DISAPPOINTING 😔 United Airlines Premium Economy

[@mrfranciscoV]

Okay so, this past March I traveled to Tokyo, Japan on United's Dreamliner., the experience was great! I had ZERO complains, food was great, the service was even better. the Flight attendants were so nice and courteous. The premium seats were so comfy and I did manage to sleep a few hours., breakfast and lunch were delicious, snacks were nice. No complains here., oh and yes I plan to fly United again next year for London. :)

[@HDjeff]

I’m glad you had a great flight! I have a video about my United Polaris flight to Tokyo last December and that wasn’t great either, but I flew back in ANA “The Room” and that was exceptional. I have flown 650k lifetime miles on UA (plus a lot of free miles on points) so I’m used to the inconsistencies in their service, it usually comes down to the crew. I have probably done about 20 London round trips with United, it’s usually very good ok those routes and don’t miss the United club in Heathrow, especially in the morning when they have a great English breakfast buffet!

[@ianstallings]

I've flown a lot and my experience is that it's all really nuanced. Sometimes an airline will really hit it out of the park, sometimes they fall flat on their face. None of the US carriers, imho, are truly superior to the others. But I fly United a lot these days because I go to Chicago a lot.

[@HDjeff]

Yes you’re 100% right, but at least it’s more fun to make a video when things don’t go so smoothly! 😆

[@somchaiwongma3813]

I was done with United after flying in “Polaris Business Class” from Seoul to SFO a year ago. I had preordered a vegetarian meal but they messed up. “Chicken or Beef” was no option for me so during the entire 11 hour flight I had nothing else than a can of beer and a bag of nuts. When I asked the flight attendant (apparently the only one for the whole business class) for a second bag of nuts, the response was “we have only 1 bag for each business class passenger”. No other snacks were available. I saw this lady only 3 times during the flight.

[@HDjeff]

Wow, that’s terrible! 😡 They always have a vegetarian option available but they do run out of certain meals sometimes. Should have been a priority if you ordered one. I’ve flown ICN-SFO and it’s closer to 9.5-10 hours flying time, did you get delayed too?

[@navsky]

I flew US carrier for the first time in a very long time last year. As an economy class passenger, after experiencing US airports, service and product - I would not dare go back there again, or at least never in economy! Just a little traumatized, not much :)

[@HDjeff]

I promise it usually isn’t this bad! 😂

[@UnderMyPalm]

Tell me you're not a pro traveler without telling me you're not a pro traveler.

[@HDjeff]

🤣

[@colinrenfrew48]

Uniteds approach to customer service is evidence that they are a truly awful airline.

[@HDjeff]

They still have plenty of wonderful flight attendants, they just weren’t on that flight but management has consistently cut on board service and their mileage valuations in recent years.

[@LilyMov-u5i]

I fly United couple of times a month for work! Staff are remarkable. But that’s a bummer that they treated you guys in that way.

[@HDjeff]

Yea it was really a one off, I think it was just m exhausting day for everyone. United’s flight attendants are usually great despite what everyone may think about United. If you watch some of my other United videos the service is usually great and I have other things to complain about instead. 😆

[@Nebulous0_o]

I flew jfk-lhr and back with delta in November. Couldn’t believe how grumpy and rude the flight attendants were. I remember when flight attendants were all smiles. It seems in 2023 that flight attendants are second rate servers in the sky who just want their shift to be over asap.

[@HDjeff]

That’s such a shame, I’ve had great service many times on United and Delta and it makes all the difference in your flight experience. We all have bad days so I try to give people the benefit of the doubt at first, but it shouldn’t be that hard to be a little nice to people if you choose a customer facing career like that. On those long flights there is no service mid-flight but they often have snacks in the galley or don’t be afraid to ring your call bell. On foreign airlines they are often much better at checking in mid flight. Happy travels! ✌️

[@Mrinternet6]

Personally, I have flown Premium Plus twice, both of those flights were decent and had most things that International flight, while only flying to my home in Texas, to San Francisco California. While I agree that premium plus is a bridge between economy and first class. All the flight attendants were nice.

[@HDjeff]

They actually consider that economy plus on that route, you just get the bonus of the bigger seat or at least they did about a year ago when I flew the same route and was able to select the premium plus seat for free, but these things do change often. I know the Newark to SFO and LAX flights (maybe Hawaii too) are sold as 3 cabin economy/premium/business instead of economy/first like all the other domestic flights. My family lives near Houston so I frequently visit IAH!

[@Mrinternet6]

Nice, I also feel like most shorter flights economy or first class are less luxurious, for example in September, I went to see family in Ohio, and when I got on. There was no tv, no recliner, and reality small leg room. Mind you this is first class from Houston to Cincinnati. Me and my family agreed that the flight was worse than most first class flights I've been on. I've also seen a pattern that the charging Jack, and Wi-Fi seems to be VERY faluty and tedious. When ever I'm on a flight, I will get out my laptop and stick the cord into the jack, and 1 hour will go by and my laptop lost all of its battery. Same thing with my Iphone or Ipad

[@dylanstravelreviews]

Great video, im going to possibly fly this from LAX-DEN using the widebody hack and the seats look pretty good! thx for the vid

[@HDjeff]

Yes, definitely worth it when you can select these as “economy plus” seats between their hubs. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@dodgers4121]

I don't agree with your statement "Premium is an economy class seat with foot rest". You have 7 inches more in leg room and the seat reclines double than economy seat. You can have a very comfortable day flight.

[@HDjeff]

That’s not what I said, starting at 7:15 I said it was comparable to their domestic first class seat in size with the addition of a leg rest and later I said the extra room was well worth it. Amanda was comparing the service when she made the comment you are referring to, and you mis-quoted her.

[@dodgers4121]

@@HDjeff Sorry my apology.

[@JerryTLai]

Since the lav is right in front of row 20 on the 787-10, did you find it bothersome on the flight? I'm in Row 20 on an upcoming flight but have the option to move back, although I do prefer the bulkhead.

[@HDjeff]

The lav wasn’t an issue, and I’d prefer not to have someone recline in front of me in premium economy because it’s very hard to get out if your in the middle or window.

[@JerryTLai]

Same! I much prefer bulkhead so nobody reclines into me especially on a long flight. Glad to hear the proximity to the lav is not an issue. Sticking to row 20!

[@kennethrasimas9007]

The one thing you learn after 2+ million on United and tons of miles on others is measure your experiences and balance your negative comments with constructive criticism........ who hasn't been on delayed flights...love to see how your wife asked for another drink

[@solsticebaby]

Well, I would love to be a flight reviewer but I have no idea how to edit videos. You however, did a Great job with this. New sub for sure. And while I enjoy watching reviews of all cabin classes, there's a million people who review business long haul So thank you for reviewing in a way that's relatable

[@HDjeff]

Thank you so much! I have done reviews of all four classes, I love to fly so I still have fun flying in economy but I save my points for the fancy flights. I just did another premium economy review with Virgin Atlantic which I’ll post in a week or 2 but it was the best premium economy I’ve flown. You can learn to edit videos on KZbin, when I started 20 years ago I had to buy online courses but all that info is out there for free now.

[@solsticebaby]

@@HDjeff thanks, Jeff! For the videos and the tip to learn on YT!

[@Ilovemesomemj1]

Hey Jeff, hows it going? I guess you won't be using United anymore. It's funny, I haven't been in Newark airport in years. I used to live in Jersey City. 15 minutes away from Newark. I haven't been keeping up with travel videos lately. Hope all is well.

[@HDjeff]

Thank you for all your wonderful comments Melanie, I always love reading them! 😊 I have 650k lifetime miles with United so I am still going for million miler which means you’re star alliance gold for life… I’m just not in a rush to get there! I will probably avoid Newark next summer, but the new terminal A is really nice and even United’s terminal C is much better than it used to be, except maybe for the air conditioning. 😂

[@Fat_Cat_747]

The best transatlantic PE is with Virgin and in terms of seat sizes specifically on their 787 and A330-300 aircraft - 21 inches wide and well padded ! The newer PE product is only 18.5 and is on their A350 and A330-900neo. The perks are good with Virgin and the service well regarded overall by reviews. Seat pitch is the same for almost all airlines and aircraft at 38 inches. Width between armrests varies little now among PE options, being usually 18.5 or small variations above and some 19, making the Virgin aircraft I mentioned such a stand out on hard product alone. The US carriers are a hit or miss and I suggest a lot of luck and route dependency involved. Indications are Virgin partner Delta is the best option among them for likelihood of good outcome. BA is considered by review impression to be mediocre compared to Virgin and has less perks. Be careful with Air France as only some aircraft have the nice new seat and people report the old shell ones awful, plus I've seen it said the new ones recline too much which is bad if you're on the receiving end. There's a couple of fifth freedom oddities from Singapore Airlines - Manchester to Houston and Frankfurt to JFK. Everyone knows they are great but at what price ? KLM have recently joined the PE club at last, but only on certain aircraft so far. As they serve a lot of people to a lot of places this is significant news.

[@HDjeff]

I’m impressed, you are a wealth of knowledge! I am a big fan of the Virgin brands and have yet to do their premium economy so it is high up on my list, I didn’t know it was 21” on some flights - that’s amazing!

[@Fat_Cat_747]

@@HDjeff It was a usp for them until they spoiled things with their 18.5 inch seats ( Collins MiQ). The intended aircraft for a given flight are however known in advance so that helps you decide if PE is worth it and so you are only at 'risk' of a substitution happening. That said, its not out of kilter with the competition dimensions and there is the benefit of freshness, plus best IFE on the newer aircrafts. The starkest difference between economy and PE is on their 787. A nine abreast 787 is awful as many know, but on that aircraft in PE they have their old school wide seats. The narrowest difference is on their brand new A330-900 neo. In the back of almost any A330 including the new one things are relatively nice. Up in PE its the new style seats. I forgot to mention before, toilet ratio is an issue. If the PE cabin is big enough there might be a dedicated toilet, whereas if the airline only runs a small PE they will have to share with economy. Afaik no airline allows use of business class toilets. By the way, it could be argued that on the aircraft that have the old school PE seats, it is a better way to fly on a daytime flight headed west, than in Virgin's weird coffin business class on those aircrafts ( 787, A330-300 ). Its extremely difficult to see out the window as its behind your headrest. There's hardly any storage. Whereas in PE the outer groups are twos which is social for a couple, spacious for fat bottys at 21 inches ( wider than many business class ), you see out the windows nicely and you probably won't need to sleep. Even on a return leg to London, unless its from a far west starting point you probably won't need a full on lay flat sleep. By the way if you do Virgin business class ( "Upper Class" ) some time, one of the nicest benefits is the Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow. Its a bucket list thing on its own. I don't know if high status with Delta gets you in ( I doubt it ) so you'll need an actual Upper Class or Delta One ticket.

[@proudasiangirl576]

What is "level"? For those who don't travel often may not know.

[@HDjeff]

Great question, thanks for asking! Level is a newer low cost airline based in Barcelona. They are owned by IAG, the same company that owns BA, Iberia, and Vueling. They operate the only direct flight between Boston and Barcelona which is in another video I made earlier this year. Happy travels! ✌️

[@tomg9476]

Wife and I flew Polaris LHR for SFO and back. It was wild how rude and inattentive the flight attendants were. Good seats, but that’s it. Overall very disappointed. But it’s not like United cares.

[@HDjeff]

That’s terrible, more often than not I’ve had good service but when it’s that bad it really ruins the experience. It shouldn’t be that hard to be kind to people, and it’s a lot more fun than being miserable.

[@DaveM-FFB]

Is it me, or does United Premium Economy appear to be overpriced? In most cases it's like 2x economy prices. And United typically only has a few rows of Premium Economy seats.

[@HDjeff]

It depends on the flight, this one was like $100 more than economy. They only put 3 rows in and demand for PE is high so I wouldn’t be surprised if they increased the size of the cabin in the future.

[@angieharris8015]

And THAT'S why I never travel in the summer or on major holidays :) There you go, folks..a "travel hack" lol

[@HDjeff]

😂 yes that is great advice! I’ve made the same mistake too many times. 🤦‍♂️

[@magskl672]

That is a “premium plus” seat, not premium economy. Those are two different options. Premium Plus costs much more than Premium Economy

[@HDjeff]

Premium Plus is United’s marketing term for premium economy like Polaris is business class, I think you’ve got it confused with economy plus which is just an extra legroom seat.

[@alteclansing2638]

Airline Rating criteria: Rest of the world: Good, Average, Bad. US Airlines: Average, Bad, Worst, also, got arrested or assaulted.

[@HDjeff]

Yes, that sounds about right! 😂

[@doni4150]

Odd , normally you receive glassware ... It must have truly have been the flight crew.

[@HDjeff]

Yes, luckily our flight home on Iberia was much more enjoyable!

[@thepokemandu]

Love the video! BTW, you look like the competitive eater Joey Chestnut :P

[@HDjeff]

Thank you, and I’ll work on eating more hot dogs. 🌭😂 I’m actually subscribed to several competitive eaters but I don’t think I would win any of food competitions!

[@kobyjones]

I always assume the food will suck so anything better than that is just gravy

[@HDjeff]

That’s one way to always set yourself up for success! We actually had a great meal flying home on Iberia, possibly the best piece of fish I’ve ever had in the sky. That video will be coming eventually, happy travels! ✌️

[@jamespopow9156]

Service On UNITED is HORRIBLE for that REASON I WENT TO DELTA and I'm very HAPPY WITH DELTA

[@HDjeff]

I’m too close to a million to switch now! 😆 Plus Delta’s miles are pretty worthless compared to United if you want to use them for flights like this one.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you fir sharing.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Sorry!! Thank you "for" sharing. ☺

[@HDjeff]

My pleasure, thank you for watching!

[@annedewsbury3354]

Definitely staying with business class.

[@HDjeff]

Yes smart move, Amanda wishes we did too! 😂 Luckily our flight home in Iberia business class was very good!

[@annedewsbury3354]

@@HDjeff ,thank you for your videos. It helps make my decisions easier.

[@RichardCarlson-dh5uz]

I flew on delta airlines and one flight that the screen was not working and I was traveling to Hawaii and I did not have not any legroom I will not pick delta i will rather fly with United or American and I am hoping to fly on united 787 10 when I go back to Hawaii

[@HDjeff]

That’s terrible, especially on a long flight like that. Better luck in your next adventure & enjoy the 787-10! ✌️

[@Ian-vx2xg]

Great video! I've done transatlantic premium economy a fair few times, of the US carriers I've found American to be ok, similar seats to United and the AA crews have been pretty good (at least for me), no issue with having more drinks 😂. Look forward to seeing the return Iberia flight in the future.

[@HDjeff]

Thanks so much Ian! United usually has decent service on these flights but I’m sure they’ve all had a rough time lately with all the delays and crazy customers.

[@bobwarzin5492]

Of course its not Polaris because you are in PE not Polaris.

[@HDjeff]

Obviously, she is used to flying business class. 🤷‍♂️

[@Bigbacon]

isn't thiss premium plus not premium economy?

[@HDjeff]

Premium Plus is what United calls Premium Economy, it’s the same thing like Polaris is business class.

[@HDjeff]

Also if you search for flights it’s listed under “premium economy” on the United website or app.

[@nellie8587]

I’m looking to find out the dimensions on the tray table for the premium plus bulk head seat on a Boeing 777-300 If you’re on this plane anytime soon I’d love your assistance- thanks

[@HDjeff]

It should be exactly the same as this video. Same seat just 2-4-2 instead of 2-3-2 on the 787. About as wide as the seat cushion so maybe 18-19”. We were actually on United’s inaugural flight on the 777-300 in row 1, it was their first flight with the Polaris seat from Newark to California I remember we booked it for 50k miles each, double the saver award at the time. I’ve done a few long flights since on that aircraft but only in Polaris. Happy travels! ✌️

[@paa90777]

God

[@HDjeff]

??

[@sebastianvirga1015]

Fly out of EWR all the time. I really don’t know why it gets such a bad rap

[@HDjeff]

The new terminal A is awesome, the airport has come a long way in the last decade but terminal C still can’t handle the summer heat! 🥵

[@sebastianvirga1015]

I have never ever had a bad experience with United airlines

[@HDjeff]

Either you haven’t flown with them much or you’re extremely lucky! The year they merged with Continental I flew 92 segments between the two airlines and it was awful, I got so many apology vouchers and bonus miles for various problems. They’re better than most US airlines, but far from perfect.

[@zachmorrow7737]

Standing in the isle prior to being stopped…definitely low IQ move. Give a review after flying coach your whole life and things would be better received up near the front of the plane. LoL

[@HDjeff]

I fly economy more often than not, 6 hours in a middle seat yesterday. Happy travels! ✌️

[@valenevasquez2542]

Can I take the blanket? Lol

[@HDjeff]

You’re not supposed to but I promise I won’t tell! 🤐 😆 They actually sell them online too.

[@drabouchkrymchantowski9143]

It is clear that Americans dream of being "business people". Everything is only about money, profits, etc. However, when they fly from and to other countries and cultures, they HAVE TO OBSERVE a few details. For ex, to deny serving another small bottle of mediocre wine????? To keep yelling at everyone? Although they don't notice, because they are AMERICANS, most people are paying for their tickets, and trying to travel to work or to relax. Crews are also people and will eventually suffer the same inadequate treatments...

[@HDjeff]

Wow, thank you for gracing us mere mortals with your unparalleled expertise on Americans and our undying love for money! 💰It is clear how you've condensed the essence of 340 million people into one comment. We STAND IN AWE of your genius! May your future flights be blessed with an endless supply of the finest wine, service so impeccable that it rivals a royal banquet, and, of course, a complete absence of us pesky Americans. 🇺🇸

[@drabouchkrymchantowski9143]

@@HDjeff exactly

[@Dankyjrthethird]

Based

[@kennethjdaggett6075]

Makes me want to fly United. NOT,

[@HDjeff]

😂

[@clausstimpfig3803]

nice video. very professional. But such poor service. And no international First Class anymore. All in all U.S. carriers are primitive. No more luxury. No more elegance, no more caviar and Dom Perignon, which UA offered in First in the ninties. Only Air France, BA or LH. And of course Emirates, Etihad, and my beloved Singapore airlines.

[@HDjeff]

Thank you! We actually flew United first class from Narita about 10 years ago, it was so much less miles back then too but no caviar & the service didn’t match the other airlines you mentioned. I do remember enjoying the first class lounge at Narita, that was great.

[@clausstimpfig3803]

I have been talking about the ninties. Then UA was good. Today the US travel industry is run down. I only like AF LA PREMIERE the Swiss First class or Singapore First to the U.S. I used to fly for T.W.A. working in Royal Ambassador First class. A dream@@HDjeff

[@somchaiwongma3813]

No more Dom Perignon on Singapore Airlines, they are getting “Krug” cheaper and obviously their goal is to save wherever they can.

[@clausstimpfig3803]

here in our part of the world. KRUG is more expensive then Dom Perignon. But I DO LOVE KRUG. Thnx for info.@@somchaiwongma3813

[@LMFuqua]

I havent watched you guys before but you seem to be very cranky and rather judgy

[@HDjeff]

Thanks for your comment! I am not very cranky in other videos but this was probably the worst flight I’ve reviewed so far and the airport was extremely hot, and the whole point of this is to be judge the experience whether it’s good or bad. I just did a review of Virgin’s Premium economy and that was wonderful!

[@worldcitizen9202]

arrogant review

[@HDjeff]

Thank you for the comment! ✌️

[@worldcitizen9202]

@@HDjeff dont take it personally. Usually true for most of these type reviews .....

[@HDjeff]

I don’t take it personally, I do appreciate the feedback - thank you!

[@cortiewiddowson6124]

👉 *Promo SM*