UNITED AIRLINES First Class and Business Class Seat reviews

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

I flew Washington IAD to Kuwait and continuing to Bahrain in their Business Class cabin (flights UA982 and UA981). The 2-4-2 configuration results in very narrow seats. You are rubbing elbows with the passenger next to you. The seat reclines 180 degrees horizontal. That is good, but again you are very cramped. I am 5' 8" medium build, and I was not comfortable. If you are a tall or large person, these Business Class seats are not for you. Also, there's practically no room to place anything - water bottle, book, etc. I placed a small bag with my iphone charger in the small space to the side of the seat, and when I went to sleep, it fell down to the back of the seat or to the floor and lost it. (Luckily, I reported it to the airline as soon as I realized it, and they found it and delivered it to the gate in Kuwait. So, I got it back when I boarded the return flight to USA. So, that is positive). The food was mediocre and the service was also mediocre. One of the flight attendants barked to the passenger next to me "You are going to have to put that in the upper bins!" referring to his briefcase. I've flown to the Middle East before with other airlines, Delta, Saudi Airlines, and their Business Class service is better. Delta's business class configuration 1-2-1 from ATL to Dubai with the seats at an angle and direct access to the aisle is much better and that is what UA had in their First Class cabin. Saudi Arabian Airlines Business Class seats are wider. They don't recline 180 degrees, but the food is very good and the service on board is friendlier. Also, their prices are very attractive often enough (they were sold out this time for the return flight). Also, if you are going to fly in this cabin, it'd advisable to go online and select the seats as early as possible. Half of the business class cabin in ahead of the door, and the other half is behind the door. So, you'd want to be ahead of the door, particularly if you are in an aisle seat, so that during the boarding process, you don't have a river of people going through the aisle towards the economy cabin bumping their backpacks and carry-on items against you. Also, there are some seats facing the lavatories and/or the galley that you'll want to avoid. In spite of all of that, since those flights are so long, I was able to sleep enough and arrive reasonably rested. That's the advantage of those non-stop flights to the Middle East, compared with going through Europe.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

Dulles-Kuwait roundtrip in United Global First. Excellent experience. I'm just over 6 ft tall, the seat in full flat was very comfortable, especially with added bottom pad that flight attendants will prepare on request. The food was very good. Service was friendly and professional and could not be faulted. Audio/video selections varied and large screens. The amenity kit is superb. My complaint is that the single lavatory for the eight first class passengers is often blocked off when the flight crew, consisting of a pilot and three first officers on these long flights, are up and about.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

They should call this business cattle class. How they squeeze 8 seats per row is amazing. No room, privacy, half no aisle access, backward facing, uncomfortable beds, poor covers. They should have looked at their partners like air New Zealand yo learn about business class. A total waste but I understand they have tried to squeeze in as many seats as business class to pack in revenue but it is one reason they are always on verge of bankruptcy. Very sad as I am a 1 k member but when I have the funds to pay for business class, will use other airlines.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767-300

The seats are too short as beds. I am only 6 feet tall and the seat was too short for me to stretch out fully. The space for one's feet when using the seat as a bed is inadequate if you keep your shoes on (necessary to avoid the 'slime' on the floor of the restrooms in the planes). Storage space is inadequate. There is no separator between the two center seats so privacy is nonexistent.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757-200

Premium Service Business Class, SFO-JFK. The seat pitch was excellent, and the seat itself was very plush and comfortable in sitting position. Seat was not 180 lie-flat but was flat enough to get a good nap for an hour or two. The seat was leather and was comfortable, although it kept moving and wouldn't stay still every time I moved an inch. Seat functions were antique but worked well enough. Powerport and ample storage were provided, although most people used the powerport to plug in their individual media players I opted not to use it and used the plug for my iPhone charger instead. I sat on the first row (6D).

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

I never write these kind of reviews but I think It's worth to take time and write about it. What a shock it was my recent trip from Washington to Brussels in the new Global First Class, plane is as old and dirty as it could be, seats are almost not functional, food (better bring your lunch box) horrible does not describe it. Service was nowhere to be found. Flight attendants are too busy chit-chatting and are bothered if you ask them for something. Very disappointing, and the amenity kit very mediocre, pajamas nowhere to be found. If you are thinking of flying United please look for other options if you don't want to be disappointed and cheated.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757

I flew from Houston to Lima Peru. The worst business class seat experience I have ever had. Pitch of the seat was awful. The most uncomfortable seat with overhead bin that would not accept a standard-size rolling bag. The video system was a time warp from 15 years ago. The ear phones were very sad. If United wants to charge business class prices, they better get their act together. I would avoid flying a 757 internationally on United Airlines unless you could be assured it had been refitted with lie-flat seats.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

The first class seat on the United 777 is as good as anything offered by other airlines. I regret that I was let down by the check-in and TSA side though (at ORD) since that focusses solely on United's Global Service clients, not the once in a while first class traveller.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757

I like United Business class seat for everything except sleeping. When in a flat position, the seat is not long enough plus the area for feet is quite cramped. Not comfortable at all and I am only 6 ft tall. On the positive side, the seat is comfortable for sitting and entertainment system is very good. My wife, who is shorter than I am, likes the seats and has no problem sleeping.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

IAD-LHR in their new lie flat beds. The seats are definitely narrow and feel cramped due to the 8 across seating. You feel like you are all on top of each other and, in fact, I kept on getting elbowed by the person next to me. As others have mentioned, it was a bit better when fully reclined and you were not as aware of being packed in like expensive sardines. The foot pod that allows you to go fully flat is off-center, forcing you to sleep in a specific way. I believe that the seat pitch is also shorter than other UA configurations that use legacy CO lie-flat seats. TV screens are larger and provide a nice entertainment experience.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

ORD-HKG. This seat is not all that bad. While the food is not 5 star and the seat is not a pillow top mattress, it lies flat, the food is edible, service attentive. They are not Singapore, or Qatar Airways, but those two airlines don't serve my routes.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767

Bizarre and uncomfortable business class cabin layout that includes both forward and backward facing seats. If you are traveling with someone you know very well it might be fine, but otherwise not. You have to share an armrest, which is not acceptable in today's business class. Also there is absolutely nowhere to store anything. And seat is uncomfortable in upright position as well as very narrow. Service is somewhat abrupt but pleasant enough. I would not fly this airline with this seat configuration again. Certainly not worth a $6k ticket for "business class" when compared to other airlines. Walked through 1st class while boarding and no way would want that for $10k. Short little "pods" with no privacy at all.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

My husband and I were flying from Sydney to San Francisco. We chose this flight because it is the only direct flight between SYD and SFO. Though we heard of the mostly negative reviews of UA business, they did not prepare me for the awful state of this aircraft 747-400. The seats were so tight, and you had to face the other passengers the whole flight because of the forward and backward seating arrangement of this flight (I guess to save space and make more money). There are eight seats per row, two seats on each end and four seats in the middle. Also, there was no seat pocket for you to store a magazine - I had to stuff my magazine on the side of my seat. The food was not edible and my husband had to wait 30 mins for his meal to arrive. Sleeping was uncomfortable since the seat was so narrow though the seat did extend flat. This was the worst business class we have ever been to.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

HKG-ORD - Very disappointed with how cramped the business class seats are configured on this plane. Especially felt bad for the victim in 8H that had the lav light shining in his face the entire flight in a $6000 seat. The 2-4-2 configuration was tight. There is no way for the middle seats in the 4 section to get out when the aisle occupants reclined their seats. The service was fine, and it was better than flying in coach, but I was disappointed with the price/value ratio. I am not a fan of sitting backwards, so watch out for the rear facing seats in business class. Next time I'll look for an alternative if possible.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

I was shocked by the packed business class section with 2-4-2 seat infighting with me assigned in the center. Extremely close, non private, stepping over. I broke into a sweat imagining this Hong Kong-SFO and thank god did a 20,000 mile on the spot upgrade to 2A in Global First, which was heaven. Beware United business first on 747. Might as well do economy plus vs business first. But global first 2A was awesome, private, up in nose of 747. Ratings below are for my initially assigned biz class seat not global first.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757

United is downgrading its p.s. service from LAX and SFO to JFK. It was 3 cabin service. They are going to 2 cabin with the new United (really Continental) Business/First seats, which are awful. As other reviewers have commented, the seats are so narrow, you feel squeezed and your body is always touching a hard surface side of the seat. Sleep is next to impossible. The linens and blankets are like coarse bargain store clear-outs at $1.00 each. United used to have great white linens and blankets. They now now use the Continental "yuk" blue. The high end finance and entertainment people used to pay for $3,000 or so for Business or First p.s. service on United coast to coast. They will no more with these horrible seats. I'd really rather be in coach than in these new seats. The old United p.s. Business seats were far more comfortable than these. Oh, and no Champagne on the flight, though the menu offered mimosas. Terrible headsets in First, the kind they hand out in coach with buds that hurt your ears and have lousy sound. And rather lousy flight attendant service. Not to mention their many computer crashes which have left passengers stranded for hours. Isn't United now ranked the worst airline in the U.S?

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

The crew were friendly, food acceptable but the best part was the seat. For a start, there were four different places to store books and personal items. Turndown service where they place a padded blanket on top of the seat to make it more comfortable. When laid flat the seat was the best I´ve experienced. With earplugs in all would have been perfect had it not been for a chatty crew in the galley. Avoid seats 1A and 1K if you want some rest because they´re too close to sources of light and noise.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

First class seat is excellent, there are four storage lockers of various sizes, and when the seat is extended fully you can easily sleep - extended, the seat is long and reasonably wide. The amenity pack is useful and the showers in the arrival lounge in Chicago were most welcome. The service was cool to the point of being chilly and the food was awful, just awful. Cold glutinous snacks were followed by inedible corn soup and then a tasteless beef steak with dessicated vegetables. The meal was shockingly bad. The chicken snack served an hour before arrival was of much higher quality. A mixed experience, but the quality of the seats alone mean I'd seriously look at flying United again.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

Great flat bed seats that are long enough for someone who is 6'3". Slept 8 hours. Can sleep on back, stomach or side. No tight spaces for feet or legs.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 787

My flight (EWR-IAH) was one of the first shortly after it was put into service. The arrival of the plane created quite a buzz at the gate and by the ground crew. The cabin interior is inviting and spacious with high ceiling, oversize storage bins, large windows and pleasing soft LED lighting. I was assigned seat 4E in business class - there are three classes: Business-First, Economy Plus and Economy. Business class is in a 2-2-2 configuration. IFE consisted of the standard choices on a 17" screen controlled by hand-held device or touch screen. Unfortunately, my system malfunctioned and the FA had to reboot the system several times throughout the flight. Seats (22" w. with 60" pitch) were comfortable when upright and very comfortable when in full flat bed recline. The controls were clearly marked and accessible. The lavatory is equipped with touch free fixtures. The air system is considered state-of-the-art and the cabin is pressurized to 6,000 ft. instead of the normal 8,000 ft. and this adds to the comfort. Overall the flight was quiet, smooth and comfortable which led to a very positive experience.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

LHR-SFO. As soon as I saw the seating arrangement I thought this is the worst business class I have ever experienced. A thought that became an even worse reality when I took my seat. I couldn't believe the middle 4 seats all faced forward meaning 'step overs' on a regular basis. The narrowness of the seats meant sleeping was really difficult, and sharing an arm rest was pathetic for a ticket that cost over £4000. Never again will I fly United.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

PEK-IAD last week in FC seats 1J/2J. My wife and I were booked on the new configuration 777 which we had on the IAD - PEK flight three weeks earlier. The newer seats were good, clean and comfortable. An aircraft change the day before our flight from Beijing delivered the old style FC. What a sad, old, worn, stained and flattened out high miles seat. The AV was a very old 8 or 9in screen that still used tapes you can borrow from a box in the front of the cabin. I haven't seen this type of AV since the 90's. I really can't say anything good about it. We had the newer aircraft booked for 6 months and I checked it several times a week but they changed it the day before the flight, also changed our seats. I was able go get back to seats 1 and 2 window on the UA website, but couldn't do anything about the aircraft. United's competition in the Asia market are light years ahead in seats, service, meals, drinks, cleanliness, AVOD. On this vacation trip we were using miles so it was less painful than if we had paid for the flights. Usually we pay and fly on Asian airlines. United's seats on the flight home are the reason we wouldn't pay to fly United even if the fare was half the going rate. Shame on United for presenting this 777 as a First Class product. Even if you book the new seats, unfortunatly there is nothing you can do to prevent UAL from switching aircraft at the last minute. I hope you never have to fly this aircraft or sit in these seats.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

Seat 6D no privacy! Backward facing seat, no storage for carry on and no elbow room. The service from the flight attendant was well below par, not rude but just very bad. Forget about a second drink, and the service rushed so they could disappear. Omelette served cold, same as the coffee, the other breakfast choice was a little box of frosties. I will book a foreign carrier next time.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 757-200

Newark-Stockholm. No champagne on board (?). Little seat privacy. VERY uncomfortable lie flat seats. I had lower back pain during and after the flight. The seats are very narrow, I felt "boxed" and I'm 6'. Cheap plastic headphones which made very difficult to listen video. I fly Delta regularly and their new business class is a world apart from United. I won't fly United again.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

SFO-FRA. Poor recliner seat that needed to be manually (not motorized) adjusted. I needed my entire body weight and my hands to generate enough leverage to operate the seat. No VOD entertainment. The video monitor was only slightly larger than my smartphone screen, and was broken and unable to be locked into place.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

SFO-NRT on 747 Upper Deck and 777-200 from NRT-BKK, both with flat-bed seats. I have to say while many of the complaints about the United seats and FA's may be justified, I found the flights very comfortable. I am 6"2 and was able to sleep in the lie flat position without much issues. AVOD selection great for the 9+ hour flight. The flight attendants were, surprisingly, pleasant on both legs. Food was medicore but they kept coming around to refill drinks etc. A definite perk of sitting in the more private upper deck. United will never compare with the Asian airlines, its not a bad business- class product - better than all of the other North American airline options.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

Horrible seats. I'm a 1K traveler and United has been promising for 5 years that they would replace the old, Seats go full flat. However, the seats are so narrow that even a normal male with average build cannot lie down comfortably. My shoulders continuously touched the Armrest on one side and the frame on the other side and I consider myself rather slim. As a previous reviewed stated "laid out like sardines" pretty much describes it all. Sleeping was not possible. Service from FAs was sub-par for international Business Class. Entertainment was good. Given that you have passengers next to you on international 777, privacy is simply non-existant and you have to share an armrest.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767

Horrible seats. I'm a 1K traveler and United has been promising for 5 years that they would replace the old, Barcalounger seats on their planes. Yet I still get stuck in the old seats. My last flight to Brussels from Newark, the seat's power did not work. The flight attendants had to physically force the seat into different positions.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

Flew roundtrip IAD-LHR on 777-200s, equipped with United's new business class seats in both directions. The new IFE was excellent, and seats were fairly comfortable when sitting upright or partially reclined. The seats were not especially comfortable when adjusted to flat bed positions. They were simply too narrow (what do you expect when you do 8-across in a 777 - that's just one less seat across than in coach), and caused my lower back to ache. I think everyone else had the same issue, judging by the fact that two thirds of the way into our overnight flight to London, I didn't spot any seats still in the flat position. Also, the backwards facing seats are slightly awkward, since aircraft generally fly at a slightly upward tilted angle. If you didn't recline your seat, you'd feel like you were going to slide off it. Finally, storage space was virtually non-existent. All bags of any size had to be stored in the overheads for take-off and landing, and their wasn't so much as a seat-back pocket to store a laptop or reading material in.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 747-400

The upper deck was comfortable, quiet and private. I sat in a rear facing seat in the aisle. The arm rest lowers for more space. Seat is padded and controls worked well. PTV was very large and a huge selection.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

Downgraded from paid First Class to Business, not a great start to the evening. Equipment change they said. After a 45 minute wait at the gate I was assigned a seat, 6H, in Business Class that already had a passenger in it. I have no idea where he ended up. Seats are so narrow that I could not lie on my back when fully reclined. No floor storage, facing backwards, inedible food. Never again. If UA wants to compete on international business class they will have to do something about their seats.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777-200

Booked and paid for a flat bed seat. For the second time in a year got a worn out chair instead. Reminded me of first class seats in the 80s - cracked leather and 55" pitch - not helpful for an overnight flight.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767-400

Newark-Rome return. AVOD worked flawlessly with great movie selection. The problem was the seat which was extremely uncomfortable for sleep. To attempt to lie-flat, the design forces the feet into a cubbyhole within the seat in front. I am 6'2" and the 55" pitch between seats is just not adequate. There was no way to adjust the seat to be comfortable.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 767

IAD-EZE-IAD, a comfortable flight, and a reasonable nights sleep. So the seat does its job. Real criticism is the lack of useful storage space. There is a lot of space but it isn't particularly useful. And the various controls are confusing - had a hard time find my overhead light switch. No convenient place to put a computer for example. And there is not a lot of privacy. My only real question would be whether it is worth the extra cost relative the business class seats right behind me. As long as my seat goes 180 degrees flat, I'm not sure much else matters.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

My first experience with United after being a Continental customer for years. The United lie-flat seats are well below the quality of the Continental lie-flat seats. They are adequate, but are narrower with almost no storage space at the seat. United crams 8 seats in the same space Continental put 6 seats. With alternate rows facing opposite directions, it was a bit disconcerting to be looking directly at the passenger in the next row across the aisle.

UNITED AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   BOEING 777

EWR-BRU, B777 had been fully reconditioned. Seats comfortable and flat. Blanket was a thin duvet which was quite warm enough. Crew were friendly and helpful. Only complaint is the 2-4-2 cabin layout with all four center seats facing backwards.