Air from US to China

[jcerst]

thanks for your good wishes. Oh, Rome. I love Rome. I've been there a couple of times and would be happy to share any info you might like. Have you been there before?

 

Thanks for the offer Lori, we were there last August precruise for several days.

Love Rome:D

It would have been so much easier for us to fly out of JFK instead of Miami but it cost to much to change and rebook.:(

 

Joe

[lori450]

I am so glad this is actually a United booking.

 

I know I worried you but there are just more and more discounters/consolidators selling on Kayak and you just don't know what you are buying a lot of times. Prices look great but the underlying RULES for the ticket could totally trash a vacation.

 

Enjoy your trip.

 

Thank you for your reassurance. I'm really looking forward to the trip and now I don;t have to dread the long trip because, I'll be able to lie down and go to sleep!!!

[jcerst]

Thank you for your reassurance. I'm really looking forward to the trip and now I don;t have to dread the long trip because, I'll be able to lie down and go to sleep!!!

 

The only way to go:D

[lori450]

May I ask another question?

 

When I booked the business/first seats, I picked row 2 (I didn't know what else to do). Are any of the rows better than others? And, what's the difference between business and first class? All the seats seem to be the same. Thanks!!

[lori450]

Thanks for the offer Lori, we were there last August precruise for several days.

Love Rome:D

It would have been so much easier for us to fly out of JFK instead of Miami but it cost to much to change and rebook.:(

 

Joe

 

Joe, are you going to Italy or passing through Italy on your way to China?

[jcerst]

Joe, are you going to Italy or passing through Italy on your way to China?

 

Lori,

By thinking outside the box, we found through trial and error going into other airports offered great business class fares.

Last August we saved almost $10,000 by going through Brussels to Rome on American-British-Alitalia. Made three stops.

Just try using different airports on Kayak etc.

It sounds strange but it work's.

Only changing planes in Rome to Beijing.

 

Joe

[lori450]

It seems I have a lot to learn! We have been needlessly suffering in economy for the last few years.

 

Can anyone answer my questions above about the seats?

[jcerst]

It seems I have a lot to learn! We have been needlessly suffering in economy for the last few years.

 

Can anyone answer my questions above about the seats?

 

Lori,

Check SeatPlans.com or SeatGuru.com.

Joe

[Globaliser]

When I booked the business/first seats, I picked row 2 (I didn't know what else to do). Are any of the rows better than others? And, what's the difference between business and first class? All the seats seem to be the same.

Sites like seatexpert.com and seatguru.com will give you some generic advice about seats. However, you have to approach these with caution, for a number of reasons:-

1. Sometimes it is hard to work out which configuration of aircraft you're flying on, so you don't know whether the seatguru seat map you're looking at is the right one.
2. Sometimes the information there is out of date, particularly if the airline is going through a programme of seat modifications.
3. Sometimes the information you get now won't hold good by the time of travel, because the aircraft type or configuration has been changed by the time of your flight (this can happen at any time, right up to the last moment), or a seat modification programme gets under way and affects your flight.
4. Sometimes the opinions are misleading from the point of view of a passenger of your type, because they've been given by a passenger of another type (eg what a solo business "road warrior" traveller thinks is good may not be what a couple on leisure travel thinks is good).
5. Sometimes the opinions are just plain wrong, as regular passengers on a specific airline can sometimes tell you from personal experience of flying on these aircraft.

The last of these is partly aggravating (sometimes seatguru marks in red ("bad/avoid") seats that are actually very highly prized by those who know from regular experience of flying in them - but also partly comforting because it means that there's less demand for these particularly good seats.

 

If you're prepared to post your exact flights and dates, those of us with access to the relevant tools and/or with personal experience of the aircraft concerned may be able to give you more details.

[jcerst]

Sites like seatexpert.com and seatguru.com will give you some generic advice about seats. However, you have to approach these with caution, for a number of reasons:-

1. Sometimes it is hard to work out which configuration of aircraft you're flying on, so you don't know whether the seatguru seat map you're looking at is the right one.
2. Sometimes the information there is out of date, particularly if the airline is going through a programme of seat modifications.
3. Sometimes the information you get now won't hold good by the time of travel, because the aircraft type or configuration has been changed by the time of your flight (this can happen at any time, right up to the last moment), or a seat modification programme gets under way and affects your flight.
4. Sometimes the opinions are misleading from the point of view of a passenger of your type, because they've been given by a passenger of another type (eg what a solo business "road warrior" traveller thinks is good may not be what a couple on leisure travel thinks is good).
5. Sometimes the opinions are just plain wrong, as regular passengers on a specific airline can sometimes tell you from personal experience of flying on these aircraft.

The last of these is partly aggravating (sometimes seatguru marks in red ("bad/avoid") seats that are actually very highly prized by those who know from regular experience of flying in them - but also partly comforting because it means that there's less demand for these particularly good seats.

 

If you're prepared to post your exact flights and dates, those of us with access to the relevant tools and/or with personal experience of the aircraft concerned may be able to give you more details.

Great advice, we always check type of aircraft etc. before picking seats.:)

[lori450]

Sites like seatexpert.com and seatguru.com will give you some generic advice about seats. However, you have to approach these with caution, for a number of reasons:-

1. Sometimes it is hard to work out which configuration of aircraft you're flying on, so you don't know whether the seatguru seat map you're looking at is the right one.
2. Sometimes the information there is out of date, particularly if the airline is going through a programme of seat modifications.
3. Sometimes the information you get now won't hold good by the time of travel, because the aircraft type or configuration has been changed by the time of your flight (this can happen at any time, right up to the last moment), or a seat modification programme gets under way and affects your flight.
4. Sometimes the opinions are misleading from the point of view of a passenger of your type, because they've been given by a passenger of another type (eg what a solo business "road warrior" traveller thinks is good may not be what a couple on leisure travel thinks is good).
5. Sometimes the opinions are just plain wrong, as regular passengers on a specific airline can sometimes tell you from personal experience of flying on these aircraft.

The last of these is partly aggravating (sometimes seatguru marks in red ("bad/avoid") seats that are actually very highly prized by those who know from regular experience of flying in them - but also partly comforting because it means that there's less demand for these particularly good seats.

 

If you're prepared to post your exact flights and dates, those of us with access to the relevant tools and/or with personal experience of the aircraft concerned may be able to give you more details.

 

Thank you for your very kind offer. We are flying on June 11, 2013 from FLL to Beijing (stop in EWR) on United Flight #1293 Seats 2E & F. Then we change planes to United Flight #89 Seats 2K&L. We return on 6/30/13 from Shanghai on United #87 Seats 2 K&L and then United 1292 seats 2E&F

 

I stayed away from the front row because there is no underseat storage and the back row because I didn't know if it would interfere with the flat bed feature. Thanks again!!

(Oh, I looked at seat guru and I didn't realize there were so many variations. I picked the one that seemed to be most like the one I saw when I booked the flights). Please let me know if there are better seats or if this was a poor choice.

[greatam]

Thank you for your very kind offer. We are flying on June 11, 2013 from FLL to Beijing (stop in EWR) on United Flight #1293 Seats 2E & F. Then we change planes to United Flight #89 Seats 2K&L. We return on 6/30/13 from Shanghai on United #87 Seats 2 K&L and then United 1292 seats 2E&F

 

I stayed away from the front row because there is no underseat storage and the back row because I didn't know if it would interfere with the flat bed feature. Thanks again!!

(Oh, I looked at seat guru and I didn't realize there were so many variations. I picked the one that seemed to be most like the one I saw when I booked the flights). Please let me know if there are better seats or if this was a poor choice.

 

 

I am very confused by your posting.

 

Unless I am horribly mistaken, the ONLY plane (long haul flight) that has a row L are the old Continental 767's. That is also the only plane the has BusinessFirst as a class. Every other United flight is business AND FIRST (with first being "suites" like a lot of airlines today) The seats on the Continental 767's are NOT lie flat seats. They are recliner seats (156 degrees recline) with leg rests. You kind of "stand" on the foot rest to sleep. Not bad at all-AA used to have them and I have traveled long haul to Asia on them quite a few times. If you are normal sized, I have found them very comfortable and slept very well. They are a pain in the butt if you are by yourself, picked the window seat and have to get out. But you won't have that problem because there are two of you together.

 

If you look at the United website, it states the plane for flight 89 is a 777-2. There is NO L row on any 777 configuration I could find. So if your seats are truly 2 K & L both ways, I have no idea what plane you are flying.

 

So you REALLY need to find out what plane you are flying, NOT just the flight number. Good luck.

 

I just took ANOTHER look at the United website-they have JKL all listed as one area in business (even though there are only two seats) and 2 K & L are FIRST class seats (which are true lie flats)

 

You stated you booked BusinessFirst which is only on a few flights. I am very confused. Can't tell what seat you are in. If you actually got 2 K & L in FIRST CLASS on a 777-2, you did VERY, VERY WELL. In fact, you got about the deal of the year. Those first class tickets to Asia are generally in the $8-10,000 price range. If true, you just spoiled yourself so bad that you will be churning credit cards, doing mileage runs and anything else you can think of to get up in the pointy end of the plane for long haul international flights from now on. The experience is truly a world apart from sitting in the back of the bus. The only thing better is private jet transport.

 

I fly well over 100,000 miles per year. The first United flight I have been on in 10 years or more was two weeks ago Thursday. I see why. All the consolidation with Continental has made it very hard to even decipher what type of plane you are on.

 

Good luck.

[lori450]

It states that I have seats 2 K & L and the flights are Boeing 777-200 each way. Fare class says United BusinessFirst (P). That's why I asked to begin with. I thought the seats in row 2 would be first class and couldn't understand how I got them.

[lori450]

On seat guru it looked like it was 777-200 v 4.

[greatam]

Who knows what you are going to get 9 months from now

 

IF you were going to fly TOMORROW on flight 89, you WOULD NOT fly in seat 2 K & L UNLESS you were actually booked in FIRST CLASS. That is a three class airplane-FIRST, BUSINESS, and economy. Maybe by next summer, United has integrated with Continental enough that they no longer have a TRUE first class and BUSINESS/FIRST is all they offer on that route.

 

Who knows?????

 

 

Good luck-you will be fine

[greatam]

It states that I have seats 2 K & L and the flights are Boeing 777-200 each way. Fare class says United BusinessFirst (P). That's why I asked to begin with. I thought the seats in row 2 would be first class and couldn't understand how I got them.

 

NOT if planes only offer a hybrid business/first class.

 

You will be fine no matter what type of plane you are on. You will get to lay down and sleep.

[lori450]

And THAT's what it's all about! Thanks.

[Globaliser]

Thank you for your very kind offer. We are flying on June 11, 2013 from FLL to Beijing (stop in EWR) on United Flight #1293 Seats 2E & F. Then we change planes to United Flight #89 Seats 2K&L. We return on 6/30/13 from Shanghai on United #87 Seats 2 K&L and then United 1292 seats 2E&F

These are the aircraft types currently scheduled to operate your flights, which I've identified based on comparing the economy class configurations for your flights. The only inconsistency is that your EWR-FLL flight is only showing 2 rows of first class, while the seatguru seat map has 3 rows.

 

It looks like your long-haul flights are indeed currently scheduled to be in the old Continental BusinessFirst product, as you've already said.

 

Others will have to tell you whether the seats you've picked are any good - but at least you know the currently-planned aircraft types.

Seat Map Search:
Departing FLL on 11/06/13 for EWR
Flying UA flight 1293 in First, Business, Economy

       A   B       E   F   
1       +   +       +   +       
2       +   +       -   -       
3       +   +       +   +       
4       +   +       +   +       
       A   B       E   F   

Aircraft type: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/United_Airlines/United_Airlines_Boeing_737-800_C.php

 

Seat Map Search:
Departing EWR on 11/06/13 for PEK
Flying UA flight 89 in First, Business, Economy

       A   B       D   E       K   L   
1                   +   +       +   +       
2       +   X       +   +       -   -       
3       -   -       +   +       +   +       
4       +   +       +   +       +   +       
5       +   +       +   +                   
8       +   +       +   +       +   +       
9       +   +       +   +       +   +       
10      +   +       +   +       +   +       
11      +   +       +   +       +   +       
       A   B       D   E       K   L   

Aircraft type: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/United_Airlines/United_Airlines_Boeing_777-200_6.php

 

Seat Map Search:
Departing PVG on 30/06/13 for EWR
Flying UA flight 87 in First, Business, Economy

       A   B       D   E       K   L   
1                   +   +       +   +       
2       +   X       +   +       -   -       
3       +   +       +   +       +   +       
4       +   +       +   +       +   +       
5       +   +       +   +                   
8       +   +       +   +       +   +       
9       +   +       +   +       +   +       
10      +   +       +   +       +   +       
11      +   +       +   +       +   +       
       A   B       D   E       K   L   

Aircraft type: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/United_Airlines/United_Airlines_Boeing_777-200_6.php

 

Seat Map Search:
Departing EWR on 30/06/13 for FLL
Flying UA flight 1292 in First, Business, Economy

       A   B       E   F   
1       +   +       +   +       
2       +   +       -   -       
       A   B       E   F   

Aircraft type: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/United_Airlines/United_Airlines_Boeing_737-700_B.php

 

Seats
Premium Only             P                        
Available                +                        
Handicap-Accessible      H                        
Paid & Premium           #                        
Occupied                 -                        
Blocked                  X                        
Lavatory                 L                        
Paid                     $                        

Location
Exit Row                 E                        
Wing                     W                        
Upper Deck               U                        

[lori450]

Thank you!