Rather than provide a specific flight review, I want to give you an idea of what to expect right now if you are flying United Airlines in business class on a premium transcontinental flight.
Premium Transcontinental Flight Review – United Airlines Business Class
United operates premium transcontinental flights between Los Angeles (LAX) / San Francisco (SFO) and Newark (EWR) / New York (JFK). These specially-marketed flights guarantee flat-bed seats in business class, elevated catering, and extra perks like a duvet, pillow, and amenity kit.
Aircraft
A mix of aircraft from the Boeing family are used for these flights, including 757s, 767s, 777s, and 787s. The 757-200 features United’s older B/E Diamond seat in business class in a 2-2 configuration:
The 767 most often used is a 767-300 with a 44-seat business class cabin in a 1-1-1 configuration:
The 777 most often used is the 777-200. Most aircraft have a 1-2-1 Polaris configuration:
But you will run into a more dense 777-200 with eight-across 2-4-2 seating business class (yes, quite the difference…).
Finally, a mix of Dreamliner 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 aircraft are used, though mostly the 787-10. All 787-8 and 787-10 aircraft have the latest Polaris seats in a 1-2-1 configuration:
A handful of 787-9 aircraft still have the old B/E Diamond seats, like the 757-200, in a 2-2-2 configuration:
Thus, my advice is to book the 767, 787-8, or 787-10 to guarantee a Polaris lie-flat seat.
Bedding
This month, United has re-introduced duvets and larger pillows on premium transcontinental flights. These Saks Fifth Avenue-branded duvets are light and cool to the touch but keep you warm. You can also expect a fluffy pillow and a cooling foam gel pillow.
IFE + Wi-Fi
In-flight entertainment is available on seatback screens (movies, TV shows, games, music on-demand) and via streaming wi-fi on your devices. If you do plan to use your own device, make sure you have the latest version of the United app installed.
Wi-Fi is available for purchase on all flights at a flat cost of $8 for MileagePlus members and $10 for non-members.
Amenity Kit
A small amenity kit is offered, featuring an eye shade, dental kit, and ear plugs.
Food + Drink
United offers a three-course meal after takeoff followed by a snack before landing in business class on premium transcontinental flights.
Service begins with a choice of beverage and warmed mixed nuts on flights departing after 10:00 am (no nuts on breakfast flights), followed by a one-tray meal service.
Current choices vary based on the route, but have not changed in over a year. On breakfast flights, you can expect an egg dish like kale egg white bites or tomato and kale baked egg white with red pepper sauce or cinnamon French Toast. Meals are served with fruit, yogurt, and a croissant.
On lunch and dinner flights, you can expect a pasta dish (Cacio e Pepe ravioli or butternut squash ravioli) or a chicken-based dish (Thai chicken with coconut ginger sauce or grilled chicken with morel sauce). Each is served with a side salad, bread, and a packaged cheesecake.
Before landing on daytime flights, a light snack is served, currently a mezze with olives, hummus, tabouli, and grapes or a deli platter with strawberries, grapes, Swiss cheese, Cheddar cheese, sliced roasted turkey breast, and Genoa salami.
Before landing on redeye flights you can expect a warm croissant with preserves and yogurt.
Special meals can be ordered (Kosher, Asian vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan).
CONCLUSION
This is the state of United’s premium transcontinental product these days in business class. In terms of sleep, the most important thing is to choose your aircraft wisely. Bedding, IFE, and internet will be the same on all aircraft. Food will not be fancy but will be filling. I’ve flown this product numerous times this year and find it, for better or for worse, remarkably consistent.
Does the Thai chicken include any peanut products? I have a peanut allergy and would need to avoid that dish
No peanut product that I could taste.
Could you check with your United contacts, please?
I’d hate to have only one choice for a meal, which may not be appealing
Lol if it’s that big of a concern for you, YOU do your own research.
I checked. Just coconut, ginger, milk. No peanuts.
Thanks, Matthew!
Hey Matthew – just one point of clarity, the last -9 with the old seats is N27958, and it will likely be pulled by the end of the month.
Good to hear that.
Mediocre service is the only consistent aspect to this service. Overpriced as well
UA needs to upgrade their B737 aircraft on routes like SFO-YYZ. Their “First Class” seats are awful and are not competitive with Air Canada’s B787 business class lie-flat seats especially on the red eye.
Lousy that’s the state of it – with the sub standard food and wine front and center.
Not impressed with any of those configurations and the in flight meals look nothing more than average
Unless this is meant to cover what it been over the past 2 years, the 767 is not used on these routes anymore, and all the 777s on these routes feature Polaris, they are not using the high density 777s on these routes.
So the aircraft really comes down to a 757 or a 787/777 with Polaris seats. There is only one 787-9 still flying around with the old seats, and it’ll be going into the factory in about 2 weeks, so you are basically guaranteed Polaris on any wide body.
I just flew the 767 from LAX-EWR in July. It comes and goes. Furthermore, I expect we will see the 777HD creep back in, especially after the JFK departure.
Well, goodbye JFK again…
When will PMS (post meal sundae) return?
Kirby hates ice cream carts
For real?? Hi Jared, I just hope he realizes sooner rather than later that this is an issue larger and more important than himself!!!
don’t know if your data applies to all of United’s fleet or just the planes on these routes, but I flew SFO > Tahiti on sept. 22 and there was a last minute swap from a 787-9 to a 787-8, which ended up having the 2-2-2 seating and no premium economy.
You must be mistaken for the type of plane, all of the 787-8s have Polaris in a 1-2-1 configuration with presidium economy. These have been completed since May 2021.
You likely were swapped to a 787-9, as there were a few of them still flying with the old seats in September, and they often put the few with the old seats on Tahiti.
How about lounge access?
AFAIK it’s a simple no, but anyway with a mention in this post.
No one like anything ever. Enough said.
It’s insanely expensive and not just business class. I used United to fly overseas and to Caribbean, but they raised the prices more than 100% in some cases.
I’m flying on a 757-200 from ORD to MCO this Wednesday in “first” which features what appears to be the old B/E Diamond seats in a 2-2 config. Should be interesting to see what amenities they provide on this 3 hour hop.
No amenities other than the standard meal service any domestic first class flight would get. Just happens to be a plane with lie flat seats, but that doesn’t mean you get any of the Polaris amenities.
Thanks and not surprised to hear. For a $100 up charge from PE I still can’t complain. 🙂
I fly United business all the time. The food is the worst I’ve tried to eat. One I was served something that already been eaten.
Haha, it has been a little better recently. I flew DEN-LHR and BRU-EWR last week and it was decent.
Just flew LHR to ORD. Flight crew was UK based and delightful, however the Beef Cheek was the absolute worst meal I’ve ever had in business OR economy! And I’ll tolerate just about any slab of beef!
How rare are IN business saver awards on 787-10 EWR to SFO?