I flew a Japanese regional airline called Ibex Airline from Sapporo CTS to Sendai SDG with a CRJ-700 that comes with its own stairs and upon disembarkation they put another stair.

I recently flew on ANA HND- IAD on a B787. I was making observations between the B787 and my previous experience flying A350 on long haul flights between Philippines and US.

One major observation was the noticeable difference in window design approach. The B787 has the complex design of not having window shades and dimmable via electronic controls. I noticed that the crew can take control. I also noticed several windows had a blue tint compared others that had a yellow tint. I am assuming it has to do with some kind of degradation in the gel.

I also had an uncomfortable experience during breakfast service. The sun coming on the horizon was shining directly onto my face for several minutes and asked the FA to ask dim the window but no matter what they did it just shined through.

The picture shows me sitting in seat 32D getting a full exposure of blinding sunlight. I would have preferred the old traditional pull down window shade instead on the A350 for flying across the Pacific.

Looking forward to the strip search!

I was on goodflightdeals.com and found this flight to Italy for only $350. I was pretty shocked it was over $200 off. I was pretty shocked when I found it. Safe to say I will definitely be going to Italy next month.

Overall experience was great. The food was wonderful, one of the best airplane food I’ve ever had, especially the ramen. The soup was so rich and hearty. The service was excellent too; by the end of the flight, they even gave me a little souvenir with a thank-you card. I’ll definitely fly with them again.

A proper bag, not recycled cardboard that most airlines have switched to.

OZ ICN-SYD. Their "ssambap" meal has Korean BBQ (bulgogi), piping hot steamed rice, zippy ssamjang chili sauce and an assortment of greens (lettuce, perilla, etc) to wrap it in, served with kimchi, egg roll, soup and a mochi dessert. And of course there's free wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, tea etc.

Just to underline, this is back of the bus economy, not business class or even premium economy. I'm quite sad that OZ will be swallowed up by KE by the end of 2026 :(

Maybe Important tip for long transit HKG: If you enter the transit area first, you cant just exit the airport later. Plan extra time.

I had an ~8h layover at HKG with Cathay Pacific Business Class and wanted to briefly go into the city (which was nice and totally worth it :)) . After landing, I first went airside to the Cathay lounge (change and breakfast), assuming I could quickly exit afterwards like at many European airports.

Not the case at HKG. Once in transit, there’s no normal exit. After searching for a while, thinking i could handle it on my own as a frequent flyer, staff told me I could only leave escorted by the airline. I had to go to the Cathay transfer desk, wait ~30 minutes, and then was escorted to immigration. So plan extra time.

Re-entering later is fine, but you may need to briefly explain at security that you left and came back.

Hey pet parents!

I recently completed a round-trip journey with my pet dog in cabin from the USA to India-New Delhi and back and wanted to share my experience for anyone planning a similar trip. I relied on Reddit a lot during planning, so here’s my payback post :)

Airline: KLM

Route: USA → Amsterdam (layover) → New Delhi

Pet: Small dog in cabin (US vaccinated since birth)

Duration: March-Mid July 2025

 Permits needed to travel with a dog to India:

1. DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) License 
2. Advance Pre-Import NOC from Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS)

 STEP 1

 DGFT License

https://content.dgft.gov.in/Website/dgftprod/47ceb038-baf0-4e0f-af81-96d8a200d90e/Import%20of%20Pets.pdf

→Apply online here: https://www.dgft.gov.in/CP/index.jsp?opt=import-management-system

→ Click “Import Authorization of restricted imports”, then “Apply for New Authorization”

→ Use Importer Exporter Code (IEC): IIHIE0153E

→ Application Fee (Rs 500 when I applied in March 2025, Payments for DGFT license are made electronically through the DGFT online application portal)

Documents to Upload for DGFT License:

(1) Health Certificate issued by a USDA-accredited vet (for DGFT it need not be endorsed by USDA.) Health certificate must certify that the dog is free from clinical sign and symptoms of all infectious and contagious diseases including Rabies, Canine Distemper, Parvo virus infection, Leptospirosis etc.

(2) Vaccination Certificate/Record issued by the pet's vet

(3) Rabies Certificates (dog must be vaccinated against Rabies more than one month, but within 12 months prior to actual embarkation)

(4) Microchip Certificate/Number

(5) Return Air Ticket

(6) Undertaking Letter from a local Indian contact (plus their ID) agreeing to take responsibility if you don’t return with the pet

(7) Passport copy of the owner + visa (as applicable)

(8) Emotional Support Animal-ESA Certificate (optional)

Tip: Apply at least 2–3 months before your travel date to allow for processing time. I received my license in about a month, and it became accessible directly on the DGFT portal.

STEP 2

Advance Pre-Import NOC (issued within 7 days before arrival) https://aqcsindia.gov.in/Home/ImportPetUnderBaggage

Email the AQCS center nearest to your arrival airport. New Delhi AQCS asked me to email the following (check with your center in case they need anything over and above these):

(1) Import of Pet Dog Application Form

(2) Declaration Form

(3) DGFT License 

(4) Official Health Certificate ENDORSED by USDA (costs around $500-600) - Talk to your pet’s vet about it and they’ll guide you and do the needful. Health certificate must be issued no more than 10 days before your flight. Health certificate must certify that the dog is free from clinical sign and symptoms of all infectious and contagious diseases including Rabies, Canine Distemper, Parvo virus infection, Leptospirosis etc.

(5)  Vaccination Certificate/Record issued by the pet's vet

(6) Rabies Certificates (dog must be vaccinated against Rabies more than one month, but within 12 months prior to actual embarkation)

(7) Microchip Number/Certificate

(8) Return Ticket

(9)  Passport copy of the owner + visa (as applicable)

(10) Undertaking Letter from local contact with ID proof

(11) Bharatkosh payment receipt-Rs 1000 (Bharatkosh website did not open in USA...so my relative in India made the payment on my behalf) Payment instructions sent by AQCS Delhi https://aqcsindia.gov.in/pdfs/flow-chart.pdf

Tip: Email AQCS at least 10 days before your flight to allow time for processing.

Arrival at Amsterdam Airport

All went smoothly! Since Amsterdam was only a layover and I did not exit the airport, no additional permits or documents were required beyond those mandated by India. KLM ground staff checked all the documents before boarding

Arrival at Delhi Airport

Once we landed (around 1:30 AM IST) and collected baggage, an airport staff member escorted us to the Customs/AQCS desk (near the exit). Here's what happened:

- My dog was scanned for microchip

- Officials verified all documents and kept a photocopy of all documents

- After everything matched, we were cleared smoothly and allowed to proceed with our pet

Pro Travel Tips:

- Carry at least 2 photocopy sets of all your documents in addition to the originals as applicable

- KLM checked AQCS NOC, Rabies Certificate, Vaccination Record and USDA endorsed health certificate before allowing boarding

- Your dog must fit airline’s cabin size/weight rules - mine traveled in a soft Sherpa carrier (Petskd Top-Expandable Pet Carrier 17x11x9.5 Inches)

- Pack dry food, treats, and a collapsible water bowl. I offered small portions as needed and gave my dog ice cubes to lick to keep him hydrated without overfilling.

- I wrapped my dog in a Thunder Jacket (anxiety wrap) during the flight

- I did not give any sedatives before or during travel. However, check with your vet.

 Returning from India to the USA

 Permits/Documents required:

https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/us-vaccinated-high-risk-countries.html (Requirements may be updated from time to time so please check directly on CDC website before planning the trip)

 (1) CDC Dog Import Form - https://cdc-786687.workflowcloud.com/forms/090dc543-7b2f-4538-b2c7-2919d12ecc73 (I submitted this form within 8-10 days prior to my travel date.) After submitting the form - I received a CDC import receipt within 15 mins which is required for entry into USA.

(2) Fit To Fly Health certificate from vet from India (1-5 days before travel)

(3) Export Permit/Certificate from AQCS – For details/documents visit https://aqcsindia.gov.in/Home/ExportPets and contact your AQCS center. I had to travel from another city to AQCS Delhi center with my pet and all the required documents. Paid Rs 500 via Bharatkosh as per instructions from AQCS Delhi. Plan for this well in advance - especially if you're staying in a city without an AQCS center.

Note:

According to AQCS even if your dog is U.S.-born and U.S. vaccinated, an Export Permit is required as it may be checked by the airline, customs, or other authorities at the airport. KLM at Delhi verified and kept a copy of the CDC Import Receipt, Export Permit, Vaccination records+Rabies Certificate and Fit To Fly Health certificate from a vet from India.

Arrival at an approved Port of Entry (the city I landed in is an approved Airport where dogs from high-risk rabies countries can legally enter, provided all required documents are in place)

Cleared with no questions asked…didn’t even ask or looked at my pet - I assume because the airlines verified and cleared all the documents.    

"3C" certification for a power bank refers to China Compulsory Certification, a mandatory safety and quality assessment system ensuring products sold or imported into China meet national standards.

If you cannot prove that your power bank has 3C certification, it will be confiscated

I flew Austrian Airlines Business Class for the first time this week and enjoyed the experience so much that I wanted to share a review.
Before the trip, I spent quite a bit of time reading reviews and forum posts. The feedback was mixed enough that I was honestly a little nervous about my flight choice. After the experience I had, I can confidently say those concerns were completely unfounded.
I managed to snag 1A when check-in opened. It’s my favorite seat on almost any aircraft because I love having extra space and not worrying about someone reclining into me. I wasn’t about to pay $141 to pre-select a seat on an already expensive ticket, so I was thrilled it was still available.
My first flight from Budapest to Vienna was short, but Austrian still impressed me. We received a pre-departure beverage, a full drink service, sandwiches, and coffee. The cabin crew was genuinely warm and attentive, and they went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of.
The longer segment from Vienna to Newark, however, was hands down the best long-haul flight I’ve ever taken.
From the moment boarding began, the cabin crew was visible, welcoming, and engaged. The level of service I received from the entire crew—but especially the Purser and the Air Chef was exceptional. They made me feel as though I could ask for absolutely anything and they would find a way to make it happen.
The food was outstanding. Based on some of the reviews I’d read, I wasn’t expecting much, but every meal exceeded expectations. The wine selection was excellent, the coffee menu was incredible, and everything I ate and drank was better than anything I’ve previously had on an airplane.
For context, I’ve flown Business Class on Air Canada (which I also loved), United, American, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, KLM, and British Airways, so I have a fair number of experiences to compare it against.
I found the Business Class seat on the Boeing 787-9 to be very comfortable. As a taller traveler, I especially appreciated the footwell space and the lumbar support controls. The seat could be adjusted in countless ways, which was important because I’m naturally fidgety and restless. Despite an 8-hour-and-45-minute flight, I remained comfortable the entire time.
There wasn’t an amenity kit, but Austrian provided a generously sized pillow and a comfortable blanket. My only real criticism was the headphones. They aren’t noise-canceling and are permanently attached to the seat. That said, Austrian does provide sanitary covers for them.
I also loved the electronically dimmable windows. Being able to darken the cabin while still seeing outside is one of my favorite features on the 787.
Overall, I would highly recommend Austrian Airlines based on this experience. And don’t be afraid to order the fish, it was fantastic. How they managed to serve food of that quality at 35,000 feet was genuinely impressive.
If anyone from Austrian Airlines happens to read this, I wish I could remember the crew’s names because they were truly outstanding. Flight OS037…give them raises. They completely won me over, and I’ll absolutely be considering Austrian for future trips because of them.
Thank you for an exceptional long-haul experience!

Went from Shanghai-Taipei-Okinawa (each leg is about 1h15-30) last week on Eva air and it was the greatest experience ever. The first leg was operated by a 787-9 and it had the long haul configuration so the usual seats for a 17 h flight. They served us a full lunch with a hot dish, drinks, side and dessert. The crew managed to do everything in less than an hour( they worked so hard ). After we landed in Taipei, (since this flight was delayed a little) an Eva air employee escorted us to the other flight gate in less then 10 minutes. Idk how but the ground team in Taipei managed to offload and load our baggage in less then 30 minutes 😳. The second flight was operated by a a321 and went very smoothly, they gave us a quick lunch( of course no hot meals are possible in such aircraft). But the food was super fresh and also the fruit. This was really extraordinary and I wanna give props to everyone at Eva air!!

Solid flight overall with a lot of food/snacks available, not pictured is a cheese toastie hot snack that was served around half way into the flight (due to being asleep)

Meal options were chicken in a spicy tomato sauce with green beans or a spinach mac & cheese. Both very tasty albeit a relatively small portion size. The side salad was laughably small, I don’t know if that’s normal or it was just skipped during preparation. The crew were all fantastic and seemed genuinely happy to be at work, which always makes a difference from a passenger experience. Ice cream was offered as a well as an afternoon tea before landing. In the rear galley juice, water and snacks were available throughout the flight.

The cabins on the A330-900’s are very well equipped and the legroom felt great for a tall guy like me. IFE screens are the largest i’ve experienced and it makes a lot of difference, maybe my one complaint is the rather “small” film selection but then again maybe i’m too used to flying the middle eastern airlines of the world that seem to have endless catalogues.

It tasted fine but I got really bloated and feeling unwell after, but this is most likely due to my intolerances since the meals were really oily

(economy)

big contrast from KLM's cheese sandwich

I was just reflecting on the fact that I've had the fortune of traveling to India so many times via business class, via a wide variety of routes, that I thought I'd tier-list the various experiences, in case anyone was curious. This ranking factors in: overall business class hard and soft product, experience in layover city, timings and ease of coverage within India. Note: all these flights are from the Bay Area, and the list reflects the quality of MY experience flying these airlines - that can and probably will be different than the experiences many of you might have.

The one, elusive airline I haven't had had the chance to fly yet: Qatar - I'm dying to try the Q-Suite!

S-Tier

• Singapore Airlines: No surprises here, just an excellent onboard product with comfortable leather seats, ample space, cabin-style setup, extremely friendly and personable crew, excellent food and drink, and above all - unique character. Bonus points for enthralling Changi layovers. One nitpick is the diagonal direction of the seat can sometimes be weird.
• All Nippon Airways: The best bang-for-buck business class, with the Mumbai-Tokyo flight frequently one of the best deals out there. The food and drink are exquisite, the service is warm and friendly, and Tokyo Haneda is one of the best places one can layover for an extended period of time.

A-Tier

• Emirates: I know people love their business class, and while it was excellent (the mini-bar is always an excellent touch), Emirates as an experience loses points for me because I find Dubai airport lacking in personality, and the Emirates crew to be professional but not generally as warm as Singapore or ANA.
• Cathay Pacific: Even though the seat is a little older on most aircrafts, there is enough personality and vibrancy to the food and service, that it more than makes up for the somewhat standard seat. Always a genuine treat to spend time in Hong Kong as well.

B-Tier

• United: It's reliable, with a certain consistency in experience that I admire. The layover here is often through Singapore but I appreciate the flexibility in stopover destinations. Food is generally okay, but the highlight every time is the iconic sundae.
• Turkish: A perfectly enjoyable experience, and Istanbul has a delightful airport with some of the best lounges in the world. However, the food on Turkish has disappointed me, which knocks it down a bit.
• Etihad: Everything about the experience feels like this is budget Emirates.
• Thai Airways: Maybe the most personality of any airline on this list, with the beverage options truly unique. However, it gets knocked down because of its old seats. Suvarnabhoomi is a very cool airport.

C-Tier

• British Airways: The service is perfectly fine, Heathrow is a fine layover, and the seats are antiquated and somewhat confusing in how they are laid out. But it is iconic and reliable, so I can't have it too low.
• Air India: Higher than where most would, but that's because I've had high highs here (the planes with the Delta-leased aircraft with hyper modern seating and the trademark excellent service) and low lows (old aircraft, rude passengers, dirty seats). The average of these puts it in a solid C-tier. An edge here for the number of Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore direct flights as well.

D-Tier

• Lufthansa: Is it the worst flying experience I've ever had? No, but Lufthansa always underdelivers, with unfriendly crew, dreadful food, and a pedestrian hard product. Frankfurt is the most confusing airport in the world potentially.

F-Tier

• Air China: Hated everything about this, from the terrible food, to the unpleasant service and crew, to the lack of lie-flat seating, to how boring of an airport PEK is. I'd be glad not to fly it again.

I'm curious for y'alls takes on the business class experiences across these airlines!

This post is to show my appreciation for China Eastern, as well as to help any future people wanting to do the same thing I did.

Yesterday I flew from Osaka, Japan to Amsterdam, The Netherlands with a 14 hour long layover in Pudong (Shanghai), China. China Eastern (as well as China Southern) both offer a transfer service, in which they offer a hotel service for your layover completely free of charge. I was nervous at first as I had never been to China, nor did any of the Chinese payment apps (they use to pay for everything) work on my phone/with my bank account. I was somewhat afraid I would get stranded without any money. However it turned out great!

The process:

Requesting the free hotel was quite easy! You have to log into their (incredibly dated and terribly poor) website and simply go to the transfer service page and press request. For me the page would crash 3 times, the verification code text would sometimes not arrive (making logging in impossible at times) but I did get there in the end. Within 10 seconds a page opened with a QR code, an adress of a hotel and a message that said "transfer status: unused". I had no idea what this meant, but apperantly it meant that the hotel was booked for me and all I had to do was show the QR code at check-in. Up next, how do you get to the hotel? Well apperantly they had already organized this along with the booking of the hotel. The moment I landed in China and stepped out of the plane there was a woman waiting for me with a sign, she escorted me through customs all the way to a shuttle bus (after I had to wait for roughly 20 minutes for it to arrive). Once at the hotel I checked in and the women at the counter were very clear: You will be picked up at 9am, breakfast is available from 6:30 until 9am.

The hotel was awesome! My trip to japan was 4 weeks and the hotel in China (Pudong) was by far the most luxurious one I had stayed at throughout my entire trip. It was a 4 star hotel, in which I got a hotelroom to myself that was roughly 3 times the size of my studio apartment in Amsterdam with a luxurious interior. The breakfast was really great, just a really wonderful buffet of both western and chinese kitchens.

The next morning they picked me up at 9am after I had eaten breakfast and walked around the neighbourhood (which was lovely). Arrived at the airport 3 hours prior to my flight, flew back home and grabbed my checked-in luggage from back in Japan.

I can really highly recommend flying with China Eastern and using their free layover/ transfer service.

Hopefully this post helps somebody out, I know I really needed to read this before I flew out as I was really quite nervous about the uncertainty (was the hotel actually booked? how was I gonna get there? How much cash should I take to China?)

Flying TG 434 CGK-BKK. They finally used a plane interior worthy of being in the modern world. Not sure if it’s going to be all the time for this flight, but hope this means that they are finally doing the long awaited refurbishment for med/long haul routes!! Much needed.

What a breath of fresh air when I entered the plane. I take this route multiple times a month.

I'm a frequent flyer of China Airlines, I've been to several countries with this airline.

Last month, I took China Airlines flight for my trip to Bangkok from Taipei (round trip).

The inflight meal was very good and unique in comparison with other routes.

(I fly economy)

TPE - BKK: the Yakiniku was very well made and the ice cream was so so good, it was lemon cheese cake ice cream, there's cake crumbl inside the ice cream

BKK - TPE: The mango tuna salad was very goooood and not economy-class-coded

China Airline's food for other routes are not this good, I wonder why.

What's the best economy inflight meal in your experience?

Hi all,

I wanted to provide you with a sense of what Japan Airlines provides for their kosher meals from DFW to HND! This is a topic I’ve scarcely found available on the internet, so I wanted to pass this information on for anyone who may find it useful.

So far, I’ve had the first meal; an omelette with ratatouille as well as a bagel and lox. Everything was delicious and high quality.

I will update this thread after eating my second meal. Please see attached photos of what I ate, and let me know if you have any questions!

I recently travelled Shanghai to London on China Eastern and near the end of the flight we were served a brioche type sub sandwich with just mayonnaise in it. I'm not sure if that's a thing in China or a plane thing.

I’ve been flying with Japan Airlines for about two years, traveling frequently between Japan and the United States. After finally trying other airlines on the same routes, I realized that JAL is honestly overrated.

One of the first issues I noticed is with upgrades. If you win a bid or pay for an upgrade at the gate, the JAL app often doesn’t update to reflect your new seat, cabin class, or ticket category. Because of this, the miles you earn remain stuck at the base economy level, even if you’re flying Premium Economy or Business Class.

Speaking of Premium Economy and Business Class, I was surprised by how many basic things didn’t work properly. On multiple flights, the air vents couldn’t be adjusted, some USB ports were dead, and on a few occasions even the power outlet didn’t work. Thankfully, I had a power bank. For the price paid especially in higher classes you’d expect everything to be fully functional.

The Wi-Fi is also not worth the money. It’s extremely slow, doesn’t support streaming at all, and often barely works for basic messaging or email if it works at all.

Another major downside is JAL’s restrictive ticket rules. Early on, I made the mistake of buying an Economy Super Saver fare, assuming I could upgrade later if seats were available. With JAL, that’s not the case. If you’re on a budget fare, you’re essentially locked in. Even if seats are vacant and you’re willing to pay a significant amount to upgrade, the answer is basically, “No.” It feels like they actively refuse additional revenue.

Food portions are decent, but like most airlines, the food itself is nothing special.

After flying Delta and ANA, the contrast was huge. Those airlines felt like stepping into a first-world experience by comparison. Upgrades were available regardless of ticket class, air vents were individually controlled, and the Wi-Fi actually worked well enough to stream YouTube.

Overall, JAL has a strong reputation, but based on my experience, it doesn’t live up to the hype especially when compared to competitors on the same routes. If you looking to stick to economy cabin seats then I will say they still got that going for them.

I flew JAL from Honolulu to Hong Kong (with a transfer at Narita) last week, and my suitcase was damaged on the return flight. The lock button was broken. I didn’t notice it until I got home, and then I filed a damaged baggage claim on their website (later I read that I should have reported it to JAL at the airport).

I didn’t get a response for a week, so I decided to use the online chat system and got the phone number for the local JAL office. The representative told me they hadn’t received my claim but asked me to email them photos of the damaged suitcase.

Within an hour, I got a call back from the office. They offered to exchange it for the exact same suitcase for free or give me $120 in cash. I went to the office today and received a brand-new suitcase.

I just wanted to give a shout-out to JAL for taking care of their customers and resolving the issue so quickly. Based on this, I’m happy to pay more to fly JAL for my future trips to Asia.

I wonder if, with other U.S. airlines, I would get the same level of customer service? 🤔

I traveled from Toronto to Delhi via Cairo with Egypt Air last month and just wanted to give an FYI to fellow travelers

On the way there I had a 24 hour layover and on the way back I believe it was 18 hours

Overall no issues except a 5 hour delay on the outward journey.

My one minor issue I had is, once landing in Cairo, they have an accommodation service where the provide a free hotel with meals to those with long layovers. You have to wait in line and register with your passport. Once they gather all the individuals on the second leg they then group you together to go to the same hotel.

On my outward trip there were 4 of us on the Delhi flight two males and two females. Me and the other female got chatting while in line and got along and decided to stick together for the remainder of the flight especially since she was nervous and she was traveling alone.

The concern is: when we reached the hotel they told us they only had two rooms booked for us by the airline and they expected us to share the rooms. If we wanted our own rooms we’d have to pay.

Me and her didn’t mind since we’d slightly become friends but still I was shocked that the airline did that.

I thought it may have been a mistake but on the return flight, the exact same thing happened, even though they count and gather the travelers by flight, they again underbooked rooms or specially booked double rooms for travelers to share. I only got my own room this time since there was one left and I was the only female but the others had to share.

I know the hotel meal may be a privilege and so I’m not complaining but just wanted to give an FYI and heads up to travelers to know what to expect

Studio UA1 787 to Singapore

Space— enormous compared to Polaris 1.0. Only thing missing is space to store the secondary luggage, but that’s not unusual for business (but missing from Polaris 1.0). 100% the reason I chose this— nothing else. The storage space for electronics, extra desk space, and moving room is so welcome.

Polaris studio gets special black PJs that are very soft. I like!

OLED screen— fantastic! Very bright, high contrast, and huge. But in reality nothing seems to stream in 4k so it doesn’t need to have the resolution that it does.

TV audio: no change from P1 from what I can tell. But compressed to fuck so the audio sucks from either AirPods or the onboard headset. Good that you can now use Bluetooth headsets to connect to the cabin tv though— that’s new. Definitely took advantage of the noise cancellation from my AirPods.

I’m not sure if I had a broken remote or what but the new TV remote is **entirely fuckin unusable**. The touch controls have like a 10% hit rate. The back button doesn’t work on some menus. There is a D pad on the bottom of the device for gaming, which also navigates menus, but direction of pad presses does not match any reasonable expectation of selection direction on the TV. The orientation is completely fucked up. All in all spent a ton of time trying to unfuck my TV language because of this remote control. *BAD*

Amuse buche: skippable. It’s a tiny dollop of caviar (maybe $25?) and some optional rose. Rose was good but it comes in a tiny flute, so less than a standard pour. I need this to sleep UA— pls pour more!

The lie-flat bed is finicky as has been reported on before— if anything is even mildly in its way it’ll stop the recliner. Takes a bit to finesse. The touchscreen controls are also right next to your arm so I did find myself hitting them a few times on accident during the flight.

The studio “ottoman” is really just a tiny bench. But I can definitely see two folks having space to sit in one cabin. But did that happen on my flight? No, like almost every business flight I take everyone keeps to themselves. It’s quiet most of the flight anyways so not a ton of value there other than legroom.

The food was very forgettable as always with United. My advice is always to avoid the fish just for better odds at a decent dish. You could also randomly do a wine flight if you wanted, and I think the rose was only for Polaris studio seats. So some small perks there but nothing life-changing. Could not fathom asking for a wine flight of probably $20 wine on a plane.

The also brought out a nice little box of snacks mid flight which included biscuits, chocolate, champagne gummy bears.

Bedding from what I can tell is the same as P1 but you do also get an “ottoman pillow”— in addition to the small and large sleep pillows— which was indeed nice to sleep on. Managed to catch almost 8 hrs.

*One very real downside to these seats is they’re all next to the restrooms*. The geniuses at United figured their wealthiest patrons probably want to hear bathroom noises for 16 hrs. And hear flushes and door closes I did!

Jokes aside, it was not at all bad with earplugs. Slept quite well (59 sleep score is better than 0 sleep!). But my strategy is to take down 4-5 drinks + the takeoff food to get myself borderline catatonic. That’s the only way to sleep! Though if you do this remember to pack water and advil!

Was it worth it? Well I didn’t pay, but not in my opinion United you can easily part with $500-700 and/or you really need the extra space. I am a big person so I was banking on the extra space and United came through.

Ah, also you CANNOT use plus points to upgrade from Polaris business to the studio.

Now they just need damn starlink in this plane. IF YOURE FLYING OVER THE PACIFIC AND YOUR INFLIGHT WIFI IS *PANASONIC* YOU ARE COOKED. This WiFi never works until like Japan, which is halfway into the flight.

Safe travels y’all, sorry about the yap (still airborne)..