I’ve asked my six-month-old son Augustine to offer his thoughts on his very first flight, from LA to London on United Airlines in Polaris Business Class.
The day of the big trip finally arrived. Mama and Papa had been looking forward to taking me to Germany ever since I was born. Half my family lives in Germany and there were many family members I had not yet met. I was especially looking forward to meeting my grandpa and aunt for the first time.
Papa is a big United Airlines fan. Frankly, I’d think twice now about flying United after the way they treated the doctor, but Papa was insistent that my first flight be on United. He got a great deal on the tickets and was able to upgrade us to business class. Papa warned me not to get spoiled but I pretended I did not understand.
You should have seen how happy Papa was to take me on my first flight. I didn’t see what all the fuss was. After all, my immune system is not quite as strong yet and so I was not happy about stepping into a metal canister filled with germs.
We arrived at Los Angeles about two hours before our flight, just in case we ran into unpredictably heavy LA traffic. A very nice lady checked us in and paid particular attention to me. I like it when people fawn over me. Hopefully mama and papa take their time before making me a brother or sister because I don’t feel like competition.
Papa and I got PreCheck and were able to breeze thru security. Mama had to wait in that other line.
We proceeded up to the brand new United Club in Terminal 7. While it is certainly nicer than my bedroom, I was disappointed by the lack of hot food. Instead I just played on the floor and had some milk.
While Papa’s tendency is to board first in order to get pictures of the cabin, with me along he decided just to wait till the end of the boarding process to leave the club. A nice gentlemen with an English accent welcomed us at the gate and tagged my stroller to London.
United Airlines 923
Los Angeles (LAX) – London (LHR)
Monday, March 13, 2017
Depart: 5:45 PM
Arrive: 11:20 AM+1
Duration: 10hr, 35min
Aircraft: B787-9
Seat: 6K,L (“Polaris” Business Class)
Almost everyone was already onboard. The cabin was running full, but went out with one open seat. My bassinet was located in the bulkhead, though I was unable to use it until after we had leveled off.
Admittedly, I was offended that my bed contained only economy class bedding. I was a paying customer too! Papa paid over $250 for my ticket (United has this silly rule where you pay 10% of a paid business class ticket for me even if you upgrade). But before I could even say anything a FA brought me over some better pillows.
That made for a nice, soft mattress pad and made me very happy prior to takeoff!
Mama and Papa had seats like this (Papa took this on another 787-9 flight) that turned into fully lie-flat beds. The configuration was 2-2-2.
Two wonderful crew members, Timothy the International Service Manager and Gil took extra special care of me. During the night, they would keep an eye on me to make sure I was okay as Mama and Papa slept.
Before we took off, they offered Mama and Papa a drink with chocolates.
Takeoff was extremely quick, though the captain announced that slower then expected jet stream meant we would be delayed a bit into London. That was fine by all of us as it meant extra time to sleep.
After takeoff, Papa connected to the internet because he had some unfinished work to complete. He complained about the $28.99 price for the flight but said his American Express Platinum card would cover it. Later on he was quite happy about how fast the internet was.
I was hungry and had my dinner right after takeoff, courtesy of Mama. Papa likes singing, “I’ll simply tap him on the head and send him off to bed” from the Mary Poppins movie and that is exactly what he did after I had finished my bottle.
Although I would have enjoyed watching a couple movies since we have no TV at home, I quickly fell asleep–
I slept like a baby of the next nine hours! Even though we ran into some turbulence over Newfoundland, I never stirred until Mama and Papa woke me up about an hour before landing the next morning.
While I Slept, Mama and Papa Ate
While I was sleeping, Mama and Papa had dinner. This was their menu–
Mixed nuts, I hear, are delicious. Although I’ve just introduced solids into my diet, Mama says nuts are too much of a choking hazard.
The starter was raw fish with noodles. Papa took one look at it and pushed his tray away.
Thankfully for Papa, the main course was much better. He was talking about this duck dish on the way to the airport that he wanted to try and it must have been good because he raved about it the next day. Please, it was just airline food. But according to Papa, the duck is highly recommended on United and the combination of apples and duck works very well.
Mama did not like her beef short ribs, though.
They split a cheese plate, sundae, and a couple additional sweets:
A mid-flight snack was also available, but we all slept through it–
Indeed, Mama and Papa quickly fell asleep after the meal and were able to sleep at least seven hours. Thankfully the man across the aisle who snored so loud it sounded like a freight train did not keep us up.
Papa is funny sometimes. He talks a good talk about healthy eating, then gobbles down a breakfast like this–
Mama sensibly turned down her breakfast and just had coffee, but Papa was so greedy he ate her breakfast too! I was worried he would need my stroller more than me once we reached London!
Nine hours of sleep meant I was overdue for a bathroom break. Mama took me and while she enjoyed the Cowshed amenities, I spent most of my time on this–
Mama returned to our seat and plopped me on Papa, who had just finished his second breakfast. While she returned to lavatory to change out of her pajamas, Papa and I had some fun:
Gil brought over some chocolates for us and thanked us for flying United. He then gave me some very special wings.
I was quite flattered at how many passengers came up to my parents after we landed to tell them what an angel I was or that they didn’t even know there was a baby in the cabin. I think I’m a natural flyer.
CONCLUSION
Mama and Papa already loved United and I guess I understand why. My first flight in the “Friendly Skies” was a good one. The built-in baby bassinets on the new 787-9 Dreamliners are great and I recommend United for babies of all shapes, sizes, and dispositions.
I have always wondered what a bassinet looked like on a plane. I guess I have never flown in first/business when someone has used one. And I was Definitely not expecting that its a little pop-open cubbie. That kinda blew my mind that that’s what the bassinet is. fascinating. great article
If he was loud, you could have closed the lid on his bassinet!
that is not a bassinet…its a storage compartment for every business class passenger. A bassinet is attached to the bulkhead wall and looks like a mini bed for the baby. These guys obviously didn’t pre-order the bassinet and just stored their baby like a piece of garbage.
Incorrect. That serves as the baby’s bed on the Dreamliner and is only available in the bulkhead.
http://www.parentherald.com/articles/97202/20170110/wahakura-bassinets-safe-babies-study.htm
We flew a 747 on the way back and had a more traditional bassinet, but the newer planes have a more built-in approach…
So no, he was not stored like a piece of garbage…
Jeremy please suck my **** and eat it.
What a rude comment. This story is terrific! Baby is adorable & the new Polaris bassinet is very innovative.
Sad to see that on a new international wide body plane United still goes 2-2-2 in business class instead of the normal 1-2-1.
I like the Special Handling ticket.
Neat idea to have the built in bassinet, and it sounds like your little guy was easy to travel with. That being said, if I were a business class passenger who paid full price for a 10+ hour flight, I would be mighty upset to have a crying baby in the same cabin. As a parent, I totally understand wanting to travel with your kids, but at the same time, I don’t want to subject other passengers who are trying to sleep to a crying baby.
I’ve had the unfortunate experience of flying intl economy where there was a small baby who was very vocal. As a parent, you understand and want to empathize, but after a an hour or so when you want to sleep, your patience runs thin.
…but the baby didn’t cry, and most don’t most of the time.
The guy that snored like a chainsaw though, he should be kicked out.
Ever hear of noise cancelling headphones? remember you only purchased a ticket not the entire plane! guys like you….jeez.
That would be “Chainsaw” James.
What a great baby. I’m glad that he had a wonderful flight. As a flight attendant for 37 years, I can assure you that Augustine was placed in a certified bassinette and not a garbage bin. GEESH!
What a great looking baby! Congratulations to Mom and Dad. You are welcome on my flight any time.
I sincerely believe that it is the parents’ disposition that influences the child’s behavior so it reflects well on you Matt.
(and your other half)…
Michael mentioned it, but everyone seems to just breeze past mentioning that UA still has 2-2-2 seating in Business, requiring passengers on the windows to climb over the outer aisle. That is a distinct drawback to both AA and DL, which have 1-2-1 and guarantee direct aisle access. Imagine traveling with that baby if you were on the window with a stranger on the aisle……
I guess I look at it this way: I bought a $452 economy class ticket. Had the config been 1-2-1, I would not have received an upgrade. Unlike reverse herringbone seats, I could easily converse with my wife and I still slept very well.
I’m not being a UA apologist here: I just don’t mind a high density business class (even BA) because it allows me to secure a seat in the premium cabin for cheaper and still sleep well.
Augustine, for a six month old you are a great writer. You might be something very special soon, if you are already this intelligent at this point in your life.
Cute post. And Augustine is adorable.
Now, drive 600 miles with him in the back seat, and I’ll officially consider you a baby travel expert. 🙂
Great stuff! And I agree that the built-in cubby bassinet is clever and adorable.
(As an aside, could you consider simply removing the vile comment that mistakenly stated Augustine was unsafely stored “like a piece of garbage”? Leaving it up serves no useful purpose other than than to anger your readers and make the writer look foolish.)
Hi Eric. Although I agree that the comment is stupid and immature, I want to leave it — just to show how unreasonable people can be. I apologize that it upsets you.
How much is the upgrade at the gate for this flight ?
Didn’t ask. Usually $650 IIRC.
What a cute little guy Augustine is! And a natural long distance flyer too!
Now to the more serious part, I don’t worry about many things but I do worry (within reason) about the plane hitting unexpected turbulence. Isn’t the netting in the bassinet supposed to connect to the other rim via the push down buttons to keep junior in place in case of that or does it serve a different purpose?
Safe travels
OMG -LOL…the built in bassinet pics are hilarious!
I enjoyed reading this review that covers important things from this journey. The writing style from your son Augustine’s point of view was clever and so refreshing.
Thank you Ferdi!
Thanks for sharing your experience! About how long/heavy was your baby at the time? We are flying Polaris 1-2-1 configuration and debating whether or not to book the bulkhead seat near the restroom, and the seat behind it just so we can get the bassinet. But my baby is tall, in the 95th percentile at 6 months, and worried she may not fit.
Mine was in the 90th percentile…he fit just fine. Flew on SWISS a few months later back to Europe and he barely fit.
Thanks Matthew. I’m wondering if you know roughly what Augustine’s height/weight were at the time of this flight. We’re setting off for a 15 hour flight (SFO-SYD) on a 787-9 in Polaris business with a 10 month old who’s about 30 inches long and 20lbs. United says the bassinet is OK up to 22lbs, but I’m worried she won’t fit (or at least won’t fit comfortably enough to sleep). Any idea if it’ll work for us? Thanks for the helpful post…
Hi Kyle, I think he was about 20 lbs as well. Not sure if height. Have a great trip!
Thanks for the quick reply! Fingers crossed….
Hi Mathew and Kyle,
Mathew thanks foe the great and informative post!
Kyle, I am wondering how the bassinet worked out for you, my daughter is quite long and the webpage says 29 inches, I am slightly concerned it will be a tight fit.
Does anyone know if 29 inches length is the exact measurment?
Thank you!
It’s interesting to see just how his personality and expressions were emerging even at 5 months.
Hi Mathew, will soon be taking our child on their first trip to see their grandparents and purposely booked the old polaris 787-9 config for the bulk head biz basinet. Question for you do they just place pillows inside or is their a soft sided cushioning ?
There is a bit of a netting, but they’ll just put the pillow and blanket down inside. Enjoy your trip!
Hi Matthew, I have 2 biz seats booked for my husband, myself and my big 21 month year old as a lap infant. It is a night flight so I expect he will sleep but will we fit? Have you had any experience bring Augustine as a lap toddler in polaris? We recently fly on a 6 hour direct flight to Costa Rica in econ with his own seat which worked well, but I would really like to enjoy a lie flat seat for this special trip. thanks
Hi Ciara, I’m going to be honest – it’s difficult if your child does not have his own seat.
My daughter is 19 months and we lucked out on our Christmas trip because both our Lufthansa First Class and SWISS Business Class flight went out with an open seat, which we used for our daughter to sleep.
The business class seats are really not intended for two unless your son is able to lie still on top of you. I don’t necessarily suggest buying an extra seat (I’m not willing to spend the extra money) but I hope the cabin leaves with an open seat so you can snag it!
Safe travels.