If you think I only fly business or first class, think again. I’m currently on a 14-hour fight in economy class from Hong Kong to Chicago on United. In fact, I’m wedged into the back of the plane. In all honesty, I cannot wait to bolt this flight.
I know, most people fly coach and everyone seems to survive just fine. But when people say “I hate flying” I totally get it. This flight has been one of my more difficult ones.
I was in Hong Kong all week and booked my ticket rather last-minute. Flights are very full this week and my hopes of an upgrade on United were laughably not even plausible. Business class was sold out (and ended up going out with nearly 30 on the waitlist) so I dd not even bother to buy a W-fare on the return. Trust me, I would have connected in any city to secure an upgrade, but every United flight out of Asia appeared full.
Last-minute business class award space opened on EVA Airways with a horrible layover, but I figured my round-trip ticket was about the same cost as a one-way ticket and I could survive a direct flight in economy class. Sadly, nothing opened on Cathay Pacific.
But it wasn’t just business and first class that were full. Economy class was also packed, with only a couple middle seats in EconomyPlus available. I chose an aisle seat in “deep coach” (as I call United Economy) instead, thinking that the ability to easily get out of my seat would be more valuable than five extra inches of legroom.
The flight has been difficult, though. Not a lot of food, the lavatories are constantly full, and people are coughing all around me. I wish I would have taken the middle seat in EconomyPlus. My knees are jammed and the guy in front of me almost broke my laptop when he swiftly reclined…this seriously does take all the fun out of travel.
CONCLUSION
I keep singing this to myself as I sit in my seat shivering with a gauze-like blanket wrapped around me:
Oh, no, not I, I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love, I know I’m still alive
I’ve got my life to live, and I’ve got all my love to give
And I’ll survive, I will survive!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYkACVDFmeg
On a serious note, the difference between EconomyPlus and standard economy class is huge.
And on a more profound note, I am so thankful that the world of miles and points allows us to routinely bypass economy class and not pay an arm and a leg for doing so. This flight makes me even more thankful of that.
I just did DTW-NRT-SIN and back in economy on Delta…but not sure I would have had attempted on United. Godspeed.
You should try taking that flight on the 77W with 10-across coach
I’ll second Mark. As bad as that sounds, try 10-abreast in a 777 and see how many yuks you end up with. And yes, despite the marketing spin, it’s just as miserable in Emirates as any other airline…
You really lost me at “United”, “economy” and “14 hours”. That’s some Seventh Circle stuff right there.
I will NEVER forget my first flight to Asia was LAX-HKG on a middle seat in the back of coach class on Cathay Pacific. My seat neighbors brought their own spicy and smelly food and have not showered since they were born and I can tell you they were all in their mid 40’s. 🙁 Lavatories were basically locked by crew members in mid flight since they were let’s say unusable. Oh, and did I tell you that because of a very unusual headwind the plane had to make a pit stop in Taipei to refuel before continuing to Hong Kong? If you can get an example of what a flight to hell would be that was pretty close.
Aww you poor thing. Some of us get to perform this unholy task all the time and don’t get upgrades or companies to pay for it. Suck it up.
No thanks.
Sorry to hear that.
“Deep Coach” – like that !
I’ve gone ORD-NRT in the exact same conditions you’re going HKG-ORD, its not that different in flight time considering that I went westbound. As the lights turn out after the mid-flight snack, I sit back, almost upright, trying to sleep, never forgetting how lucky and fortunate I am the most of the time when I travel, I get E+ thanks to my fathers million miler and platinum status. You don’t need someone to tell you anything like that, you seem to know that feeling yourself. You got this, you’ll survive no problem. Just make sure that when you get home, you get a good old hamburger or whatever else makes you happy, and maybe let your parents take the baby boy for the night so you can et real sleep. 🙂
Plus, Matthew, you’re gonna get about 8000 miles. You seem to be flying United International quite a lot this year. Are you gonna get a higher status next year? Maybe this will never happen again if you keep platinum for life, 2 million miles seems so great right now.
@Alan: I’m going to do a post on this next week. Theoretically, I could make 1K status because these are mostly revenue flights, but I’m nowhere where I need to be in terms of spending.
Well then Matthew, I guess that to get back to 1K, you’ll need to make 3M miles. I’m sure you’ll get there sometime in the not too distant future, you’re already at like 1 and a quarter at least, and probably farther than that. Looking forward to the post that you write.
Glad I don’t take last minute international flights like that. Literally my worst nightmare – I refused to travel farther than to Hawaii in economy before I found miles and points. Try being 6-4 with shoulders wider that the seat and squashing the minimal seat padding so feel the metal supports under the seat, and your knees jammed against the seat. Torture. And the coughing – aaaaaaahhhhhgggg! Why do so many who travel economy sound like they are hacking up their lungs (maybe that’s what those strange chunks on the seats are? Or is it just remnants of puke or worse?)
Feel your pain. Couldn’t pay me to spend 14 hrs in economy.
I do meet a lot of Americans who would have benefited from some mandatory military service. You seem to be one of them. Going through life that weak and uptight that economy class is tough just seems silly to me. For men like you, you should look for inspiration from women and try to get to their level. I imagine your wife would have no issue with the flight.
Ari, I did serve in the military and meant this as a tongue and cheek post. I’ve done SFO-SYD-LAX with four hours in Sydney before…in coach. I did TLV-SFO and PEK-SFO in coach earlier this year. So yes, I can do just fine. That doesn’t mean I have to like it or can’t poke fun at it on a luxury travel blog.
Flown that leg many times on the way to Manila. It’s really not as bad as I make it if u keep yourself occupied with a movie, reading, laptop or sleeping. Also do not fly American carriers to Asia. Use EVA, Asiana, JAL, or ANA. Their service and food is much better.
Meant to write not as bad as u make it…
You know the seat back is for people to sit on and to recline. This isn’t the polaris seat. People need every bit of help to sleep without you tapping on your keyboard or elbowing your neighbor in the middle seat.
Perhaps you can consider it next time you are demoted to the cattle class:)
I believe everyone is entitled to recline their seat back as far as it will go.
A little courtesy is appreciated and expected though. Something as simple as gradually reclining it rather than forcefully reclining it and nearly breaking my laptop screen…
You’re absolutely right, it’s just good manners which are often lacking
Isn’t it unconstitutional to receive cruel and unusual punishment? 😉
Who the hell is trying to work on a laptop in an economy seat during a 14 hour flight? You run a travel blog, not updating nuclear launch codes.
Just take an ambien and fall asleep.
Why not write about what the average person has to deal with when flying long haul. You sound truly unsympathetic and uncaring but mostly like a spoiled brat. I am retired and could not dream of flying anything but economy.
That’s why I wrote this. But the point of this blog is to show you that you don’t have to be rich to fly in forward cabins. The point is that by wisely saving points and using credit cards, you too can fly in business class.
In all fairness, Mathew does tend to do that.
Ugh, I feel for you. Been there and done that, albeit in eco plus (though next to the lavatories) and after a flight from SG and a lovely overnight stay at Changi Airport waiting for the morning connecting flight to HK.
On long hauls to Asia I now fly on ANA and pay for Premium Economy, which is about twice the cost of eco but totally worth it (even with the bad eco food served). The service is, as expected, excellent, and miles count on Mileage Plus.
I did dozens of very long flights in economy before I had the wherewithal to go mostly business in my old age. United may not be the best but I love dinner, a movie, and a sleep lying flat.
Even with empty seats, the cabin photo of 3-3-3 makes me nervous. I think I once sat in a hotel ballroom set up that way for an all-day seminar. It only lasted 8 hours and we could escape to the bathroom.
My sympathies, sir. For an encore (!) may I suggest a trip to Abu Dhabi from New York / Toronto / Chicago in an Etihad 10-abreast, dimly-lit Boeing 777 with a frustrated toddler beside you, her mother not interested in giving the child any attention, and an unhappy cabin crew. Ah, the memories…never again!
If you won’t to fly economy on air nz on there dreamlike you won’t have any dreams in acommony.
It could have been worse – you could have bought that W fare. On Thursday, my GPU didn’t clear and it really sucks knowing I gave UA several hundred dollars just for the privilege of attempting to upgrade. At least I was in an economy plus aisle seat and was quite attracted to the seatmate who leaned on me while sleeping…
That’s nice! 🙂