United Airlines 777 BusinessFirst

Hey guys! Today I’m writing about my experience on board United Airlines Flight 969 from Milan Malpensa to Newark Airport. Our flight was in the late morning, so we left the Sheraton Malpensa around 8:00am. I was surprised how sleek the airport was compared to Fiumicino.

Check-In was hectic. The area where all international carriers were had a small hallway leading to the US carriers. It was a bit confusing because our passports were checked at least twice before entering the area. At least it wasn’t TSA screening! Our bags were through in a few minutes, and there was no wait for Global Services. However, the agents were clearly flustered and there were hundreds of people in the small check-in area.

Security was not too bad, and we were in and out in almost 10 minutes. There were tons of luxurious duty free stores, and the terminal was very clean. There was also a plentiful amount of small restaurants. The family decided to eat at a nice cafe after security. It was interesting that the stores and eateries were located after security, but before passport control. After finishing our breakfast, we proceeded through passport control. The Italian immigration agents were very nice, but there were some pretty long lines for non-EU passport holders. The gates were located immediately after immigration. To be fair, there were a select few restaurants and shops to grab something before boarding.

We waited about 15 minutes and then boarded around 10:00. I was a little disappointed that the 777 was in a two-class configuration with Business First instead of the three-class with First and Business. There is nothing wrong with the product, I was just looking forward to trying out United’s International Business class for the first time. On this flight, I sat in aisle seat 3K.

Soon after boarding, pre-departure drinks and newspapers were passed out. I took some water, as I was already feeling a bit dehydrated. The plane definitely showed some wear, and I can assume that it was a pre-merger Continental aircraft. An amenity kit was waiting at my seat, featuring almost everything you might need for an 8 hour flight. I was impressed by the contents, featuring everything from lotion to comfortable socks. It was similar to Lufthansa’s amenity kit quality! It was accompanied by a very comfortable blanket and soft pillow.

The cabin slowly filled up and we pushed back around 10:40am. Take off was smooth, and once over France, lunch was served. Service began with drink orders and mixed nuts. To start, a shrimp appetizer was served with a side salad. The flight attendants also brought around a bread basket, from which I had garlic bread. It was a pretty good appetizer, however the salad was lacking in taste. For the main course, I selected the four-cheese ravioli with cheese sauce. The ravioli was pretty good, but the cheese sauce was overpowering and too filling.

Desert consisted of United’s signature sundaes. If that wasn’t what you were in the mood for, there was also a cheese plate available. The cheese plate was fine, but not as good as those found on Lufthansa.

The flight attendants were not great. One of the things I like most about United is the flight attendants. While some are pretty bad, many I encounter go above and beyond to provide a good experience for kind passengers. These two women working our cabin however, clearly were exhausted, both mentally and physically. They really didn’t seem to smile much. After the meal service, I watched the movie “Taken”. I think I’ve seen it before but it was pretty good, and a really scary concept. It was great to just relax for a bit and watch a good movie after a long week of traveling. The flight attendants put out snack baskets at the front of the cabin I was hungry, so went and got some chips and biscuits. Obviously it wasn’t healthy, but the snacks were delicious and convenient.

I got to doze off for an hour or so afterwards, and awoke to see we were over Greenland. One thing I noticed on the flight was the poor state of the lavatory. The bathroom itself was fine but the basin was dirty and the towels were ripped out. Browsing the entertainment selection, there were some decent television shows, and I watched a few episodes of “Modern Family”. I find it a little cheap that United shows commercials before every movie or show. Once over Canada, the flight attendants served a proper snack of prosciutto, cheese, and fruit. It was delicious, and was followed by United’s baked cookie.

We landed around 2:00pm in Newark, after flying down the Hudson River. There were some awesome views of Manhattan on approach, which made me appreciate Newark Airport a little more. Thanks so much for reading, more coming from a trip to the Bay Area soon!

UnitedSam TuchSeptember 3, 2016United, Airplane, International, Travel, Passport, Italy, Europe, EU, USA, NYC, EWR, MXP, Milan, Como, Italia, European, Newark, New York CIty, UA, Plane, Plane Food, Business Class, Business, First, Luxury, Premium, 777, Boeing, Aircraft, United States, American, 2015, 2016, Wanderlust, Travel Bug, European UnionComment