UA1620 LAX-SFO 28 JUN 12 (UNITEDFIRST)

After the short hop from PSP to LAX, I had about an hour and a half to wait for my flight up to LAX. I had upgrade my flights at check-in to UnitedFirst– I know it is only an hour from LAX-SFO, but the cost was not much more than baggage check-in costs and meant that I could have a nicer seat. However, it doesn’t get you lounge access in the US.

Boarding is by group number in the US, and being in UnitedFirst meant I was in Group 1 and that I got on pretty much first. I was in row 1, which meant the TV was fixed on the wall in front rather than between the seats as in VS premium economy bulk head rows. There is free TV for all on the ground, which stays on from gate to gate, and in First it is free for the whole flight. Initially it seemed like there were some free seats, but once boarding was complete, the gate manager came down with a list of “premium frequent fliers” and moved them up to First. Water only was offered on the ground.

Short taxi around LAX before we headed off for the hour or so flight to SFO. I watched US Deal or No Deal – the flight was too short to basically watch anything decent such as a film. There was a free bar in First on this flight, and so I decided to splurge and have a Bloody Mary. I know that US carriers always carry cans of spicy tomato juice which is made just perfect, and even better with some vodka. I think most other people were off to SFO on business, so it was just two of us who had a drink (well I was now post-conference and on a day of holiday!).

We arrived into glorious sunshine – so different to LAX – apparently they were having a mini-heatwave! Was it worth paying the extra – well nice big seat, extra leg room and free baggage probably means that I would say so. Without the baggage charges in coach, it would have seemed a little extravagant!

Another super TR

Ah, the benefit of old continental metal. United don't/didn't have those tvs, that's from the continental fleet....a much, now merged, better airline.

Ah, the benefit of old continental metal. United don't/didn't have those tvs, that's from the continental fleet....a much, now merged, better airline.

Having flown UA/*A exclusively for the last few years, after many years on VS, this statement is to be taken with a grain of salt.

I'm out of there, six months after the full merger has happened. Success rate of DTV working on CO aircraft for me is 50%, and I would still agree with you that this is one of the better aspects of the merger

In pretty much every other respect it's been an unmitigated disaster IMO, with the worst outcome for the occasional UA flyer being the collapse of UA's ontime arrival record (from first to last of the major US airlines) and the stunning spike in mechanical cancellations.

For those of us that remember CO fondly as our US airline of choice when being a frequent flyer on VS for TATL trips, especially for its food, the change in the new UA would be nothing short of shocking.

Yeah, I didn't quite write it clearly, but what I actually meant was that CO was much better than what is now UA.