Review: United Boeing 787 'BusinessFirst' business class: Melbourne-Los Angeles
By Chris C., August 31 2015
Route
Melbourne - Los Angeles
Aircraft Type
Boeing 787-9
Airline
United Airlines
Flight
UA99
Cabin Class
Business
Seat
1E
Notes
The Good
- Fully-flat, 198cm (6'6") beds
- New luxury Cowshed amenity kits
- AC and USB outlets for every passenger
The Bad
- 2-2-2 seating layout
X-Factor
- Order an ice cream sundae at 40,000 feet
Introduction
Now with daily non-stop flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles, jetting via Sydney on your way to the States is a thing of the past with United Airlines: saving travellers precious time on what is already a long journey.
Better yet, Victorians are also treated to United's latest 'BusinessFirst' (business class) seats and service aboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which Australian Business Traveller put to the test.
Check-in
- Frequent flyer program: United MileagePlus, Star Alliance. You can also earn Virgin Australia Velocity points by crediting your miles to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and later converting them into Velocity points.
- Priority check-in: Ignore the snaking economy line and head for the dedicated 'Premier Access' area on the far right of check-in.
- Checked baggage allowance: 2x32kg bags.
- Carry-on baggage allowance: 1x113cm bag with no defined weight limit, plus a personal item such as a laptop bag/handbag and additional items such as umbrellas and duty-free goods.
- Priority security screening: Yes, Express Path access for both security screening and passport control.
United boards its flights by group number, with BusinessFirst guests all in Group 1 (the first group called forward).
Signage and queueing barriers are clear at the boarding gate...
... and while the Group 2 line may be considerably shorter than Group 1, don't be tempted to switch across: the entire Group 1 lane is boarded before Group 2 passengers are called forward, so the longer line is actually faster.
Lounge
Following the closure of the dedicated United Club at Melbourne Airport, passengers in BusinessFirst are invited to use the business class section of Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris lounge on Sundays through Fridays…
… which offers a choice of Nespresso coffees before United’s morning departures, conveniently-placed power points near almost every seat and a relaxing atmosphere.
On Saturdays when United’s flight leaves later in the day, the Air New Zealand lounge awaits…
… and comes with plenty of natural light, tarmac views and a ‘sports area’ with a pool table, but with a food and beverage selection that isn’t as comprehensive as SQ’s spread.
Under the Star Alliance lounge access rules, you can also opt for the NZ lounge throughout the week if so desired, so take your pick.
Flight
The Dreamliner’s funky mood lighting sets the scene for a relaxing flight…
… with newspapers distributed before take-off, along with new Cowshed amenity kits:
Inside you’ll find the expected eye mask and dental set with floss plus a comb, textured socks, tissues, lip balm, moisturiser, a refresher towelette, hand sanitiser and a branded United ballpoint pen.
Seat
BusinessFirst on the Dreamliner comes in a 2-2-2 configuration, with the seats 56cm wide and transforming into fully-flat, 198cm long beds:
You’ll find the best seats in the middle pairs which offer uninterrupted aisle access, although the outer pairs are less desirable given that your seatmate will either be stepping over you, or you’ll be stepping over them.
That’s admittedly very ‘last generation’ for business class – especially on a brand new aircraft – but with Qantas as United’s only competitor on the Melbourne-Los Angeles route, it’s on-par with the 2-2-2 and 2-3-2 layouts on the Red Roo’s A380s and Boeing 747s.
United’s own seat comes sans a mattress but with easy-to-use pre-set options for upright and bed modes, controls to tweak the recline and lumbar support…
… plus separate buttons that are easier to reach when fully reclined or standing to adjust your seat.
Your amenity kit, inflight menu and newspaper can be stashed away on a shelf in front…
… resting atop a footstool – unfortunately just out of reach when the seat was upright for take-off and landing, but which later forms the tail end of your fully-flat bed when it’s time to turn in.
There’s a separate bench space next to the seat offering both USB and AC power outlets: the latter of which accepts Australian plugs without an adaptor, while an adjacent pouch proves convenient when refuelling your smartphone.
That said, it’s quite a difficult area to reach – it’s positioned both above and behind the seats, so you often need to twist your upper body when connecting your headphones or retrieving items from that pouch, which isn’t ideal.
More convenient is the tray table – folding in half to serve as a cocktail or snack table with an indent to keep your glass steady during turbulence…
… and expanding at meal times or for a sturdy workspace if your time in the air calls for productivity.
Given the location of the bulkheads, seats in rows 1 and 6 also sport additional bench space in front – a perfect place to plonk your laptop or other large items while dining.
Elsewhere throughout the cabin, the smaller shell between each row doubles to provide somewhat of a handle, assisting guests in the window seats to access the aisle while causing minimum disturbance to their neighbour.
Meal
The journey begins with a choice of water, juice or Champagne before take-off, all of which are unfortunately served in plastic cups. We chose the latter, the Didier Chopin Brut (NV), and can’t say we were a fan of the taste or texture.
That’s quickly followed after wheels-up by another beverage of your choice – this time arriving in a proper wine glass – and an array of warmed nuts.
While the printed menu implies a choice between two starters, you actually receive both in succession: beginning with a chilled smoked duck with tasty black bean/cucumber salsa, leaves and mandarin segments…
… followed by a dinner plate-sized salad with lettuce, tomato, capsicum and croutons dressed with your choice of honey or raspberry vinaigrettes.
That plate could realistically pass as a main, although my Australian appetite would have been more than content with a smaller side salad.
Main course options included a beef tenderloin (selected), chicken breast, ocean trout and a spinach and ricotta cannelloni, which you can opt to have straight after the starters or delay until it suits you later in the flight via United’s ‘Executive Dining’ service.
Beef tenderloin with red wine jus, mashed potatoes, baby carrots and broad beans
The beef arrived tender and succulent and went well with the jus, mash and carrots, but could have done with fewer broad beans which looked to crowd the plate. A bread selection is also offered, including garlic bread.
Next up: both a cheese course and dessert – as with the entre, you won’t need to choose between the two.
If you’re watching your waistline and are leaning towards just one of the post-meal options, we strongly recommend the sundae dessert.
It’s wheeled into the aisles ‘Pan Am’-style and customised to your liking before your very eyes, with a range of sauces and toppings available along with whipped cream to finish it off.
Peckish passengers can also help themselves to a range of sandwiches and light snacks during the flight, with breakfast served around 1.5 hours before arriving into Los Angeles.
Choices are your typical airline fare – either cereal and a banana or a cheese omelette, this time served with tomato salsa, bacon and a chicken sausage.
The hot dish, while lacking finesse in its presentation, was as tasty as you’d expect, as was a croissant from the bread basket with strawberry jam.
Entertainment & Service
Unlike the United Boeing 747s of yesteryear which used to grace Melbourne’s skies, every passenger on board has a personal inflight entertainment system – including in economy.
Up in BusinessFirst you can choose from hundreds of movies and TV shows on a 15-inch HD screen, plus a selection of games, audio tracks and the obligatory ‘moving map’.
The touchscreen system is within easy reach when sitting upright, and can also be controlled by a separate touchscreen controller – a more convenient option if you’re in bed mode.
The controller’s screen can also be used to call up the flight map itself without interrupting your main screen viewing, while tapping anywhere on that main screen conveniently displays your remaining flight time – also without disturbing your movie.
Prefer to watch your own content on the big screen? Tucked away underneath the monitor is a video connector for your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch…
… but which requires a non-standard cable and adaptor that United sells on board via its duty-free catalogue for a staggering US$40 (A$56) – a very high price to pay to watch movies and TV shows that you’ve already paid for.
Service was friendly without being overly-personalised or intrusive, with the lead flight attendant greeting each passenger by name before departure and plenty of typically-American responses such as “You got it!” and “Sure thing!” to requests throughout the flight.
Crew were also well-groomed, always smiling and provided a noticeably more refined service on this long flight than travellers might otherwise be accustomed to on domestic services in the US.
If you’ve got business that just can’t wait, United’s Dreamliners too come equipped with inflight Internet: only US$16.99 (A$23.84) for as much data as you can transfer while the aircraft is cruising.
Just a tip: purchase the Internet by logging into your United MileagePlus frequent flyer account rather than as a ‘guest’ – you’ll then be able to transfer your connection between devices throughout the flight, which is useful for travellers with both a tablet and laptop.
Also read: United to fly B787 to Sydney, drop first class to Australia
Chris Chamberlin travelled to Los Angeles as a guest of United Airlines.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2011
Total posts 321
Good review. The photos seem to suggest the seats are already "well-used" and they don't look very comfortable. UA might struggle to compete with QF, and soon AA. Maybe NZ is a better *A choice, despite the AKL stop?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
Hi wilsoni, the seats were more realistically 'like-new' rather than 'well-used', but the difficult part about taking photos for flight reviews is that we refrain from using the flash to avoid disturbing other passengers, particularly on longer flights such as this where people may be trying to sleep.
Instead, we often utilise the aircraft's reading and overhead lights when taking photos, which can occasionally make certain elements and colours appear slightly differently than they would in person, but helps to produce photos that are clear and bright enough for the purpose.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Mar 2015
Total posts 19
Interesting review, it appears UA's service is improving, albiet slowly but surely.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 May 2012
Total posts 159
Still a little on the basic side compared to others and the plastic champagne class prior to takeoff is simply cheap and nasty.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2012
Total posts 134
Hi Chris, I enjoy reading your reviews. But could I make one suggestion: please would you include info on flight departure and arrival times. ta.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jun 2014
Total posts 2
Takes off at 9.15am out Melbourne and touches down at 6.45. Out of LAX at 10.30pm and 7.30am in Melbourne. On my three fights to date all have arrived early.
Qantas Platinum
04 Dec 2012
Total posts 48
Thanks Chris, plenty of good "need-to-knows". Indeed everything is moving in the right direction with UA but there also seem to be a few flaws for the air warrior.
In December I need to fly to Boston, probably under Oneworld Round the World. I usually try first leg to LA on Qantas A380 with upgrade to first which I favour over AA. But it's still a bit of a gamble. If upgrade does not work, Qantas Business class is probably not as good as AA.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 276
I'm more curious about this non standard video adapter - which one is this so we can buy it on the ground if need be. And if we do buy it - can it be used on any other airlines or just United?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jun 2014
Total posts 2
I am sitting on UA99 using the excellent Wifi, excellent service, food and seat comfort. This been my third round trip on the United Mel -Lax route, you cannot under estimate that they are flying the 787 and the air quality great. While the seats look worn in the images, I can say that they look, feel and operate like new. A big tick from me
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 10
great review Chris as a new frequent visitor to the US and Canada hope to earn enough points to try this out.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Didier Chopin Brut in a plastic glass, just as well it was the (NV).
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
17 Feb 2016
Total posts 45
Good review and I lke these seats as they quite roomy even in bed configuration.
I flew LAX-Shanghai-LAX and was really annoyed by the way in which they have hooked up the 'fasten seatbelt' sign to an automated PA announcement. On my two flight it was just so loud that it woke me up even with ear plugs in. Not sure if it was just that the crew had turned it up too high (doubtful as happend on both legs) or whether this is just something UA do...
On another note I reckon they offer the best wifi deal in the sky.
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