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#866402 by simonallardice
12 Feb 2014, 01:03
Pretty stoked about the United rewards booking toward the end of last month:
United SFO - NRT Global First
Asiana NRT - ICN Business
Thai ICN - TPE Business
EVA TPE - SFO Business

4 different airlines, 4 different types of equipment (sort of, the United flight is a 747-400 and Asiana is a 747-400Combi) for the grand sum of 130,000 miles & $60.

Most excited about the EVA leg in their new business class.
#866433 by JCBR
12 Feb 2014, 17:11
Took EVA new biz class in the summer from LHR-BKK.
The seat is exactly the same as CX 'new' business class (mini suite facing the window. Sort of fairly lights twinkling on the ceiling of the cabin.
The bed was excellent. Service was good but totally character less (like being served by an army of 22 year old Stepford wives from Taipei), food was very average. They do serve Dom Perignon bubbly (the only airline to service this is J class I think( but you do have to ask for it (it is not visible on the trolly) and you also have to ask for refills. They are very willing to get you but they do not offer it.

The weirdest thing was the umm paa pad brass band music when we took off and landed. Must be a Taiwanese thing.
#866443 by simonallardice
12 Feb 2014, 19:13
JCBR wrote:Took EVA new biz class in the summer from LHR-BKK.
The seat is exactly the same as CX 'new' business class (mini suite facing the window. Sort of fairly lights twinkling on the ceiling of the cabin.
The bed was excellent. Service was good but totally character less (like being served by an army of 22 year old Stepford wives from Taipei), food was very average. They do serve Dom Perignon bubbly (the only airline to service this is J class I think( but you do have to ask for it (it is not visible on the trolly) and you also have to ask for refills. They are very willing to get you but they do not offer it.

The weirdest thing was the umm paa pad brass band music when we took off and landed. Must be a Taiwanese thing.

Ace, thanks for that. I'm looking forward to it...I figured I had to accept the characterless service when I made the switch from VS to UA, but honestly, I've been pleasantly surprised a number of times by UA...more often than not, their flight crew surpass their ground crew, but there's gems there too. I do value of the relative ease of use of miles though, that's a good deal. But sometimes I really do miss VS.
#866469 by JCBR
13 Feb 2014, 13:52
That's interesting to hear. I was very loyal to UA (2m) but they took away my Global Services when they merged with CO so I moved to VS and have never regretted it. I like the quirkiness of it compared to the bland corporate UA.
#866486 by simonallardice
13 Feb 2014, 23:31
JCBR wrote:That's interesting to hear. I was very loyal to UA (2m) but they took away my Global Services when they merged with CO so I moved to VS and have never regretted it. I like the quirkiness of it compared to the bland corporate UA.


Yeah, I still really value VS, but living in San Francisco and flying about 70k domestic miles a year I just didn't work trying to stay loyal to VS/VX anymore. Plus being able to share my premier access with my wife is great....that really sucks they took away your global services though. Sometimes the mind boggles, I'll grant you.
#866488 by MarkedMan
14 Feb 2014, 00:21
GS was always a bit weird going in, though it's odd to be dropped as requal was supposed to happen "by rule" (fly so much in YB or J or F) ...

I was in the same boat - enough total flying to make top tier on a legacy US airline, so no longer worth my while to split airlines especially when VS started to face significant challenges. I definitely miss it in a lot of ways, but then I missed it when I was flying it towards the end, it just didn't feel the same way it did 12 years ago. I've since ditched UA, too, so I guess in many ways loyalty is not in my blood. I just don't feel airlines (most businesses, for that matter) are loyal to their customers in any significant way, so I have a hard time being loyal to them. I have great memories of flying VS over the years and my last flight was one of the best, would you believe it, the atmosphere at the on board bar was wonderful to the end.

Westward redemptions with UA from California are still easier than ones towards Europe, I burned a boatload of miles going to Australia for the total eclipse in 2012 and it was a lot of fun. Definitely enjoy the trip!
#866489 by honey lamb
14 Feb 2014, 00:24
MarkedMan wrote: I have great memories of flying VS over the years and my last flight was one of the best, would you believe it, the atmosphere at the on board bar was wonderful to the end.

I hope that was the one I was on :D
#866490 by MarkedMan
14 Feb 2014, 00:32
honey lamb wrote:
MarkedMan wrote: I have great memories of flying VS over the years and my last flight was one of the best, would you believe it, the atmosphere at the on board bar was wonderful to the end.

I hope that was the one I was on :D


Needless to say ... :X
#866491 by JCBR
14 Feb 2014, 10:02
MarkedMan wrote:GS was always a bit weird going in, though it's odd to be dropped as requal was supposed to happen "by rule" (fly so much in YB or J or F) ...


GS was an amazing service - above and beyond.
It is by invitation only though so not based on miles flown or revenue. I guess what UA gives UA may also take back !
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