Executive Platinum vs. Premier 1K

Micro-blogging my adventures as an American Airlines Executive Platinum member flying on United for the first time.

[execplatvs1k]

Let's slide together! Another day, another broken seat on United...

[execplatvs1k]

United's bunk phone system

As a Premier Elite 1K member, United should recognize my account immediately based on my phone number and name verification upon calling. They should offer the option to speak with a "representative" immediately and the wait on hold, if any, is not more than a few seconds.

As of late, United's phone system is not recognizing me as a 1K member, even though I am calling from the telephone number tied to my account. I am asked to confirm my name, and once that is done, it treats me as a non-status member and will not allow me to speak with a representative. After trying repeatedly, the system finally gives in and asks whether or not I'm traveling domestically or internationally (this is not a question for 1K members) and then my call is put into a very long queue. I had to wait 15 minutes before being transferred to someone who barely spoke English and couldn't understand me. I thus asked to be transferred to the 1K desk, and I was subsequently put on hold for another few minutes. I was greeted by a recorded message informing me that the Executive Desk was closed. Well this was obviously a mistake on the part of the prior non-1K representative. I was put back in the general queue again and waited another 15 minutes. Another agent answered and stayed on the line while he located a 1K desk employee.

Finally! By this point, I had been on hold for 45 minutes, and I had resolved the issue I was initially calling about myself; however I was so steamed about the issue I had to communicate this to the 1K person. He told me that the system is recognizing a completely different phone number, so I had to give him my phone number (which was the one I was calling from) to verify my account. I asked that he file a complaint with Customer Care and said someone would get back with me in 24-72 hours and gave me the phone number to Customer Care. 

If United wants to keep my business, they are going to need to make it much easier for me reach their 1K Desk.

During this escapade, I Tweeted United about the issue. After over half an hour, I still not have not heard from United's Twitter account either. 

This is a noticeable departure from American Airlines on both fronts, as I've always been recognized by AA's phone system and heard back from their Twitter account in merely a few minutes. 

[execplatvs1k]

There’s a certain charm on @AmericanAir’s ERJs that’s missing from @United’s. #airlines #statusmatch (at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW))

[dekuspacesleuth]

My flight highlights:

My row-mate went to sleep immediately, dashing my hopes for conversation

United airlines has radios built into the arm of the seat with like.. 12 possible channels so I at least had music to listen to

Some dumb sitcom with Charlie Sheen was on the TVs: Ignored.

My apple juice had no ice

They didn’t have peanuts or w/e but I had granola bars in my bag

Overall it was a very uneventful hour. Kind of anticlimactic for the eight hours I was sitting in the airport.

[execplatvs1k]

Hey Dekuspacesleuth:

I would have talked to you... :-)

On that radio, channel 9 features live air traffic controller audio.

I have seen that Charlie Sheen sitcom four times now! Regular fliers want more dynamic entertainment.

Whoa! Peanuts? Haven't seen those since I was a teenager. :-)

[execplatvs1k]

My United 1K Upgrades so far

Ding! I love getting this e-mail.

I'm about halfway through my status match to United 1K! I thought it would be good to share my success what what we all care about: upgrades, upgrades, upgrades!

Below are the domestic flights on which I’ve been upgraded, broken down by plane type. I’ve had good success with the 1K complimentary upgrades. I've haven't ever used miles or dollars to upgrade a flight (and the upgrade offers they send in advance seem a bit pricey to me).

I’ve taken 18 flights on planes with first class cabins and bought the lowest economy fare class about 3 weeks in advance for each ticket. My flights were upgraded 15 out of the 18 opportunities, the majority at the 96 hour window. Not surprisingly, the upgrades that didn’t go through were on planes with smaller first class cabins, e.g. the A319 and CR7. I got upgraded on each and every flight on the larger 737, 757 and 787 planes.

Moral of the story for me, fly Boeing! (Although the A320 would be a good candidate with its larger first class cabin.)

As you can see, I had one flight on an ERJ, and I hope to avoid this jet as much as possible because of its lack of a first class cabin (and no Economy Plus seats other than the exit row.) More on toughing out United Express ERJs and CRJs later.

My Upgrade Stats Halfway Through Status Match

A319 3/5 
B737 5/5
 B757 1/1
 B787 2/2
 CR7 4/5 
ERJ */1

[execplatvs1k]

Flying United’s 737s

These are really pre-merger Continental Airlines planes. They feature older style first class recliner seats and DirectTV. Depending on which model of 737, they have between 12-20 first class seats. None of these planes have WIFI yet, but the DirectTV kept me entertained during my flight.

I particularly enjoyed being able to watch the entertainment during boarding, takeoff and landing. There are also several movie channels specifically for United. I found the remote to be very awkwardly placed, as I had to bump my neighbor with my elbow to change the channel.

American Airlines doesn’t have DirectTV on any of its planes much less in seat entertainment on any narrow-body jets; however, AA just took delivery of its new Airbus 319 which will feature in seat entertainment.

I was served “breakfast" on this flight, which consisted of a sausage egg and cheese sandwich, fruit bowl and yogurt. I did not find the processed cheese on the sandwich to be palatable. In general, I have found the food on American to be higher in quality.

I was sitting in the last row of first class, and I was very cold. The flight attendant confirmed that this row is notoriously chilly on the 737. Unfortunately, blankets were not furnished in the seat backs like on American mainline flights in first class. When I requested one from the flight attendant, she politely explained that only used blankets from the last flight were were available. I was desperate so I took a used blanket anyway.

These little service differences make a big impact for a frequent traveler such as myself.

[execplatvs1k]

Doing 1k Status Match, too. First impressions.

I am currently doing the status match to 1k, too. There are some very big differences between AA EXP and UA 1k. I flew on UA last week for the first time since the match had started.

First surprise...no upgrades at the window on all three segments. That is very rare on AA. Here's where UA shines though...at the check-in window, I was able to change my flights to get on a connection through Houston that looked like it would have a chance of clearing into F. The change can be made online during the check-in process very easily, and I was confirmed on one of the two segments nearly immediately. The second segment cleared overnight.

On the return, the segment cleared right after check-in. Again, there would have been an option to change flights if need be. That said, be sure NOT to auto-check in because once checked in, changing flights becomes infinitely more problematic.

While all flights went without a hitch, I did notice that catering on UA is far worse than on AA. Breakfast is nearly inedible on mainline planes, and on the E-170 I flew back, the snackbox contained primarily junky food options. Only thing I ate was the KIND bar. That means on UA, I will be eating before getting on the plane.

Lastly, a huge drawback is no WiFi. Not being able to work while airborne does ad to the stress when one arrives at the destination.

[execplatvs1k]

Whoa! That's a lot of flights!

[execplatvs1k]

My first ride on United’s Airbus 319

On this "version 1" United A319, I sat in Economy Plus (equivalent to American’s Main Cabin Extra), as my upgrade didn’t go through. I definitely enjoyed the extra legroom and spacious feel of the plane. There are only eight first class seats on this plane, so the upgrade chances were not all that great. Similarly, American’s new A319s will have only eight first class seats as well.

Of my eight flights on United so far, this is the first flight on which I didn’t get upgraded (not including the time I rode in coach because of a missed connection).

The entertainment system consisted of overhead drop-down monitors. Unfortunately, the jet didn’t have power-ports, but I did luck out with plane that had WIFI.

Even though this plane is relatively old, it seems a generation ahead of the American Airlines MD-80, which American is in the process of replacing with Boeing 737-800 and Airbus 319 and 320 series jets. United has recently started the process of updating the interior with slim line seats, power-ports and streamable content via WIFI. I hope to fly on one of UA's retrofitted A319s soon!

[execplatvs1k]

iPhone App — Some quick notes on American vs. United

As I’m getting ready for a few flights in the coming days, I have noticed some subtle differences between the American Airlines and United Airlines iPhone apps.

Changing seats: I love American’s ability to change seats after entering the 24 hour window. Recently, American also added the capability to change seats after check-in, which for me was totally revolutionary. Unfortunately, United’s app doesn’t offer either feature currently. Note: I did have luck calling United and getting it changed over the telephone.

Upgrade list: Both apps are excellent with updating mobile boarding passes via push notifications to Passbook upon upgrades. Where United edges out American is actually displaying the upgrade list! This reduces stress levels because I already know my upgrade chances prior to arriving at the airport. No more stalking ticket agents and lounge employees and begging for information.

Another nice feature of United’s is having the food service displayed in the “Amenities" tab. It’s always nice to know whether or not to plan for lunch, dinner, snack, or what have you. It also shows the entertainment, including video screens and WIFI. Finally, a nice reminder you can #AVGeek out on channel 9! American's app doesn't have this feature.

One “deceptive" feature of United’s is the ability to see the first class section from the app. While it is nice to see the configuration of the first class cabin, don't be fooled that this is showing actual inventory. All the seats are labeled as “occupied;" however, after doing a quick query on Expert Flyer, I realized that there were actually five empty seats in first class. United is keeping services like Expert Flyer in business!

All in all, I think both apps are making great strides to provide their elite travelers with relevant information to make their trips better, but it seems that United is a bit further along in this area.

[michelleumunna]

Anybody know if United has inflight wifi on all aircrafts now? 😒

[execplatvs1k]

Unfortunately, United will not have added WIFI to all aircraft until 2015. You can check on the progress here: http://www.united.com/web/en-us/content/travel/inflight/wifi/default.aspx. Bring some magazines! :-)

[execplatvs1k]

Traveling on the United Express CRJ

On my return trip from MCI, I had two segments on United Express. I specifically chose the CRJ over the ERJ routes because of the first class cabin on the CRJ. The United CRJ's are largely similar to American's CRJs.

This plane seemed a bit older than American's CRJs, and the seat recline was broken during my first leg from MCI-ORD. Fortunately, this was a short hop and I didn't need to lean back and rest my eyes. 

The flight was just over an hour, so just a beverage service with a snack mix was offered.

Upon arriving ORD, I had more time to enjoy United's ORD terminals. One difference here, the famous Helmet Jaun Terminals 1 and 2 feel more spacious and modern than American's Terminal 3.

I debated purchasing a United Club membership just to see the fabulous new club in Terminal 2. After looking over the membership options, I decided to take a raincheck and hike it over to Terminal 1 to stop in at my familiar Admirals Club.

Upon returning to Terminal 2 to catch my final ORD-AUS segment, also on a CRJ. I noticed there was no plane at the gate, yet our flight was boarding. I soon realized that our plane had no specific gate assigned to it, and we had to walk out on the tarmac about a quarter of a mile to our jet. I suppose United has more flights than gates and has to cram-in as many planes as possible into a small space.

After boarding, I settled into my first class seat. Fortunately, the seat recline was working properly on this flight. This was a longer flight than the last one, just over two hours. The meal service was marked "refreshments" so I wasn't sure what to expect.  The flight attendant brought out something that resembled a Kleenex box, but instead of finding tissue inside, it was full of snacks. I was informed by my seat-mate that our flight attendant went the extra mile by opening the box and nicely arranging the snacks inside. I thought the snack box was definitely a step up from American's "refreshment" service which consists of warm nuts and a cookie.

This trip definitely went smoother than the last one, and I look forward to trying more United planes soon.

[execplatvs1k]

How Elite Boarding Differs Between American and United

I noticed two main differences in boarding between American and United.

First, United had boarding lanes for each group number, instead of just one lane for "priority" and one for everyone else, which seemed like a nice way to keep the usual boarding lane bottleneck at bay.

Second, unlike American, United boards their ultra-elite Global Services members first (American does not call their Concierge Key members to board prior to Executive Platinum members). Following Global Services, United calls all Premier members to board at once, not just 1K, then Platinum, etc., which resulted in a bit of chaos in my case.

[execplatvs1k]

During my first United coach-1K experience, I learned one unfortunate drawback: No free food or premium beverages for 1K members. This Executive Platinum benefit has always comforted me in times of no upgrades.

[execplatvs1k]

Comparing American's 777-300 and United's 787 Business Class

I thought I would highlight some of the features and differences between the newest wide-body birds in the U.S. mainline market: American's 777-300 ER and United's 787 Dreamliner. I recently flew on on both planes, and below are a few photos and comments of my experience. 

Starting with the Dreamliner, United's 787 felt spacious and modern upon entering (although United didn't opt for the open floor-plan that Boeing touts for this plane). American's 773 entrance is relatively similar, with the addition of a walk-up snack bar on the right side. The 773 boasts cleaner and sleeker lines, while the 787's interior is more curvy.

Entrance to United's 787.

Entrance to American's 773 with walk-up snack bar. Photo credit: AA.com.

On the 787, I sat in the mini cabin up-front, so I made a left turn upon entering the plane.

United's 787 business/first mini-cabin up in the front.

On American's 773, I sat in the "second" business class cabin and made a right turn upon entering the plane. Note: The 773 is a three class configuration, unlike the 787's two class configuration.

American's 773 business class cabin.

Here are a few differences between the two business class seats:

The 787 seats are relatively private, but not walled off suites like American's 773.

United's 787 business/first seat.

American's more private 773 business class "suite."

United allowed me to view in the in-flight entertainment during takeoff and landing, unlike on Amercan's 773. For me personally, this is a huge benefit, especially during long delays on the runway.

For all of the "feet-on-the-wall-haters" out there, I was able to rest my feet on United's 787 foot-appropriate ottoman with the seat fully upright during takeoff and landing (I am 6' tall). This wasn't possible on American's 773.

My feet are size 12 and they were a bit too big to fit in the 787's little space, so my shoes came off fast. Contrastingly, the 773 had very generous room for my feet.

United's 787 feat on ottoman while fully upright with in-flight-entertainment running (allowed during takeoff and landing).

American's 773 more generous foot space, but disabled in-flight-entertainment.

United allowed me to stow my "personal item" bag under the 787's ottoman during takeoff and landing unlike with American on their 773. This is odd considering the 773 has a larger space to stow one's personal item.

My "personal item" stuffed underneath United's smaller ottoman.

I found United's 787 seat recline controls to be very buggy--I had to push the buttons several times before the seat would move at all. I did not have this problem at all on American's 773.

American's 773 features a walk-up bar offering delicious snacks and drinks during the flight. American Airlines is the only US carrier to offer this service.

So which business class product is better? It depends on your personal preferences. On a longer flight, I might prefer the more roomy foot space, privacy and walk-up snack bar that American's 773 offers; however, United's 787 might win me over because of the in-flight-entertainment ability during long delays.

Which would you prefer?

[execplatvs1k]

I witnessed United's new uniform just as they were debuted--a space age look on a state of the art aircraft (787). This is definitely an improvement over American's current uniform (and United's old uniform); although American will be revealing their new uniform on a future date. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

[execplatvs1k]

Trip report: My very first 1K trip on United -- Good to Bad to Worse

As a loyal AA ExecPlat, I felt like I was operating in a parallel dimension as I walked through United’s C Terminal at IAH. As I posted earlier, my upgrade on the 787 Dreamliner cleared at the 96 hour window, and I was excited to sample United’s Business First product for my relatively quick flight to ORD.

My eager optimism morphed into a bit of stress when I learned my flight was one hour late due to a missing crew member. I chatted with both the gate agent and a customer service desk agent, and they were both cautiously optimistic that I wouldn’t miss my connection in ORD. (Sidebar: I learned from one of the employees that the missing crew member was actually on-site, but labor rules prevented him or her from working.)

We finally boarded the flight 50 minutes prior to the delayed departure time; however it took a full hour to completely board the plane and close the door.

Once boarding completed, the captain announced there was a problem with his cockpit instruments and a maintenance crew member would be boarding shortly to inspect. After the door was reopened and the maintenance guy briefly inspected the cockpit, the pilot announced we were ready to depart. We pushed back and began our taxi to the runway, but it didn’t take long before we stopped and sat for a long while. The captain announced that the plane’s altimeter had broken, and we needed to return to the gate. [Insert requisite moans and groans here.] Fortunately, United had a spare altimeter, and a fleet of maintenance guys came on board to replace it. So, after another long pause, we were finally ready to take off—and we finally did three hours later than scheduled.

During the flight, I found the young female flight attendant to be friendly and appropriately chatty. She looked stylish and modern as she debuted the brand new uniform (photo to follow). The meal service was a “lunch" and included warm nuts, an option of a chicken salad or wrap, asparagus soup and a chocolate chip cookie. By and large, the food service was very similar to American’s. Just a few noticeable differences: the portion of warm nuts was about 75% compared to American’s relatively large ramekin, the soup option was completely new to me (and I really enjoyed this addition), and the warm chocolate chip cookie came in a paper sleeve instead of on a plate.

After we landed, we taxied for a while and made room for a 747 backing out of a nearby gate. Upon arriving, the door took a very long time to open. During this period, I could not access United’s app to see my updated itinerary due to the lack of cell service on the runway at ORD.

I was concerned about my connection, and the flight attendant thoughtfully requested that passengers with tight connections be allowed to exit first. I quickly exited the plane but found no help when I stepped off the plane into Terminal C, even though I was told there would be an agent to provide assistance. I knew I had missed my flight by this point. When my cell phone finally found service I found out that United automatically scheduled me on a later flight to MCI leaving over five hours later on a little ERJ (my scheduled flight was an upgraded first seat on an A319). Obviously not satisfied with this result, I sought out a ticket agent at the customer service desk. There was an extremely long line for an agent, but I noticed there was a “Premier" line, which was a great help because I quickly became first in line. The agent kindly placed me on a delayed flight that was leaving in a few minutes; however, this smaller CRJ was sold out of first class seats.

I was given a window seat on the CRJ and toughed it out in coach. Fortunately I had a pleasant seat mate next to me and we chatted the entire flight. During my first coach-1K experience, I learned one unfortunate drawback to flying United: 1K members don’t receive free food or premium beverages in coach. This Executive Platinum benefit has always comforted me in times of no upgrades.

By the time I landed at MCI, I was several hours late and missed my evening dinner appointment, so unfortunately I will have to schedule a subsequent trip to MCI to make up for this. I have relayed this information to United’s customer service, and hope to hear an adequate response from them soon.