18 HOURS IN UNITED AIRLINES ECONOMY CLASS | 787 Economy San Francisco to Singapore

[@javianjohnson8746]

As a big time United fanboy, I absolutely agree with the opinion of that meal service being absolutely ridiculous. A 14 hour gap in itself is already outrageous to even think about, but going from lunch to breakfast is even worse. I hope some execs from United watched this video because a lot of valid points were made by you here

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

Never experienced that on United.

[@geocape7060]

18 hours ugh. United needs to get on the ball with the meal service. 14 hours apart? Crazy!

[@beavermuffin]

Even on Polaris, meal service is just not that good, especially on 18 hour flight. Would rather choose Singapore Airlines flight over United. (They also operate SFO to SIN nonstop, ironically code-shared with United)

[@brucesmith9144]

That is inhumane. The small sandwich offered mid-flight looked unappetizing.

[@CyanRedTan]

Hey Singapore did me dirtier first meal 2hrs in and meal 5hrs in then 15 hours zero service bad entertainment and 1/3 can of soda the only advantage of singapore is the leg room

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

@@beavermuffin Completely disagree. Polaris is the best of any US airline on the ground and in the air, especially the catering. Fantastic.

[@xyeahtony1]

@@beavermuffin i fly this route 4x a year and SQ is usually twice the cost as UA. Idk about ya'll but i'd rather save $4k than have an extra meal lol.

[@RealGaryGibson]

I flew that same route on Singapore Air on an A350. The food and service was fantastic! Plus they had snacks available in the rear galley.

[@brett7236]

And they only have premium economy seat and business no regular economy love Singapore airlines I bet it was cheaper then united

[@RealGaryGibson]

@@brett7236 My SFO to SIN seat was regular economy. I believe JFK to SIN doesn't have regular economy.

[@paulstein9258]

I flew the original Newark to Singapore, 19 hour flight, on Singapore airlines. First meal served was lobster. It was business class on a two class airplane. No first class.

[@gregputman]

Yeah, Singapore Air, or Qatar Airways are WAY better airlines. United sucks.

[@davidchan9187]

I flew SQ non stop Newark SIN n 3 full meals were served plus snacks in-between

[@LiliShine4927]

So note to self… bring snacks, and an extra blanket, n a good neck pillow for my 20hr flight ✔️✔️✔️

[@m3redgt]

i recommend a good quality microfiber blanket these are thin which saves you space but very comfy and warm neckpillows i personally really dislike

[@markinboy]

@@LiliShine4927 I recommend choosing another carrier.

[@surferdude44444]

My wife is a CX flight attendant based in SFO. I get the chance to fly with her on a lot of her JFK HKG and SFO HKG flights. 15-16 hour flights. There is absolutely no way you go hungry on those flights………business class or Y class. They gorge you with food. Huge assortment of snacks and drinks in the galley. I showed her your video. She was shocked.

[@terrygolden7726]

I live in wa and took cx to jfk out of yvr on a 777 chlice of meals vs cramped 737 no food no ife. Sadly i hearx cx isnt ofcering this route any more.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

Flew CX once. NEVER EVER AGAIN! United is much better.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

@@terrygolden7726 CX is the absolute worst! We always avoid Cathy Pacific.

[@marcd6897]

@@Meyerc-yv2bi😂 yeah, how much better everybody has seen in this video. You’re truly hilarious

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

@@marcd6897 When you can make a cogent sentence let all of us know.

[@Amosandy100]

I flew United a few years back to China in Polaris class. The seat was awesome, but we had the same deal with meals. One very nice meal served right away, and then never saw a crew member until about an hour before landing. They served breakfast, even though we were landing in Beijing at 5pm, and same on the return, landing in Chicago at 6pm.

[@FryChicken]

I watched a Singapore documentary about their slightly longer 19 hour flight. They described the great lengths they went to ensure the food is compatible with flying so long, the flight attendants are well versed in the challenges of such a flight, etc. etc. etc. And then there's United that throws their standard economy class food (where they can't even get the meal type right), their standard economy class seats, lav, and everything else at a 18 hour flight. It's absurd.

[@DaveDepilot-KFRG]

US carriers for anything longer than 5 hours are clueless.

[@patpongmichiko]

Enjoyed your report/ I have traveled frequently and learned to carry some snacks (dried fruits- nuts - or maybe even some small chocolate bars). not only to augment a spartan meal service but also just in case stuck on the plane in delays, etc.

[@spiderrico1853]

I flew Chicago to Hong Kong on United in economy. 16hrs. last 7 hours was torture.. nice video!

[@isaacflyaway]

18 hours on United sounds painful 😂😭

[@AirlinkTrainsAndAviation_PACQ]

Basically jet lag on wheels.

[@jake9500]

18 hrs on a Boeing 😬

[@derenevin6900]

My mom just did 16 hours from Capetown to EWR

[@opcal3897]

18 hours in Economy on any airline is way too long. Book PE if you can.

[@steelcitytv]

I don't care what airline I don't care if you take the one that flies first class and you get your own private apartment 18 hours on any aircraft is a pain in the f****** ass I don't care if you have business first class yeah it might make it a little bit better but it's really still pain in the f****** ass

[@Redlined997_C2S]

I could never fly economy that far. Your ability to do so, is impressive. Nice, frank video.

[@nobodynothing00000]

I'd never make a flight that long an American carriers. The longest I ever flew was America to Japan on JAL and their service is top notch. They know exactly how to make that flight as painless as possible.

[@pcmacintyre]

I recently did 16hrs, 51 min in the air SFO to SIN on Singapore Airlines in Premium Economy. It was fine. I managed to get a cheap ticket, less than United's economy price at the time. The crew was great and the Book the Cook choices were pretty tasty. Still, it was an endurance.

[@TinnekeVDE]

Premium economy has a lot more space then economy so don’t act as if you have done something extreme

[@aravchandra3572]

Fine what do you mean just fine ? Singapore airlines is a great airline in my opinion the best airline, the other good airlines are Emirates Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, Korean air, KLM, Swiss airways, And Lufthansa. United airlines is nothing compared to those airlines. United Airlines is very average, American Airlines is also very average, and Delta airlines is very average. US’s airlines are very average sometimes below average they’re ok, but not that good I don’t recommend flying with US airlines on long flights. I think Malaysia airlines is also a good airline. British airways and virgin Atlantic are good airlines, but the top airlines are Singapore airlines, and Middle Eastern Airlines, and also Japan Airlines and Korean air.

[@pcmacintyre]

​@@aravchandra3572 I'm 196cm tall, mostly legs, so the extra legroom is still barely adequate on an ultra long haul flight. The headrest was stuck and couldn't raise, so there was no neck/head support on a 17 hour flight that was entirely at night. The seats themselves were very shallow in my opinion making the calf rest useless. The hard product leaves a lot to be desired.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

Singapore is NEVER cheaper than UNited. I call BS!

[@pcmacintyre]

@@Meyerc-yv2bi Singapore Airlines fare was USD 695.30. I haven't seen anything like it since.

[@normanmcleod7169]

Given the price of the return flight, and had you had prior knowledge of the inadequate cate catering and thus armed yourself with some food or snacks before boarding, I agree that this was an ok flight. The legroom was really good compared to others. You are definitely going in the right direction ... videography and voice-over are great. I was going to suggest chapters, but I don't believe you need them, and their use might lead your reviews to become formulaic. Very enjoyable...thank you for posting.

[@TheAirliner]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video! To be honest, the flight from Singapore to SFO wasn't really as bad on the food front (I think just because I slept for almost the entire flight, it takes off at 10pm and lands at 10pm; so I wasn't really awake & hungry for much of the flight like I was here. If I did this flight again I'd absolutely bring some snacks!). I posted this video though instead of the last one just because that one is entirely in the dark, so it's not as interesting to watch.

[@timsmothers8740]

Oh, how I wish my body wasn't so banged up and always in pain so that I could handle a flight in economy for that long. Thanks for bringing this review to us.

[@poggi747]

United on a long haul flight, NO WAY! Singapore Airlines is the way to go.

[@davidcole333]

I learned years ago that if you're flying economy to never depend on an airline to keep you fed. You have to pack protein snacks and lots of them. You also need to have a substantial amount of water with you.

[@brentsummers7377]

Great video! I agree totally about SFO airport. They even have an aviation museum and there is another outdoor viewing area called the Sky Terrace - open Friday?, Saturday, Sunday, with good views of planes taking off on 28L 28R. Anyone can get access to the Sky Terrace but there is a security screening point at the door. As for the food that seems to be identical to what is served on their Australia and New Zealand routes which are hours shorter!

[@domreyna]

On Delta main cabin long haul flights they give most all sustainable products including wood cutlery, spoons, and fork.

[@3oriigingaming]

No meals for 14 hours is crazy. But thanks for making us aware of this. Now I know I should always buy some snacks or light meal at the airport to keep in my bag before any flight.

[@nztrekker]

I can always drop a few pounds.

[@euroschmau]

On a flight that long, you must bring your own snacks, it's an absolute necessity!

[@Kreege]

middle seat empty on an 18 hour flight? you won the lottery bro.

[@cvk4860]

Very nice and crisp review. I traveled this week between Delhi and San Francisco by Air India non-stop in economy. A 15 hour plus flight. Very old aircraft, un-updated interiors, dirty toilets, some toilets clogged midway and shutdown, non-functional inflight entertainment, very indifferent and rude crew, inconvenient meals with a snack, breakfast and lunch served at odd hours, late departure and late arrival leading to very very anxious transit experience at SFO, poor transit experience at Delhi from a domestic flight etc., etc., Air India says it is replacing aircrafts, re-training crew consequent to takeover by Tata Group etc., but very difficult to believe them. I suggest you do a review of the Air India long haul economy class travel, as early as possible because it is an inhuman experience we underwent. Not just in one flight but earlier 3 flights as we had to make 2 round trip flights. To crown it all Air India website still doesn’t allow you to book your journey from any other airport other than JFK, EWR, ORD and SFO to which they fly to and from India. However their inflight magazine lists United, Alaska as their partner airlines! Compared to Air India United seems to be much better

[@alooga555]

My longest flight on UA was from JFK (before the merger with CO) to NRT then back to JFK. I was sitting in the business class on the upper level of the 747, but I thought it was still brutal sitting in there for hours on end.

[@Liangkenno]

It is better to choose Asian airlines. The meals in economy seats are very good. Asian food is abundant.

[@user-xv6rz9oq4y]

Plus the flight attendants are nicer to look at....

[@sdlock83]

Sadly Asian airlines are also more expensive.

[@oSnapMillerTime]

Sometimes they code share so book ANA you might get United anyways 🎉

[@sdlock83]

@@oSnapMillerTime I flew Delta back in 2012, and to my chagrin both long haul legs (to & from) were code shared with an inferior airline, Vietnam Airlines : (

[@Liangkenno]

@@oSnapMillerTime When purchasing a ticket, you should know which airline is operated by it and has it displayed.

[@Yujoon-ls8nk]

I'm about to ride a 14 hour flight I'm happy to hear that it isn't as bad as how people say it is

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

United is bar none the best US airline, especially for long hauls.

[@scottprice4813]

I’ll be retiring soon and will be traveling to Asia . I’ll be flying JAL. Worth 3x the price of any American carrier . Great economy experience .

[@skypirate6278]

So you’re willing to pay triple the amount for a mediocre meal?

[@FryChicken]

@@skypirate6278 It's so much more than that. It's difficult to describe just how they're better, but non-domestic airline economy often supersedes domestic airline business for international flights.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

What an entitled comment. Do you think JAL's lousy economy meal is worth 3K? Just buy McDonalds for 10k at the airport and you're all set. JAL's seats, IFE and everything else is no better than United. It's a rip off, but if you like tossing money out the airplane window, go right ahead fool.

[@opcal3897]

I took this UA flight in Premium Plus back in April. The meal service used real cutlery and linens by Saks Fifth. The food was a significant upgrade from Economy and even better presented compared to SQ's PE which I regularly fly (although SQ food is much more delicious).

[@frankiechong3819]

I flew this exact same route a month ago on economy plus and the entire experience onboard was dreadful. The cabin crew could not be more indifferent and unfriendly, the meals were nearly 13 hours apart, snacks were not readily available and the seats were uncomfortable and stiff. Never again will I put myself through this ordeal and will fly with an Asian carrier.

[@latexdrc]

The bright side: loyal American

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

My experience was the opposite. Best cabin crew and catering on United!

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

@@latexdrc Amercian.. LOLOLOL!! PUKE!

[@ishaanrevankar492]

​@Meyerc-yv2bi Try other Asian carriers and then say United is best 😂.

[@PalmBeachDog]

My friend that is a flight attendant for United said to me that there’s no incentive to improve the meal service when most flights are sold out. I guess that makes sense if what they’re serving doesn’t seem to be affecting business.

[@djtexas4993]

United has lately been a most profitable American airline, so rather than complain about the food, (which does need to improve) better to be a shareholder oneself. The fruit and cheese plate, while not included free, is a great and worthy upcharge at $10.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

@@djtexas4993 I love the food, but I'm not a shareholder of United.

[@H0Simone]

What a pain in the neck! 😖 I wonder how Airlines like United survive the competition. Nowadays there is not one single US carrier left that I would consider to fly long haul!

[@brucesmith9144]

That’s why I fly EVA when I go back home to the US from Asia. Very good service.

[@H0Simone]

@@brucesmith9144 So do I! 👍

[@ebboy5]

For Asia, I fly either ANA (excellent) or Singapore! Excellent food and service!

[@ironmanjt]

because the people paying big bucks for tickets base their decisions on nonstop routes + comfort and ability to work...not around airline meals.

[@H0Simone]

@@ironmanjt Are you kidding? Where does United offer any comfort, especially in economy? 🥴😖 Compared to e.g JAL, Singapore Airlines or Thai Airways all US carriers are simply poor and far behind competition. With anything - comfort, service and meals! With adequate nonstop flights offered by those Asian carriers to and from the US! 🤷‍♀️

[@planesandcooking5142]

I agree, meal service upgrades would make the experience so much nicer. The meal was similar to my ORD-MUC flight. Tasty mini main entrée left me wanting more. Same mindset apparently at the planners office. Not taking in account the actual amount of in-flight times.

[@onocoffee]

I did BWI-SFO-SIN-KUL a year ago in E+. I was surprised how seemingly quickly the SFO-SIN flight went. Of course, I'm very used to and comfortable with 12+ hour non-stops but I thought the extra 5-6 hours would be brutal, but it went well. I did load up on some extra food at SFO for the long haul.

[@georgemaltese]

Great video, I’m surprised by first the plastic, most foreign carriers are moving towards more sustainable. The food looked really skimpy, no snacks not good at all. Wow, thank heavens for Singapore Air or any other carrier that does that route. Great review. Thanks. You should show Singapore or Korean Air.

[@MichaelWong-x7u]

I flew EWR to HND on a 777-200 recently, and we got two meal services plus a hot sandwich mid flight which might be reflective on the 777 being a bigger aircraft?

[@wikolib6821]

Think most of the food and bev service was up front in first class. 18 hours is pretty crazy but you're still young. Good vid thanks. Thinking about going home to Hawaii for a bit as Hawaiian is flying 787s now.

[@samirang21]

I've taken this exact flight twice, both before and after COVID, and the food options are quite inadequate. They offer only small cups of ice cream if you ask, which doesn't do much to satisfy hunger in between two meals. On my second trip, I bought a tray of sushi before boarding to avoid this issue.

[@hoytoy100]

Ooof! At least a root canal is over in an hour or two!

[@ironmanjt]

This is actually NOT United's longest flight - at 8,446 miles it's second longest behind Houston to Sydney which clocks in at 8,596 - 150 miles longer.

[@elfulano5884]

Out of curiosity, who handles United's catering at SFO? Is it the California Department of Corrections?

[@TheBudgetTraveller786]

I flew IAH - SYD which is United's longest route, even longer than SFO - SIN. The halal butter chicken catered by Rajbhog foods was amazing. But the cookie dessert and second meal was meh. 2 hot meals, a mid flight snack, and a bunch of packaged snacks were offered though. United advertises a mid flight snack service on flights longer than 10 hours so if they did not have anything between meals, it is possible you had a service irregularity and should bring this up with them, assuming you did not sleep thru the mid flight snack since they keep the lights dimmed during that service.

[@KevinWu787]

Just a heads up, this isn't United's longest flight. It is their longest regularly scheduled flight though. The longest is Houston to Sydney but it's only a seasonal route.

[@cascabeles1]

I flew United Airlines from LAX to Tokyo with a couple of friends in 2023. Initially UA canceled our flight into Haneda without rebooking us to a later flight so we were scrambling last minute to find a flt to Tokyo. We had to book a flt to Narita which was considerably far from our hotel. So the transportation cost extra. Flt was economy seating. We were given one cup of water, and like you, one meal. We did not get full size drinks at any point in the flight. We bought meals in the airport to take with us since we noticed the itinerary only listed one meal. Also, for some reason we didn't get snacks. I hope I never have to do an international flight on United ever again. They also didn't keep the bathroom clean so by the end of the flight there was dried pee all over the floor. Thankfully I had antibacterial wipes to clean off the bottom of my shoes. Flights are too expensive for that kind of service. I won't even go into the return flight.

[@duaneowens7777]

Great video. Did you check in a bag. Were they strict with the weight

[@TheAirliner]

I checked in a bag and had no problems with weight, although I do have Star Alliance Gold status (through Singapore Airlines) so I wasn't worried about having to pay.

[@selindenizcebi9952]

I also have been negatively surprised by Turkish Airlines while I was flying from Istanbul to Washington DC. I was in economy class. They gave very little food for such a long time and the portions were on the very very small side.

[@ebboy5]

OMG! You're awfully brave to be flying United non-stop to Singapore! I do agree their entertainment is the best around, however their food is gross (that's the result of them not wanting to spend much money on food; even for Polaris). Their flight attendants regardless of which route you're flying appear tired, unkept (like they just rolled out of bed), over-weight, and totally checked out. I couldn't tell you the last time they put a comb through their hair!!! SFO to EWR is about my limit. Anything longer than that; especially overseas, I'm gonna fly a forgein carrier. Excellent food, extremely well groomed and helpful/friendly staff and nice seats. I will give United cudos for how good their pilots are; consistently the smoothest landings I've ever experienced anywhere around the world!

[@fxhomie]

Emirates has the best cabin crew imho.

[@djtexas4993]

I guess we all have our different experiences- United cabin crew has been, repeatedly, some of the best (and nicest, freshest looking) crew I’ve ever had.

[@ebboy5]

@@fxhomie Agreed! I've had the pleasure of flying them in Business Class to India via Dubai. You gotta love the a380 with the lounge in the back and a continuous supply of snacks at the back counter. Everyone is so nice and the food is quite delicious.

[@ebboy5]

@@djtexas4993 so true! I have flown United from Asia back to SFO and the crew were all so nice and attentative. Perhaps they were newer recruits than the others who have tons of seniority. Cheers!

[@Steve-hk2yr]

Very good video, thanks so much. Some limitations but the PRICE of that ticket is unbelievable!! Go United.

[@nitahandorf1547]

International long haul flights snacks are always available at the back or middle of the aircraft just ask the flight crews. Coffee, tea or any drinks are available as well.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

Amen! Love United!

[@djtexas4993]

I’m not sure why there weren’t snacks available in between meals- I want to say you could have asked a FA easily and gotten something. Snacks are available in the galley even on much shorter flights. And regarding you comment about meal times in conjunction with San Francisco time- SF is irrelevant, it’s more about “landing time”, and then, the time at destination ( even though sometimes that is still less relevant than “time of landing”). Very nice video, thank you for uploading!

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

Totally agree. The meal service was indeed appropriate and United ALWAYS has snacks in the galley. I find the quality of food much better than on Delta or American, BUT the portions are not large. Seat pitch, IFE, comfort of seat are all superior. Never had a bad crew either and the 787 is a great plane. United is always my first choice when available, and they are usually the cheapest.

[@cwc1646]

Great job with your voiceover! Thanks

[@realunitedfly]

I totally agree with you, 100%!

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

I totally disagree with you, 100%

[@ldstiesto]

Question: Do u have the option to purchase better or different type of food?

[@andyjackson4766]

Great report thanks for sharing, I recently flew BA to Singapore and the food plus portions were great, they also had snacks readily available. That said, I would generally choose to fly an Asian or Middle Eastern Airline, I gave up flying on US carriers pre-pandemic. Safe travels

[@ianwilde5379]

So in summary I have always known all American airlines to be very bad service and nothing has changed. Thank you for reconfirming for me I am due to fly from Singapore to Dallas and I will certainly be to choosing Singapore Airlines!

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

Speak for yourself. I find US airlines some of the best and the prices can not be beat. It's not worth spending an additional $1,000 on ANA just for their economy meal, when you can buy McDonalds at the airpot for $10. Besides, I love United's catering and always appreciate the full can of whatever I'm getting. Friendly crews, comfy seats, best IFE in the air... United is my top pick.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

United is much better than most airlines, period. Your comment is BS.

[@flyinghow]

I agree with you on catering. Fourteen hours between meals and no snack set up in galley makes no sense.

[@nicka2256]

Perfect weather at SFO this day.

[@shaunyip2153]

Nice review. And I agree that having two meals on this flight is fine (in theory), but the timing is really messed up. I wouldn't avoid United Airlines completely - they're basically OK, but if booking economy, I wouldn't fly them on anything over 8 hours.

[@nycsimon2024]

The transit at SFO seems pretty smooth. I may ditch Cathay’s non-stop flight from JFK to HKG next time if the price is right.

[@thomasjsanford4369]

On almost any major airline, going 18 hours on a 777-300er or a350 would be delightful. Doing so on the 787 NightmareLiner would be dangerous.

[@xrs54]

I couldn’t imagine a flight that long lol! I guess I should fill up before I get to the airport or eat there. No beer service???

[@CN-beziiz]

And to think that I complained that United Business class food service is over the top with food portions. I used to think it was ok in terms of food quality and portion, but lately it is overly large in portion. I agree that what you have shown in your video, the food portion is terrifyingly small. Perhaps it is time to pack one's food for such long haul flights ... and United staff has to deal with more trash!

[@nmr440]

Wait, you just said they only served you twice but then you showed your ham abd cheese sandwich and then two packs of snacks. So it looks like you were fed 4x on this flight - dinner, sandwich snack, packaged snack, breakfast. That’s pretty good.

[@icculus]

I’ve done a few 16-18 hour flights in economy. Luckily it was on Cathay Pacific and I think ANA (From Tokyo but don’t remember exactly which airline) which both had clean planes, and good food and service.

[@_w_w_]

My friend, you need to get out more often. If you think the meal service on this flight is good, then you really don't travel much. Even lousy US competitors Delta and American beat this any day of the week. If you compare it to Asian airlines, this would look like dog food. United is so cheap, even the bottled water is tiny. The seat padding is horrendous. If you think it's soft, you should try Delta's A350 and A330neo - it would be heavenly in comparison. United sucks and 18 hours on United is pure torture.

[@solsticebaby]

I'm so confused about the 18 hours. I'm taking this flight in a couple months and it's supposed to be around 16 hours. Are you counting from the time you boarded until the time you deplaned? You mentioned wind. Did that slow you by 2 hours? Great video by the way

[@TheAirliner]

Yeah -- the flight ended up being about 17 hours in the air but we took about an hour taxiing to the runway & such. (perhaps I'm stretching it a *bit* to say 18 hours but it's pretty close; and some days this flight does take 18 depending on the winds). I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and have a great trip!

[@skypirate6278]

People love to embellish.

[@kiwisun529]

Can you buy a meal on the flight? 18 hours is crazy. Looking to travel to Singapore in 2025 or 2026 but the flight time scares me . Can't afford more than economy or maybe economy plus. Any tips to help survive? Great video

[@hcp051000]

In the future -- for every Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of all airlines (including United Airlines) parked at the gate with 2 jetbridges --, the gate MUST ALWAYS use BOTH jetbridges for passenger loading and unloading to ease the passenger traffic for both boarding and deplaning processes.

[@user-ew3dm1jq6j]

God No! I can’t imagine 18 hours! I flew 10 hours from Los Angeles to London and that was long enough for me!

[@jonathanfactor6688]

Great video thanks

[@LatinJck]

Great video - I guess the moral of the story is if you are willing to endure the 18 hour with United with that kind of a price - them remember to buy dinner at SFO airport if you are doing the long haul to Singapore. I however do not like United have had my shares of horror stories with them would prefer an international carrier if I traveled to Asia.

[@jcaam8094]

I could never do 18 hrs in coffin class.

[@Iam-me]

😂

[@marywang1288]

You know why United keep the cabin so cold on trans Pacific flights, anything you can do about it?

[@trentsiver7303]

wear warming clothing. some of us that are hot, can only legally remove so much clothing to cool off.

[@Jimalcoatl]

I'm going to be flying united from Incheon to Calgary. I'm very ok with being cold (I tend to be too hot most of the time) and leg room is nice. The meal service is total crap, so I'll bring a lunch if I can. Other than that it seems fine, but by no means great.

[@HiSteOfMnd]

18 hours and in economy!! Heck no 😂 I can’t even keep still on a 5 hour flight from HNL to LAX/SFO. Ain’t no way I’ll survive that long. I’ll take a layover any day.

[@RealGaryGibson]

Voiceover is so much better!

[@ckavanagh4237]

I flew that route earlier this year and have flown trans pacific many times. This flight in economy was endless.

[@saminekunis8680]

I flew over 10 years ago with a United 747 -400 from LAX to HKG. Sadly their were only Economy Seats left. Luckily i was able to check in early to get a seat in the first row, isle position, and my keg/knee space was enormous for Economy. We did receive if i remember correctly 3/4 meals & a before landing in HKG small evening meal. Its sad that thevonce stellar service of United got really bad especially for such a long flight. Because of that & because there is no more Northwest Airline's flights i can only recommend Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines or China Southern which all have an outstanding in flight meal service, the friendliest crew imaginable & a great Safety record especially in regards to the maintenance of such extreme long haul flight Planes

[@Moonstone-Redux]

3am SF time is 6pm in Singapore time, just in time for dinner, though it really would have helped if they served much earlier, maybe 1pm Singapore time (10pm SF time).

[@sfneurosurgeon]

Flew to Singapore on United years ago and I didn’t remember it being that long. Probably because I slept most of the flight.

[@YuuHuang-b2m]

I think all the us airlines have this kind of food issue which the first meal is normal and the second meal is always breakfast on long haul international flight.

[@jimlow6824]

Perhaps they're serving breakfast because they assume you are just waking up.

[@JIEXZ14]

Fly EVA,China Airlianes via Taipei, the food is overflowing and delicious!

[@Ethan-ep2zl]

I saw my house in the video!!!

[@managepay]

Definitely prefer a stop over than direct for such a long trip

[@Lakesider52]

No tea or coffee service? TBH, and I'm trying to be polite here, that came across as a real "budget airline" experience when compared to, say, Singapore Airlines on the same route.

[@qv6486]

Singapore has direct from ny to Singapore. It uses a359 in a 2 class layout. Premium economy and business. Less than 185 seats. look up SQ 21 Sq22 from Newark to Changi

[@TinnekeVDE]

@@qv6486he probably knows but doesn’t want to pay for it

[@TinnekeVDE]

Always take snacks, you only do it to yourself you know

[@skypirate6278]

People, all you have to do is be cool and polite and ask the crew for a fresh cup of coffee. You’ll get it. All you have to do is ask.

[@Lakesider52]

@@skypirate6278 I appreciate that but throughout the video, there was no evidence that there was any tea/coffee service. Seemed odd to me but I did not see it.

[@Retiredtraveler1961]

It's not 18 hours flight time. It's 7339 nautical miles. While flying against the jetstream, the 787 typically flies at mock .85 or 630 MPH. There is the jet stream which slows you down headed west but 550 mph into 7339= 14 hours plus departure & approach. The average according to FlightAware is 15.5 hours flight time. Regardless, it's still a long damn flight and there's no way I would ever go kettle car across the Pacific. I am flying DFW to Sydney, 7500 miles and I'll be doing that in Business Class. I'm 6 to 31 inches of seat pitch would not cut it. You had lots of legroom you must be under 6 feet (no offense intended).

[@JohnPatrick-qs5xp]

Every United trip report I watch, the food is exactly the same no matter the route or time. It is always butter chicken from the same company. Also they have cut snack choices down to one.

[@dreadinajeep]

that middle seat being empty probably helped comfort a lot

[@JMarSa-1]

As a former flight attendant who flew international for many years at one of UA’s competitors, I certainly hope you let UA know of your flight experience. The food looked really awful, and I sure hope you brought some food with you. Your fare is commiserate with the service and quality of food. I’d rather have a nicer experience, this was bare bones in the back of the plane. Sorry for you, but I know you liked saving money…

[@KnownAsLeo]

You are a trooper sir - hats off to you! My longest flight is about 14 hours on EVA to Taipei from the west coast (economy class too). There's no denying its a long flight no matter how you slice it. I would like to know your secret on how you got such a deal only two weeks prior to your travel day. I have been able to score similar deals, but I had to book 6 months in advance. BTW, have you tried SFO to Singapore on Singapore Air? That's one I want to try. Safe travels - stay well. 👍

[@AP-hn8wd]

If I have internet full time, browsing twitter and reddit will make that time feel like nothing lmfao. I easily spend some lazy Sundays just browsing all day long 😂😂

[@patrisio3]

I'm flying that route on United next month...except I'm flying the one that leave at night. Not looking forward to the 16-18 hours nonstop. I've done a 17 hour flight before. But I was 13 years younger....the muscle tone and weight might be the same, but the bones and joints aren't. But then again, I did 10 hours to Europe just to have to wait for 3 hours and get on another plane and do another 7 to Africa (and even longer hours going back to the U.S.) and that was miserable. So maybe as long as I get up and stretch enough, 17 hours nonstop might not be too bad.

[@S_Paoli]

that little sandwich looked sadder than the kind of sandwiches that Air Koryo(North Korea) serves on their flights. :(

[@bkkchu]

United has been making moves. I had a great experience last week on 787, 737, and A320 to and from Hawaii and Rochester. Their rewards program is solid too.

[@cxaviation3313]

In all honesty, I find the situation of no snacks to be super odd. I flew on united's 14.5 hour DXB-EWR service and there was a ton of (really good) sandwiches and other snacks. It might just be a one off situation with your flight.

[@Mal17281]

Great video

[@lenovo2024chico]

Subscribed

[@rolandbishop4808]

I was on this exact same flight April 2019....Polaris 8a

[@FryChicken]

Holy shit I appreciate your going through this misery on my behalf so I can enjoy the nightmare fuel without having to actually live it. If United had even a touch of genuine pride, they would be 10x better than they are.

[@Meyerc-yv2bi]

United is the best. You are just an idiot, as is the biased reviewer.

[@kwkim510]

Like Singapore Airlines' A350-900ULR, I think United Airlines will have to start with at least Premium Plus in its seat configuration for some models only to compete

[@FabioMonteirovsm]

that sounds painful TBH. most 7-8 hr international flights have 2 services, for a 18-hour flight I would expect at least double the amount, 3 would be the minimum

[@rawasianchicago]

No airline do 3 or 4 full meal service even on the slightly shorter EWR/JFK-HKG