This was a great opportunity to sample United’s newest business class offerings across the Pacific ocean on an overnight flight into Frankfurt on the way to our final destination of Barcelona.

Flight: United Airlines Flight UA926 (SFO-FRA)
Class: Business Class
Seats: 15J, 15K
Date: May 12, 2013

The view of the staircase as you step onto the plane

It’s hard to not be excited about going upstairs on a plane to your “private” business class cabin.  It’s even more fun when you get treated to a view of the cockpit before takeoff right from your seat.

The business end of the 747-400

But enough gawking at the cockpit… onto the seat:

The Seat

The business cabin is split into three sections – two on the lower deck, and one on the upper deck.  The lower deck is configured in a very dense 2-4-2 configuration for rows 6-8, then a galley with washrooms and the stairs to the upper deck, and then 2 more rows of 2-galley-2 for rows 9 & 10.  The upper cabin spans rows 13-16 on the left side of the plane and 12-17 on the right side.  It’s interesting to note that the lower cabin seats actually have a larger pitch – 3″ longer than the upper deck seats.  However, in exchange for 3″ shorter pitch, the upstairs cabin is only configured 2-2 with a much larger aisle and has fantastic large storage bins between the “window seat” and the window itself (approximately 12″ deep, 24″ high – pictured above).  It’s also interesting to note that the seats are alternating between facing forwards and backwards – our seats were facing backwards.  Aside from takeoff and landing, there is absolutely no difference in the sensation and I would happily book 15J/K again.

SeatGuru Seat Map for United 747-400

The actual seat was very comfortable and is a proper 180-degree lay flat bed which allowed my 6′ tall friend travelling with me stretch out comfortably despite the slightly shorter length of the seat compared to the lower floor.

In-Flight Entertainment

First and foremost, look at those screens!  The United screens are (reportedly) 15.6″ which puts them well ahead of most other options that I have been privileged enough to fly.  They are touchscreen and have a usable remote which is nice as they are located a long way from the seat.  They have an excellent moving map and a wide selection of recent releases.  The seat also features USB and a variety of international power plugs to make sure your electronics are always charged should you decide to use them in lieu of the onboard entertainment.

This flight had United’s satellite wi-fi internet connection available for purchase which we did.  The speed was reasonable (about 4mbps download) and it was consistent and worked well – highly recommended if you need it.

Catering

We started our flight with a pre-flight drink… interestingly we both ordered champagne and they appear to be different colours.

Service

While United doesn’t seem to enjoy being known for exceptional service, we had an extremely friendly crew that worked hard to take care of us and were able to strike the balance between attentive service and becoming a nuisance when we were trying to sleep.  We had a small issue with a part of one of the seats not working as designed and the service director for the flight immediately introduced herself and worked hard to remedy the situation.  She also provided written documentation of the problem and urged us to submit the information to corporate for a discount coupon for a future flight.  The flight crew for this United flight gets 5 stars in this category.

Conclusion

Among the flying elite, United Airlines has a bit of a reputation as a second-rate budget carrier and it is all but blasphemy to compare their business-class product to the likes of the usual gold standards – Cathay Pacific, Swiss, Singapore, and others.  However, while this flight may have skimped on some of the luxuries with respect to catering and amenity kits, the seat was comfortable, the IFE worked well, the flight was precisely on time, and the staff was courteous, attentive, and friendly.  The trip was also $1900 roundtrip from Seattle to Barcelona – try finding that on Cathay or Swiss!  For the price we paid, I feel that we got exceptional value and while I might explore other options if equivalently priced, at less than 50% of a Lufthansa fare, I wouldn’t blink an eye before booking with United again.