How to get the best out of UC

Having just booked a UC return to Sydney next year, I was wondering if there are any articles on here or tips from anyone regarding how to get the best from UC. It will be the first time I have flown in that class, and although I have previously been in the LHR CH, I didn;t really have much time to do alot.

[Neil]

Best thing to do would be to have a search through the forums. There are many threads on a similar subject that should be able to help you.

It depends what you mean by 'best out of UC'

I think the best tip would simply be to try and enjoy it.

You will have far more space than in PE/Econ and a larger TV for starters as well as a reclining suite that you could have a sleep in. A much better meal and drinks etc.

If you fancy a drink you can go to the bar and have an interesting conversation with a total stranger.

Have a read of some of the LHR-SYD (and LHR-HKG and HKG-SYD) and reverse to see what other people did.

My biggest tips for that trip if you are not stopping in HKG is:

o Get to the LHR CH at 7am and have 14 hours of free food, booze and hot tubbing. Who knows, you might even get lucky and get a haircut. Actually, I think the most I've ever had is six hours in there, but I still wasn't bored. I wouldn't bother doing the same in the other direction, it's not very exciting.

o Ask for and put on pyjamas before taking off on each leg, whether ot not it's night time.

o Take a spare set of clothes on board, and change into them after making a beeline the HKG Clubhouse for a shower in both directions.

Maybe I'm a bit OCD on being fresh as a daisy, but that's the way I like it.

H

Howard's tip about showering at HK is a good one, go straight to the hostesses to get on the list as there are only two showers and they get busy!

Sydney in UC is great, in my trips I've never been that tired and the time went easily. Especially helped by chatting at the bar!

Thanks for the suggestions. I was sure that there was another topic similar to this that I had read not so long ago but can I find it!!

I've been looking through the information on the website regarding the UC cabin etc, so kind of know what is going on.

Can you order as much or as little food as you like? Or are you still limited to the set meals, EG, Breakfast and Lunch?

As for the Clubhouses, I'm getting a Cheuffeur to LHR, so can I arrange this to turn up mega early to get me there a good few hours before hand?

Also, what is the rules in the Clubhouse regarding the food, drinks, treatments etc? Can you again have as much or as little as you like?

I guess what I'm really wanting to know is what there is on offer for me, that having not flown in that class before I'd have probably not realised was possible.

Which everway you look at it SYD is a Bl...dy long way, especially direct.
Dependant on the Crew, you will notice the attention paid to you as a customer is substantially more service driven than the other cabins, We were especially impressed with the HKG-SYD-HKG crews.
Tis always worth walking to the back of the plane and back, after many hrs and think on...

Remember to take a pen...

And don't forget the Revivals Lounge on your return to LHR ! Depending on your booking class, at Sydney you should have a car tranfer to your hotel,within a certain distance from the airport. You should also have a car to Sydney airport on your return but ours did not turn up (would seem to be a usual occurance even if you have confirmed it before you leave U.K.)If it doesn't turn up, get a taxi and complain like hell when you get to check-in, where you should be reimbursed for your taxi fare and also promised extra FFC miles to compensate you. On return to LHR go to Revivals lounge for shower, good back massage and breakfast before asking for your car home. -
Enjoy it's a nice experience.

We have one Z and one R outbound, so I get a car to the airport, and to our destination, and the missus will tag along with me.

Coming back, its a G fare, so no car, but it isn't a problem in Sydney, and I'll be using miles to get one home in the Uk. Again, I presume I only need to use 1 lot of miles for us both to travel.

With regards the car though, can you arrange it for any time? as I'd like to make full use of the CH.

quote:Originally posted by aspence7

With regards the car though, can you arrange it for any time? as I'd like to make full use of the CH.


They gave us a pick up time which we immediately changed to earlier so we had longer in the CH !

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO
quote:Originally posted by aspence7

With regards the car though, can you arrange it for any time? as I'd like to make full use of the CH.


They gave us a pick up time which we immediately changed to earlier so we had longer in the CH !


Ah good, I'll do that then. I assume on the return, you just tell them in the revivals lounge when you are ready to leave?

There was a recent thread on getting the most out of the CH which will answer your Q's on the CH (can't find it at the moment though).

Whilst there is nothing stopping you spending the whole day there I think the consensus view was that a planned visit of 3-4 hours is probbaly the max as it can be pretty boring just sat there for hours and hours.

Ah, that must be the topic that I was thinking of then.

I've looked through a fair few TR now on the route. Is there enough time to take in the HKG CH's too?

You have about 90 minutes if you are going straight through to SYD. The CH is much smaller than LHR but I really like it. I usually have time for a shower and then look for a lounger on the open air terrace. I have never had a problem with either the food or the service and it should be possible to have a shower and a meal with a quick shop if necessary before re-boarding which allows more time for a good inflight sleep before reaching Sydney.

quote:
Ah good, I'll do that then. I assume on the return, you just tell them in the revivals lounge when you are ready to leave?


Yes - enjoy.

You can sit in the CH in HK and look down on the q forming to re-board, then just wonder down and walk straight on the plane.