United Airlines is making Boston – San Francisco a 100% lie-flat route in business class staring this summer.
With fierce competition from JetBlue and Delta, starting on June 08, 2017 United will use a mix of 757s and 777s with lie-flat beds on all flights between Boston and San Francisco. Introductory fares start at $649 one-way.
Rumors of this service swirled on Flyetalk all week after United Club agents boasted about it. I reached out to United earlier this week and received this very non-answer:
We already fly 1 or 2 aircraft (with lie-flat seats) between BOS and SFO and we continually evaluate our products and services across all of our markets. We have not announced anything new or changing on those routes.
But the schedule has been updated this morning. All flights are lie-flat.
Some flights will be on ex-Continental 757-200s with 16 seats in business class, some on pre-merger United 757-200 premium service configurations with 28 seats in business class, and United will also place a high density 777-200 on the route. Check out the 10-across economy class seat map here–
I recently flew this bird from Honolulu to San Francisco and while it is nice having lie-flat beds, economy class is truly a tight configuration.
In comparing stats (with thanks to jeedk), it appears United will dwarf its competition in the number of one-way lie-flat seats per day:
- 196 United
- 64 JetBlue
- 32 Delta
- 0 Virgin/Alaska
Where is United Going to Get These Aircraft?
I am curious how United can allocate seven lie-flat birds to this route, especially as the 767-300s begin their Polaris retrofits this summer. It does appear that Newark to San Francisco will see a slight reduction in service, with no more late evening flights from EWR to SFO after 7:30p.
No Love for Los Angeles
While JetBlue MINT service (route map below) is currently on flights between Los Angeles and Boston as well, United will still run 737-900s without lie-flat beds between Boston and Los Angeles.
CONCLUSION
Good news for premium travelers with a glut of additional lie-flat seats now available between Boston and San Francisco starting in June. If you are flying economy class, my recommendation is to stick to the 757 and avoid the 777.
UPDATE: United may be playing a trick on us…
Flying economy my recommendation would be B6. Far superior even to the UA 757.
Agree that JetBlue economy is better in almost every way, especially fast, free wi-fi.
United has hot meals for purchase in economy, which B6 does not, but that’s a small tradeoff.
Frustrating that the late EWR-SFO flight isn’t coming back this summer. I often have afternoon meetings that end too late to make it to EWR in time for a 7:30 pm departure. It means I have to get a hotel or fly someone else.
Very annoying to me too, but it seems that loads did not justify it. It was one of the easier upgrades to clear and coach often went out half empty on the flights I was on.
The question is, will this route no longer be CPU/RPU eligible? Like HNL-GUM.
I think that is a safe assumption.
Just checked several dates in mid-June and found the usual mix of 737s flying the route alongside a couple of 777s, not exclusively lie-flat planes as claimed here. What am I missing?
Very interesting. United has made a serious schedule change and backtracked on this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Bummer. I saw it reported multiple places, but it seemed to good to be true. 🙁