Introduction: Whirlwind Trip to Asia
Review: American Airlines (A321) Economy Class Dallas to Charlotte
Review: American Airlines (A320) Economy Class Charlotte to Boston
Review: Holiday Inn Express and Suites – Boston Garden
Review: United Club – Logan International Airport
Review: United Airlines (777-200) Business Class Newark to Beijing
Review: Air China Business Class Lounge – Beijing International Airport
Review: BGS Premier Business Class Lounge – Beijing International Airport
Review: Singapore Airlines (777-300ER) Business Class Beijing to Singapore
Review: SilverKris Business Class Lounge – Singapore Changi Airport
Review: SilkAir (737-800) Business Class Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
Review: Renaissance Hotel – Kuala Lumpur
Out and About in Kuala Lumpur
Review: Plaza Premium Lounge – Kuala Lumpur
Review: SilkAir (A319) Economy Class Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
Review: JW Marriott Hotel – Singapore South Beach
Review: The Private Room – Singapore Changi Airport
Review: Singapore Airlines (A380-800) Suites Class Singapore to Beijing
Review: Air China First Class Lounge – Beijing International Airport
Review: United Airlines (777-300ER) Business Class Beijing to San Francisco
Review: American Express Centurion Lounge – San Francisco International Airport
Review: United Airlines (757-200) First Class San Francisco to Newark
Review: United Airlines Classified Restaurant – Newark Liberty International Airport
Review: Admirals Club – Logan International Airport
UA 213
SFO-EWR
Takeoff: 1625
Landing: 0044 (+1 day)
Flight Time: 5hrs 19min
Seat: 5B (Business Class)
I left the Centurion Lounge 25 minutes prior to departure. United put me on standby for the San Francisco to Boston flight, but I showed too late and did not have a seat. The agent stated that they held my seat as long as possible. Sigh. I walked directly across the terminal to the Newark flight, final boarding was being called. 😮
I scanned my boarding pass and proceeded down the jet bridge. Boarding was through door 2L and made a quick right to my seat. At the seat were a bottle of water, amenity kit, and headphones.
The tray table was stored in the center console. The seat and entertainment controls were right above the tray table compartment.
There were individual air nozzles as the seat which are always appreciated. Another thing that I like about the seat was the space in the foot well.
After checking out the seat, I was greeted by Erika. She offered me a welcome drink and a menu. I ordered a gin and tonic.
A few minutes, Erika came by to take food orders. I was so stuffed from my previous flights but I had to order something (for the blog, of course). I requested the beef short rib.
The door was closed at seven minutes early while we ended up pushing back from the gate on time. The safety demonstration was played. After a 15 minute taxi, we were airborne. The climb out was smooth, with a quick ascent.
I decided to check out the lavatory prior to the start of service. It was fairly basic, but clean. I also took a picture of the forward first class cabin and received a wave from the flight attendant in the process.
Service started 24 minutes after takeoff with a hot towel (tried to get a picture, but I was tardy getting to my camera). The tray table was then set. Warm nuts were offered with a choice of drink. I ordered the chardonnay.
A few minutes later the starter arrived. It consisted of a salad, smoked chicken with cole slaw, and two types of bread.
Soon after my starter was finished, my entree was delivered. The short rib and potatoes were really good. The rib was tender and the sauce that accompanied it was delicious.
For the dessert, I went with a chocolate sundae with fudge and a Heath bar kind of goodness. The ice cream and candy were hard, but with a few minutes of defrosting, they were perfectly fine.
The meal service was complete about an hour and a half after takeoff. Because of the location of my seat (at the bulkhead), most of the service items were staged just above my IFE. It was not a big deal for me, but it could be an issue if you want some sleep. For the rest of the flight I talked to my seat neighbor and Erika. I was not sleepy so I did not lay down. Here is the seat in the lie flat configuration if you want to check it out.
I browsed through the entertainment selection, but did not watch anything (as always).
You are probably thinking, ‘why didn’t you purchase the WiFi?’ I did not purchase the WiFi because it cost $40 for the five hour flight.
After a lot of conversations and wine, we entered out initial descent. The descent was bumpy but we had a smooth landing.
Final Word
I enjoyed my first transcontinental flight on United. The service provided by Erika was top notch and she was a joy to share stories with. The only downsides about this flight were 1) I did not get on the direct flight to Boston and 2) I would get to spend five hours in Newark before my flight to Boston.
