are 22 years later and they still have not fixed their business model. I have no hope for this airline and, like you, wonder how they are still in business.
Ah, the memories before I swore off United "Gestapo" Airlines. Had more than my fair share of United's "hospitality" and "eff you" attitude of their FA's. And this was always Business Class and long before Covid. I was forced to fly United after they merged with Continental, my favorite former airline. So as a Texan, no mas United.
I loved United EWR-GVA-EWR in the new Polaris seats back in 2019...great flights. That said, I refuse to fly long haul until service is back to absolute pre-covid standards (full drink and meal service, no masks) as comfort and nicely served food are part of the fun of travel for me.
If I may be so rude as to comment without knowing you ... I agree with you. But, keep in mind the comfort and nicely served food is what you are PAYING for. So, the airlines should have no right to skimp on premium service amenities. But, sadly, on domestic carriers, more often than not, it's an insult. When I travel internationally, I usually go by a foreign flag carrier, like KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa. All airlines have their problems, but at least some overseas airlines still try to provide the service you pay for. And, yes ... the lounges, the meals and the comfort are a big part of the fun or the enjoyment of the flight.
@@richarddzink I am happy to curtail my travel until service is back, and feel badly for those who have to travel long haul for business or family issues. However, I disagree that airlines “have no right”...they have every right. look at it this way: if you were on a highjacked flight and were sitting in business, would you still expect drink/meal service? no, you wouldn’t. It’s not that much different...covid highjacked our ability to travel in comfort, and airlines have not only a right, but a duty to ALL passengers to get them where they need to go safely, safety being a premium that everyone pays for.
Nice video as usual, keep them coming! I couldn’t agree more on your opinion of United. I fly often in all cabins on multiple airlines and United is absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever had. I’ve flown in business and economy multiple times for work and each time seems to be worse than the last.
I fly United, and have been promoted through miles to first class twice on an 12 hour flight to Houston from Buenos Aires, and I’m just going to clear up a few things. First: the mask rule was not enforced on my most recent flight in January of 2022 (although I was sitting in economy plus), and never had any issues with non compliance or threats. Second: both times I’ve flown Polaris the seats were decently private with a window in between the seats (2-2-2 formation), a very comfy and decently spacious seat (I’m not thin) and no problems with the foot cubbies. Maybe I’ve just had really good flights and aircraft, but I think you can’t rate an entire first class on an airline with hundreds of planes in its fleet off one short flight.
Great video and love how you’ve called it. Worst experience I ever had was on a United flight out of Newark. When I asked for a water for myself and companion the Flight attendant literally ‘slammed’ down one can of water and one plastic cup and told us to share it!
Just found this channel and I’ve gotta say I love the impartial and honest reviews, although I do think you are sometimes very critical. A few points of clarification - I’ve been on several carriers this summer that require you to remask between bites or sips (including southwest and American). You are absolutely correct about the foot space on this product - it’s completely insane.
I have flown United btwn SFO and Australia many times, my least favorite airline. The flight crew can be really icy, though I have had some amazing flight crews over the years. Seats are often worn out and padding flattened, never very clean. Food is always mediocre. Also up until a few years ago, they flew the over 20 year old Jumbos on the route, rattle and shake the whole way. I love the beauty of 747's, they are mighty beasts.
I flew in one of the Polaris seats last year but because of covid, there were no blankets, pillows, or even food being served on an almost 8-hour coat-to-coast flight from AK-NY. The seat wasn't even long enough to lay flat in for a 5'11 guy and only 1 foot would fit in thefoot cubby (as shown 6:14) when seat was put back. They definitely aren't very comfortable and I could barely get any sleep - I'm assuming it was the older seats but don't think it would have made much difference either way. This was the same time this month so a little after this video.
I bought a first-class ticket United from SFO to LAX last week. I went to the United Club, and the lady there told me nicely that the domestic first class was no longer eligible for lounge access. Due to the pandemic, I've not visited the states for the past 4 years. It's a bit surprising to see the service level changed a lot for the aviation industry in the US... The only good thing was the first-class fare was only $70 more than the economy on that flight with a free checked bag. Considering the crazy airfare to fly out of SFO last Friday, it was still a pretty good deal then...
Of the US air carriers I've been on, United (international flight) was the most acceptable, though I admit I've not flown Delta in quite a while. However, all of the big US air carriers suck when compared to other airlines. I highly recommend avoiding any US airline when possible.
Many of United's international flights are codeshare operated by the partners. I often fly to Japan, and I intentionally use codeshare operated by ANA.
I don't have to imagine it, I flew SFO to SYD some 10-11hrs on Business and it was just the same lol. DEFINITELY beats economy but classing it as "business class" was a stretch
i flew first class on a united flight (from orlando to san diego) a couple of years ago - it was appalling. we boarded at like 5 in the morning and i was dead tired. i soon fell asleep and awoke, famished, only to find the breakfast service had already taken place and there was NOTHING they could offer me. literally NOTHING they could give me to eat! and this is supposedly first class!
As with many service providers these days they seem to forget where their paychecks come from. There’s a lot of competition out there nowadays and we’ve seen business after business go under, even businesses that have been around for years. It would be a shame to see United Airlines follow suit. Our money is hard earned these days and we expect to receive the amenities we’ve paid for delivered with a smile. I appreciate the information provided from your video. My daughter and I are planning a trip in the near future, I guarantee we will not be using United Airlines.
The worst first class ever. I flew from Cancun to ATL via Houston. When I arrived at my seat, the flight attendant approached. She told me that I would not receive my pre ordered chicken dinner because they did not have enough. What? They only had 9, I was #10. The alternative was fish which I cannot eat. My new first class meal consisted of gummy bears and M & Ms. United is horrible.
Fully intend to jump onboard this. I had tried to get on the LAX - EWR Polaris route but they kept changing the aircraft to a non Polaris product, coupled with the cost of well over $1k. I think to do it justice i'll do a LHR longhaul
Agreed, the 787-10 is fabulous for transcons, 777-300 as well and the updated 767-300 to a lesser extent. I really don’t see how this guy can rate United’s Polaris on a 45 min flight during COVID… But go figure.
Absolutely agree with your assessment on this airline!!! We used to be frequent flyer with them but canceled all cards. They have also the worst customer support on there tel. lines. Yes Polaris and their “first class” domestic is just a better seat, but doesn’t come with friendly staff let alone good food. They indeed became the worst airliner around who take their passengers for granted.
Good review of the product that was on the flight, but I don't think it's comparing apples to apples if you aren't flying the real Polaris product. Would like to see you fly the new business class seats, which are actually very nice and quite comfortable. Yes, equipment changes are inevitable, but on their premium transcon routes you will typically see the better and newer product. I understand that I sound like a United apologist at this point, but the new product is actually very nice.
@@airplanegod Crew members will be hit or miss as with any airline. Pre-pandemic I flew weekly and never experienced bad service, so it's really the wrong person on the wrong day. Recently flew the Polaris product and was not accosted with the mask rule either, so again it depends on the crew you end up with.
We got this configuration for our 12 hour journey from Tokyo to Newark. Never again. So uncomfortable and paid the same for Qatar and their Q suites. When I asked for an espresso, they told me “wrong airline.” Lesson learnt!
I'm a Delta Gold Member but Delta has been so shambolic in the last 15 months, I've started to fly United. I recently flew Newark to Amsterdam on business class (for work) and it was pretty good. On Airbus 340 (it has 4 engines!).
You flew Lufthansa 🤦♂️ united is THE WORST and Lufthansa is way better. Don’t spread lies about united please. Delta has always been a great airline to me and I would rather fly spirit than united
I just don’t get why they think this is acceptable, especially as most will be paying a premium. Would you fly them on a longer flight to get the full ‘experience’? Balanced review as always.
Absolutely, I want to fly on their 787-10 to guarantee the full Polaris experience. Watch this space (unless they blacklist me for speaking my mind aha)
I will never fly United again. Coming from Miami, my flight was to go through Minneapolis, then on to Boise. The person at the ticket counter told me I was to go through Denver. I explained that my original flight was through Denver, but had been changed by the airline. She insisted I was to fly to Denver, even though my ticket clearly said Minneapolis. She changed my ticket and I flew to Denver. When I got to Denver, we’ll into the evening, and tried to board my next leg, I was told I my connecting flight was in Minneapolis. I was not allowed on the flight to Boise, and was told to chat with the customer service desk. I got to the desk just before they closed up. I explained my situation and was told I would need to talk to someone in the morning because they were closed. I asked where I was supposed to go? They brought me here and dumped me off, after all. They gave me a few food vouchers (the restaurants were all closed) and told me to go to another customer service area outside of the security check zone. Once there, I was asked again why I didn’t make my connection in Minneapolis, and explained, again, United sent me to Denver. I was given a hotel voucher, it was almost midnight by now, and took the shuttle to the hotel. Back at the United service counter at 6 am, I was told I wouldn’t likely get a seat until the following Tuesday. It was Sunday. I was told I’d need to become a United member of whatever their prestige club is, and I may get on standby, but I’d need to hang around gates and wait. After not getting on several flights throughout the day, around 4 pm that evening I was able to secure a flight. This one stopped in Seattle, then went on to Boise. Even after calling United to complain, they told me it wasn’t their fault, and basically said they were doing me a favor by getting me home. Worst flying experience of my life. The people were rude, discourteous, and condescending. I’d rather take a Greyhound bus than get on another United flight. That was 12 years ago they won’t ever get my money again.
When you drive, you don't need a mask, you eat when and where you like, the scenery is amazing, you can talk to your travel companions (if you have them) or listen to your favorite music. You can also bring way too much luggage for free, stop to stretch your legs whenever, and arrive when you planned to arrive, well rested, having had an enjoyable travel experience.
That sounds almost identical to my experience flying to Madrid. They refused to say they made any sort of mistake while be rubbished by the neighboring airline. United in making the whole world hate them.
Omg that's a nightmare. It all started because some dumbass looking at the computer screen which hadn't been updated, was too lazy to ask a supervisor why your ticket was different. I just want to choke someone there. I'm so pissed right now! I cannot stand idiots w/o common sense.
I personally wouldn't call this a perfect review because it is just a hour flight. I have flown on the 222 seats on long hall fights and it isn't the best hard product I have also alone on the new Polaris International which was good. I think if you will say such a big comments I think you should try it on the long hall version and the new product. love your vids thx
I agree with you. I want to see review on business class service on 1 hour flights on European carriers. I never see any 1 hour flight in Europe have lie flat business class seat. All I have seen is all economy seat with middle seat blocked and they call it Business class.
@@siriwongyuktasevi7363 plenty already on my channel of euro flights with flat beds. Service is often significantly better in premium cabins intra europe, better food, lounge access and priority security. It’s actually a significantly better experience than flying intra US. Take a look at my Lufthansa A350 flight, Iberia A350, BA 787 and Swiss A340 to name a few. All around the one - two hour mark.
I’ve been on 2 United flights recently (economy), and I have to say that the service was pretty efficient and the flight attendants were fairly friendly and did a good job. 🤷🏼♀️
I flied united business class to Jorden which was 10 hours !! LOL 😆 first time ever and I got to say the crew were wonderful. They gave me a second pair of pajamas when I discovered my large did not fit. Because I was so friendly they gave me first dibs on breakfast and gave me extra ice cream. My only complaint was the lack of storage room and the seat was hard despite the mattress pad.
What an honest review. Unfortunately, United Airlines is notorious for providing the worst service, they are okay with it and seems content. They don’t care whether folks give them the worst reviews, does not bother them one bit.
I was once flying United within the US, my boys were 4 and 1. We were all seated in separate seats, in different aisles and rows. We had a ticket for the 1 year old too. I asked the United crew member at the boarding gate if they could please put us at least in pairs, as in one child and parent. I was told a harsh NO, wouldn't even let me finish my sentence.. I pointed out that my kids are 4 and 1 to which the United crew member said, I should have disciplined them to be able to sit with strangers on flight, in the most snarkiest of ways. I will never forget it. As we boarded, the passengers were nice enough to switch seats with us, so my husband was with one child and I with the other child. Since then, I haven't wanted to take a united airlines flight, this is was pre covid times. I also wrote an email to United and never received a response.
I flew the 1-2-1 Polaris on a 777 to and from Honolulu recently, and I have to say it is not so great either, especially if you're in an even numbered row where the window seats only have views out of one window, compared to the three windows in the odd rows. Although I must say that ridiculous mask rule was not enforced on the flight.
That’s why I avoided flying during the pandemic. I just flew from SFO to Paris on a 787 in business class and was wonderful. I received my dinner, watched a movie, took my melatonin and woke up an hour before breakfast. The only complaint was that my foot cubby was narrow as well.
I like your honest video review. I have currently no status, but was used to have frequent traveler´s with Lufthansa. Since covid I haven´t been flying much but routes from Vienna to Frankfurt or Zurich f.e. and the service is good. Food is okayish but like you mentioned: business class is not full of people upgraded. Lounges the same. The service in lounges has changed during covid but thats not a Lufthansa only thing. The service is what you pay for and it is good. Especially for short haul flights I enjoy Lufthansa/Swiss since they seem to know what good service is. Would never fly with anything else, especially not with one those Ryanair things....
I've flown Business Class many times on United. Generally going from Newark or Chicago to Europe or Asia. The business class seating arrangement was much more private and the food, service, and cleanliness were very good. The staff were very pleasant, accommodating, and professional. Not everything was perfect, but overall I've had very good experience with United. I've also had generally bad experience with BA and Lufthansa. Actually the flight with Lufthansa was good, the employee strikes makes it very nerve-wracking if you have tight schedule between meetings in different cities.
Next time make sure you fly Polaris I’m only a kid but since my father works for united we fly standby and when we went to London, we got Polaris business class on the way to London, and on the way back! The crew was really nice, and I was very comfortable
Thanks for watching guys. You can follow me on IG: instagram.com/will.luxurytravel to keep up with my travels live and choose which airlines you'd like me to review next
Please do a review on United Polaris, it’s really nice. I just flew it and it will change your mind on United!
Reminds me of virgin America. No lounge, staff were rude, no meal or snack and that was in their so called first class. No wonder they went. Oh and the hostie was cutting her finger nails behind the curtain. Lovely.
I flew from DC to Tokyo on united as a government employee it sucks.
how was it possible to fly to the USA as EU citizen during COVID as normally you couldnt enter
I travelled New Zealand to U.K. with United. I booked diabetic meals which were confirmed. The cabin crew on board told me that they never serve such meals despite taking bookings. With a 27hr journey time and a 13hr time difference I was very uncomfortable as I was unable to gauge my insulin dosage. To add insult to injury they sold my medical details to a health service provider who tried a hard sell on me. Full diabetic care is free in the U.K.!
That’s the good thing about flying economy, regardless the airline you know you’ll be treated like cattle.
This comment made my day
Actually there are flights out there that treat economy class better than most of United states flights business class. Etihad, Oman Air, Gulf air, Lufthansa all have great economy class with tvs and blankets and great food.
I sometimes pay for an upgrade TO cattle status FROM sardine status. Lol
FLOWN ON A CARGO A PLANE. THOSE ARE ROUGH
They first called it the slave ship section,,,,, then marketing changed it cattle..... then they switched it again to "coach" and every time they changed the name.... the moved the seats an inch closer together. , bringing people closer together,,,, a few inches at a time.
"I was threatened immediately and if I didn't comply, I'd be barred from flying United"
No loss there. The airlines suck in general anyways.
Delta had the same policy for me I just assumed all airlines had to be this strict
@@dustycakemydude1970 It isn't just the policy, it is also the presentation of the aircraft. I only flown Delta once, and did not have a bad experience, but I have flown United 3 times, and did have bad experiences ranging from the late arrivals to the dirty seats.
This must be some new marketing strategy for their Chase United Explorer credit card I suspect. Someone needs to fire the FA.
Sounds like United didn't learn from the previous David Du PR disaster episode.
I'd count that as a reward
I stopped flying united because I had a crazy experience them. They lost my luggage, tried to talk to a manager at the airport, he told me to relax, they lose on average 25% of luggages, I should just make a claim, not to mention, he then made a pass at me. A distressed passenger! My bag was eventually found Alaska after 5 days. Guess what? They lost it again while trying to deliver it. Gave up at that point. Useless airline.
Although I’m sure you situation sucked, United doesn’t lose 25% of bags. Stop lying lol.
@@jameshorton3692 Clearly reading comprehension is a problem for you. Would have been better if you read my comment and understood it before insulting me. Regrettably, no idea if true or not but the useless manager at the united desk did say that to me at the airport as a way of calming me down.
@@jameshorton3692 Assuming Delta sucks they surely lose A lot if bags, the Alaska part IS not reilly believable.
@@maryfletcher3906 where are u from?
@@jameshorton3692 But United DOES break guitars!
Your review is spot on! My wife and I flew United Polaris Business class from Denver to London April of 2022. Everything you touched on was exactly what we encountered. The flight attendants were down right surly and bordering on rude when it came to mask wearing or even trying to get service ( such as a drink or a snack) The sleeping position of the seat was extremely uncomfortable. I have flown Thai Air and ANA first class and they offer a much better product.
Yeah they do that when it's their job and then they don't even wear mask in the public or even where it says "mask required" stating its their right and exercise their freedom, quite the contrary. Typical Americans.
ANA is HEAVEN compared to United.
UNITED service is poor but Ｉ trust it's cockpit.
You got lucky they did not try to drag you off the plane for “noncompliance” with forever changing rules… they certainly have history 😂
My son flew from SFR to BOS a couple of years ago. His first words to us were “I am never using that f**king airline ever again!”
Hey, that is good life advice in general to the young fella.
I swore off United after they literally physically dragged someone off the plane for not “voluntarily” giving up his seat on an oversold flight.
You mean airport security.
They permanently injured him and then paid media to drag his name under the mud by digging up another person with a similar name.
I did as well. That passenger was Dr David Dao.
That doctor fella ? That was absolutely the worst shit ive seen on a plane too
Knocked him unconscious and knocked out his teeth by banging his face on the arm rest. I would NEVER fly United.
great that you mentioned how dirty those airplanes often are, even in business class. it's curious that even the covid pandemic only changed the airlines marketing about hygiene and cleanliness, not the actual level of dirt around the seats and lavatories. very few airlines are consistently clean, most not at all.
Indeed. You have to replace the mask between bites, which is totally pointless, but they don't bother to disinfect or even properly clean the plane. Shame on them.
I’ve seen UGE “unite ground express” who clean the planes and their usually in and out of a 737 within 5 minutes
@@palimpalim5291 it's shocking how many people were putting up with the mask craziness. It just shows how many sheep there are in the world.
You will find that the level of service and politeness you get from the crew is directly proportional to how the airline appreciates its employees
Yeah, gotta love when employees express employment dissatisfaction on strangers. Don't like your company, fire your boss AKA QUIT. 20 ppl quitting hits harder than being a douche to 2000 customers.
@@paulbrunner72GenX Yeah if only it were that easy to give up on your livelihood. Still doesn't warrant being a dick to your customers though.
This is so true
I've worked in the service industry a ton and almost all my bosses were jerks but never once did I take it out on a customer who had literally nothing to do with that. If people can't separate their boss from a customer then they are in the wrong line of work. Yes I know personally it's not "that easy" to just get another job but you'll be fired anyway if you get enough complaints so what's the end game of treating customers like crap?
Yep. I worked for United Airlines, and their employees are treated like garbage.
First class has slipped so much over the years. I flew with my Dad who was in his final years to see the Grey Cup in Canada years ago. I booked 2 first class seats since he needed the space due his leg problems. The airline said we were seated together and then we were not. I thought since it was a long flight I could get some sleep but coach passengers kept coming in first class to use the bathroom and were loudly closing the door. The service was mediocre. People gave you a drink and then disappeared for long lengths of time. I spent a lot for those tickets and I learned that most people in first class got bumped up or used points which as you well said devalues first class in the U.S. My experience of first class in the US is it is over priced and not worth it as it has been devalued by all the upgrades. I would like to try first class outside the US to get a sense of what first class truly can be.
Try first class of Asian airline,such as Japan, Singapore,or Korean
I havent been on first, But Qatar Airways Business Class is AMAZING
aww the poors kept disturbing you so sorry master make sure you fly private in the future
Try Emirates. Only good airline tbh.
I fly economy only and will continue using your 1st class bathroom and there's nothing you can do about it
“The crew were particularly icy and unfriendly on this fight.” It’s not just this flight. My limited experience flying United that has always been the case. It’s as if they’re doing you a favor by doing their job. My friend once described his experience as feeling “his human rights were violated.” Spot on.
I few Emiratis and it was 1000x better than any US carrier
I have found that on both United and American Airlines. Their flight crews seem to have an attitude of, "F-you for flying with us" But by far United is the worse .
@@mikentx57 Exactly. I don’t think I’ve ever flown AA so can’t comment. But UA is the absolute pits in my experience.
@@jamescollier3 any middle eastern airline, Singapore airlines and Turkish easily beat any European or American airline by a million times. The European and American Airlines act as if they are letting you fly for free and doing a favour. No wonder most of their premium products are not profitable as no one is really willing to pay for it.
@@mikentx57 Any US airline in a nutshell:
Finally, someone took the time to document the terrible services. Great work!
“… I’ll be barred from flying United…”
Like that’s supposed to be your lost 😂.
😂😂
Yeah, Covid is a real thing but what the governments and companies say is not based on reality and science.
Masking like that *is not* going to help. It's just making life worse just to virtue signal that they're helping stop Covid without... Actually helping.
@@assaulth3ro911 Masks Don't Even Help It's Just Population Control
@@assaulth3ro911 not only that, but constantly taking off and putting it back on completely defeats the purpose of masks. the staff are terrible anyway too.
Masks are a psyop to see who isn’t a lemming, and bring them in line.
I’ve actually flown United first class, and was not impressed. The plane was old, and the seats felt ancient. Why do foreign airlines do it so much better than their American based counterparts?
And their economy seats is pure hell. I remember flying to Brazil on their red eye a few years back, I was denied access to the bathroom.
that's unlawful, did you formally complain after your trip?
I worked at United...most employees who travel frequently choose to fly with competitors. I can say that the ground crews give 100% effort for loading the planes. Its sad to here that flight crews destroy that effort with a bad attitudes.
Try Alaska Airlines in any class. I've flown with them for 20 years and have never been this disappointed with their product.
Have flown Alaska twice recently, both great experiences. Full review of this coming up on the channel
Ive always flown Alaska besides the time i flew Hawaiian to go to Hawaii and have never had any complaints other than being a bit crammed and short on leg room but thats expected for a 6'4 guy in economy class
@@Trektrendy I flew 1st Class on Alaska in June from East coast to West coast and the flight was awesome. FAs were great, food was great, drinks were great, seats were great. Flight was great.
I agree.
@@spydude38 I am doing the same thing in January east coast to west coast for the first time. I was fortunate enough to get first class for my first solo flight with Alaska, is there anything I should know a head of time?
"They were so rude, they told me i was going to be banned from flying in United."
They were trying to do you a huge favour.
United has been treating business (and business class) travellers badly for a very long time. I did a lot of business travelling using United in the 90s and 2000s and seriously despite the fact my company was paying for seriously expensive tickets so the ticket could be changed more easily. It was like eff-you and the airlines are scratching their heads on why the business travelers aren't rushing back now.
Over the past three decades I have flown United and regretted it each and every time. "Fly the Friendly Skies," is more marketing than actual practice. The United Airline flight atendants are some of the rudest in the business and Joan Rivers would say they are the worst. They always speak to you through gritted teeth, hissing out their respinses like snakes about to take a bite. I have never known a United plane's bathrooms to have an empty trash can, even if it is the first flight for the day. Over priced and overbooked, it is like the company is too cheep to add enough flights to fully service their customers. Yet if you are going to have a flight canceled or delayed, one can always depend on United to screw up your day.
At least Lufansa is a W
back in the summer of 2006, I flew united business-class on a 777. the seats were essentially lazy boy recliners which was awesome! plenty of room to recline and if you needed to get out of your seat and you were in a window seat and the other person was fully reclined with the footrest out, you could still get to the aisle without disturbing them. it was an excellent experience. I had no complaints.
fast forward to September 2022: ok, this time i flew united business-class on a 737 max-8 from Chicago to Anchorage. there are NO lazy boy style recliner seats on this plane. i honestly assumed they didn't have business class seats on this because it was a 737 but, they called what i was in.... business class. the ONLY things which separated it from coach seating was: a mediocre dinner, a few complimentary beers and enough personal room for my arms to not spill over into the other person's seat as I have broad shoulders. the seats themselves weren't any more luxurious than what you could expect from coach and around the three and a half hour mark in a six and a half hour flight, my butt was getting sore sitting in that stiff, cushion-sparse seat.
the seats themselves were a _massive_ disappointment. this wasn't business-class, it was really just coach-plus.
I was ready to disembark the aircraft by the four hour mark but, we still had another two and a half hours to go.
the united CEO should be _required_ to fly business class at least twice a month for a year to see what kind of experience they are offering their passengers at inflated prices. make them fly coach too and give them a middle seat! 😄
I guarantee there would be some changes.
btw: mask rules are a _COMPLETE_ waste of time. masks simply do NOT work!
You need to fly Frontier.Then you will appreciate United!..Ya,i know.
Spirit or the European Soul plane aka Ryanair
or Allegiant
I flew them once and while Delta is comfortable a flight is a flight lol.
@@NooneStaar That's what I expect from a US citizen who, sadly, didn't see much of a real competition in the airlines world
@@Daddy-Samy What do you have withhim? We fly what we like and love, and UNDERSTAND THAt no one has that amount of money to pay a first-class on a 5-star airline like QATAR, Singapur, and ANA
I was surprised about the eating with a mask rule, but the crew's nasty attitude assuming that the passenger is deliberately disobeying rules is offensive.
Why do they even serve food and snacks and drinks if it's going to be like that?
That is one of the most ridiculous and cringeworthy rules I have ever seen
The FA I had, I couldn't take my mask off at all. I had to SLIP food under the mask or risk being banned. Was such a joke.
The FA are just being power hungry. The flights I was on, they didn’t care if ours were off so long as we were eating, no “in between bites” nonsense.
This is definitely a case of where rule has overstepped rational understanding, so to think the FA's are also going to, I don't feel like that's a stretch. Usually where management is micromanaging passengers nonsensically as such, they also are doing the same to the staff.
In any terms of cross contamination & covid transmission this rule is actually backwards as you're then using a contaminated hand to eat, but that's united soooo....
I used to escort blind students to their flights at SFO. Many airlines were very accommodating and kind to the blind people as they tried to catch their flights through the confusion of the airport. But two airlines stood out as just rude and nasty. One was Air Canada and the other was United Airlines.
I would always politely ask if someone from the airline could escort the blind person through security and to the gate.
Every other airline at SFO would go out of their way to help my students, usually a flight attendant and sometimes even the Captain or First Officer would take them. Not so at United or Canada, they couldn't care less. "We don't do that!" was the usual hostile response or "They can go to their gate just like everyone else" was another answer. Fortunately a fellow passenger would usually step up at that point and offer to help them.
Because of their lack of empathy, we tried hard not to schedule flights on Air Canada or United and used them only as a last resort.
I completely agree with you. I have stopped flying United and will never return to it. I have had a series of poor experiences with United. A couple of years ago from being denied water by FA to intentionally delaying flight with no food or water arrangements. I recall water denial has happened to me on 2 flights and when I complained to United, they offered me $50 coupon. I don't need that. What I need is an explanation, apology and a promise that it won't happen. I have even had flight delays in excess of 7 hours and return from run-way on United. United knew that this situation could occur and should have arranged for back-up crew. Yet, they delayed the flight in excess of 7 hours.
U will fly the cheapest fare!
What do you fly instead?
During the pandemic, I flew many times for business. About twice every 3 weeks as we slowed down a bit. In the beginning on United in Economy Plus, we could remove the mask during eating or drinking. Then one day, a male flight attendent about flipped his lid and demanded that I wear the mask while chewing and to lift it up to take sips of my drink. I told him, "I wasn't aware of the change" and he scoffed at my statement and said "Now you know and you can be arrested if you don't comply".... but no one in the exit rows seemed to know either about this change. This is where a lot of frequent business travellers sit when we don't get upgrades. It was bizzare and his manner of handling it was the worst United service I had experienced from my last 1000 flights. Most flights the cabin crew are pretty nice. You get the few that are worn down and tired and aren't much for saying anything or smiling. I get it. Sometimes I would fly the same routes in a back to back week and I'd see the same cabin crew members and get to know them a bit.. That's pretty fun. But smiling and being nice goes a LONG way as they get used to drones of people and everyone hating them on a regular basis.. when you're nice to them it's a good way to get some free snacks and extra drinks. Your mentioning of the mask issue brought back my mask memory. lol. I don't really let that one person ruin the rest of my experiences. Anyway, thanks for sharing your videos.
That's long
I used to fly only United. But after many bad experiences I’ve switched to several others. Have not flown them for 15 yrs now.
Lol I’m 15 years old
@@biffmasterson9786 wym?
About the same for me, them and Delta.
I’d reconsider honestly they’ve made some big big changes and they’re gonna dominate the industry
@@BeastMode-nm5wr 🤣🤣🤣 funny
Awesome no punches pulled review. Keep up the great work. People like me respect your effort and transparency.
I’m Guest Services Manager onboard cruise ship, and I completely understand that Guest can be difficult, but there’s a way how you need to address something to the Guest, and the rudeness is not the way for sure. Unfortunately I experienced something similar. I hope that you will enjoy your future flights, and that the people who are not supposed to be in hospitality business, will change their job. Greetings!
I'm with you 100%, especially with regards to the mask rules there are many difficult passengers. But unfortunately I don't feel a one size fits all approach works, it leaves a passenger who has never been difficult feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. Greetings to you too my friend, wishing you safe and exciting future sailings
Which cruise line?
The RUclips "United Breaks Guitars" has now 21 million views, song #2 has 2.4 million, and song #3 has 1.2 million. These are great, and well worth a listen!
US Airlines were a shock to me when I first encountered them 20 odd years ago.
Flew from Vienna to Tampa via Atlanta on a European Carrier, cattle class but manageable.
in Tampa then I hopped onto a delta domestic flight to New Orleans...it felt like transitioning from a BMW to a Lada
JetBlue Hawaiian Alaska breeze are the only good ones in the USA
I used to work for United as cabin crew. I wanted to since my father was a pilot for decades. So proud when putting on the uniform for the first time, and later getting my wings. Many things made it difficult to really enjoy the job: the pay (although I knew it), some senior staff who worked and complained with all the union and corporate changes, the attitudes of some colleagues in general, scheduling changes, short layovers, immediate managers, and the hurry-up-so-we-can-sit attitudes regarding service. I left a few years later. I’m glad I took a job there, but wish the company and union would treat their employees better.
Boy what? This was the most unnecessary comment. That has nothing to do with the video. You're giving "pick me" energy.
@@kourtneyjohnson1557 hi. TrekTrendy said he’d like to hear our experiences at 7’40”. I wanted to share my experience as a former employee.
@jcn694 . Ignore Kourtney’s rude comment. I find most comments like her’s really rude to read. That comment is to quote her: “most unnecessary”, and frankly, to keep comments to themselves.
I had this exact same experience a few months ago on United Business. It's crazy that this product costs more than Jetblue Mint.
Have you ever flown jet blue? If so then you would know why
@@fmifu4100 JetBlue MINT is an exceptional product. I would fly that all the time if I could !!!
@@jadefischer4704 But you can't because it's a small airline with a fraction of the routes UAL operates. So it's not really amazing that UAL will cost more when the cost of operations is so much higher than that of JetBlue. If you want to pay for premium on a regional airline that's your choice but you won't be able to get to as many places as UAL
@@fmifu4100 Agreed MINT is a limited service in terms of routes. However, the comparison was between JetBlue MINT and UAL business as a product and the cost of both.
I used to love flying first class on Continental before it was purchased by United many years ago. I agree that UA and AA are the worst of the US legacy carriers and I don't think status matters much these days. Delta, Jet Blue and Alaska are your best options for first class domestic. I don't think I'd ever fly a US carrier internationally unless there was no other option. I think reviews like this are awesome and the more that are put out the more likely these airline will improve.
Same, I always chose to fly with foreign carriers. The experience is so much better. That being said, I do miss the days of Continental. I always enjoyed their food and service.
@@jah309 I've had horrible service on Lufthansa and Iberia this year. Even United was better than them. I think things are changing in the post-pandemic environment, and the blanket statement that a lot of us tend to throw around. i.e. "International carriers are always better", isn't necessarily true in 2023. Just my recent experience, and I'm sure time will tell.
Alaska mistreats their entire grounds staff
JetBlue mistreats their entire staff
Delta is does the same shit as united with 4 different first classes
But yeah at least their better right
I was going to Cape Town from New York recently. There was a direct 16 hour flight on United, but I opted to fly Emirates with a stop in Dubai, even though my flight time increased by 6 hours. I just couldn’t imagine myself being in United coach for 16 hours straight.
Did you fly Eithad?
@ I didn’t. But I assume they are up to par
@@evgenykaramyshev3106 ahh ok! I saw the same itinerary for SA that you did with a 6 hr layover in Dubai
Flew from LAX to NRT with United on their 787 WITH Polaris and ALSO flew back to the US from HND to ORD with polaris. It seems to me united offers Polaris flight to and from Japan. I had a good experience in Polaris, the FA genuinely seemed like they wanted to be there and the Polaris Lounge is one of the the best lounges I've been to.
I flew their new Polaris business several months ago and was very impressed! The old design does leave something to be desired, in my opinion as well.
The old business class is on the 787s because United flys some of the first 787s ever made with some of them being almost 10 years old.
Exactly. The new product wasn't developed when they were delivered. They are in the process of installing the new product on the fleet. That takes time with such a large fleet and COVID didn't help so it was delayed. They have started upgrading the international feel again since the worst seems to be over. You run into a mix of new and older hard product on virtually any large international carrier.
@@johniii8147 yeah basically the 787-10, 777-300ER, international 777-200ER, and international 767-300ER have the new seats. Their are 4 777-200ER planes with the Domestic/Hawaii configuration and the 3 767-300ER planes that have not been reconfigured are currently found on domestic and Hawaii flights. The 787-8 is in the process of being reconfigured right now. The 787-9 has some planes delivered with the new product but apparently they want to start renovating the type by the end of the year. Their is a lot of confusion around the 767-400ER right now. It looks like United has this airplane type on the fence between retirement or renovation. Their are no plans to renovate the type yet and their are rumors that United may get rid of the type if travel numbers don’t recover. I don’t think that they have the 767-400ER in their schedule right now as they are using their 787-9s and 767-300ER planes instead.
Yeah, looks like they're waiting until the aircraft D-Check (every six years) before upgrading the interiors. Should be nice once they are finished.
You’re lucky me a 320s and 737s cj 200
Those were transferred over from Continental. UA was not allowed to purchase planes due to their bankruptcy from 9/11, that stole their employees pensions.
The older seats aren't the best but I'd say they're pretty rare now, other than some 787-9s and a few 767s they all have the new polaris seats
There still seems to be quite a number of retrofits still to take place (there’s a tracker on United own website showing this) but from my research:
6 out of 12 787-8s
9 out of 32 787-9s
31 out of 38 767-300ers
0 out of 16 767-400ers
46 out of 50 777-200ers
So you see there’s still quite a percentage here which don’t feature Polaris. Hopefully these will continue to progress over the next few months but there’s still a very real chance you’ll get a non Polaris product on a long haul / transcon route.
@@Trektrendy that website was last updated a long time ago, everything but some 789s and the 764s are retrofitted. (There's 4 763s but they are stored and will get retrofitted before returning to service as well)
not to mention all but 1 764 are stored
@@grass69420 thanks for letting me know. It’s a shame they’ve not updated this and it’s after all a good news story to push as aviation is beginning to recover. I still find it frustrating when an airline advertises one product and you get another though as I had tried hard to get transcon Polaris. I had a friend just last week have the same on a transcon swapped to non Polaris. I will endeavour to give them another go though on an international routing, perhaps LHR
If it's a 763 or 772, you're almost guaranteed now. 773, 781 are guaranteed.
Go JetBlue!! Thanks for the shout out! We wish we made more money but we love our jobs.
Quite a revealing review, although I expect only full transparency from the best airline vlogger on the planet. After watching your review, I was quickly reminded of why I usually opt for other international carriers.
My husband recently flew United business class on a 4 hour international flight. There was no "hard" drink service, and no food, not even a snack. The seats weren't all that premium either. What's the point of flying business class if there are no premium amenities?
Thank you for reaffirming the universally understood knowledge among those who have flown the airline.
I really enjoy these things, because they all serve to remind anyone who didn't already know how genuinely crappy air travel is in the U. S.
Service in the US is so bad!!!
While air travel is crappy in the US, it’s because consumers voted with their dollars. Also: (1) expectations should be kept in check for an hour-long flight, and (2) give intra-Europe “business” class a try sometime. They block the middle seat but otherwise it’s the exact same seat as economy, same legroom and all.
@@bubbledoubletrouble But air travel isnt all equal in the US. Take JetBlue mint or shorter / mid haul Alaska - they provide a quality consistent product. I've also shown in the video that this is not specifically about this one hour flight but as United in general across domestic sectors.
I've not drawn comparison to intra Euro flying, but seeing as you mention this. Euro flights are rarely longer than an hour or two : Full lounge access, full dining, polite/welcoming crew, priority boarding/security and the cabin is not full of the entitled upgrade brigade. Meanwhile in the US you can be stuck for 8 hours in a 2-2 armchair full of upgrades, no lounge access and poor service. It's all perspective and after-all my opinion, but having travelled extensively in both markets this is the reality.
@@Trektrendy Since you brought up JetBlue and Alaska:
I won’t disagree with you that JetBlue overall is a better experience. I’ve never had a poor flight with them, kudos to their cabin crews. But if you want to compare the Mint product as a whole to United’s offerings, it’d only be fair to do so with a transcontinental flight since that’s the only time Mint is available.
As for the “upgrade brigade” as you call it, of course they wouldn’t be flying Mint, because complimentary upgrades to that class (i.e., not simply the result of oversold economy) don’t exist; they’re simply not part of the business model. I wonder if you would have been less turned off by the upgraders had you flown one of the 737 or A320 that are far more common on the SFO-LAX route, both of which have considerably smaller premium cabins.
Speaking of Alaska and 2x2 armchairs-I suppose you already know that their entire domestic F seats are of that type-I saw your catering call out and am curious what flight that you consider to be comparable to the 1-hour hop that was the focus of this video. Credit where credit is due, Alaska does offer paid F customers access to their lounges…such as they are. JetBlue, of course, does not have such an amenity despite not being anywhere near as budget as Spirit or Ryanair.
By the way, United First does in fact provide access to the priority security lanes at SFO. You must have had some poor luck to end up at the only checkpoint in the airport that doesn’t have priority lanes (F3), as both the checkpoint for terminals A and the main checkpoint for terminal G do have them. I have seen the lanes go unstaffed in the wee hours when there’s little traffic, but that’s hardly the same as it not being offered at all.
liveandletsfly.com/misleading-united-airlines-review/
In general, real Polaris seats are not bad, especially on 777-300ER. The food is usually mediocre in the first class and service is inconsistent with rare exceptions. It is highly not recommended to use United as well as other US based carriers for international flights if you have an alternative. Unfortunately, we are stuck with them in the US.
you can actually walk to F11 from the international terminal to the United lounge. And the Polaris new outfitted cabin is in all their new 787-10 and 777-300ER
Nice trip report! I've flown with UA once from NRT to LAX, and the crew on that flight were icy too. It's so disappointing to see the table so dirty, unacceptable during COVID-19.
Same for me flying United from Narita to Chicago. Crappy food, my IFE screen didn't work and the FAs had a bad case of the red ass for some reason. The flight to Tokyo was on All Nippon Airways (ANA) and was totally different. It was like flying in First Class although I had the last seat in the back of a 777. FAs were so nice and the food was outstanding. One of the FAs stopped and chatted with my Wife and I and gave us a small deck of ANA cars and wished a happy visit to Japan. I've never had that happen on any flight before or after.
@@spydude38 I've flown on ANA a few times. The crew and the catering service has never disappointed me.
I've found United's service to be very hit and miss. I have great memories of United flights with awesome crews. I've also been on United flights with crews that were rude and indifferent to passengers.
Just wanted to mention that the "new" Polaris configuration is one of the most comfortable I have ever flown. Got it on 777-300 from BOM to EWR last year. Slept like a baby and had great service. Also had it on a 767 from HNL to ORD last December. Worth checking out on another review. Love your channel!
I just subbed to this channel and glad I did! He covers the best of the best and the worst of the worse!
United is the WOAT in airline business worldwide period. As an international biz traveler, I always try to avoid flying UA as much as I can...unless there's timing issue. I once flew UA and they lost my checked in bag in Denver. The ground staff told me that the bag was lost cos I checked in too early... shocking, simply shocking. I once flew the biz class and went to the pantry to ask for an OJ. The attendant pointed her finger to bottle of OJ on the countertop...I ended up self-serving. The list goes on... hard to believe that they are still business.
Before COVID I flew United every year from Melbourne to LAX business class on their Dreamliner. Never noticed any rudeness from the staff. They even gave me a birthday card when I flew on my birthday. I have no complaints about United.
Good to hear that. Maybe there is hope for them yet.
even before buying flights from United I avoid them. They seem to be the most expensive with least amount of features
I too have flown MEL-LAX in business class on the Dreamliner. My advice is not to take the window. You still have to climb over the person next to you. The middle is perfect 👍
Yeah you know some people just like to bash airlines for no reason
@@jordanlewis8337 Like when someone's french bulldog was forced into the overhead bin by an United flight attendant and died? Yeah. No reason at all.
It was that crew. I had my mask off for the whole dinner service.
I flew on a UA 767 with this hard product between LHR and IAH. I absolutely hated that foot cubby. 🤦♂️
A note on the crews of AA/UA vs other airlines, I flew to Seattle on Alaska and back on Southwest, and lemme just say that, beyond any other aspect, the crew had such a stark difference. On the Alaska flight, there were only two as it was a smaller plane, but I felt my needs were taken care of, and the crew were so sweet. The pilot was celebrating his birthday, which added to the experience, and I was given cans (albeit airplane-sized) of drinks. On Southwest, I really felt like a pig on my way to the slaughterhouse: cheap plastic cups of drinks that were 90% ice, rude and cold crew, and the general chaotic nature of seating (open seating) did not help. As long as I live I will never fly UA/AA/SW ever again, but I admire your tenacity and willingness to get dragged through hell by these cheapskate airlines to review them for us!
p.s. Raven if you are reading this, you are my favorite flight attendant ever :)
You seriously expect glass cups on a low cost airlines (Southwest)? They atleast give you a free drink, free snack, two free checked bags and two free carry ons. Sounds like a bargain compared to what Frontier, Allegiant, and Spirit offer.
I flew United First from SLC to Boston recently. Basically a shabby premium economy seat. The worst part though was that the fridge was broken so their was no food service… in first class! A bit galling to see the cart rumble past on the way to economy though.
I love the new Polaris seat; I never had any problems except the flights are so short.
Living in Houston I fly United a lot. It's pretty much a coin toss whether you get a good crew or not, and that really makes the difference. I don't really care about the hard product, because flying is never comfortable for me no matter what the seat is like. But the crew do make the difference, and with United it really is either A+ or F
A+
or
F off
That ridiculous mask rules was given to everyone at DFW Airport. Needless to say, we all took it off to eat. Employees included.
No shir, you canr eat though a mask.
@@jb0609 Hi captain obvious.
I flew SFO to FRA in business class (polaris?) about a month ago. The seat was the updated suite type, very private and incredibly comfortable. Food was okay, certainly not stellar and the service was ok. A much improved experience than what you showed.
United is horrible honestly. Just last week I was returning from a snowboard trip. our flight was planned from KHDN- KDEN -KORD- KMSY. There was a snow storm that lasted from about 8AM-1 PM. My family and I arrived at 10 and expectedly our flight was delayed till around 1 with our plane diverting to Denver 1 hour flight time away. Around 1 our Denver flight gets cancelled and all of the passengers on the Denver flight that were connecting to ORD (Chicago) are automatically rebooked on a separate flight that goes straight to ORD. At first this wasn't a big deal because for us we would still make our connecting flight. 3 rolls around and we are notified that our plane is on the way but there is the crew that is coming were going to be over duty time (pilots and flight attendants) and would not be able to fly us meaning we would have to wait for a whole new crew to be flown in. Noted KHDN only has 6 Gates and all of them were full and because of the storm 4 of the 6 gates were dealing with crews over duty time. 3 of those 4 were United... Because of this, when our plane arrived it had no gate to park at and had to wait 3 hours before the united flight to Dulles (D.C) departed. There was a flight in the gate next to us that also didn't have a crew but instead of towing the plane away to a holding spot, they kept the empty plane at that gate for 5 hours. Around 5PM we are told that our plane will fly with the original crew 45 minutes to Denver, switch crews and clean the plane, and continue to ORD. Still not a big deal all though it would leave us only 15 minutes between landing and boarding. We leave around 6 and land in Denver at around 7. For some reason it takes the crew an hour and a half to clean the plane and change crews, a process they promised would take 30 minutes. We board in Denver at 830 ensuring we will miss our connecting flight and damning us to an overnight in Chicago. As we taxi out of Denver it is snowing. As a pilot in my mind I was wondering why we hadn't undergone the deicing process but let it be as the pilots are professionals and know they're job. We taxi all the way to the hold short and sit for 25 minutes when the captains says " well folks it looks like your long day is about to get longer." We then taxi back to the deice pad and do all that. we leave Chicago at 10 and land in ORD at 1245 AM. Account for time change and its now 145 AM on a trip we were expected to arrive HOME at 1045, yet here we are in Chicago. AT least United gave us meal and hotel vouchers. However, as i was traveling with a party of 9 including me it is obviously hard to rebook 9 people on next day flights. We get to the hotel at 0245 where we are finally informed that our party was split into 3 groups. Me, my fiancé, my brother, and his fiancé would fly to Atlanta then to MSY with the first flight at 0745. My mom and dad got lucky with the direct flight home to MSY at 0845. The last 3 of our party (family friends) would fly home via Washington DC (Dulles) then MSY starting at 0736. As we got to the hotel rooms at 3 this ensured we only got 3 hours of sleep in our free hotel... All went well on the next days flights except... oh yeah... they lost our bags. Got em back a week later but yeah. Sadly this isn't anywhere near my first bad United experience. maybe next time my mother will let me book the tickets.
I hope someone from United see's this and fixes their airline, honest am shocked to see how this airline is still in business
Right? Having this strict of policies is a very good way to lose business.
I flew United back in the summer of 2000 when they had a horrible year due to incompetence. The CEO of United even resigned because of it.
Here we are 22 years later and they still have not fixed their business model. I have no hope for this airline and, like you, wonder how they are still in business.
Ah, the memories before I swore off United "Gestapo" Airlines. Had more than my fair share of United's "hospitality" and "eff you" attitude of their FA's. And this was always Business Class and long before Covid. I was forced to fly United after they merged with Continental, my favorite former airline. So as a Texan, no mas United.
😂😂😂
I loved United EWR-GVA-EWR in the new Polaris seats back in 2019...great flights. That said, I refuse to fly long haul until service is back to absolute pre-covid standards (full drink and meal service, no masks) as comfort and nicely served food are part of the fun of travel for me.
If I may be so rude as to comment without knowing you ... I agree with you. But, keep in mind the comfort and nicely served food is what you are PAYING for. So, the airlines should have no right to skimp on premium service amenities. But, sadly, on domestic carriers, more often than not, it's an insult. When I travel internationally, I usually go by a foreign flag carrier, like KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa. All airlines have their problems, but at least some overseas airlines still try to provide the service you pay for. And, yes ... the lounges, the meals and the comfort are a big part of the fun or the enjoyment of the flight.
@@richarddzink I am happy to curtail my travel until service is back, and feel badly for those who have to travel long haul for business or family issues. However, I disagree that airlines “have no right”...they have every right. look at it this way: if you were on a highjacked flight and were sitting in business, would you still expect drink/meal service? no, you wouldn’t. It’s not that much different...covid highjacked our ability to travel in comfort, and airlines have not only a right, but a duty to ALL passengers to get them where they need to go safely, safety being a premium that everyone pays for.
@@pamelajohnson9853 might as well travel on spirit airlines on the big front seat until everything is back to precovid standards
Nice video as usual, keep them coming! I couldn’t agree more on your opinion of United. I fly often in all cabins on multiple airlines and United is absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever had. I’ve flown in business and economy multiple times for work and each time seems to be worse than the last.
I fly United, and have been promoted through miles to first class twice on an 12 hour flight to Houston from Buenos Aires, and I’m just going to clear up a few things.
First: the mask rule was not enforced on my most recent flight in January of 2022 (although I was sitting in economy plus), and never had any issues with non compliance or threats.
Second: both times I’ve flown Polaris the seats were decently private with a window in between the seats (2-2-2 formation), a very comfy and decently spacious seat (I’m not thin) and no problems with the foot cubbies.
Maybe I’ve just had really good flights and aircraft, but I think you can’t rate an entire first class on an airline with hundreds of planes in its fleet off one short flight.
Great video and love how you’ve called it. Worst experience I ever had was on a United flight out of Newark. When I asked for a water for myself and companion the Flight attendant literally ‘slammed’ down one can of water and one plastic cup and told us to share it!
Just found this channel and I’ve gotta say I love the impartial and honest reviews, although I do think you are sometimes very critical.
A few points of clarification - I’ve been on several carriers this summer that require you to remask between bites or sips (including southwest and American).
You are absolutely correct about the foot space on this product - it’s completely insane.
It's a ridiculous unscientific rule made up by hypochondriacs.
I have flown United btwn SFO and Australia many times, my least favorite airline. The flight crew can be really icy, though I have had some amazing flight crews over the years. Seats are often worn out and padding flattened, never very clean. Food is always mediocre. Also up until a few years ago, they flew the over 20 year old Jumbos on the route, rattle and shake the whole way. I love the beauty of 747's, they are mighty beasts.
I flew the 747 SFO to SYD almost 10 years ago. My ride was pleasant though. I miss them too.
I flew in one of the Polaris seats last year but because of covid, there were no blankets, pillows, or even food being served on an almost 8-hour coat-to-coast flight from AK-NY. The seat wasn't even long enough to lay flat in for a 5'11 guy and only 1 foot would fit in thefoot cubby (as shown 6:14) when seat was put back. They definitely aren't very comfortable and I could barely get any sleep - I'm assuming it was the older seats but don't think it would have made much difference either way. This was the same time this month so a little after this video.
I bought a first-class ticket United from SFO to LAX last week. I went to the United Club, and the lady there told me nicely that the domestic first class was no longer eligible for lounge access. Due to the pandemic, I've not visited the states for the past 4 years. It's a bit surprising to see the service level changed a lot for the aviation industry in the US... The only good thing was the first-class fare was only $70 more than the economy on that flight with a free checked bag. Considering the crazy airfare to fly out of SFO last Friday, it was still a pretty good deal then...
Of the US air carriers I've been on, United (international flight) was the most acceptable, though I admit I've not flown Delta in quite a while. However, all of the big US air carriers suck when compared to other airlines. I highly recommend avoiding any US airline when possible.
What about Jetblue? They are the only one trying
@@sergiolaurencio7534 JetBlue will delay your flight to merge a half full flight with yours and blame it on maintenance or a pilot issue.
Many of United's international flights are codeshare operated by the partners. I often fly to Japan, and I intentionally use codeshare operated by ANA.
I don't have to imagine it, I flew SFO to SYD some 10-11hrs on Business and it was just the same lol. DEFINITELY beats economy but classing it as "business class" was a stretch
As an international traveler who gets to the USA relatively often, I always avoid United Airlines. I'll pay a premium to avoid them.
Who do you recommend instead?
i flew first class on a united flight (from orlando to san diego) a couple of years ago - it was appalling. we boarded at like 5 in the morning and i was dead tired. i soon fell asleep and awoke, famished, only to find the breakfast service had already taken place and there was NOTHING they could offer me. literally NOTHING they could give me to eat! and this is supposedly first class!
As with many service providers these days they seem to forget where their paychecks come from. There’s a lot of competition out there nowadays and we’ve seen business after business go under, even businesses that have been around for years. It would be a shame to see United Airlines follow suit. Our money is hard earned these days and we expect to receive the amenities we’ve paid for delivered with a smile. I appreciate the information provided from your video. My daughter and I are planning a trip in the near future, I guarantee we will not be using United Airlines.
The nicest business class I’ve ever been in was on United’s 777-200 from Hawaii and this man just called it the “Business Class Dorm” 💀😂
If you think that's the nicest, you need to fly better airlines.
I agree, the bisnes on the 777-200 is the real Polaris.
@@tomg5800 he's saying that's the best airplane that shitty UNITED offers. I flew on it first class and it's not bad and definitely not the best.
As many have said before. This airline is no longer the old United, Continental is running the show now.
Looks like you got on the old planes, the new ones are much better
same foot cubby issue in new polaris. seems like they don't listen to customers experience
I flew overnight from Chicago to Brussels on the updated Polaris class and I gotta say it was fantastic.
The worst first class ever. I flew from Cancun to ATL via Houston. When I arrived at my seat, the flight attendant approached. She told me that I would not receive my pre ordered chicken dinner because they did not have enough. What? They only had 9, I was #10. The alternative was fish which I cannot eat. My new first class meal consisted of gummy bears and M & Ms. United is horrible.
If you wanna see there new Polaris I recommend trying the new york to sfo route on the 787-10
Fully intend to jump onboard this. I had tried to get on the LAX - EWR Polaris route but they kept changing the aircraft to a non Polaris product, coupled with the cost of well over $1k. I think to do it justice i'll do a LHR longhaul
@@Trektrendy I'm pretty sure they are on the LHR route
Agreed, the 787-10 is fabulous for transcons, 777-300 as well and the updated 767-300 to a lesser extent. I really don’t see how this guy can rate United’s Polaris on a 45 min flight during COVID… But go figure.
Absolutely agree with your assessment on this airline!!! We used to be frequent flyer with them but canceled all cards. They have also the worst customer support on there tel. lines. Yes Polaris and their “first class” domestic is just a better seat, but doesn’t come with friendly staff let alone good food.
They indeed became the worst airliner around who take their passengers for granted.
Good review of the product that was on the flight, but I don't think it's comparing apples to apples if you aren't flying the real Polaris product. Would like to see you fly the new business class seats, which are actually very nice and quite comfortable. Yes, equipment changes are inevitable, but on their premium transcon routes you will typically see the better and newer product. I understand that I sound like a United apologist at this point, but the new product is actually very nice.
Yeah but even if this was the real Polaris product that wouldn't change the nasty crewmembers.
@@airplanegod Crew members will be hit or miss as with any airline. Pre-pandemic I flew weekly and never experienced bad service, so it's really the wrong person on the wrong day. Recently flew the Polaris product and was not accosted with the mask rule either, so again it depends on the crew you end up with.
We got this configuration for our 12 hour journey from Tokyo to Newark. Never again. So uncomfortable and paid the same for Qatar and their Q suites. When I asked for an espresso, they told me “wrong airline.” Lesson learnt!
I'm a Delta Gold Member but Delta has been so shambolic in the last 15 months, I've started to fly United. I recently flew Newark to Amsterdam on business class (for work) and it was pretty good. On Airbus 340 (it has 4 engines!).
You flew Lufthansa 🤦♂️ united is THE WORST and Lufthansa is way better. Don’t spread lies about united please. Delta has always been a great airline to me and I would rather fly spirit than united
I just don’t get why they think this is acceptable, especially as most will be paying a premium. Would you fly them on a longer flight to get the full ‘experience’? Balanced review as always.
Absolutely, I want to fly on their 787-10 to guarantee the full Polaris experience. Watch this space (unless they blacklist me for speaking my mind aha)
I will never fly United again. Coming from Miami, my flight was to go through Minneapolis, then on to Boise. The person at the ticket counter told me I was to go through Denver. I explained that my original flight was through Denver, but had been changed by the airline. She insisted I was to fly to Denver, even though my ticket clearly said Minneapolis. She changed my ticket and I flew to Denver. When I got to Denver, we’ll into the evening, and tried to board my next leg, I was told I my connecting flight was in Minneapolis. I was not allowed on the flight to Boise, and was told to chat with the customer service desk. I got to the desk just before they closed up. I explained my situation and was told I would need to talk to someone in the morning because they were closed. I asked where I was supposed to go? They brought me here and dumped me off, after all. They gave me a few food vouchers (the restaurants were all closed) and told me to go to another customer service area outside of the security check zone. Once there, I was asked again why I didn’t make my connection in Minneapolis, and explained, again, United sent me to Denver. I was given a hotel voucher, it was almost midnight by now, and took the shuttle to the hotel. Back at the United service counter at 6 am, I was told I wouldn’t likely get a seat until the following Tuesday. It was Sunday. I was told I’d need to become a United member of whatever their prestige club is, and I may get on standby, but I’d need to hang around gates and wait. After not getting on several flights throughout the day, around 4 pm that evening I was able to secure a flight. This one stopped in Seattle, then went on to Boise. Even after calling United to complain, they told me it wasn’t their fault, and basically said they were doing me a favor by getting me home. Worst flying experience of my life. The people were rude, discourteous, and condescending. I’d rather take a Greyhound bus than get on another United flight. That was 12 years ago they won’t ever get my money again.
When you drive, you don't need a mask, you eat when and where you like, the scenery is amazing, you can talk to your travel companions (if you have them) or listen to your favorite music. You can also bring way too much luggage for free, stop to stretch your legs whenever, and arrive when you planned to arrive, well rested, having had an enjoyable travel experience.
That sounds almost identical to my experience flying to Madrid. They refused to say they made any sort of mistake while be rubbished by the neighboring airline. United in making the whole world hate them.
Omg that's a nightmare. It all started because some dumbass looking at the computer screen which hadn't been updated, was too lazy to ask a supervisor why your ticket was different. I just want to choke someone there. I'm so pissed right now! I cannot stand idiots w/o common sense.
@@2peter1v2 That’s the truth. However, driving from the Florida to Idaho with limited time can be an issue. Next time, I’m taking Amtrak!
@@sheriburke8276 They require masks, and, I've never found a train that is faster than driving.
I personally wouldn't call this a perfect review because it is just a hour flight. I have flown on the 222 seats on long hall fights and it isn't the best hard product I have also alone on the new Polaris International which was good. I think if you will say such a big comments I think you should try it on the long hall version and the new product. love your vids thx
Yeah but even if this was the real Polaris product that wouldn't change the nasty crewmembers.
I agree with you. I want to see review on business class service on 1 hour flights on European carriers. I never see any 1 hour flight in Europe have lie flat business class seat. All I have seen is all economy seat with middle seat blocked and they call it Business class.
@@siriwongyuktasevi7363 plenty already on my channel of euro flights with flat beds. Service is often significantly better in premium cabins intra europe, better food, lounge access and priority security. It’s actually a significantly better experience than flying intra US. Take a look at my Lufthansa A350 flight, Iberia A350, BA 787 and Swiss A340 to name a few. All around the one - two hour mark.
I’ve been on 2 United flights recently (economy), and I have to say that the service was pretty efficient and the flight attendants were fairly friendly and did a good job. 🤷🏼♀️
Good to hear!
I flied united business class to Jorden which was 10 hours !! LOL 😆 first time ever and I got to say the crew were wonderful. They gave me a second pair of pajamas when I discovered my large did not fit. Because I was so friendly they gave me first dibs on breakfast and gave me extra ice cream. My only complaint was the lack of storage room and the seat was hard despite the mattress pad.
What an honest review. Unfortunately, United Airlines is notorious for providing the worst service, they are okay with it and seems content. They don’t care whether folks give them the worst reviews, does not bother them one bit.
I was once flying United within the US, my boys were 4 and 1. We were all seated in separate seats, in different aisles and rows. We had a ticket for the 1 year old too. I asked the United crew member at the boarding gate if they could please put us at least in pairs, as in one child and parent. I was told a harsh NO, wouldn't even let me finish my sentence.. I pointed out that my kids are 4 and 1 to which the United crew member said, I should have disciplined them to be able to sit with strangers on flight, in the most snarkiest of ways. I will never forget it. As we boarded, the passengers were nice enough to switch seats with us, so my husband was with one child and I with the other child. Since then, I haven't wanted to take a united airlines flight, this is was pre covid times. I also wrote an email to United and never received a response.
I flew the 1-2-1 Polaris on a 777 to and from Honolulu recently, and I have to say it is not so great either, especially if you're in an even numbered row where the window seats only have views out of one window, compared to the three windows in the odd rows. Although I must say that ridiculous mask rule was not enforced on the flight.
That’s why I avoided flying during the pandemic. I just flew from SFO to Paris on a 787 in business class and was wonderful. I received my dinner, watched a movie, took my melatonin and woke up an hour before breakfast. The only complaint was that my foot cubby was narrow as well.
I like your honest video review. I have currently no status, but was used to have frequent traveler´s with Lufthansa. Since covid I haven´t been flying much but routes from Vienna to Frankfurt or Zurich f.e. and the service is good. Food is okayish but like you mentioned: business class is not full of people upgraded. Lounges the same. The service in lounges has changed during covid but thats not a Lufthansa only thing. The service is what you pay for and it is good. Especially for short haul flights I enjoy Lufthansa/Swiss since they seem to know what good service is. Would never fly with anything else, especially not with one those Ryanair things....
Can you do "Business Class" on intra-European flights next?
Plenty already on my channel. You’ll note lounge access, priority security, superior food service and a plethora of wide bodies with flat beds.
@@Trektrendy For flights within Europe??
@@erik_griswold yeah 😀
@@Trektrendy What flights use wide bodies within Europe (outside of COVID) apart from the odd one like Iberia using A340s to London a while back?
Honest question: do you ask for your seat mate’s permission to broadcast their likeness in your videos?
What do you think? 🤔 Seriously, think about it.
@@DubZer020 I think he wasn't asking you.
I've flown Business Class many times on United. Generally going from Newark or Chicago to Europe or Asia. The business class seating arrangement was much more private and the food, service, and cleanliness were very good. The staff were very pleasant, accommodating, and professional. Not everything was perfect, but overall I've had very good experience with United. I've also had generally bad experience with BA and Lufthansa. Actually the flight with Lufthansa was good, the employee strikes makes it very nerve-wracking if you have tight schedule between meetings in different cities.
Next time make sure you fly Polaris I’m only a kid but since my father works for united we fly standby and when we went to London, we got Polaris business class on the way to London, and on the way back! The crew was really nice, and I was very comfortable