The first of three United Airlines videos in this series. Are you a regular flier with United? What do you think of them? Do you know of any airlines with better WiFi onboard? (I was really impressed with it!) 😊
Paul's Trip Reports I don’t. I recognize those retro screens when I was on a JetBlue a320 and they didn’t work right and there was a credit card swipe.
As a United status flyer, most people who sit in First Class get upgraded because of status on domestic flights. Since in the US, we really don't have trains I think the way a business traveler approaches flying may be different and getting that status is important. For me it's a glorified three hour bus ride and I understand that. I buy the cheapest ticket in my travel system and then get upgraded by the airline. The company rules allow this since I bought an economy ticket. A lot of the United planes are slightly different because of their merger with Continental and some aircraft just feel different than the United ones. The 767-400 is the most obvious example as they have no lavatories in the front of the plane because the business travelers on Continental didn't want a smell, so the first row of Premium Economy has to go all the way to the back of the plane. The 737s with the DirecTV are another Continental legacy feature. One more thing is that a lot of us pick an airline in the US based on the route and hub map and then stick with that. I travel a lot to Washington DC (IAD) and United is by far the largest carrier with the most non-stops and so I pick United. Great videos Paul!
...”another really thin curtain”.. that’s a 9-11 curtain. Opaque curtains between cabins are not allowed. For several years after 9-11, divider curtains on US carriers were removed. When they came back, they were made of a see through mesh. They get pretty ratty because they don’t change them out
9-11 curtains....? Interesting concept which I don't understand....why only US carriers? Was in the US quite a few times in the past, but my last one was my first post 9-11 visit...I took an Air Canada connection from Toronto to Harrisburg PA....was a small Beechcraft with about 20 seats....I was sitting at the front, the cockpit door was open for the entire flight....nice view! And water served by the co-pilot...I was a bit surprised...!! I am sure was not a big security risk...but quite quite a few USAF C-130's sitting parked at Harrisburg....
I fly United once in a while when I need to go somewhere Southwest doesn't fly. I've found them to be perfectly fine but nothing special as far as domestic US carriers go. Also I've connected through Atlanta a whole bunch of times and never knew they had that big entrance lobby. The one time I visited the city I took MARTA, which goes straight into the terminal building so you don't see the lobby then either. And finally my condolences on having to spend a layover at EWR.
paying for upgraded whatever on domestic US flights is not worth it at all. Fly southwest. Pay the extra $15 for early bird check in (you will always get at the least mid B group) also, the wifi is pretty fast, and beer and liquor is $3 to $4 cheaper than the other air lines. Also more leg room and friendly staff and free checked bag.
Wingin' it! Paul Lucas you're being incredibly diplomatic on your review of United Domestic Premium Class Service. I've flown them several times as the only choice for a nonstop from point A to point B. My review of their service and equipment is a reminder of SABENA Airlines that within the industry stood for "Such A Bad Experience Never Again".That's United Airlines for me :-)
Looks like United need to do some retrofitting or refurbishment for these 737-800s. But over a decent flight. I hope you enjoyed yourself at Atlanta, from an Atlanta native!
You never normally associate the United States with the word "shabby", but that's exactly what this flight looked like. Pretty steep fare for an old armchair and a cheap breakfast. (Nice video as always by the way).
Yep, a very steep fare. I was quite surprised at how poor value it was. Quite often in the US, it’s possible to find good air fares but I drew a blank here.
Steve Cooksley I have to say United is definitely getting a reputation for being one of the most expensive domestic airlines. I remember when they were once affordable 😂
Paul's Trip Reports can I ask you Paul, what you think of the fact that you couldn't gain upper Lounge access in Atlanta, even though you paid the steep fayre, and were travelling on effectively a double first class route? I thought this was very unfair, and didn't do United any favours. If you are travelling first class you expect to gain access to some kind of lounge before boarding. Especially, if you are travelling business and you have a hard couple of days ahead of you. What is the point of being an executive traveller, with an upper class ticket, if you can't access airport lounges? Still, good report Paul I enjoyed watching!
You're fortunate to have filmed on United with no issues - passengers have been thrown off for doing so. I was "almost" asked to leave a UAL flight, for taking photos of an (empty) cabin. They do have a "no photos" policy in their magazine. I pushed them a bit (being a 1K member at the time) and they told me to put away the camera or be removed. I HATE UNITED WITH A PASSION.
My few cents... Flew ATL-NYC a few months ago. Economy ticket prices were hovering around $200 across the board (except for Southwest, which was $120 for some reason) and first/business was going for about the same as what you paid. I was perfectly happy with my $120 Southwest flight. You don't need breakfast on that short of a hop. That said, never would I pay for first class on this route unless there was good reason to do so. The seat in this video looked good, but the food looks awful. When is first class worth it? For one, on some shorter routes (BUF-NYC for example) first class can be worth every penny assuming assuming you are checking bags. The cost of checking 2 bags can actually be about the same as the difference between coach and first. You get the 70lb weight limit as well, which can come in handy sometimes.
Paul, you were flying in Business Class where you have an IFE screen in front of you so the IFE is there already for you. For United economy (and economy plus) DOMESTIC flights, you will not have an IFE screen so will have to download the United APP to your phone/tablet BEFORE you board the aircraft. The space in the back of the seat in front of you where the IFE screen should be (in economy) has a clip for you to place your tablet/phone into so you can then watch films, etc. I enjoy all of your videos! Safe travels!
No, you can access the inflight entertainment through your phone without the app - see the screen shots in the video. Recorded directly from my phone. No need to download any app.
Confidence growing with the voiceovers Paul. Becoming second nature now. Recently flew United 757-200 from Edinburgh to Newark, so will be interesting to hear your thoughts on your experience on that aircraft.
While I have been a regular United flyer for many years, I can't say I'm surprised by this video. By the looks of it you got lucky getting an older 737-800 as the newer ones have no PTV's and the seats are definitely not as comfortable. The food and service from the staff both before and onboard the flight is something that I've noticed declining in recent years too.
People take for granted the current low fares of flying. The logistics alone to make that flight happen are incredibly complex, in contrast how much would cab fare be out of Newark for a thirty minute ride?
I am a United Gold for life Mileage Plus member (I have 1.8 million paid miles on UAL.) That being said they are now my last choice. When UA and Continental merged, the Continental management took charge. Continental was a great carrier, and the prospects of those folk running UAL was exciting. Instead of bringing the UAL up to CAL, they went the other way. Service is poor on most flights, food when offered is dreadful every meal of the day. The ground staff always seem to have some chip on their shoulders. When I was working, I am not retired, I was a Global Service Level UAL's highest, and was always upgraded, now I pay for first, and can only imagine what economy is now. They eliminated International First Class at the end of last year, So I now travel BA First to and from the UK a couple of times a year. I am flying with UAL next year, because I am sailing back and the one way BA first is twice what I paid for the last round trip. I am looking forward to your comments on the Transcon. It will be interesting to see how they have mucked that up.
Hugh Porter If you’re tired of all those miles, I’d be happy to help you get rid of some. I reached 25,000 while I was travelling to the US (from Europe) and they didn’t last long. I hear what you’re saying about the product. Western airlines are all slowly moving away from First Class. Only a few remain and then of course the three Middle East carriers plus a few Asian carriers. It’s expensive to run and one seat is always for the pilots. Many others go to senior employees = no revenue. The necessary merger was not a happy marriage and only the shares holders and the CEO Jeff Smisek were happy. I was a big fan of Continental and their saviour, Gordon Bethune, whom I’m sure you know of. I hear things are better with the new guy, Oscar Muñoz, so I, too, will look forward to reviews. The Polaris seats should be very good.
Heard a few negative comments about United ..but my last United flight from Washington to Zurich in Business Class was pretty good...seat ok, service and food also ok...
That is pretty normal for domestic service on United, their newer planes are usually even worse just cleaner. They are without a doubt the worst of the big 3 US carriers (except for their wifi).
I agree with you about the views on early departures, painful to wake up though! Really excited to see your next trans con trip report. How would you rate this flight against a European business class?
Hope you enjoyed Georgia on you're many stops around the world. The best experience I ever had was on a Japan airlines 747-400 direct flight from Atlanta to Japan in economy! It was many years ago but I remember the gate staff treating us like we were special despite us having coach seats, on departure from the gate, the whole gate staff lined up on the ramp and bowed in unison as we taxied out. The inflight crew were VERY pleasurable and attentive, we even got hot towel service before each meal which leads me to my favorite subject, or least, depending on the carrier, airline food. Every meal was on a real plate with real silverware, the breakfast , lunch, dinner and snacks were top notch and filling, we could only imagine what first class was like, again we're sitting in coach and are being treated like first class passengers. Whew got long winded , anyways I guess those days are gone but definitely not forgotten. Happy and safe travels to you!
I am based out of SFO/SJC and as a result, I had to fly UA a lot over the past few years for personal and business (as evident on my channel :) ). I've flown many domestic and international trips in economy, economy + and business class. For the most part, the service has been average at best. There were on rare occasion that the flight attendant provided excellent service but that has been super rare. There was one business class flight from SYD to SFO in which the flight attendant was so apathetic, as if he didn't care to be on board. One thing I have to give UA props is their app on the mobile phone, it's really excellent to check seats, flight status...etc.
Brilliant video once more Paul. Interesting the thin curtain gets a mention, to me it’s an important aspect to comment on, I think it allows other cabin crew and passengers to see through incase of a security issue, if you know what I mean. The curtain could so easily mask the other passengers and crew seeing an issues occurring and therefore may not act on it.
Of course this is just my opinion. It probably has nothing to do with it. And is more likely that the airline simply uses the cheapest fire retardant fabric available 😄
Post 9/11 American carriers either eliminated the curtain or made it transparent to enable a view right through the aircraft for flight attendants and Federal Air Marshals. They’re also a lot stricter about keeping passengers in their ticketed cabin, to restrict forward movement.
I thought of u Paul. I was behind a nice Japanese executive at the entrance of the Boston United Club. I noticed he had a first class seat from ORD-HND. The agent told him since ur not a member u can only use the Polaris club at ORD but can’t come in here at BOS. I patted him on the shoulder and told the agent I’m guesting him in. He smiled and thanked me
Glad you got to experience my home airport! I live right next to ATL and get to see tons of departures. Next time you happen to be there, see if you can go over to Terminal South, they have a bunch of display cases with vintage models and a plaque dedicated to Eastern Air Lines.
@6:30 that food tray stain is from wet cleaning. If the tray is not absolutely dry when the tray folds away, it leaves that type of condensation stain.
Lumme, boss - didn't finish your brekkie? Anything that helps with making connections is good, and the link with Amtrak is something we should adopt, via National Rail Enquiries.
Quality of your videos are fantastic, thanks for your hard work. One suggestion is a speedtest.net run. That will show just how good the WiFi is and / or how much of a cap they have on the bandwidth. With food we the viewer can see if it's good, with WiFi we can't. But as always, very good work.
Hi Paul, i am following u 4 a while now, and it is always refreshing how u do ur vlogs! we do enjoy them a lot and we stay tuned 4 new things to come up. we look very forward to ur 100000 subscribers, and we do think u have deserve it so so well. i lived in Exeter several years ago and i loved ur vlog by train from London to Newquay 4 that. Stay the way u r and we are the luckiest to be following u! greetings from Jena Germany, Mathias and Fam
Some United 737s do require the app for connectivity. I flew two 737s in first last Thanksgiving. One had the IFE in the seatback, one didn't. The one that didn't did require the app for the passenger to view shows on their own device. It all depends upon which seat map that the 737 has. Some are newer than others, so the wifi and app requirements will vary. It's still best to download the app just in case you're on a plane that requires it.
The Wi-fi was great, but you were right about the seat. I have seen newer on Alaska. It has been years since I have flown United and when I did, it was a lot! (I was a Premier Exec at one time). Service was good and I was treated well. Meals were ok, however I was bumped from my seat out Hong Kong once. I flew most of the pre-merger fleet and I do remember Shuttle by United (I saw a lot of that). I was horrified by your meal service. I have seen better. Very good video, looking forward to the other United segment
I was a 1k flyer with United for many years, but have not flown them now for about 5 years. Your report is spot on for what I have been hearing from others that still fly them. American has been my favorite lately but they too are now moving in the wrong direction. Love the videos. Thanks
Another great video!! I am quite curious as to your thoughts of Newark. For the past few years, with my then-fiancé and now husband working in Manhattan and having a room in Queens, our flights were mostly preferred out of JFK. Now that he's up in upstate NY, the trip to Newark for global travel is preferred. With all the mixed reviews, I am interested in a well-seasoned travelers thoughts from this year. Thanks again!!
EWR was okay, though I only connected so I didn’t use it as a departing or arriving passenger. I think there’s definitely less of a problem with ground delays at EWR than JFK at least!
Hi Anthony. My delay in response was because I was flying out of and back into LGA this past weekend. The airport is under a big renovation right now. I flew with Delta which operates both terminals C & D. Honestly, I don't think it's that bad. It's an airport. I have TSA Pre-Check and was through Security at Terminal D in less than 10 minutes. Went to the Delta SkyLounge there which, truth be told, was rather zoo-like and I couldn't believe how poor the food selection was. I've not been doing Business Lounges until recently (lucky to be able to fly business more often), but of the ones I've been too, this was probably the worst. Boarding and deplaning were uneventful. Getting a cab to my destination in Queens was a bit of a pain right now as there is no taxi stand at Terminal D (under construction again), but the walk to Terminal C wasn't long at all and the taxi queue had no line. Will I fly out of LGA again? Yes. Will I need to? Probably not. Hope that helps. And by the way, if Jorgeyy Boy things the area is "rough af," I commend him on his sheltered life. My husband used to live within walking distance of the Marine Terminal in a pleasant garden apartment. Very safe neighborhood in my book.
Loved this one! With some beautiful scenery on take off and landing, the morning flights are definitely my first choice when I fly! Shame about the cheap looking breakfast.. that fruit salad looked grim! The crew looked good though, well presented! Looking forward to the next trip report.. by the sounds of things, it's not one to miss!!
Another great trip report Paul. I find all your reports very informative and always a great watch. I too didn’t like the look of your breakfast main, pancakes may have been better, shame they didn’t have them being a staple US breakfast serving.
For paid-for wi-fi, if you are taking several flights, it can be much cheaper to get a monthly wi-fi subscription via their website (and untick the 'auto renew' option!) as it will work out much cheaper. Currently, a month costs $49 for domestic flights, and transatlantic an extra $20. However, you MUST purchase it 24 hours before you want it so it has time to activate.
I recently flew on a UA B737-700 in First Class - and it looked like a very similar seat EXCEPT for the lack of IFE. As you said, it was retro. Comfy enough but it was definitely not a modern cabin. As for the WiFi, I believe your aircraft had a satellite-based system which offers much more bandwidth than most ground-based systems (like Gogo). The signal is supposed to be more robust too, although I don't always find that to be the case. JetBlue is a great example of having a fantastic satellite Wifi signal on ALL of their planes, and they don't charge to access it. I've accessed movies on Amazon and Netflix while flying B6, just wish their in-seat power was throughout the cabin. Have you ever done a trip report on Amtrak? I recommend trying the Acela, Amtrak's premier east coast service. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts of Boston-New York or New York-Washington (or hell, why not Boston-Washington?) Keep your expectations in check as it won't compare well to the best European trains, but it is an interesting service nonetheless.
Nice Video Paul, I find that United’s new International Polaris Class is where they shine in a premier cabin. But domestically AA has a newer plane with a better product, but I have never been fond of feeder flights. Delta is the main carrier in Atlanta, I bet there were plenty of non-stop trans-con flights. Cheers Mate
Nice video.. I've flown in first on several of the former Continental 737-800s in first class... the seats are worn, but are quite good for their age. They've used that same seat type since the late 90s
I’ve flown United First just the once, 16 years ago and I remember the seats being leather then too. And the credit card swiper isn’t entirely alien to domestic. I remember VX had them on its seatbacks too.
Great report as always Paul, I see you went for the digital boarding pass and not a paper one for this time around, I still collect mine :). That tart looked awful, like someone had thrown up blood on it after coughing really hard. I have never really found United to be amazing, just fairly standard for a US airline. Thanks for sharing. Though it was nice to see the pilot saying goodbye to passengers as you walked out.
One of my worst flights was a red eye long haul from Kihei (Maui) to LAX in economy on United. I was jammed into an uncomfortable window seat and the service was rude when it existed at all. Not planning to fly United again, especially after how they treated Dr. Dao.
Lost InTranslation OK, I made an error, it was Kahului, not Kihei. As for Dr. Dao, I made no comments on his character. Irrespective of his character, the video evidence clearly shows that he was assaulted. The airline he was on was a United affiliate.
Lost InTranslation I’ll just leave this link here so that people unfamiliar with the incident can read about it for themselves. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Express_Flight_3411_incident
Gerarda Cronin you do know that Dao pushed a police officer out of the way on the jet bridge and ran back on the aircraft right? That is why he was removed forcefully. But of course the media never reports that... be careful with what versions of stories you subscribe to
Hi paul long time viewer your videos are superb.I am taking my first ever flight with ryanair next friday from ireland west knock to east midlands so it just a short hop and returning on the monday.I think its a boeing 737 800 aircraft. All the best and always look forward to your videos.
@@davidcorbett8125 Prices have fallen drastically since airline deregulation because of Ryanair, easy jet and other budget airlines came in with ultra low prices, this the flag carriers had to lower their prices to compete. Ryanair flies directly to 100s of regional airports which the flag carriers wouldn't even think of running direct services to.
@@davidcorbett8125 Compromised safety? Please elaborate where safety is compromised. I fly with them because they fly routes which other airlines won't even think of offering. Once we had an 8 hour delay and we all got full compensation.
One thing to keep in mind is that here in the States we do not have anywhere near the passenger rail set up like Europe has. Our airlines pick up that slack.
For anyone wanting to get the cheapest flights, here is some info: the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Monday and Saturday. The cheapest months are September, January and February. Finally, the best time of day to fly is overnight or really early morning, since nobody really wants to do that, so nobody will be there (exaggeration of course, dont take that literally.) Hope this helped!
Paul, in Atlanta at the United Club, did you show them the boarding pass for the transcon in business class? I think that allows you in under their access rules
It doesn’t sadly - as backed up by UA’s own published rules. Edit: missed the question: didn’t visit the lounge but did query it with checkin staff and on UA’s Twitter feed prior to the flight.
Tom Rempe Afraid that’s not correct. See the rules here: www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/lounge/access.aspx Premium cabin customers>United Business - “Customers on premium transcontinental flights may only access United Club locations at the origin and destination of their premium transcontinental flight.”
I just don't understand why a domestic first ticket doesn't get you in the lounge in the US - American is the same. It's one of the traditional benefits of being in a premium cabin. A bit mean!
Adam - I think it comes down to expectations. In the US, a lounge has never been part of the domestic premium cabin expectation especially as lounges are not available at many (maybe most) airports. Lounges are clubs in the US where you get access by paying separately for membership. Similar to your feelings of finding it hard to understand, I find it hard to understand how an economy seat with a blocked middle could ever be considered premium but that is European business class. Even the extra leg room MCE or Comfort+ on US carriers are more comfortable than European business. Personally, I would much rather have the better seat in the US domestic cabins and get my lounge access through my credit card. I am sort of jealous of Australians who get both the better seat and the lounge. The bottom line is that airlines in Europe and the US have responded to their local markets differently.
I'm seeing this much later after publication and don't know whether you have been back to ATL, but many more exhibits have been added recently that you might like.....and although I sensed some disdain from you having to take the plane train if you were leaving from a different concourse like C where WN is located; you may know there are some fantastic exhibits between each concourse within the transportation mall. For that reason, some people choose to walk. I would have mentioned as well that there is a 24-hour IHOP inside the Atrium.
Hey... I flew Aeromexico from Dallas/Fort Worth to Bogota... I thought that the entire experience was very nice.... have you tried that route yet? The restaurants in Mexico City's Terminal are AMAZING.....
Hi Paul, could you please make a video on how you collect your points/miles, what credit cards you use, and all that stuff? Would be interesting to see, since most articles and videos on it are regardin those in US and not always applying to us here in the UK. Thanks!
Will fly with United from LAX-LHR in three weeks. Had a possibility to fly Delta (LHR-PHI-MSP-LHR) last year and AA (LHR-JFK-LHR) on Sept so will compare all those three 'products'. Hope the UA will not be the worst one. Great vid, Paul.
Atlanta airport is huge. I flew in from Phoenix and had to connect with my 2nd flight to Detroit and almost got lost. Thankfully someone took pity on me grabbed my bags to help since I had my 4 month old and got me to the correct gate
US airlines do not offer lounge access to domestic first or business class unless you are flying transcontinental with like Delta or JetBlue if I am not mistaken.
Looks like UA224 used N87513 / fleet number 3513. Built 2008 for Continental Airlines. It was 10 at the time this was taken, but the design is the same as the first Continental 737-800’s delivered a decade before.
Paul been watching your videos for a few years there great wish you could review United from Newark to Naples Italy direct flight heard they are not quite up to par thanks
The first of three United Airlines videos in this series. Are you a regular flier with United? What do you think of them? Do you know of any airlines with better WiFi onboard? (I was really impressed with it!) 😊
Paul's Trip Reports Never flew United so I can’t compare, but Norwegian their WiFi is also really good!
Paul's Trip Reports I don’t. I recognize those retro screens when I was on a JetBlue a320 and they didn’t work right and there was a credit card swipe.
As a United status flyer, most people who sit in First Class get upgraded because of status on domestic flights. Since in the US, we really don't have trains I think the way a business traveler approaches flying may be different and getting that status is important. For me it's a glorified three hour bus ride and I understand that. I buy the cheapest ticket in my travel system and then get upgraded by the airline. The company rules allow this since I bought an economy ticket. A lot of the United planes are slightly different because of their merger with Continental and some aircraft just feel different than the United ones. The 767-400 is the most obvious example as they have no lavatories in the front of the plane because the business travelers on Continental didn't want a smell, so the first row of Premium Economy has to go all the way to the back of the plane. The 737s with the DirecTV are another Continental legacy feature. One more thing is that a lot of us pick an airline in the US based on the route and hub map and then stick with that. I travel a lot to Washington DC (IAD) and United is by far the largest carrier with the most non-stops and so I pick United. Great videos Paul!
United is shit. Absolute shit. Worst customer service ever, Southwest is much better because they are consistently good
Hi Paul, great vid. Next time you can maybe do a speed test on speedtest.net please?
...”another really thin curtain”.. that’s a 9-11 curtain. Opaque curtains between cabins are not allowed. For several years after 9-11, divider curtains on US carriers were removed. When they came back, they were made of a see through mesh. They get pretty ratty because they don’t change them out
9-11 curtains....? Interesting concept which I don't understand....why only US carriers? Was in the US quite a few times in the past, but my last one was my first post 9-11 visit...I took an Air Canada connection from Toronto to Harrisburg PA....was a small Beechcraft with about 20 seats....I was sitting at the front, the cockpit door was open for the entire flight....nice view! And water served by the co-pilot...I was a bit surprised...!! I am sure was not a big security risk...but quite quite a few USAF C-130's sitting parked at Harrisburg....
For lack of a better term, that’s what I call it.
I guess they never miss huh
u got a boyfriend, I bet he doesn't miss ya, muah!
He'll go find another girl and he won't miss ya, MuAH
Ryan M dude it’s not funny it’s a dead meme so just stop okay because people like you ruin is for other people like Islam and climate change
Madwolf 096 go pray to Islam
liama liama but I'm Christian.
ive never been to the USA, but United seems to be my favorite american airline
I fly United once in a while when I need to go somewhere Southwest doesn't fly. I've found them to be perfectly fine but nothing special as far as domestic US carriers go.
Also I've connected through Atlanta a whole bunch of times and never knew they had that big entrance lobby. The one time I visited the city I took MARTA, which goes straight into the terminal building so you don't see the lobby then either.
And finally my condolences on having to spend a layover at EWR.
That was a deactivated military base about 10 min from my home, Johnsville Naval Air Station
Yep - looked at that on Google Maps, definitely correct. Thank you!
Your reports are great !!!
@@Paul_Lucas Note the Xs on the runway.
paying for upgraded whatever on domestic US flights is not worth it at all. Fly southwest. Pay the extra $15 for early bird check in (you will always get at the least mid B group) also, the wifi is pretty fast, and beer and liquor is $3 to $4 cheaper than the other air lines. Also more leg room and friendly staff and free checked bag.
@Blue collar Gold pockets SWA does fly to Mexico and Caribbean and I think they have their own system, though they do not have a alliance with others.
2 free checked bags!
You
Wingin' it! Paul Lucas you're being incredibly diplomatic on your review of United Domestic Premium Class Service. I've flown them several times as the only choice for a nonstop from point A to point B. My review of their service and equipment is a reminder of SABENA Airlines that within the industry stood for "Such A Bad Experience Never Again".That's United Airlines for me :-)
Looks like United need to do some retrofitting or refurbishment for these 737-800s. But over a decent flight. I hope you enjoyed yourself at Atlanta, from an Atlanta native!
I loved ATL when I passed through there in July. And with TSA Pre-check, I cleared security in 2 minutes, NO LINE at all.
You never normally associate the United States with the word "shabby", but that's exactly what this flight looked like. Pretty steep fare for an old armchair and a cheap breakfast. (Nice video as always by the way).
Yep, a very steep fare. I was quite surprised at how poor value it was. Quite often in the US, it’s possible to find good air fares but I drew a blank here.
Steve Cooksley I have to say United is definitely getting a reputation for being one of the most expensive domestic airlines. I remember when they were once affordable 😂
still better than Scoot
Paul's Trip Reports can I ask you Paul, what you think of the fact that you couldn't gain upper Lounge access in Atlanta, even though you paid the steep fayre, and were travelling on effectively a double first class route?
I thought this was very unfair, and didn't do United any favours. If you are travelling first class you expect to gain access to some kind of lounge before boarding. Especially, if you are travelling business and you have a hard couple of days ahead of you.
What is the point of being an executive traveller, with an upper class ticket, if you can't access airport lounges?
Still, good report Paul I enjoyed watching!
Maybe you don't associate the United States with "shabby", but you certainly should associate United Airlines with it.
Wait, you flew out of Atlanta on something other than a Delta aircraft!
Anthony Kernich I did that, United, American and Northwest!
The funny thing is that Northwest are now Delta
Believe it or not, it does happen!
And
how rare
You're fortunate to have filmed on United with no issues - passengers have been thrown off for doing so. I was "almost" asked to leave a UAL flight, for taking photos of an (empty) cabin. They do have a "no photos" policy in their magazine. I pushed them a bit (being a 1K member at the time) and they told me to put away the camera or be removed. I HATE UNITED WITH A PASSION.
My few cents...
Flew ATL-NYC a few months ago. Economy ticket prices were hovering around $200 across the board (except for Southwest, which was $120 for some reason) and first/business was going for about the same as what you paid. I was perfectly happy with my $120 Southwest flight. You don't need breakfast on that short of a hop.
That said, never would I pay for first class on this route unless there was good reason to do so. The seat in this video looked good, but the food looks awful.
When is first class worth it? For one, on some shorter routes (BUF-NYC for example) first class can be worth every penny assuming assuming you are checking bags. The cost of checking 2 bags can actually be about the same as the difference between coach and first. You get the 70lb weight limit as well, which can come in handy sometimes.
Paul, you were flying in Business Class where you have an IFE screen in front of you so the IFE is there already for you. For United economy (and economy plus) DOMESTIC flights, you will not have an IFE screen so will have to download the United APP to your phone/tablet BEFORE you board the aircraft. The space in the back of the seat in front of you where the IFE screen should be (in economy) has a clip for you to place your tablet/phone into so you can then watch films, etc. I enjoy all of your videos! Safe travels!
No, you can access the inflight entertainment through your phone without the app - see the screen shots in the video. Recorded directly from my phone. No need to download any app.
I'll still download the app just in case. Depends on type of aircraft I guess. I'm travelling with kids next year on United SFO - HNL Economy plus.
Paul's Trip Reports hi Paul, you do need to download the app on an iOS device - but not a Samsung / Androids as you were using
Confidence growing with the voiceovers Paul. Becoming second nature now. Recently flew United 757-200 from Edinburgh to Newark, so will be interesting to hear your thoughts on your experience on that aircraft.
While I have been a regular United flyer for many years, I can't say I'm surprised by this video. By the looks of it you got lucky getting an older 737-800 as the newer ones have no PTV's and the seats are definitely not as comfortable. The food and service from the staff both before and onboard the flight is something that I've noticed declining in recent years too.
Idk, I kinda like the older armchairs, they’re more comfortable to me
People take for granted the current low fares of flying. The logistics alone to make that flight happen are incredibly complex, in contrast how much would cab fare be out of Newark for a thirty minute ride?
9 out of 10 doctors recommend united...
Excpet David Dao
ultra underrated comment
I am a United Gold for life Mileage Plus member (I have 1.8 million paid miles on UAL.) That being said they are now my last choice. When UA and Continental merged, the Continental management took charge. Continental was a great carrier, and the prospects of those folk running UAL was exciting. Instead of bringing the UAL up to CAL, they went the other way.
Service is poor on most flights, food when offered is dreadful every meal of the day. The ground staff always seem to have some chip on their shoulders. When I was working, I am not retired, I was a Global Service Level UAL's highest, and was always upgraded, now I pay for first, and can only imagine what economy is now.
They eliminated International First Class at the end of last year, So I now travel BA First to and from the UK a couple of times a year. I am flying with UAL next year, because I am sailing back and the one way BA first is twice what I paid for the last round trip. I am looking forward to your comments on the Transcon. It will be interesting to see how they have mucked that up.
Hugh Porter If you’re tired of all those miles, I’d be happy to help you get rid of some. I reached 25,000 while I was travelling to the US (from Europe) and they didn’t last long.
I hear what you’re saying about the product. Western airlines are all slowly moving away from First Class. Only a few remain and then of course the three Middle East carriers plus a few Asian carriers. It’s expensive to run and one seat is always for the pilots. Many others go to senior employees = no revenue.
The necessary merger was not a happy marriage and only the shares holders and the CEO Jeff Smisek were happy. I was a big fan of Continental and their saviour, Gordon Bethune, whom I’m sure you know of. I hear things are better with the new guy, Oscar Muñoz, so I, too, will look forward to reviews. The Polaris seats should be very good.
Nice one. And congratulations on 60,000 subs!! Well done!
Cheers mate! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Heard a few negative comments about United ..but my last United flight from Washington to Zurich in Business Class was pretty good...seat ok, service and food also ok...
That is pretty normal for domestic service on United, their newer planes are usually even worse just cleaner. They are without a doubt the worst of the big 3 US carriers (except for their wifi).
The other 2 are Delta and American right?
I agree with you about the views on early departures, painful to wake up though! Really excited to see your next trans con trip report. How would you rate this flight against a European business class?
Great video Paul. Keep up the good work.
Nailing it Paul ! Best trip report channel. Stay true to yourself first and all good will come. Fly high ✈
Well done Paul, being from Chicago you have United or American.
Really sad how dirty this aircraft was!
Paul your commentary gets better and better with every video. Cheers!
Hope you enjoyed Georgia on you're many stops around the world. The best experience I ever had was on a Japan airlines 747-400 direct flight from Atlanta to Japan in economy! It was many years ago but I remember the gate staff treating us like we were special despite us having coach seats, on departure from the gate, the whole gate staff lined up on the ramp and bowed in unison as we taxied out. The inflight crew were VERY pleasurable and attentive, we even got hot towel service before each meal which leads me to my favorite subject, or least, depending on the carrier, airline food. Every meal was on a real plate with real silverware, the breakfast , lunch, dinner and snacks were top notch and filling, we could only imagine what first class was like, again we're sitting in coach and are being treated like first class passengers. Whew got long winded , anyways I guess those days are gone but definitely not forgotten. Happy and safe travels to you!
I am based out of SFO/SJC and as a result, I had to fly UA a lot over the past few years for personal and business (as evident on my channel :) ). I've flown many domestic and international trips in economy, economy + and business class. For the most part, the service has been average at best. There were on rare occasion that the flight attendant provided excellent service but that has been super rare. There was one business class flight from SYD to SFO in which the flight attendant was so apathetic, as if he didn't care to be on board. One thing I have to give UA props is their app on the mobile phone, it's really excellent to check seats, flight status...etc.
Another great video mate, well done. I am excited for the next one!!!
Brilliant video once more Paul. Interesting the thin curtain gets a mention, to me it’s an important aspect to comment on, I think it allows other cabin crew and passengers to see through incase of a security issue, if you know what I mean. The curtain could so easily mask the other passengers and crew seeing an issues occurring and therefore may not act on it.
Of course this is just my opinion. It probably has nothing to do with it. And is more likely that the airline simply uses the cheapest fire retardant fabric available 😄
Post 9/11 American carriers either eliminated the curtain or made it transparent to enable a view right through the aircraft for flight attendants and Federal Air Marshals. They’re also a lot stricter about keeping passengers in their ticketed cabin, to restrict forward movement.
Congratulations on 60,000, you deserve it!
I thought of u Paul. I was behind a nice Japanese executive at the entrance of the Boston United Club. I noticed he had a first class seat from ORD-HND. The agent told him since ur not a member u can only use the Polaris club at ORD but can’t come in here at BOS. I patted him on the shoulder and told the agent I’m guesting him in. He smiled and thanked me
Glad you got to experience my home airport! I live right next to ATL and get to see tons of departures. Next time you happen to be there, see if you can go over to Terminal South, they have a bunch of display cases with vintage models and a plaque dedicated to Eastern Air Lines.
@6:30 that food tray stain is from wet cleaning. If the tray is not absolutely dry when the tray folds away, it leaves that type of condensation stain.
Lumme, boss - didn't finish your brekkie? Anything that helps with making connections is good, and the link with Amtrak is something we should adopt, via National Rail Enquiries.
I don't understand how that would be useful, am I missing something?
yes
I WAS a regular flyer on United but four years ago promised myself I would never fly United again...I have kept my promise.
Great video Paul! Intro music please?? Love the drums 😁
Quality of your videos are fantastic, thanks for your hard work. One suggestion is a speedtest.net run. That will show just how good the WiFi is and / or how much of a cap they have on the bandwidth. With food we the viewer can see if it's good, with WiFi we can't.
But as always, very good work.
Excellent, informative review. Like the audio format for commenting. Cheers!
Hi Paul, i am following u 4 a while now, and it is always refreshing how u do ur vlogs! we do enjoy them a lot and we stay tuned 4 new things to come up. we look very forward to ur 100000 subscribers, and we do think u have deserve it so so well. i lived in Exeter several years ago and i loved ur vlog by train from London to Newquay 4 that. Stay the way u r and we are the luckiest to be following u! greetings from Jena Germany, Mathias and Fam
Some United 737s do require the app for connectivity. I flew two 737s in first last Thanksgiving. One had the IFE in the seatback, one didn't. The one that didn't did require the app for the passenger to view shows on their own device. It all depends upon which seat map that the 737 has. Some are newer than others, so the wifi and app requirements will vary. It's still best to download the app just in case you're on a plane that requires it.
Your editing skills have gotten so much better over the years, do you still plan to format the train trips in the same fashion?
The Wi-fi was great, but you were right about the seat. I have seen newer on Alaska. It has been years since I have flown United and when I did, it was a lot! (I was a Premier Exec at one time). Service was good and I was treated well. Meals were ok, however I was bumped from my seat out Hong Kong once. I flew most of the pre-merger fleet and I do remember Shuttle by United (I saw a lot of that). I was horrified by your meal service. I have seen better. Very good video, looking forward to the other United segment
You knock these videos out of the park! Keep it up!
Great report Paul. Whats different between your reports and others, is you tell us where your flying over
Loving the round the world videos keep it up Paul 👍👍
Next time you are in Atlanta, checkout the Delta Flight Museum. One of the best actually. 757, 767, 747, MD-88 and others onsite. Worth the time.
I was a 1k flyer with United for many years, but have not flown them now for about 5 years. Your report is spot on for what I have been hearing from others that still fly them. American has been my favorite lately but they too are now moving in the wrong direction. Love the videos. Thanks
Well done Paul, another good video.
Another great video!! I am quite curious as to your thoughts of Newark.
For the past few years, with my then-fiancé and now husband working in Manhattan and having a room in Queens, our flights were mostly preferred out of JFK.
Now that he's up in upstate NY, the trip to Newark for global travel is preferred. With all the mixed reviews, I am interested in a well-seasoned travelers thoughts from this year.
Thanks again!!
EWR was okay, though I only connected so I didn’t use it as a departing or arriving passenger. I think there’s definitely less of a problem with ground delays at EWR than JFK at least!
Have you ever flown into LaGuardia? Worst airport I have ever been to.
Hi Anthony. My delay in response was because I was flying out of and back into LGA this past weekend. The airport is under a big renovation right now. I flew with Delta which operates both terminals C & D.
Honestly, I don't think it's that bad. It's an airport. I have TSA Pre-Check and was through Security at Terminal D in less than 10 minutes. Went to the Delta SkyLounge there which, truth be told, was rather zoo-like and I couldn't believe how poor the food selection was. I've not been doing Business Lounges until recently (lucky to be able to fly business more often), but of the ones I've been too, this was probably the worst.
Boarding and deplaning were uneventful. Getting a cab to my destination in Queens was a bit of a pain right now as there is no taxi stand at Terminal D (under construction again), but the walk to Terminal C wasn't long at all and the taxi queue had no line.
Will I fly out of LGA again? Yes.
Will I need to? Probably not.
Hope that helps.
And by the way, if Jorgeyy Boy things the area is "rough af," I commend him on his sheltered life. My husband used to live within walking distance of the Marine Terminal in a pleasant garden apartment. Very safe neighborhood in my book.
Great video Paul! Keep up the good content.
Loved this one! With some beautiful scenery on take off and landing, the morning flights are definitely my first choice when I fly! Shame about the cheap looking breakfast.. that fruit salad looked grim! The crew looked good though, well presented! Looking forward to the next trip report.. by the sounds of things, it's not one to miss!!
To be honest I wasn’t even expecting any food at all on this flight! Thankfully the flight was on time, though the next one was really not good...!
Another great trip report Paul. I find all your reports very informative and always a great watch. I too didn’t like the look of your breakfast main, pancakes may have been better, shame they didn’t have them being a staple US breakfast serving.
For paid-for wi-fi, if you are taking several flights, it can be much cheaper to get a monthly wi-fi subscription via their website (and untick the 'auto renew' option!) as it will work out much cheaper. Currently, a month costs $49 for domestic flights, and transatlantic an extra $20. However, you MUST purchase it 24 hours before you want it so it has time to activate.
The audio mixing in this is way off Paul mate, can hardly hear you throughout most of the flight!
Nice work again Paul love the videos.
Ironically, if you have Star Alliance Gold status with another airline you can get in the United lounge.
Hi Paul
Great video again Atlanta Airport is just great it is so busy but the layout works really great.
I recently flew on a UA B737-700 in First Class - and it looked like a very similar seat EXCEPT for the lack of IFE. As you said, it was retro. Comfy enough but it was definitely not a modern cabin.
As for the WiFi, I believe your aircraft had a satellite-based system which offers much more bandwidth than most ground-based systems (like Gogo). The signal is supposed to be more robust too, although I don't always find that to be the case. JetBlue is a great example of having a fantastic satellite Wifi signal on ALL of their planes, and they don't charge to access it. I've accessed movies on Amazon and Netflix while flying B6, just wish their in-seat power was throughout the cabin.
Have you ever done a trip report on Amtrak? I recommend trying the Acela, Amtrak's premier east coast service. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts of Boston-New York or New York-Washington (or hell, why not Boston-Washington?) Keep your expectations in check as it won't compare well to the best European trains, but it is an interesting service nonetheless.
Nice Video Paul, I find that United’s new International Polaris Class is where they shine in a premier cabin. But domestically AA has a newer plane with a better product, but I have never been fond of feeder flights. Delta is the main carrier in Atlanta, I bet there were plenty of non-stop trans-con flights. Cheers Mate
Nice video.. I've flown in first on several of the former Continental 737-800s in first class... the seats are worn, but are quite good for their age. They've used that same seat type since the late 90s
Great video as always Paul , that breakfast was minging !!!! ..all the best
I’ve flown United First just the once, 16 years ago and I remember the seats being leather then too. And the credit card swiper isn’t entirely alien to domestic. I remember VX had them on its seatbacks too.
Do you explore the destinations where you're there or just do the flights?
Just does the flights
Great report as always Paul, I see you went for the digital boarding pass and not a paper one for this time around, I still collect mine :).
That tart looked awful, like someone had thrown up blood on it after coughing really hard. I have never really found United to be amazing, just fairly standard for a US airline.
Thanks for sharing. Though it was nice to see the pilot saying goodbye to passengers as you walked out.
One of my worst flights was a red eye long haul from Kihei (Maui) to LAX in economy on United. I was jammed into an uncomfortable window seat and the service was rude when it existed at all. Not planning to fly United again, especially after how they treated Dr. Dao.
Lost InTranslation OK, I made an error, it was Kahului, not Kihei. As for Dr. Dao, I made no comments on his character. Irrespective of his character, the video evidence clearly shows that he was assaulted. The airline he was on was a United affiliate.
Lost InTranslation I’ll just leave this link here so that people unfamiliar with the incident can read about it for themselves. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Express_Flight_3411_incident
Gerarda Cronin you do know that Dao pushed a police officer out of the way on the jet bridge and ran back on the aircraft right? That is why he was removed forcefully. But of course the media never reports that... be careful with what versions of stories you subscribe to
@@gerardacronin3095 it's a United branded flight regardless of actual carrier.
Hi paul long time viewer your videos are superb.I am taking my first ever flight with ryanair next friday from ireland west knock to east midlands so it just a short hop and returning on the monday.I think its a boeing 737 800 aircraft.
All the best and always look forward to your videos.
Have a great time Martin! 👍🏻
@@davidcorbett8125 And 10 times the price. You get what you pay for.
@@davidcorbett8125 Ryanair's job is to take you from A to B at a reasonable price
@@davidcorbett8125 Prices have fallen drastically since airline deregulation because of Ryanair, easy jet and other budget airlines came in with ultra low prices, this the flag carriers had to lower their prices to compete.
Ryanair flies directly to 100s of regional airports which the flag carriers wouldn't even think of running direct services to.
@@davidcorbett8125 Compromised safety? Please elaborate where safety is compromised.
I fly with them because they fly routes which other airlines won't even think of offering. Once we had an 8 hour delay and we all got full compensation.
Thanks Paul, looking forward to the next video.
Paul's accent makes these videos great.
One thing to keep in mind is that here in the States we do not have anywhere near the passenger rail set up like Europe has. Our airlines pick up that slack.
For anyone wanting to get the cheapest flights, here is some info: the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Monday and Saturday. The cheapest months are September, January and February. Finally, the best time of day to fly is overnight or really early morning, since nobody really wants to do that, so nobody will be there (exaggeration of course, dont take that literally.) Hope this helped!
Thank you for the video!
Paul, in Atlanta at the United Club, did you show them the boarding pass for the transcon in business class? I think that allows you in under their access rules
Brian King my money is that he didn’t. As a 1K I know if u hold a PS ticket that gets u in the club
It doesn’t sadly - as backed up by UA’s own published rules. Edit: missed the question: didn’t visit the lounge but did query it with checkin staff and on UA’s Twitter feed prior to the flight.
Tom Rempe Afraid that’s not correct. See the rules here: www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/lounge/access.aspx
Premium cabin customers>United Business - “Customers on premium transcontinental flights may only access United Club locations at the origin and destination of their premium transcontinental flight.”
I just don't understand why a domestic first ticket doesn't get you in the lounge in the US - American is the same. It's one of the traditional benefits of being in a premium cabin. A bit mean!
Adam - I think it comes down to expectations. In the US, a lounge has never been part of the domestic premium cabin expectation especially as lounges are not available at many (maybe most) airports. Lounges are clubs in the US where you get access by paying separately for membership. Similar to your feelings of finding it hard to understand, I find it hard to understand how an economy seat with a blocked middle could ever be considered premium but that is European business class. Even the extra leg room MCE or Comfort+ on US carriers are more comfortable than European business. Personally, I would much rather have the better seat in the US domestic cabins and get my lounge access through my credit card. I am sort of jealous of Australians who get both the better seat and the lounge. The bottom line is that airlines in Europe and the US have responded to their local markets differently.
I think the 737-800 was an old one from Continental and probably never refurbished.
8:36 is the old East Hanover Airport. I used to work nearby at Morristown Municipal Airport for 6 years.
It’s actually part of the former Johnsville NAS airfield. East Hanover had a narrow runway.
I'm seeing this much later after publication and don't know whether you have been back to ATL, but many more exhibits have been added recently that you might like.....and although I sensed some disdain from you having to take the plane train if you were leaving from a different concourse like C where WN is located; you may know there are some fantastic exhibits between each concourse within the transportation mall. For that reason, some people choose to walk. I would have mentioned as well that there is a 24-hour IHOP inside the Atrium.
And you did know that there were numerous options and carriers for you to fly non-stop from ATL-LAX should you have wanted to.
You should've reviewed the seats on the MAX 9. Those compare with AA'S MAXes, not those old bulky sofas
Hey... I flew Aeromexico from Dallas/Fort Worth to Bogota... I thought that the entire experience was very nice.... have you tried that route yet? The restaurants in Mexico City's Terminal are AMAZING.....
Hi Paul, could you please make a video on how you collect your points/miles, what credit cards you use, and all that stuff? Would be interesting to see, since most articles and videos on it are regardin those in US and not always applying to us here in the UK. Thanks!
Hi - I don’t use credit cards and I don’t collect many points as I don’t stay within one alliance.
And would love it if you showed full take off to rotate in real time. Fun to watch and to time to lift off for different aircraft.
Will fly with United from LAX-LHR in three weeks. Had a possibility to fly Delta (LHR-PHI-MSP-LHR) last year and AA (LHR-JFK-LHR) on Sept so will compare all those three 'products'. Hope the UA will not be the worst one. Great vid, Paul.
I flew United First in May SFO-SAN on a similar 737 but without IFE. The seat was indeed comfortable but really old. The service was really basic.
Love your videos Paul 👍
I have only flown United once & it was a few years ago, it was the worse flight ever due to the surly cabin crew. Never flown with them again.
I always enjoy flying United!
Thanks, excellent report as always
Atlanta airport is huge. I flew in from Phoenix and had to connect with my 2nd flight to Detroit and almost got lost. Thankfully someone took pity on me grabbed my bags to help since I had my 4 month old and got me to the correct gate
US airlines do not offer lounge access to domestic first or business class unless you are flying transcontinental with like Delta or JetBlue if I am not mistaken.
Looks like UA224 used N87513 / fleet number 3513. Built 2008 for Continental Airlines. It was 10 at the time this was taken, but the design is the same as the first Continental 737-800’s delivered a decade before.
Interesting as always..
First class ticket- and not allowed into the First Class lounge? Okay- I'll fly Alaskan.
Great stuff as always. Thanks.
i've just watched my first sam chui video goodness the access that man gets is incredible you should start to push your luck a bit more paul.
Nice video, thanks for sharing.
Another great video
My God !! You flew Frontier ?? How did that go ??
Paul been watching your videos for a few years there great wish you could review United from Newark to Naples Italy direct flight heard they are not quite up to par thanks
I absolutely love his vocabulary and accent.