After a fairly unremarkable flight from Los Angeles to London last week, I experienced a much better return flight from Munich to San Francisco.
Here are a few thoughts on the flight ahead of my full review.
1. Great Service
Overall, the service was tremendous on this flight. An older pre-merger United flight attendant worked my section of the business class cabin and was cheerful and kind. Oh how much I appreciate when someone is cheerful!
One small example. I was originally seated in 8A with an open seat next to me (so rare for a transatlantic flight to the West Coast). Before we departed, it was discovered that a mother and daughter were separated from one another in the business class cabin. Rather than come to me demanding that I move, a FA gently asked me if I would mind moving in order to accommodate the mother and daughter. When asked nicely, I am usually more than happy to oblige, as I did here.
2. Great Meals
Lunch was served after takeoff and a snack prior to landing. My main course of mushroom stuffed chicken breast with polenta and vegetables was not only very tasty, but also visually appealing. I was under the impression that United had jettisoned all of its “real” dishes for casserole dishes, but my meal arrived nicely plated.
Before landing, I ordered a Pizza Margherita, not quite knowing what to expect. While it could have used a bit more sauce and cheese, it still turned out quite nicely.
3. Great Sleep
Meal service was efficient and I soon found myself ready for a nap with more than nine hours of flight time remaining. After requesting a mattress pad and opening the overhead vent, I quickly fell asleep and slept for about 7.5 hours. Not bad at all.
We landed in San Francisco ahead of schedule.
CONCLUSION
This flight, more than my outbound, is the United I am used to. It was nice to enjoy a great rest in between a couple of decent meals with excellent service.
Very interesting to see the meal plated in the galley on the old serviceware… is UA walking back its move? Or a one-off?
I assume a one-off…
I haven’t seen the nut ramekin that full in at least a year 😉
Even more impressive was the garlic bread. It felt like I was flying ex-NRT!