United Airlines - What Are They Really Like To Fly With?
- Helen
- Mar 10, 2019
- 11 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2019
**A Non-Affiliated or Sponsored Review!!**
For my recent big house-sitting trip from the UK to New Zealand, spending time in San Francisco along the way, I flew with United Airlines for all four legs of the return journey.
So, what were United Airlines really like to fly with?
Does flying with United Airlines leave you a satisfied passenger or have you reaching for the one star reviews on Trip Advisor before you have even disembarked?
Let me enlighten you with my experiences of what United Airlines are really like to fly with.
First though a bit of background...
When I booked my flights with United Airlines, I selected them for the sole reason that they offered the best deal on flights for my chosen route on my preferred dates.
The times of the flights were also quite friendly (no needing to be at the airport for 4 am!) and all in they seemed a good price for the flights I was purchasing.
At this point, I had very little knowledge about United Airlines... I had heard of them but beyond that knew little of their reputation or level of service.
Only after booking the flights did I then look up and read some reviews about them...
Uh oh... the reviews I found were largely scathing.
Unhappy passengers were claiming poor customer service, uncomfortable flights, rude staff and on board catering that only included one meal on a 12 hour journey.
My flights were booked so I was going to be travelling with United Airlines regardless, but at this point my expectations of the experience I might have with the airline were not high.
Keeping a positive attitude I hoped that the reviews would be wrong but I was mentally preparing for poor service and the comfort on the flight to be lacking.
So... what did I actually find?
What Are United Airlines Really Like To Fly With?
United Airlines claim to be the oldest commercial airline in the United States, and today they are ranked as one of the 5 largest airlines in the world.
They were the first airline to fly to every US state.
Today United Airlines offer approximately 4,700 flights a day to over 350 airports across 5 continents.... They are a busy bunch of people!
Classes Of Fares Available With United Airlines
For my flights with United, I flew by their standard Economy fare and the review I am writing is based on my experience as an Economy passenger.
For your information though, United Airlines do offer other classes of fare too, so here is a quick low down on them:
- Basic Economy - only available on some flights, this is the most basic of the fares United offer for the true budget passenger.
With basic economy tickets your seat will be assigned for you. You will also face greater restrictions on luggage allowances on some flight routes and tickets cannot be changed or refunded (after a 24 hour cooling off period).
- Economy - this is your bog standard economy ticket (and this is the fare I used).
With economy you get a standard size seat and can select where you sit pre-flight.
The full Economy fare features are then detailed in the review below!
The tickets in economy are non-refundable or changeable after 24 hours from the time you book.
There is also an option to purchase an, 'Economy Plus' upgrade which provides seats with slightly more leg room (6 inches!) and closer to the front of the plane.
- Premium Plus - Premium Plus fares are a new addition to United's ticket options.
With a Premium Plus seat you will get a bit more comfort - wider seats, more recline, a wider arm rest and a bit more leg room (with a leg rest provided too!).
In addition the entertainment screen is larger, your meals will be served on 'proper' crockery rather than plastic trays and the bedding you are provided is slightly more than a bog standard blanket!
- Business Class & First Class - Now we are talking about a level of service and luxury that people like myself dream of!
A business class or first class fare will get you gliding through check in, special baggage handling with bags given priority at your destination (no waiting around!), more comfort again in seating and space available as well as even more options and quality from the catering provided. The entertainment options are also more extensive.
- Polaris Business Class - Ok, so I said I dream of business or first class tickets...
Polaris Business Class with United is another level altogether that dreams don't even aspire to (sigh).
With a Polaris ticket you are practically given your own 'pod' with a bed to stretch out on, a full level of service with every touch imaginable provided for... the ultimate in flight comfort!
Check In Experience
Check in for my flights could be done up to 24 hours prior to the flight's scheduled departure time either online at the United Airline website or using their App.
The process was relatively simple.
Due to flying in and out of the USA there are more security requirements than to some other destinations so I had to upload a photograph of my passport for verification and complete the necessary security questions to confirm that I was not a terrorist.
I only had to do this on the outward bound trip as on my return the records were still stored and re-used.
Overall, I did find the App easier to use than the website, with the added benefit that it will then also store your boarding pass electronically so it is easy to access.
During the process you can also review your seat allocation choice and change it if you choose to. This enabled me to ensure that I had chosen a seat that still looked as though I would have an empty seat beside me and keep my preference for an aisle seat too!
At the airport the final steps in checking in and bag drop were simple.
There are allocated machines at the United check in area where a simple scan of your passport brings up your records.
You can print your boarding pass at this stage with luggage tags and then just pass through to a staffed desk to drop off luggage for the hold.
If you are struggling with the machines here there were staff readily available and offering to help.
I had no queues to navigate on any of the four flights I took and was very speedily through!
Flight Times & Reliability
As I said above, all of my flights were scheduled at civilised times - these were of course long haul flights I was taking (each of the four legs being between 11-13 hours long).
There was no need to find means to get to airports for silly o'clock in the morning for any of the flights departure and they all also arrived at my destinations at humane hours!
In terms of reliability - I did not face significant delays on any of the flights.
My departure from San Francisco to the UK was slightly later than planned (although we boarded on time) due to a problem with the plane (not something you want to hear when about to fly!) but the delay was only of about 40 minutes and the pilot kept us well informed throughout.
When we did depart there were no problems and it did not cause any real delay from the scheduled arrival time.
Plane Comfort & Seating
Perhaps I was lucky with my flights but on each leg of the return journey from London to Auckland I managed to secure an aisle seat (which I prefer) and had at least one empty seat beside me too.
This gave me more space and comfort.
I had originally found on boarding two of the flights that I was seated next to another passenger but when looking around the cabin and noticing more empty seats, the on board crew were very accommodating in letting me move seats to somewhere with space beside me...
This makes such a difference on a long haul flight as it meant I could stretch out more to sleep if I wanted to and had greater comfort.
Overall, some of the planes were more comfortable than others (due to their age).
The seats were generally quite comfortable even when seated in them for so long, with reasonable leg room and the seats in economy have a small recline.
A standard flight blanket and pillow are provided on board to each passenger, should they wish to use them (which I did!).
All the planes I flew on were clean and in a good state - despite two of the planes evidently being older, I did not notice anything needing repair or becoming too worn.
United Airline Staff
One of the things about United Airlines I was most impressed with were their staff.
On-board all the cabin crew were, not wanting to sound rude, but of a more 'mature age' than you find on other airlines... They were sensible, friendly and very helpful.
United Airlines staff were not your trolley dolly stereotypical flight staff you perhaps find on some airlines (not naming any in particular!).
When I had a question, query or request for one of the staff members they were always very willing to assist and I noticed the same with other passengers.
It was also noticed that at times they would make suggestions to passengers of options to them to make their flights more comfortable and went beyond the essential call of duty in this way.
Food & Drinks On Board
One area that I read very poor reviews on before my trip was the supply of meals by United Airlines to passengers on long haul flights.
In fact, United's website does say that on an international flight there will be a full meal provided and then only on flights exceeding 12 hours would a snack also be offered.
With two of my flights just short of the 12 hour cut off I was expecting poor provisions and packed snacks accordingly!
The reality of the in-flight food and drink offerings were therefore a pleasant surprise... even to us lowly economy passengers.
On each flight a meal was provided within the first 1-2 hours of take off... this was after a first round of beverages and a small pack of nibbles.
The meals always had a choice of two mains - so for an evening meal there was pasta or chicken with potatoes (as an example). The meal also came with a small salad, bread roll and a dessert (often very good ice cream!).
Drinks are freely available throughout the flight.
In economy there are complimentary soft drinks, tea, coffee and some beers and wines - all in all a good selection.
Mid way through each flight a cold snack was offered - usually a sandwich and a cake or biscuit and then before landing a final meal.
There was certainly not a shortage of catering on offer!
One point I would note - special meals...
You can order special dietary meals but you need to do this when you book so they can ensure the meals are available. This included vegetarian meals, as although there was often a veggie option in the standard choices, it was not always the case.
I did see one passenger who had not pre-ordered her vegetarian diet nearly very disappointed, although in her case she was lucky and the hostess managed to source a veggie option for her.
InFlight Entertainment
United's flights all had built in TV screens in the back of the seat in front for personal use during the flight.
These offered a very vast selection of films, with some golden oldies, some blockbuster titles and a few very new releases (still in cinemas).
The library of films available had something for everyone and you can pick whatever you want to watch, when you want to watch it.
In addition there was a good selection of TV shows to choose from, with full box set series available if you want a good binge watch of a show you missed when it was on TV!
During my outward bound flights I binge watched Killing Eve which was great as being on a plane made sure it had my full attention and it was gripping enough for me not to notice the hours going by!
The entertainment systems also offered music channels to listen to with a range of music genres; there was entertainment for kids and kids at heart with games to choose from and a relaxation channel if you want some tranquil ambience to keep you calm and chilled!
Finally, to track the flight progress and information there was a route map indicating where we had been, where we were going and the distances and times that related.
If you choose not to use the back seat screen, many flights also have the option to watch United's entertainment on your own personal device from their app or website.
On-Board Wi-Fi
I did not make use of it, as it is actually quite nice to be free of internet distractions on a flight, but if you do need WiFi for work or leisure purposes when flying with United, you can purchase WiFi on board through their website or app.
As I did not use it I cannot comment on how reliable it is but it is a feature offered!
Communication During The Flights
On each of the flights I took I could not fault the level of communication from the pilot or cabin crew during the flights.
The number of announcements were just right, with not so many that they were annoying but sufficient to keep us passengers informed of information we needed.
The pilot made announcements about the flight's schedule and intended arrival times, as well as keeping us informed of expected turbulence along the way.
The crew provided information about the catering they would be offering and regarding when cabin lights would be on or dimmed.
Children & Infants
Admittedly, I was not travelling with any children myself but on each flight there were those in Economy who did have little ones with them on these long haul flights.
I did notice that the staff seemed to be offering sensitive help and assistance in the form of advice or suggestions to parents to enable them to find the means to have as comfortable a flight as possible for both them and their child.
This included in one instance the crew member offering the parents seating in a location she thought would be more practical for them at the start of the flight.
Layover In San Francisco
On my return journey from Auckland to London I had an 8 hour layover in San Francisco - a prospect I was not looking forward to!
The experience however was more tolerable than I had predicted.
I was able to exit the airport during this time to find ways to kill the hours which certainly helped a little.
My only criticism of United Airlines regarding the layover and connecting flight was that my luggage was not automatically taken to my next flight by the airline, as can be the case with other companies. I therefore did have to pick up my suitcase at baggage reclaim in San Francisco, only to check it back in again for the next leg.
However, that being said, there was a special route for this in the airport (for flight connection luggage) and I could check it straight back in, despite the next flight being 8 hours away.
United Airline's Customer Service Contact
The final point I would like to cover in this review of United Airlines is their customer service and the experience I had with this.
For reasons I won't go into it became necessary for me to rearrange my return flights from Auckland to London to an earlier date.
I telephoned United on the telephone numbers provided on their website (it seemed to be the only way to contact their customer services) and found their telephone service good.
Unlike other companies that can take hours to answer the telephone and then pass you from one operator to another, with United I spoke to a real human within minutes of calling and he was very helpful and understanding.
Within a 10 minute phone call my flights were fully rearranged to another date, with just a small change fee to pay (which was in the terms when I booked the original flight).
I certainly could not fault my experiences with their customer services.
To Summarise - United Airlines - What Are They Really Like To Fly With?
First off I just want to make clear that when I flew with United Airlines it was not through any affiliated scheme or as a 'guest' of the airline in return for a review!
This review has been my true and honest experience with them.
Overall, I found United Airlines a very good airline to fly with.
The whole experience on four long haul flights was easy, pleasant, friendly and comfortable.
I would not hesitate to fly with them in future and hope others have had as good an experience as I have!
**To make my travels possible and affordable I do so through international house-sitting, using both Trusted Housesitters and Kiwi Housesitters**
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