United is challenging Emirates directly with a vastly superior business class seat between Newark and Athens, the only route the two carriers compete directly on.
United has long complained that Emirates is unfairly targeting its customers by launching a money-losing Fifth Freedom route from Newark, United’s largest East Coast hub.
> Read More: United Airlines Will Protest Emirates on Sunday with Members of Congress
> Read More: Will Emirates Squeeze United Out of Athens?
Nevertheless, the route has endured for nearly three years and United’s seasonal service has survived also.
One thing I love about Scott Kirby compared to predecessors like Jeff Smisek is a willingness to compete hard on routes, not just cede them to others. When Emirates announced new service between Newark and Athens I did fear that United would give up before getting into a nasty price war with Emirates.
But apparently there was room for both at the table and United is doing what every airline who complains about Gulf Carriers should do: compete harder.
Specifically, Ziggy from Traveling For Miles noted that United is putting a 787-10 on its Athens route this summer, a big upgrade from the 767-400 in terms of business class seating (not so much for economy class passengers, who go from 2-3-2 to 3-3-3). Ziggy calls it “odd” but the move makes perfect sense to me: United wants to pull premium travelers from Emirates.
United 787-10 vs. Emirates 777-300ER
The 787-10, which I’ve reviewed from Newark to Los Angeles in business class and Newark to Frankfurt in economy class, is United’s newest jet and also features a premium economy cabin.
United’s 787-10 has 1-2-1 seating in Polaris business class with direct aisle access from every seat:
Meanwhile, Emirate’s 777-300ER (77W) that it uses on the Newark – Athens routes does not even feature fully lie-flat seats in business class. Even worse, the configuration is 2-3-2 in business class, meaning middle seats and 3/7 passengers in each row do not have direct aisle access:
I find food and service to be hit or miss on Emirates and business class (unlike first class) is not dine-on-demand. Thus, while Emirates offers a far superior first class product, if you are looking for the best business class product I would take United any day over Emirates. United will also have a true premium economy product and extra legroom economy seats in the main cabin.
CONCLUSION
It’s refreshing to see United compete with Emirates rather than just give up. Clearly–at least in business class–United is competing strongly on this popular leisure route.
Would you take Emirates or United to Athens in business class?
image: United
Normally when I see United wants to compete with Emirates I have to chuckle BUT here it makes perfect sense since the Emirates flight from ATH-EWR is operated with an old aircraft and the food sucks! I had probably the worst catering of any business class flight on that Emirates flight last summer. The crew was super (which can’t always be said about UA crews) but the seats and the catering were awful!
This is all fair, but how many people booking Biz are doing so knowing that Emirates biz isn’t lie flat on the 77W? They made an upfront investment in marketing a premium product and I think its generally worked, even if the product they sold was the First class and not business.
United marketed its Polaris product, which might be better, but they did it long before most routes had Polaris hardware so a lot of people likely have a bad taste in their mouth from a perceived bait and switch.
To be fair, EK’s over promoting of their A380 is kind of a bait and switch as well for the people who end up on a triple 7
To attract business travelers United needs to commit to operating ATH-EWR all year round, maybe not with the 787-10 but business travelers like year round service and will be more loyal to airlines that provide it.
Equally, United has a ready made partner at ATH in Aegean and their network is evcr expanding, there must be potential benefits for both.
I hope this works.
Aegean is a great partner for UA at ATH and I’ve enjoyed all my flights with them even if only for 20 minutes to MYK. During those flights they manage to get you a water and a snack when you walk in and if UA were operating that flight you would be luck to even see an FA for the duration of the flight. One can dream that Aegean would ever operate flights to NA!
Completely agree. These seasonal services suck. Surely Athens is worthy of year round service from the 3 enormous centres of the diaspora: USA, Canada, Australia, not to mention tourists. Currently none is served year round.
Year round might be possible with the winter season on either the 787-8 or 30J 763. Smaller aircraft and fewer J seats but all Polaris. The 788’s (only 12 of them) have started mod with one complete and two in the shop, they should be complete by late summer. The 30J 763s (14) have all been Polaris for a year.
yea but the UA crews tend to suck more often so it’s kind of a wash
where did the term “5th Freedom” come from. Auspicious, the 5th Freedom following Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms”? or something way less auspicious?
Maybe somewhere in between? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedoms_of_the_air
I’d take United every time on this route. If I were United I’d be looking for ways to advertise their superior product in places that will be seen by Emirates customers.
How many business travelers are actually going to Athens? It’s not exactly Zurich or Shanghai.
Having flown Emirates ATH-EWR, I can say it was decidedly mediocre. Middle seats, not fully flat, a very crowded cabin and disorganized crew. But the food was good and Emirates for now still offers chauffeur service at EWR (not at Athens) which is good since EWR is really a pain for some of us to get home from.
Interesting that you found the food to be good since it was by far the worst food I have had in J in a very long time when we flew on the flight in June 2019. As I said the crew was great and actually embarrassed by how bad the food was and they commented that a ton of people were sending the plates back full. The purser mentioned that the always have problems with the catering on that route. Hard product was acceptable for a daytime flight but I would not want those seats on an overnight to ATH.
I do not fly the 787 on UA as they close my windows. Period
United instead of Emirates??? N-E-V-E-R.
You should really try if you want a better business class product.
*on this route*
Fixed your comment.
People are being so the stereotype about UA, it wasn’t that bad compare to most carrier. Most of the people who complain have a nasty attitude towards the crew and acted so entitled; that’s probably why they had bad experiences.