Review of United flight London → Chicago in Business

check in and security

I arrived at LHR Terminal 2 at around 8:30 a.m., a bit less than 2hours prior to my scheduled departure time of 10:25 a.m.

United and all Star Alliance flights depart from and arrive at Terminal 2 at Heathrow. The Check In Hall at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 is massive. So, you are going to want to pay attention to the signs to see where your airline check in desk is located. United’s check in is located all the way to the right hand side as you enter.

United’s check in desk at Heathrow has a few different options. There is an area for economy, one for premier access, one for Polaris and 1K, and one for Global Services.

I joined the Polaris and 1K line, and there was nobody in line. Because I wasn’t check in a bag, it took less than 5 minutes for her to check my passport and print my boarding passes. She was super friendly, and even thought to proactively check for available seats on the nonstop flight from LHR to IAD, so that I didn’t have to go through ORD. She said, “Mr. Shivpilot14, I’ve just checked and unfortunately, we have nothing in Polaris nonstop from LHR to IAD for you. I’m sure that would have been preferred for you!”

There are self-service kiosks for all Star Alliance carriers in the center of the Check In hall that you can use if you are just looking to print a boarding pass. I would’ve used these if there was no line for the regular full service Polaris check in.

Terminal 2 at Heathrow has two lines for security, one for general screening and one gold track security lane. Gold Track is available for those traveling in premium cabins or who are Star Alliance Gold members.

You scan your boarding pass at the automated gate, and you’re in! Security took me a few minutes, as of course, I got randomly selected for additional screening… which always happens to me when departing Europe, which is why I always allow for additional time. Today, there were not a lot of people at T2, so even with the random selection, it took me no more than 5 minutes.

Heathrow is known for its massive terminals and the long haul international flights all operate out of the B satellite, which requires you to go downstairs and walk in a long underground walkway. And it is long. There are moving walkways, so that helps.

the lounge: united club lhr

You have many lounge options when flying from Heathrow Terminal 2. Heathrow Terminal features a Lufthansa lounge, which I’ve reviewed in the past. You can find that review here: https://flight-report.com/en/report/65600/lufthansa-lh907-london-lhr-frankfurt-fra/

It also features a Singapore Airlines lounge, as well as an Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, in addition to the United Club.
I was hoping to do some lounge hopping today, but the Singapore Airlines Lounge was closed, and the Air Canada Lounge seemed to be at capacity, so it was off to the United Club for me!

The United Club is located in the B gates satellite, where all United flights depart from. You’ll find the entrance across from Gate B46. The lounge entrance is inviting with an elevator taking you up to the second floor, where the lounge is located.

Since this is a United Club, and not a Polaris Lounge, the typical United Club rules apply. The full access policy can be found here: https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/airport/lounge-access.html
 
You enter the reception area of the lounge where you are greeted by the lounge agents, who will admit you in after scanning your boarding pass. I am a United Club member who was flying Polaris, and I overheard two people next to me that were wanting to use a one-time pass, so I interjected, and said, “Put your pass away, I’m a Club member and get to take in 2 guests.” They thanked me a million times over, and the lounge agent promptly admitted them in with me. Once inside, I said, “enjoy your time in the lounge,” and we went our separate ways.

Once inside, you’re invited into a long walkway area that runs across the entire length of the lounge.

There are multiple seating areas in the lounge with a few regular seating areas, and some tables.

Towards the windows, there are hightop tables, and the bar, which is extremely impressive. One of the highlights of this lounge is the bar. The bar is massive. Additionally, there are a number of wines, beers, champagnes, and spirits on offer, and its all complimentary. Unlike other United Clubs in the network, there is no charge for anything in the bar. You can literally get a single malt Glenfiddich for free.

Towards the back of the lounge is the “library.” A circular room with chairs and tables that’s supposed to be a closed off- quiet area.

Just outside of the library is the self serve coffee station and drink station. There are fridges filled with soft drinks and such that you can grab.

As you enter the lounge, on the left, is the buffet. This spread is one of the best in the United Club network. It features both hot and cold food options. During breakfast time, there was a full English breakfast on offer including Eggs, bacon, sausages, potatoes, and mushrooms. There were also waffles and other vegetarian options available.

There were also pastries on offer including a selection of danishes, fritters, croissants, mini cinnamon doughnuts… etc.

There was also a self serve Illy Coffee espresso and latte machine.

After I grabbed some food, I went to go and find a seat. The lounge gets packed. PACKED. Because it’s a United Club, and is arguably the best United Club in the network, the access policy is not very restrictive. So, you’ve got everyone in Polaris, anyone with Star alliance gold status, Club members, and some one-time pass holders, all in one place. It was packed to the brim today, so I grabbed a seat at the bar to await the rest of my visit.

The lounge also features restrooms, and shower suites for use. I didn’t partake in either of these as there was no need for me to do so, but it’s nice to know that’s an option available to you should you need it.

My first ever international flight traveling alone was out of LHR, and it was right when Terminal 2 opened at LHR and this club was brand new. The club was extremely impressive back then, and it still is.

boarding

After spending a bit of time in the United Club, I decided to head to my gate, B31, which was about a 5 minute walk from the Polaris lounge.

I arrived at gate B31 to find two long lines. I didn’t know which line was which, as there were no signs so I just stood in one line and waited. An agent came to check passports and boarding passes, and I noticed with some people ahead of me saying, “oh you’re in group 2, this line is for group 1 only. Please go to the other line.”

She checked my documents and said “you’re in group 1, so you stay in this line for boarding.” Then she walked away started talking to another agent and pointed at me and then they said, “Sir, come this way.” And escorted me to the front of the line. As soon as I got to the front of the line, they called boarding for global services, and told me to board. I’m not sure why. Maybe they thought I was global services?? Which I’m not… I’m far from it, I’m just a platinum. But, anyways.

Then I boarded and I immediately recognized some familiar faces! It was the exact same crew I’d had on my flight here yesterday! They said, “Mr. Shivpilot14! Welcome back! That was a short trip in London! You must be on a flight attendant’s schedule!” I laughed. They were excellent and I knew this was going to be a great flight. If you wanted to view my report of yesterday’s flight to London, you can view that trip report here: https://flight-report.com/en/report/66525/united-ua929-chicago-ord-london-lhr/ 

the "high j" 767-300 cabin

This “High-J” 767-300 is a very premium heavy aircraft. It has a large business class cabin with 46 Polaris seats! The Polaris cabin stretches to about half of the length of the entire fuselage! It is laid out in a 1-1-1 configuration across 18 rows, with rows 17 and 18 having only 2 seats in them along the windows. Each seat offers every passenger direct aisle access. The odd rows face straight, and the even rows are at an angle. I always prefer the odd, window seats as a solo traveler for the most privacy. Note, that rows 7 and 11 have strange window placements and are generally avoided.

Then, past that is the Premium Plus cabin with 22 seats arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration across 4 rows, with the first row, row 20, only having window side seats, and no middle seats.

Then, past that is the Economy cabin, which features… are you ready for this? 45 Economy Plus seats, and 52 regular Economy seats. Meaning that 46% of the Economy cabin is composed of Economy Plus seating! Wow!

the seat

My seat for today’s flight was 15L. A window seat on the right side of the aircraft.
 
At the seat, I found my bedding, with the gel pillow and the day blanket on top of a bag that contained the other regular pillow as well as the duvet-style blanket.

The seat controls are located in the right armrest, with a wheel that allows you to adjust between fully-flat bed mode, and the fully-upright taxi, takeoff, and landing mode. You can also adjust your footrest, lumbar support, and recline with a lot of different combinations.

There is a faux marble countertop on the right side where you can set things on top of, this is where the headsets and the printed menu were located.

Just above the countertop is the IFE remote control, the universal power outlet, a USB-A charging port, the headphone jack, and a small vanity closet where you can store a few things during the flight. In there was a water bottle for use during the flight. I find this spot perfect for storing my toiletries and chargers.

The seat is well padded, comfortable, and extremely private. You can’t see another passenger in the cabin unless you really start looking for them, and nobody else can see you. Which is what I love about the Polaris seats. Most seats have two individual air vents, but seat 15L does not have any individual air vents, so be wary of that when choosing this seat.

Additionally, seat 15L features two windows, both located at the back of the seat. The windows offer great views of the wing and engine.

I was happy to see that, unlike my 767-300 flight on the way into London, this aircraft had the new IFE system, which is way more user friendly and fresh looking.

pre-departure

Once I was settled in, I then took a look at the menu for today’s flight.

At 9:56, a flight attendant came by to confirm my meal order. I preordered the butter chicken. United allows you to preorder your meal beginning 5 days prior to departure and up to 24 hours prior to departure. At that same time, the captain came in to welcome us onboard and I missed what he’d said because I was talking to the flight attendant.

At 9.59, boarding was completed and all passengers were told to take their seats, put away carry ons, and all that stuff.

At 10:03, TJ, our purser came by to say hi to me! He said he was working the other side of the aisle today and wouldn’t be serving me but that he saw my name on the list and wanted to say hi to me again! 

the flight

At 10:09, the safety video started playing, about 16 minutes ahead of our 10:25 departure time.

At exactly 10:25, we pushed back, offering me a great view of this Qantas A380 and Qantas 787 that were parked on stand.

We were taking off from a very rainy London on runway 27L at 10:57 am

At 11:02, we reached 10,000 feet and were well on our way towards Chicago O’Hare.

At 11:26, the service began with a distribution of a hot towel.

At 11:34, a tablecloth was distributed.

At 11:49, the service continued with the beverage cart. I went with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which was served with a water and a ramekin of nuts

At 12:05, the flight attendant came around to let me know that my meal would be coming shortly and to ask if I needed anything in the meantime. When I politely declined, she said, “Well, let me at least top off your wine for you!” And took my glass. Extremely proactive.

At 12:09, my meal arrived, all on one tray.

The meal was disappointing. To start, I ordered the Thai beef as the appetizer. It was bland, cold, and not very flavorful. I took one bite and decided that it wasn’t for me.

The Caesar salad was decent. The veggies were fresh and the dressing was decent.
I realize that, as an Indian, my expectations for butter chicken are quite high, however, I lowered my expectations and this still turned out to be not so good. The flavoring was tasty but there wasn’t enough sauce or anything. It was like eating a bland piece of grilled chicken with a little bit of Indian Spice on it.

It was also served with a multigrain roll, which, was hard as a rock and inedible.
It truly is embarrassing when the salad was the highlight of the meal. Normally, United Catering is decent in Polaris on long haul flights, but this was just absolutely horrible.

At 12:27, TJ, our purser came by and said, “Mr. Shivpilot14, are they treating you well? Now, I know her service can’t be as good as mine!” Laughing. I laughed along and said, “of course she is! Because you told her to!” He took my tray out of the way, and we laughed along the way.

I took a look out the window, and got a nice view of the wing.

At 12:39, the dessert cart came around, and I went with the ice cream sundae and a coffee with baileys.

At around 1:00, I decided to make up my bed and take a nap.

I had set a timer for 3 hours on my phone but I must’ve accidentally switched it off because I ended up sleeping like a baby for almost 4 hours and only woke up because the captain announced that we were through with turbulence for the remainder of the flight and he’d be turning the seatbelt sign off for the rest of the flight until landing. This was about 2 and half hours from landing.

I woke up and decided to use the lavatory. On the 767-300, there are 2 dedicated business class lavatories that are located in the front of the cabin, so if you’re sitting in the rear of the cabin like I was, you can walk all the way to the front, or you can use an economy lavatory which is just behind the business class cabin and in front of Premium Plus.

At 11:15 am Chicago time, I decided to do the “call bell” challenge. It took less than 20 seconds for someone to come, and she came from all the way in the front galley! Very, very impressed!

I ordered a Coke Zero, so I could get some caffeine in. When she brought it, she said, “I brought you the can, I hope that’s okay!” I said, “of course!”

At 12:00, about 90 minutes prior to landing, the lights came on in the cabin.
 
2 minutes later, a hot towel was distributed.
 
At 12:17, a flight attendant came by to offer me my choice of pre- arrival meal, the Wellington burger or the risotto. Since I would likely be having a burger in the ORD Polaris lounge, I decided to go with the Risotto.

At 12:18, my pre-arrival meal was brought out. The risotto was flavorful and tasted good.

arrival

At 12:47, about 33 minutes prior to our touchdown, and just as we were flying over Lansing, Michigan, I felt the aircraft begin to descend.

About 5 minutes later, the captain came on to let us know that we would be touching down in 30 minutes, and the updated weather conditions in Chicago. As is typical in the Windy City, it was windy! He informed us of 15 MPH gusts.

We touched down on runway 27C at 1:20 pm, and began our taxi to Terminal 5.

We arrived at our gate, M33, at Terminal 5 at 1:33 pm.

I normally don’t spend time talking about the arrivals process at an airport, but today, I feel like I have to.
 
Firstly, CBP at ORD was very quick. I was through global entry in 30 seconds. Literally. So, that wasn’t the problem. The problem came next. And I admit, I made a mistake but I didn’t realize that I’d done this. After exiting CBP, I decided to use the terminal 5 “express connection” which is a bus service that takes you from Terminal 5 to Terminals 1 or 3, depending on your connection. It was designed to allow you to skip the line for security st Terminal 5 and get through security and on your way to your connection quickly. And, the last time I did it, it worked pretty well.

As I exited the CBP checkpoint, I saw a sign for trains to terminals 1, 2, or 3. I debated for a second using those, but I thought, “why? What could go wrong?” Well, things. Things could go wrong. I went through security which took no more than 3 minutes, and was on my way to the express connection gate. I presented my pass, my passport, and boarding pass and was let downstairs to the apron level for the bus. When I told the agent there that I was going to Terminal 1, she said, “Oh I’ll have to call a bus for you because we don’t really do this for terminal 1 anymore. you should’ve been told to take the train. But don’t worry, we will get you there.”
 
I waited for 35 minutes for a bus to come, seeing many other buses coming and going from Terminal 3. There were two other passengers who came, expecting the same thing right as the bus came. We got on the bus, and it took another 25 minutes to get us to Terminal 1. Not the bus driver’s fault, but it was due to departing and arriving air traffic. ORD was busy this afternoon. I spent my time on the bus thinking, “I probably could’ve been in the airside part of the terminal by now had I just taken the train.” Anyways, we then arrived at T1, finally. And then we had to go up three flights of stairs to get to the terminal, carrying our luggage. No elevator or escalator. Luckily, I was only in London for one day, so I packed light. But I would’ve been very upset if I were carrying on from a 10 day trip. 

Again, it was my mistake. I should’ve just taken the train and not done the express thing. Because it turned out to be not so “express” after all.