Home > United > 2008 > Review

Taken March 2008 from London, England (Heathrow Airport) - LHR to San Francisco, CA (San Francisco International Airport) - SFO

Outbound check-in was reasonably OK but the flight was poor. Leg-room was tight (and I'm not a tall person), the meals were scant (one hot meal and a snack for an 11 hour flight!), the movie selection was very limited and ear plugs were issued instead of the usual headphones, so noise was a problem. All alcoholic drinks were chargeable.

Check-in for the return flight was absolutely appalling - the worst I've ever experienced in 38 years of flying. Electronic ticketing was tried and then abandoned because (I presume) it was so slow but matters hardly improved because there were insufficient staff and they worked at a snail's pace. Many people complained. The flight itself suffered the same problems as the outbound flight but in addition I noticed that a number of passengers had been allowed to bring excess luggage into the cabin which made overhead locker space tight. I kept my bag on the floor which made the cramped conditions worse and was probably a safety hazard because it would not fit under the seat in front due to an obstruction. I was not the only person in this condition and was surprised that the flight attendants didn't notice or care when they did their walk around.

Compared to other airlines that I have recently used I would rate United right at the bottom of the pile.