Since Papeete Airport doesn’t have any jet bridges, I boarded the 787 via stairs at the forward door. The crew seemed caught off guard that boarding began, and wasn’t fully set up yet.
Continue reading: Review: United Business Class 787-8 Papeete To San Francisco
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So Ben, is usually take to heart your reviews but this time your reviewing a plane and company I fly predominantly. While I agree with some of your assessments, i know question your overall detail. Why? The restroom located directly behind 3A/B is the larger handicap accessible lav that that United has on their Dreamliners. Your normal lack of detail says to me you glossed over this review since it wasn’t on your preferred airline of choice.
‘My one announce is that due to where they were positioned, I sometimes found myself accidentally hitting them with my elbow, adjusting the position of the seat.’
That should be ‘annoyance’.
@ Justin -- Good attention to detail, and maybe I didn't express that correctly. There are two lavatories by door two. The one immediately behind my seat was occupied, while the one behind and across was available, so that's what the picture is of.
Sadly, United has been making several cuts to in-flight Polaris service. Hopefully they will reevaluate this new route and make efforts in Tahiti to improve caterings. Quality & Presentation of Polaris food has decreased over time, and United might not improve on this route. Not having a sundae would be a dissapointment.
"I'm not expecting Singapore levels of service"
How about JetBlue levels of service? Or Alaska levels of service?
@ Stvr -- Space opened about three months out. I set an ExpertFlyer alert, and it seemed that at one point they made some award seats available on almost all flights. Sadly they haven't been as consistent since.
You mentioned that they ran out of champagne during PDB, but I see you have it served with water and nuts later into the flight. Did they suddenly find more champagne during the flight?
One thing that *really* annoys me about the United Wifi pricing is that it is often (well) above $18.99 for even domestic flights. Sometimes I see it as high as $40! It is so inconsistent even based on flight distance.
However, I do like that they have monthly subscriptions and per-flight options with usage of miles instead of paying.
I so much prefer Delta's more reliable gate-to-gate 2Ku wifi.
@ Misha -- Airlines often have to pay taxes on alcohol that's consumed on the ground, since it's not technically during an international flight. So it's normal for airlines to only allocate a certain amount of their champagne supply to be consumed pre-departure.
@Lucky - you went to Melbourne?!
Anyway, after two years of living in the US, we can't wait to escape it soon. The service culture is so bad, it's irritating (even when they get tips). Sick of these big words in their marketing..
"Welcome aboard, create the perfect setting"....
"Welcome dining service"....
"Because your journey deserves [something] taste".... etc etc.
The reality? Running out of champagne after 2 rows. Not knowing the menu. Crappy food. Grumpy flight attendants. It's all lies. How about actions for a change, rather than words?
As an ethnic Chinese, I testify that the Chinese noodle is just some random Panda Express food, and if they ever dare to use this to serve routes to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong or Taipei, their service center will be filled with subsequent complaints.
Ben, my husband and I flew SFO to PPT a few weeks ago and I am still can't believe the flight attendant situation. I am debating whether or not to complain to United.
We were in the first business row behind the galley (A and B). It was obvious the rest crew had not been on this plane before because all said so except the purser. Only she seemed to know what to do but I say that with a grain of salt because she did something to the door when arming it and maintenance had to be called. We also had a mechanical issue in the cockpit.
Probably the worst thing we encountered were how unprofessional the crew was as they only wanted to argue with each other. Everyone was trying to sleep. The captain came out and very loudly said: "I did not say that! We are going to have a meeting on this. I would never say anything like that and did not."
One thing after another went wrong - before departure my husband and I were asked what we wanted for dinner but had not been given a menu yet. We also were given two different menus. While I dealt with that (with my back turned) my full glass of sparking wine had been taken away. They ran out of one of the red wines, lights were turned on in the middle of the flight only to be turned off by resetting the electrical and then they would not come back on so we had to fill out the customs and immigrations forms by using our flashlight phones. Still couldn't get the lights back on when we landed so we disembarked in the dark (I lost an earring because I couldn't see where it went). Trying to reset the lighting also messed up the entertainment. The lavs were filthy. It was one thing after another.
@XX This is even a fail at American-Chinese food, I’d say.
Some of them are actually not bad.
Although tbh, ordering Chinese, on a non-Chinese route on UA/AA, the joke is partially on you too.
Lucky.
How did you find saver availability on this route? It's hard to find. Maybe one way from PPT to SFO is a bit easier?
I'm always annoyed when I come to my seat and all the bedding is already at my seat with nowhere to store it. Sometimes I put it in the overhead bin, but if there isn't any room, then what? United is a joke. Their catering is dog food at best. I'm shocked you didn't have to ask for the gel pillow and slippers lol.
@ Mike -- I set ExpertFlyer alerts, and to my surprise space opened on exactly the date I needed.
You would think the flight attendants were being paid peanuts. They make more than nurses and probably have a degree you cannot use. I think I can say this responsively as I flew international for 10 years.
While I haven't flown Delta and AA in years and can't comment on their service, I do have to agree with Lucky's analysis of UA FAs. Most of the good service I've experienced on UA happened to be on domestic flights while the worst have been international particularly SYD to SFO flights.
Unfortunately your business class experience is what I’ve seen as well. Flight attendants who are awesome and those that don’t give a crap. My last flight I felt like I was a huge inconvenience to the flight attendant. She pretty much dropped the food on my tray and was pissed off when I asked for a wine that was on the list but not in her cart...
It's worth noting that the bulkhead seats in J have significantly larger footwells.
@Lucky, thank you for flying United and writing these reviews so the rest of us know to never fly them. Their flight attendants sound repulsive. I'd imagine people in jail receive better service.
I take the Amsterdam-Houston route frequently and generally think the service is quite good. Appreciate those are generally operated ex-continental staff, maybe that makes a difference?
I think you knew what you were getting into when you actively chose the riskier food options. Seriously,
Chinese chicken noodles? = Ramen + Chicken McNugget
I get it. PPT is a mixed yield and predominantly leisure market. But did they have to go so far out of their way to make the flight so miserable? Kirby will confirm that in order to make a profit UA doesn't have to be the best; they just have to be equal to or above the worst (AA). UA is increasingly taking that message to heart in everything they do.
Could it be that the food was so bad because it was doubled catered? I couldn’t imagine United paying for catering in Tahiti (probably quite expensive) and because it’s a new flight might not be set up with united glassware, plates etc
Many many years ago I worked for a hotel by the San Francisco international airport. Our hotel had a contract with Pre merger United airlines. They would cycle in flight attendants every week for what they called IST training which was international service training. You could not be a FA on an international carrier without the training. The training was very in-depth and very service oriented. They also had an International Purser training program. I stayed in touch with one of the trainers through the years and she told me recently that the new UNITED doesn’t care too much about service. She wishes that the service standards would be brought back to the standards of the pmUA times.
Considering that the management of modern day United is all ex Continental...and they were previously People’s Express....the writing is on the wall.
After the merger, the CO people wanted to change the purser title to “in flight services coordinator”! No which do you think sounds more professional from an international service point of view??
Exactly reflects my experience too. Quite an odd flight catered by very senior crew some of whom are clearly counting the days to pension whilst others just love their job.
I loved the dessert trolley and the menu back was better than outbound for me, but they also didn’t know what was on the menu which is just weird!
The plane felt exceptionally clean and new despite it being an old product. One tip - bulkhead rows have a larger footwell than other rows!
Isn’t sitting right next to the restroom a bad idea? Flying from San Francisco to Singapore, that spot would not be pleasant.
Why do you always ignore the wine in your reviews? Are you sure it was champagne and not generic sparkling wine? What kind of champagne was it? What was the other wine? Does United not have a wine list in the menu? You do this all the time.
@ FNT Delta Diamond -- Sorry about that, wine list was somehow accidentally deleted from the post, but should be in there now. Sadly I didn't see the champagne -- they don't list it on the menu, and they never even brought the bottle into the cabin.
@ Memento -- In general certainly true, but I always like to sit towards the back of the cabin so I can observe the service flow, and I figured sitting by the bathroom on this short flight wouldn't be a huge issue (and it wasn't).
Ben - Why don't you ever detail (or even briefly describe) your booking process and the points/miles/cash you paid for the experience? This seems vital to any review, especially on a points/miles blog. Thanks?
@ LP -- I always do that in the introduction to the trip report series. See here:
https://onemileatatime.com/tahiti-trip-report/
🙂
“only the hosts don’t actually want to have a dinner party… and they also forgot that they planned it until the first person showed up at the door.”
I see you have had Thanksgiving at my parents home.
Honestly, it's just United being United. When typing this out my phone autocorrected flight attendant to fight attendant and that'd what United flight attendants seem to think they are. On my SFO-ICN flight last Saturday the flight attendant tried to coerce me into drinking the whole can of my seltzer water by telling me that she wouldn't give me another drink if I don't finish it. She also didn't know what the Goose Island wheat ale was and then asked me if I'm over 21 (maybe I look young because I'm Asian, but the flight attendant was also Asian) when I asked for a Miller light instead. I think they know that nothing really matters to airlines except for corporate contracts, and corporate contracts are handed out to the highest bidder, not the best service or product. United simply relies too much on corporate contracts and doesn't actually give a rat's ass about leisure travel, competitive pricing, or hard or soft product. You have Scott Kirby to blame for this who has been the real leader of the airline since the moment he was hired.
I flew for UAL for 37yrs. I retired in 2003. Before Continental we were a well rehearsed group of professionals. Now the F/as look like a wrinkled mess. No two look alike. I'm actually concerned about these things going on. The food the f/as have is not up to them nor is the quantity of wine or the make. But I can tell you the service is. I know a few flight attendants that are still out there and it's not the same company. This guy from Continental doesn't have a clue and only looks at bottom line. The retirees have taken a big hit. I lost 9yrs seniority and am now paying tax on benefits. Plus we were promised unlimited non-rev travel and now we have limits. After 37yrs no one really gives a crap. Bad enough we lost our pensions in 2005 now our yrs of service. Maybe that's why they're grumpy. Passengers shouldn't be treated badly just because of how the company treats their workers.
This is why whenever I complain about Air Canada my husband tells me to be thankful I'm not flying on a US airline. "It could be worse" he always says.
Please start making a concerted effort to record the names of the wine and ask if it is actually champagne. For all you know, United is serving $4 Andre sparkling wine.
"I’d also note that one particular flight attendant was the type who wants to hand everything to you, rather than placing it down": I noticed that this is more and more frequent on United, even when you are watching a movie or if your hands are already occupied, and he attendant being able to reach easily your tray or the middle section does not seem to be relevant.
No more Champagne after 20 mns: shame on you, United, especially when you other wines are inferior to what they used to be.
You commented 3A/B are just like any other 787 lie flat. While I understand what you mean, they aren't all alike. The bulkhead lie flats on United have a much larger foot well area. Being 6'4" and not having dainty feet it actually makes a big difference in comfort on any flight, but especially on long haul.
2 quick points,
That wine list is bizarre. "Sauvignon blanc aren't all heavy-handed herby wines that New Zealand made famous." Aside from being disparaging to NZ, did anyone proof read the grammar?
Hit Subway or somesuch, the only thing one can probably count on in Polaris is a good lie flat seat and bedding.
I fly United all the time between Tokyo and the US, both SFO and Newark. Perhaps it is because I am 1K but generally I find the service fine 90% of the time - which is what I found with Cathay when I lived in HK (and was Emerald). I agree no all the menu items are great, but it is pretty easy to tell what to expect (I would never order the Chinese bowl you did). You love your Middle-Eastern airlines, but I will always avoid them at all costs given the lack of human rights in those countries and the way they treat women. As for Singapore, I recently flew them to and from South Africa from Tokyo via Singapore and while service was fine, I didn't find it exceptional and the meal service was not better than what I get on United (in business class). Sometimes I think your reviews reflect what you expect, not the exact experience.
Two comments:
First, the sloppiness of the tomato sauce on the edges of the breakfast plates shows a serious lack of attention to detail and professionalism.
Second, I get that the same bean counters who worked out how much they could save by removing a single olive from each salad are in charge of the pre-departure champagne, but seriously? How much are they saving in taxes by restricting the champagne on the ground? $10 per flight? Given what they charge for business class seats this is just chintzy. Air Canada serves prosecco on the ground then champagne in the air. I like prosecco as much as the next person, but still, same comment. Chintzy.
And, for your amusement, autocorrect just suggested China zydeco in lieu of chintzy.
Reading this report is another reason why I only fly Delta and not United. Lackluster food, and surly service, in International Business Class!
Sorry to hear about your experience. The main course and panini look terrible.
Looking at the wine list, I'm curious to know what the difference is between a Master Sommelier and a Master of Wine.
And did he really personally handle every bottle of champagne on the plane? ("Hand-picked") Maybe that's why they ran out on the ground?
+1 on Janet’s comments.
Last year I switched to Star Alliance from One World and have flown international J multiple times from IAD and EWR on United. I’ve found the service to be very professional and pleasant in every circumstance.
Lucky,as you mentioned the noodles were hard.So the problem was they forgot to add soup(broth?hot water?)in it.You should ask they to add some soup.But who knows what would happened if you ask for soup.
"I’m not even sure how to describe the service during the meal, other than to say that it sort of felt like being at a dinner party… only the hosts don’t actually want to have a dinner party… and they also forgot that they planned it until the first person showed up at the door."
@Ben (Lucky) - omg - laughed out loud at that one... excellent description!
+1 On Janet's comment. I fly West Coast to Asia, on United, primarily Narita and Hong Kong. FA's etc with seniority have a greater choice in which routes they fly. I've noticed that I often experience the same faces/crews flying the same routes on my 5-times/year flights to and from Asia. My experiences with service and food have been quite good with very little to criticize. Perhaps your less-than-stellar experience can be at least partly the result of a new route, with inexperienced flight crew, who may not have had a choice in assignment, or even an unwanted change in assignment, and new catering arrangements in Tahiti. I'm not sure, but it seems unlikely full meal catering for a return flight is going to be ferried from the U.S. This doesn't excuse United for the mediocre service, just a possible explanation. From some comments here, I'm kind of surprised that some of us are willing to let a review of one flight, no matter how accurate, dictate our future travel plans. I understand for others it's just one more validation of our own experiences with United. For me it shows how spotty their service is, and that's what United really needs to work on.
I agree those food options look pretty average for business class, but I don't know why, given how fussy an eater you are, you don't order vegetarian special meals more often on these sort of routes? I've read loads of your trip reports and it seems you are not that keen on beef, you only like certain types of chicken and you don't eat pork. 9 times out of 10 it seems you'll select fish, but if fish is not offered you're kind of stuck. At least Ford to his credit, is a little bit more adventurous on the food side of things.
@ Ivan -- You're right that I'm picky, but I never actually have problems ordering anything off the menu. It's true I don't eat pork, but I'll eat just about anything else. I had no problems ordering beef, I just try to avoid it in general. For what it's worth, if I were traveling alone I would have ordered the chicken Ford was having. However, when we're traveling together I always order something different, so I can take pictures of and try two different dishes.
@ tuotuo -- Maybe I would have if the rest of the dish were good, but the chicken tasted disgusting as well, so I figured the meal wasn't going to end well no matter what.
Ben, your review is pretty spot on, and consistent with my last 4 Intl. Polaris flights.
- Flight Attendants service is incredibly inconsistent; I feel like I'm always an imposition on the crew. Service seems to be rushed and highly transactional. (more so now following UA's newest changes to intl. catering and FA reductions). In fairness, every once in awhile you will get an amazing crew member, but it's not the norm.
- Polaris catering right now is a disaster- and I hope that UA is listening. The quality and presentation of the dishes as of late have gone completely down hill. UA has reverted back to the old "rectangular" dishes which make most of the dishes look like a coach meal from 1982 (except pasta dishes were are still served in bowls)
- EVERY SINGLE UA POLARIS FLIGHT RUNS OUT OF CHAMPAGNE (@United- please board more than 1 or 2 bottles of champagne!!)
Most people from the US are hacks at their jobs. They are not trained for their job. They just do their job the way they think they should do their job. So usually is a mess and unprofessional.
If am from the US but refuse to live there anymore. Live in Asia where customer service is taken seriously everywhere but in China.
Do you know if the seatback entertainment with movies, etc is available in Economy? We are booked on this route (both ways) but in the extra legroom economy seats.
As for the service, it is worth noting that beginning in March, United removed one flight attendant from international flights, forcing the rest to work harder to make up the difference. United's management told them that they needed to do it "to remain competitive". The service standards, including the time alloted, remained the same, so all of the crew now must work faster and harder to make up the difference. Sadly, it has a negative effect on morale, which of course affects the customer's experience.
To help mitigage the new reality, United has boarded frozen meals in pre-plated dishes, rather than having fresh food cooked in tins that are then plated onto china and arranged nicely. Their thinking is that removing the one step of placing the food onto a plate will make up for the elimination of the extra person. (At least that's how the tried to "sell" it to the flight attendants.) Pre-plated meals (almost exactly like the kind they used to serve in economy years ago) are cooked, then slapped onto small rectangular dishes and frozen. The result is food that's mediocre at best, and usually swimming in water.
It's my opinion, but I believe that United forgot the importance of making their employees happy. A demoralized workforce cannot genuinely provide cheerful excellence. United needs to listen to their crewmembers, learn from them, and take steps to fix their morale problem. Only then will passengers begin experiencing excellence.
Thank you for this interesting article. I flew United Polaris Business Class for the first time on a 777-200 this week from Chicago to Frankfurt and made exactly the same experience. My expectations were low since I had flown United in the US several times and in Economy between Europe and the US in the past. They definitely were not exceeded at all. Service levels were poor and the flight attendants were far from being attentive. They felt like robots doing their jobs and left the impression of a disorganized group of individuals. Until about one hour in flight, no drinks were offered to Polaris passengers, not even water. The meals were ok, but nothing to write home about. The best was the bedding and mind you, with freezing temperatures onboard, two blankets were very welcome. When ordering a second coffee after dinner, the flight attendant forgot it and when I asked again, she brought a cup of coffee to my seat with a wooden stick in it (it looked like a piece of wood to be used for a skewer to me) instead of a proper spoon. United lacks the finesse you will find on some European and Asian companies and definitely is not at the level of AA or DL. An experience I do not plan to repeat.
" Like, I don’t expect Singapore Airlines levels of service" That's the main problem with United.
Not only the Business Class food looks vile but passengers know they can't expect anything positive from this company.
I wonder if United ever takes into account passengers'happiness & satisfaction.
Ben - regarding this comment - "Unfortunately the food on this flight was really bad, though that may just be a function of Tahiti still being a new airport for them, and maybe they need to revise their catering budget a bit. Tahiti is really expensive, so I’m not sure if United is just not willing to pay for better quality, or what."
Kirby is cutting Polaris food and drink to the bone, so your experience can't be blamed on it being a Tahiti flight. This is the new normal in United business class.
"Many many years ago I worked for a hotel by the San Francisco international airport. Our hotel had a contract with Pre merger United airlines. They would cycle in flight attendants every week for what they called IST training"
@Andy - would that have been the Westin SFO? I recall that United flight crews seemed to make up half of the guests. There was also an United ticket desk there, which made it very convenient for UA travelers.
My wife and I used to fly US carriers but after a horrible United experience to Milan, we started flying AC 787's to Europe via a connecting flight to Toronto. Found the AC crews to be very pleasant and attentive, and avoiding O'Hare or Newark by using Toronto so much easier. Much faster through US immigration on the way back for example. Now I learn from Ben's blog the Aeroplan points are like gold - bonus!