UNITED AIRLINES First Class and Business Class Seat reviews

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757-200

And absolutely terrible experience all the way around. Flew from KOA to SFO in seats one A1 and 1B. Very limited legroom, terrible FA attitudes, horrible food. I will avoid if possible.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757-200

KOA-LAX upgrade to First Class. Well, what they call First Class on their domestic fleet. Neither was the seat pitch that much higher compared to Economy Plus on the same aircraft nor were the seats very comfortable at all. Head rests too short to get a good sleep on this overnight flight. No PTV available. I'd call this one aged, they could do an upgrade on this cabin.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

SFO-SYD. Great night's sleep in decent sized lie flat bed. Very comfortable with good support. Felt heaps wider than their Business class beds and definitely more comfortable! Entertainment system the same as Business class but poor movie offerings. The lap and sash style seat belt offered for First Class passengers was curious. Was the sash supposed to save you more so than the offerings in Business and Cattle class? The sash was very uncomfortable, cutting across my throat. Food was good, service okay. Comfy pillows and doona.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767-400ER

IAH-FRA BusinessFirst Row 1. Fine United Club lounge Terminal E in Houston. Went to gate around boarding time, showed passport again to get a yellow mark on boarding pass and waited just about 10 min for boarding. Was well organized with boarding groups, procedure was enforced, means passenger of groups later were declined priority access. Fine service on board, nice food and IFE provided quite a lot of movies and music of all kinds. Seat reclined well, was quite hard and headrest was a bit of an obstacle. Seats are close together in outboard rows, but stepping over the aisle passenger was possible. Privacy in reclined position very good. Middle rows are single seats (2-1-2). Over all much better experience the flight out of Frankfurt with LH.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

ORD-MUC in the new 2-4-2 configuration. Hard to find the right words to describe the disappointment. Positives: Lie flat. Negatives: Economy-like width, no storage space, no personal space, step-overs by seat neighbors, reach-overs by flight attendants. Claustrophobic environment - high priced cattle car. The biggest disappointment is that this is the configuration that we will be stuck with for the next decade. 1K member but will look to other Star Alliance partners for long-haul routes even if they only have canted, 160 degree recline.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767

The seats on BusinessFirst are comfortable but the upright position is not that comfortable, there is no adjustment to view the TV screen closer, they have used the same seat belts as in the other classes, and for these larger seats, it does not work well (they become shorter). BusinessFirst food is not that good.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767

Business-First (no separate first class) on international flight. 2x1x2 configuration. Not lie-flat, so sleeping not as good as, say, on the same type of aircraft in US Airways business class. Cloth, not leather seats. Video monitors confusing to use at times.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   CRJ 700 and BOEING 777-200

YYZ-IAD (1A), IAD-LHR (1J), both in first class on Jan 10. aircraft interior was old and dirty, especially from IAD to LHR, Old version of the first class seat and it was very uncomfortable, little choice of movie selection. Foods and drinks was below industry first class standard. Surprisingly, the service was good by their UK based FA, friendly, attentive and service was quick. Seat 1J is the worst first class seat in the cabin, it is right in-front of the kitchen, so, you can hardly get some sleep due to the area is constantly busy.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757

B757 EDI-EWR in April 2012. New BF Seats are not too bad. Width is good. Seat has lots of good storage, and plenty of sockets including USB and a worldwide power socket. If you want to use your own headphones you need a two pronger adaptor. I like that theres a small storage area to keep your cell phone and laptop near to you but out the way. I only have two problems with the seat - I'm nearly 6'3 and have size 12 feet. Meaning that for me I can't recline the seat all the way flat as I simply won't fit and the little cubby hole for your feet just wasn't that comfortable. Its true that if travelling on your own, and you get the window seat its a bit of a pain clambering over the person next to you, so hope you neighbour is a pleasant person or make sure and get an isle seat. The entertainment was quite good. RelAtively good system. If you have an Iphone you can buy a ps2 style plug and watch you own movies on the screen.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

Horrible 2x4x2 new configuration, terrible for shoulders and back or stomach sleepers. 19 inch width is an absolute economy sized disaster. No deck level storage. No privacy and many stepovers required.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

SFO-LHR. Plane was changed at the last minute to the one of the old 777's, 1970's stylee. Carpet on the walls, you know the type. For the money I paid, I was pretty miffed. Food was good, IFE terrible, staff pretty good, lounge at San Fran was a shocker. I flew out into LAX on the updated 777 which wasn't great, although still amazing to fly in business class compared with economy (just to put things into perspective). Compared with BA / Virgin, this is bottom of the list, United have got a lot of work to do to woo European customers.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

LHR to LAX. Newly fitted 777, I have to say that the designers really screwed up with this seat configuration. BA have the same no of seats, ie 2-4-2, but as they are forward and rear facing alternately, there is WAY more room. On this United flight, there is zero privacy, I had a hysterical woman next to me for 12 hours and I may as well have been on her lap we were so close. Seats when flat aren't long enough, I'm 6'2", and they are just about wide enough. IFE was pretty good and worked fine, food was great, service was pretty good too. Out of all the business class flights I've taken around the world, this is right at the bottom I'm afraid along with South African. I only booked it because it was the cheapest, and for a reason. BA / Virgin to LA are both streets ahead, their lounges are awesome, and the seats are better in EVERY way.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

B747 upper deck. For a traveling couple this was a good option. The upper deck avoids the cramped 2-4-2 layout in the main deck of the 747 and gives storage space next to the window. Their entertainment system is good and equipped with a wide screen. The seats become flat which enabled me to sleep. Service was OK in the upper deck as well. When traveling another aircraft or the lower deck I would go for a window seat as the seat is rather narrow and has no storage space.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767

HNL to DEN, old Continental aircraft. Standard first generation business class seats. Seat 1A, limited recline. Continental, not UA cabin crew. Efficient, quiet.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

Although an improvement over the previous guises of United's First Class seats, it still falls short of many of its competitors. Reasonably comfortable and intuitive controls are pluses. There is no floor storage for carry-ons, everything must go into the overhead bins. Seat 2A may be a little more private than some others on this aircraft, but it is right next to a service cupboard that was frequently accessed by the flight attendants which was a little disruptive. Seat 2K would probably be a better choice.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

New First Class seats were excellent, fine for sitting or sleeping. But the least friendly staff I have ever experienced in First of our experiences with BA, AF, LX and LH. What a shame since it is a fine product - and smiles are free!

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

B747-400 in Seat 6D from Chicago to Hong Kong and must say the experience is nowhere nearContinental's BusinessFirst class. United seat is facing backwards, not a big problem even though the landing feels very odd, but sitting in a group of four seats across doesn't feel right in business class. Very narrow! The guy on my left occupied both armrests with his elbow, the guy on the right rested his elbow on my seat controls. I had to ask him to move his elbow to be able to control my seat. It's very difficult for the flight attendants to reach over to your sea, there was essentially no storage room and you are not allowed to keep anything during take-off and landing. I couldn't even find a pocket for the magazine. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed this.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

It's a flat bed but it's only an inch wider than Economy and the world's only 2-4-2 configuration for Business Class - laid out like sardines in a tin. Gulag-style service from FAs that hate their job and want everyone to know it. I couldn't meet the flight attendant's schedule for leisurely drink service and therefore got an exasperated sigh for asking for a second before they were ready to serve. Then dinner was at a quick pace so FAs could settle down to chat and ignore us - couldn't finish quick enough for them and therefore missed dessert. The lack of the most basic of polite communications skills of these FAs - who shout out "whaddaya want, white or red wine?" is just shameful. Do yourself a favor - if you or your employer is paying business class fares, book a European carrier or Continental.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

Los Angeles to Tokyo in first class. Crew wonderful, seats were comfortable, and food and wine good. The seats are beat- up and video could be better. At 6’2” I was able to stretch out and sleep. We normally purchase business or first class tickets because of the uncertainty of upgrades so our standards are high. We had flown on Continental in business to Lima earlier in the year and hated it, so if United does become more like Continental we will look for another alliance.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

I hope United reads these reviews because frankly, they are disgraceful for a big airline like this. I used to be a 1K member and was happy to finally let go of the poor service and rude attendants. I switched to Continental and have been quite happy with the service - and now they merge! BRU-EWR operated by United had me in a plane that the FAA should ban from flying. The seats barely reclined, lights left on the entire trip with not a care. Entertainment was a joke. And I see the attendants are still as rude as ever.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

United have made a big song and dance about their new lay flat beds in business class that are, frankly, very average. What is worse is when you buy a business class ticket expecting a lay flat bed and they change the plane at the last minute and you get the old, hardly recline broken seats with a defunct laptop power supply (and no converters on board). I took 925 from Heathrow to Washington earlier this month and had precisely this problem. What was worse was that the flight crew advised that this happens on a regular basis and encouraged me to complain and gave me an apology card with a link to a token of their appreciation. Imagine how appreciated I felt when I logged on to the web site and was offered a $50 voucher off flights booked in the USA with a US credit card or 10% of domestic travel - I live in Australia and only fly business class. Cheated, that's how I feel. Don't fly business class on United until the fleet is fully converted.

Pitiful. Seats are old and uncomfortable. Imagine going from FCO to IAD and there being no snacks in First and they ran out of various wines! The cabin was not even full. Entertainment was weak and screen size small. I hope the newer product is an improvement.

The international business class seat is quite nice, pretty comfortable, and had enough length for me to stretch out pretty comfortable when laying flat. However seat 9J should really be avoided. It is right next to the galley, and any hopes of sleep were dashed by the banging and gabbing by the FA's next to me. Add bright lights to the mix. Really, they should charge less for the galley seats.

FRA-SFO on a 777 with the new configuration. Seats lay flat. The light massage in the back of the seat helped to keep my back from hurting by the end of the flight. On demand video and audio is good.

Seats were pretty comfortable. As others have mentioned, the 2-4-2 configuration seems a bit tight especially for the passengers in the middle seat. Luckily, I had an aisle seat. AVOD was ok but I wished they had more selection of first run films. On the return trip, I was in the upper deck and there was definitely less space to move around especially for the window passenger. Plus, there seemed to be less space for your feet when you are sleeping on the upper deck. On both levels, they need more storage space to hold personal items. The ledge below the video screen doesn't provide much space plus items can slide around.

Seats in the Upper Deck are quiet and feel more secluded compared to downstairs. Actual seats are quite comfortable and well padded. Only negative to United business is the space where your feet go - it's a little small, but overall, for the cost, I'd use United again. No issue with the forward/back issue and looking at someone the whole flight - I had an aisle seat and it didn't seem to be an issue. Cabin crew were disinterested and pretty unfriendly, but what else do you expect from United.

The service was courteous and efficient, meals were very good and the lie-flat seats gave us a decent sleep for a change compared to economy. Check-in staff were helpful and the flights were on time. Red Carpet /Star Alliance lounges in Melbourne and Sydney great. The only gripe would be the Red carpet Lounge in LAX which did not have food service like the other lounges, only drinks and snacks. All in all we would fly United again.

PVG to LAX, I have flown the new seats several times and they are comfortable and competitive with other airline's product. Where I have an issue is with the soft product. I snagged a menu from business class and there was very little different between the food choices between Business and First. One additional entree choice and one different wine choice; that was all! UA should not be charging for first class when they are just a business class product with better seats. Not to mention the FAs do not have the stamina to work these long flights.

I was appalled when I saw the setup for Business Class on the 777. These planes seriously need to be retired or completely revamped! Ours was worn, outdated, basically substandard and a big disappointment. The television/movie screens on this airplane look like Fisher Price toys. Ridiculously dinky. The seats are not comfortable. We felt that we received extremely poor value for the price of our tickets.

I try to pick an upper deck seat. The seats are comfortable, and privacy and quiet you get is a nice bonus.

New configuration had the lie-flat seats, but I felt the seat was too narrow and constraining for comfort when lying down. However, the range of motion provided by the leg and foot rests, and seat back, allowed for comfortable and varied positions throughout the flight. The real downside to this new configuration is the lack of front-facing seats. The first leg of the trip was less than an hour - Bahrain to Kuwait - but I was in a rear facing seat and it was torture - I got so motion-sick. Fortunately, for the second leg I was able to procure a front facing seat in the first row. Otherwise, the front facing seats face rear-facing seats like a train. Unless traveling with a number of friends or family members, way too intimate for my taste - even across the aisle. Bottom line - I prefer the "old" business class seats - much roomier, could even tuck my feet up and had more flexibility in shifting body weight to the left or right. The new ones pretty much force our bodies to align straight forward.