Having stayed overnight close to SFO, I dropped the rental car at about 4.45am, duly reporting that it was vibrating under braking above 50mph, and got the Airtrain over to Terminal 3, where UA domestic flights operate from.
I was suprised to see the airport quite busy for 5am, such an uncivil hour of the morning, even the UA 'Premium' check-in lobby: UA have organised a seperate lobby area at SFO just for First, Biz and Premium passengers, with it's own security checkpoint, which helps make things a little calmer and easier. I was actually concerned I had a ticketing problem, as I couldn't check-in online for the flight, which I think had something to do with changing from the late-morning to the early flight. The norm domestically is for a lot of self-service check-in, so the UA model is a long counter with what look like normal check-in positions, with bag scales, etc., but each counter is fronted up by a check-in machine, and an agent works behind about four machines at a time, tagging bags, and dealing with any other issues - of which I had one, as for some reason my UA FF card couldn't be read by the machine. It didn't help that the slot on the machine was a 'dip' type (you push it in and pull it straight out again) without clear instructions about which way the magstrip should face.
Anyway, a very helpful and pleasant check-in agent took over and checked me in, tagged up my bags, and indicated that today's gate was 69, only two minutes walk from the security comb.
Security was pretty busy, it seems everything comes to life around 5am as far as check-in activity goes, and there was a short line. I wondered if the TSA had been taking lessons from BAA, as only two of the four x-ray machines and one of the two metal detectors were staffed. That said, the line moved pretty quickly, despite the shoe removal circus, and I was airside by 5.15am, not too shabby.
Only some of the catering and shops were open at that time of the morning, and the coffee stands had long queues, but I had a mission for my friend in Boston, to bring over some real SF sourdough bread. She used to live in the Bay Area, and misses San Francisco-style sourdough bread so badly.
I was wondering where on earth to find it at that time of the morning. The plan was to get some the previous day, but that failed due to my unorganised laziness, so I wandered around the terminal, and found a Boudin Sourdough counter in the food outlets in the T3 'Rotunda' area. As well as selling sandwiches, they sell whole loaves, freshly delivered each day, to take away. Mission accomplished, it was almost the 0545 boarding time, so I headed back down to the gate.
People were already queueing up, and boarding was just beginning. This is where I found that United's priority boarding actually works! They have assembled a tensabarrier contraption, which is provided at almost every domestic UA mainline gate at SFO, which is like a two channeled 'funnel' toward the gate agent's station/boarding card reader. One channel is longer, which is for the 'masses', while the other channel is shorter, coming in at an angle to the main channel, and provided with a red carpet mat. There are clear signs, raised to about 7ft height, indicating which lane is which. I noticed that Boston also had similar tensabarrier creations, so I got a snap.
So, onto the red carpet I go, the masses held back by the flimsy elastic cordon, and straight down the jetway to board our A320, N464UA, which would fly us to Boston in a little over 5 hours.
I got settled in seat 2A, and while these domestic First seats aren't all that special, it's got to be better than being sat in the back! The seats and carpet were very clean, and the whole cabin looked to generally be in an excellent condition.
I noticed that there was laptop power provided on this aircraft - I remembered that laptop power on some UA domestic aircraft, particularly the A320 and 757 fleet used to be hit and miss, but most UA mainline (not 'Ted') A320s I've been on recently have had working Empower sockets, so I put the iPod on charge while we were still on the ground (Yes, UA leave the laptop power on almost all the time). Pre-departure drinks were offered, and with it being early morning, nice fresh coffee was available.
I noticed that there was a rubber chicken sat on the centre pedestal in the flight deck, so I couldn't resist sticking my head in the door to find out what that was all about! The First Officer joked that it was 'our instructor', and the Captain answered a couple of questions I had about our routing, out over Linden, and then Utah, North of Denver, through the Midwest, crossing Lake Michigan overhead Milwaukee, and said the weather in Boston was pleasant enough.
The flight was completely full, and the crew had to start asking people to check bags into the hold if possible, as we had run out of overhead bin space at the back of the plane, which was met with groans - but there were some ridiculously large bags being lugged on board by some people. I could have sworn I saw a kitchen sink go by. I'm not sure why people do this in the US, maybe their bags have been lost just one time too many, or they believe the urban myths about checked bags (like the contents freeze or explode, which isn't true, as the hold is pressurised the same as the rest of the aircraft, it's just not as well heated, but it normally stays above zero Celcius). I personally like being liberated from lugging my case around the airport, and in over 10 years amd about 400,000 miles of frequent flight, I've only been seperated from my bags four times, so I can't really understand what the phobia is about. If anything, handling of checked bags should have become more reliable because of the requirement to reconcile hold luggage against boarded pax. Anyway, ridiculously large carry-on rant over.
It's been a while since I've seen a video safety demonstration on United, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the ancient video which has been around since the 1980's judging from the dreadful clothes and haircuts, has been replaced with something a bit more contemporary, and clearer. It's still 'presented' by three 'flight attendants' (don't know if they are real or actors), and has a slightly jazzed up version of UA's 'theme music' of Rhapsody in Blue playing in the background.
ATC communications were available on channel 9, so I pulled out my QC2s to find that they were broken! The plastic around one of the joints where the earcup attaches to the headband had cracked and sheared! Heartbroken, I pulled out the UA supplied headsets - at least we had ones which had been cleaned and new foam pads fitted (they were still in the plastic wrapper)!
We pushed dead on time at 0615, and given a slightly unusual taxi out to Runway 1R (via taxiways A, F and L), which involved crossing over the runway and coming back at the departure end from the opposite side, due to resurfacing work on one of the taxiways. It was looking like we would be wheels up by about 0630, as listenting to the ATC chatter on Channel 9, they were firing the departures off quite nicely. However, another United flight was given permission to line up on 1R, and was stuck their waiting for a 'release' to get airborne. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes before the 757 moved and we got to line up. They say every cloud has a silver lining, and in this case, it was doing a parallel take-off roll with 'Redwood 837', Virgin America flight VX837 to LAX. I just had to make a small takeoff video with my camera!
Being before 0700 local, we had a noise abatement departure (the 'QUIET2' departure), which, once the VX aircraft turned away to the left, took us up the Bay toward Richmond, which avoids overflying built-up areas, before turning right toward Linden.
Some slight lumps and bumps part way through the climb, but we punched through the top of the cloud layer and into smooth air. The Purser looks after the F cabin on these flights - it's only a three person crew, and he was soon up offering drinks, hot towels and taking breakfast orders, having already switched on the ovens to heat the food just before we took off.
There were two breakfast choices, a hot breakfast of mushroom and cheese omelette with a side of sausage and 'home fries', or a continental breakfast of cereal with a fruit plate, plus a selection of hot bagels, croissants or pastries. I went for the continental, and apart from being let down by the slightly 'woody' pineapple, the strawberries, red grapes, and kiwi fruit were delicious and refreshing. UA almost always do good refreshing fresh fruit. Wish VS could manage that more often.
I'd say the only thing which detracted from the meal service was that the Purser forgot to offer me a choice from the bread basket, and I had to prompt, but I think that was largely because the chap on the aisle didn't take anything. The Purser was very apologetic, after I pointed it out, and said it was a genuine mistake. The service flow is that each pair of seats is served at a time, and the meals brought from the galley on a tray, which is quite nice, I think.
IFE is typical US-style, fairly rudmentary, about 10 audio channels, and films shown on the normal A320-style drop-down screens. Because of the flight time, two films were shown, 'The Hoax' (Richard Gere), and 'Fractured' (Antony Hopkins), but I didn't watch either of them. Given that some airlines are still projecting films onto something that looks like a bath-mat at the fronf of the cabin, I'm waiting to see if Virgin America's IFE offering shakes up the domestic market sufficiently, as I think JetBlue alone hasn't raised enough heads at the legacy carriers.
I personally found the changing view from the window far more interesting, as we passed over the Sierras, across the salt flats of Utah, the Rockies, and into the checked-quilt effect of the pastures and cornfields of the Midwest.
I dozed off over the Midwest, so it didn't seem that long before we were crossing Lake Michigan, so I thought I'd start writing this report.
As usual with UA, if you had a water glass on your side table, it was kept regularly topped up, and the Purser always made himself visible.
By now, we've passed over Lake Erie, with about an hour remaining, and flying over a fairly thick cloud cover. Out of the right hand side of the plane, I can see some convective activity - very tall clouds - indicating stormy weather to the South of us, but it looks like we'll stay clear of it, from what I can make out.
I think the only thing this flight has lacked is a second snack service - we're flying across two mealtimes, breakfast and lunch. Something like a salad or sandwich would have been welcome about an hour before landing. All that's available is small bags of nuts or pretzels. You would have hoped they would have had some cookies or something. I dread to think what the westbound BOS-SFO flight is like, as that is 6 hours long.
Approaching Boston from the west, you fly over Albany, NY, and then Worcester, MA, Fitchburg, and pass along the Northern edge of the Boston metro area, and as we were landing to the south west, on Runway 22L, you head for the shoreline Northeast of Boston before turning around and setting up for landing, with great views of the boats in the inlets and harbours. Smooth landing, followed by lots of reverse thrust to hold short of crossing runway 27, where a US Airways A319 was landing a few moments later. We then followed the US A319, and an Aer Lingus A330 in to the terminal area.
There wasn't that mad dash to unbuckle seatbelts after we got to the gate, which I found slightly unusual... maybe everyone was still comatose after such an early start, which meant that I didn't have to fight off an 'aisle scrum' to get out. Bags were up on the conveyor within 15 minutes of reaching the gate, and priority baggage worked, my bags were about the fourth and fifth out.
Off into a taxi who didn't know where he was going (getting in a cab in almost any other city in the world makes you greatful for London's taxi drivers, who we love to moan about when at home), to meet my friends in Cambridge, and join a sunset cruise around the harbour which was great fun.
Overall ratings:
Check-in: Excellent. Friendly and helpful agent more than made up for the recalcitrant (and unfortunately named) 'Easy Check-in' terminal.
Seat: Fair. Not the best seat in which to spend 6 hours of your life, but I didn't have a numb bum at the end, so the padding must be decent. Seat area was scrupulously clean (along with the rest of the interior), and the recline, headrests and in-seat power all worked.
Crew: Very Good. Solid, consistent, and efficient service, done with a smile. Plenty of water runs, and frequent checks in the cabin to see if we needed anything. Greeted by name when taking breakfast orders.
Food: Good. Nice breakfast, with good fresh fruit. Should have been a second snack provided on this flight. I'm sure the later flights in the day can get by with a lunch or dinner service alone, but this flight really needs something else.
Entertainment: Difficult one. I'm happy with Channel 9 and the view from the window. Everything else, I really couldn't care about!
Mike
