Hot cookies in business class on United 757 between SFO EWR (Chris McGinnis)
Responding to new creature comforts its competitors are offering on prime transcontinental routes, United said it will introduce hot meals for Economy Plus passengers and will add San Francisco-Boston to its premium transcon network, with flat-bed seats in the front cabin on all flights.
In doing so, it will eliminate its longstanding premium branded service product known as “p.s.,”and refer to the new product as simply Premium Transcontinental Service.
The airline said that effective July 1, in-flight food and beverage service for passengers in its extra-legroom Economy Plus seating on Premium Transcontinental routes (Newark-SFO/LAX and now Boston-SFO) will include a free hot entrée, dessert and fruit, pre-arrival snack, and alcoholic drinks.
The upgraded flights are available for booking today. As with United’s premium flights into Newark, elite level members of Mileage Plus can use their status to upgrade to Economy Plus. But status won’t get you into the cozy confines in those big seats at the front of the plane– you have to pay for that. Checking today, the cheapest round trip business class nonstop between SFO and BOS is running at about $1,200. Economy class is is about $450.
United will have flat bed business class seats like this on all between SFO and BOS starting in July (United)
Its new Boston-San Francisco schedule will use mostly 757-200s. But it will also have 777s on the route (“the market’s only widebody service,” United noted), including early-morning departures from both cities, an 8:30 p.m. departure from Boston and several red-eyes from San Francisco. “The most popular timings in peak periods will operate with widebody Boeing 777 aircraft including 8 a.m. service from San Francisco and an early evening Boston departure, ideal for business customers traveling at the end of the work day,” United said.
Back to the upgraded food offerings… “Sample menu selections include savory roasted chicken with a smoked barbecue sauce and butternut squash tortellini with sage cream sauce. Dessert options will include New York’s favorite sweet treat, cheesecake, as well as a chocolate brownie and fresh seasonal fruit,” United said.
Seatmap on United 777 SFO-BOS in August
In recent weeks, both Delta and American announced free meals for main cabin passengers in transcontinental markets. Delta said it would offer the amenity on a dozen coast-to-coast routes, while American limited it to JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO. The difference in United’s announcement: Delta and American are serving up free cold meals to all economy passengers; United will offer hot meals, but only to those with Economy Plus seats, not all main cabin passengers.
By adding Boston-San Francisco to its premium transcontinental network, United is promising flat-bed business class seating on all flights in that market. The flat-bed battle for SFO-BOS customers started when JetBlue expanded its premium transcontinental Mint front-cabin service to BOS-SFO; then Delta announced it would jump back into the Boston-San Francisco market on June 8, offering two flights a day using 757-200s configured with front-cabin flat-bed seats.
United said that in addition to flat-bed seats, its SFO-BOS business class service will provide duvets and pillows from Saks Fifth Avenue; new amenity kits, also from Saks; a signature Moscow Mule cocktail; hot towel service; and seasonally refreshed cuisine from a network of celebrity chefs.
After suffering through years of flying on United’s oldest, tattiest 757s on frequent trips to Boston, this is great news– mostly because those 6-7 hour slogs are so painful. What do you think of the new service? Which airline will you likely fly between California and Boston? Please leave your comments below.
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jsn55 says
June 9, 2017 at 7:42 amFor some reason, I had never experienced a PS United flight, mostly because I used to fly on upgrades with connections I guess. We just flew SFO-EWR R/T and both flights were wonderful. I couldn’t find a single thing to complain about, which is quite astonishing.
I’m still curious, tho, about who would book biz class in a row with four seats??? I can’t think of anything much worse for several thousand dollars.
joe D says
June 2, 2017 at 5:00 amAs long as you don’t leave the Concourses at ATL and plan to get back in within the next week or so …….. which is what you’ll do when their total NAV IT system crashes AGAIN. The dimension is keeping airplanes in flight without crashing into each other.
Greg Z says
May 31, 2017 at 9:09 pmSerious! I happen to like United. I flew the domestic 777 in FC SFO-ORD and slept well. I am 1K and they treat me well. No airline is perfect. I think they are going in the right direction. Have a lot of international Polaris flight booked on them between now and early 2018.
Kirk says
May 31, 2017 at 9:04 pmI can’t tell if you’re being serious or sarcastic.
Kirk says
May 31, 2017 at 9:02 pmIf the flight is overbooked, they’ll drag you out! Otherwise, you’re pretty much trapped
Greg Z says
May 31, 2017 at 7:56 pmCan’t wait to fly UA on that route!
Kevin Ford says
May 31, 2017 at 7:00 pm8 across in Business? How narrow are those lie flat seats?
badger_prof says
May 31, 2017 at 4:58 pmIs there a way out of those window seats? Looks like business class detention.
badger_prof says
May 31, 2017 at 4:57 pmI must be missing something. I cannot understand why anyone would want to fly United. I quit and became a Delta flyer. I could not be happier. Name The dimension. It is better on Delta
Shootfire says
May 31, 2017 at 3:24 pmThey’ve actually had 2x each way 777s on the route for several months now, interspersed with 737s throughout the day. This is a great, but long overdue change.
DoTheMathAlready says
May 31, 2017 at 7:27 amSorry United.I remember what you did to me in 2012-13. After 1.1 million miles, I’m not getting on another United flight unless its the last and only option. Bitter? You bet!