United airlines experinces from SYD to LAX?

[MH_fan]

So I'm scheduled to leave sydney for NYC on the 2nd of October in biz class using points. What kind of experience will I have?

Probably not a very good one. Expect to be treated rudely by the crew and have very mediocre food. Also, be prepared to see 8-abreast seating on the lower deck of the B747.

 

[eastwest101]

So I'm scheduled to leave sydney for NYC on the 2nd of October in biz class using points. What kind of experience will I have?

This review seems the most recent and up to date and has photos.

The best Business Class seats on United's Boeing 747 - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

Consensus seems to be if you are tall may be better downstairs but if not tall then upstairs is better. Looking at the review I would expect you will have a more comfortable flight than any of the Y class passengers on any of the competitors QF/VA/NZ/DL - which you would expect given that you are flying J class. Are you flying through LAX or SFO on the way to NYC?

 

[JohnPhelan]

Is this coming out of your own pocket, ie not paid for by your business, the taxman, etc, etc. If so you must be quite wealthy.

Personally I travel cattle class and spend the big bucks on something worthwhile and lasting.

But that's just me!

This is a bit like the government labelling anyone who earns over $80,000/$100,000/$120,000 etc 'rich'. It's not about the dollar amount, it's about personal priorities.

I pay for J class fares for my personal overseas travel, but I certainly don't consider myself 'wealthy'.

 

[MH_fan]

This is a bit like the government labelling anyone who earns over $80,000/$100,000/$120,000 etc 'rich'. It's not about the dollar amount, it's about personal priorities.

I pay for J class fares for my personal overseas travel, but I certainly don't consider myself 'wealthy'.

Thank you. That's my view of it too. I don't consider myself wealthy either. Sure I earn a good income but I spend my money on the flight because that's what I see as my priority when it comes to travel.

 

[Travel Guru]

I could never hate myself or dislike any of my travel clients enough to put them on UA in Y and my dislike for their overall travel experience was only enhanced recently when a colleague (who booked a UA ticket themselves direct) was travelling with his wife who was 3 months pregnant and on cancelling the LAX-SYD flight was told that there was nothing UA could do and they'd have to sleep at the airport if they couldn't find their own accommodation at 11pm at night.

That's reason enough for me to steer clear of them though will remain open minded on the product front once the new 777 come onboard.

TG

 

[mjt57]

That's reason enough for me to steer clear of them though will remain open minded on the product front once the new 777 come onboard.
TG

What's the economy seating configuration going to be? Will it be 3-3-3 or 3-4-3?

I flew to London with Emirates in May. First two legs were on a 777 with 3-4-3 seating. Narrow, hard seats. Rather unpleasant. The seats in the transit lounges in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai were more comfortable. At least I could stretch out there...

I hope United isn't going to go down that path. We're flying to New York next year and will go UA, probably. Unless Qantas come offer cheaper fares, that is.

 

[seanpodge]

What's the economy seating configuration going to be? Will it be 3-3-3 or 3-4-3?

Based on the post below, it sounds like UA is using the Version 2 772, so it should be 3-3-3. Some other versions use 2-5-2. :shock:

United Airlines - Boeing 777-200 (777) version 2

United Airlines upgrades Australian product
United Airlines is set to deploy 777-200ER aircraft on its Australian routes, with the new aircraft replacing Boeing 747-400s on UA's trans-Pacific services from Sydney and Melbourne to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The significant move for the carrier will mean that the Star Alliance member carrier will for the first time offer on-demand seat-back inflight entertainment for economy class passengers.
Effective from 01 Apr 2014 777s will operate on all United's Australian flights with a three class configuration - eight seats in Global First, 40 in BusinessFirst and 221 in Economy, including 117 Economy Plus seats which offer increased personal space and added legroom.
All seats on the 777 have multi-channel audio/video on demand and access to power outlets, and United is also outfitting the aircraft with global satellite Wi-Fi to offer inflight connectivity on long-haul international flights.
"The 777 will be the ideal aircraft for our Australian routes in terms of both capacity and customer amenities," said UA vice president Atlantic & Pacific sales, James Mueller.

 

[pauly7]

So I'm scheduled to leave sydney for NYC on the 2nd of October in biz class using points. What kind of experience will I have?

There is actually a decent chance you might end up flying QF - if so you will have an amazing experience

Two UA flights have been cancelled this week alone and pax have been rebooked onto QF. The UA 747 fleet are notorious for going tech!