Review of United flight Newark San Francisco in Business

Airline United
Flight UA1121
Class Business
Seat 1A
Aircraft Boeing 787-10
Flight time 05:40
Take-off 03 May 20, 18:20
Arrival at 03 May 20, 21:00
UA   #76 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 444 reviews
Ohad
By 2046
Published on 13th May 2020

Traveling during covid19 in the us


This is my first trip report which I decided to write, as I figured many people are curious to read about traveling the UA during Covid19. I had to take this trip at this time, but I do recommend anyone who can stay home and safe.


The Lyft ride to the airport was by far the quickest, and scariest I ever had, the entire journey from the East Village in Manhattan to Newark took about 25 minutes with no traffic as the shelter was still in place. The airport was deserted with only a handful of flights departing from Terminal C, once a hectic busy place on a Sunday afternoon. 


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Newark Airport


Premier check-in was closed off and all passengers were directed to the lower level for check-in. There was no line to check-in, however, United still requires passengers to use the touch screen machines to check-in and did not provide any wipes and hand sanitizer. 


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TSA pre lines were closed as well, which meant all passengers had to take off their shoes and electronics and put them in the dirty bins (come on Newark). Clear was available and they made sure to clean the machines between each passenger. 


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With only about 5 (very empty) flights taking off that Sunday evening, the concourses were deserted. 


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the flight


As of early May, United reduced lie-flat service across the country on their premium routes, to just one a day on their new 787-10, which I was on. Load on this flight was 14/44 Pax in Polaris and about 22/274 in the main cabin. 

Service on the flight included a full meal, served on one tray with beer, wine, and soft drinks in cans. No Ice, coffee, tea, or hard liquor were available. Drinks came with the famous blue cup, no glassware available in Polaris.  The food was not the standard Business class level, but more like domestic first, if not economy.        


Drink service was limited to beer, wine and soft drink. All severed sealed with a blue plastic cup, and no ice was available. 


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Meal choice was chicken or pasta in Vodka souch, which also came sealed. All items on tray were individually sealed as well.


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Chicken dish, which was also served on pasta. The food tasted like ramen noodle or TV dinner quality, some people like it, I guess. 


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The rest of the flight was uneventful, the crew handed out bottles of water throughout the plane and mostly stayed in the galley unless called by a passenger. 


San francisco Airport


We landed in the International terminal for some reason, and walked to Terminal 3 in a very empty San Francisco Airport.


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The Centurion lounge was closed, however the United club was still open serving packed food and drinks on demand. 


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bonus flight: Sfo to PALM SPRINGS


I connected to Palm Springs from San Francisco, a quick 55 minutes flight on a United shuttle The flight was VERY empty and no service on the demand was offered. The cabin crew was very friendly and mentioned they have been flying empty all day, I asked for a drink and get a can of Coke with some packed cookies.  


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My Seat 1A ( was #1 of 1 on the upgrade list with all seats available). 


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Arriving in Palm Springs we got off the plane through a ramp, where we saw a very worn out plane. I am just happy I didn't see it before the flight, COME ON UNITED! 


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Bonus : Click here display
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Verdict

United

7.8/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Meal/catering4.0

Newark - EWR

9.2/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

San Francisco - SFO

9.2/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

Stay home and stay safe unless you must travel.

Information on the route Newark (EWR) San Francisco (SFO)

3 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 554089 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Hi Ohad, thanks for sharing this interesting first report with us. Flying in times of Covid generally seems pretty sad--empty airports and planes (for the most part), and basic to no service on board (understandably). It seems that transcon flights are basically the only domestic flights that even get meals in premium cabins right now.

    Thanks again for sharing and welcome!
  • Comment 554166 by
    PresRDC1 12 Comments
    Thanks for the report. It certainly reinforces for me that flying for enjoyment is not the thing to do right now. I just hope things revert back to normal in terms of service standards once the pandemic passes. I am not optimistic. As for the condition of that CRJ, obviously it is just paint and not a safety issue, but for people who are not knowledgeable, it might cause anxiety. I hope it gets repainted soon.
  • Comment 554215 by
    paulgr 94 Comments
    Hi Ohad, thanks for this first report! Fortunately you was in empty flights (which can be less anxious), but what a sadness to take plane during these times (masks, very few service on board, lounges closed, ...). I hope it will soon ended!

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