Given the popularity of the look at the best seat in economy class on Delta’s Airbus 350, it seems that a lot of people are looking for how to stay comfortable in the back of the bus. So, I decided that another post on the best economy seat on another of America’s big three carriers, United, might be worthwhile.
On a recent flight from Brussels to Newark and back, I sampled both United’s Economy Plus offering as well as an exit row seat in the back of the bus that I thought would give me the best chance at sleeping on the red eye.
Economy class seats on United’s Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
On the daytime flight from Brussels to Newark, I paid to “upgrade” to United’s Economy Plus, which provides four more inches of legroom, bumping the figure from 31 inches to 35. Given that Japanese carriers like JAL and ANA offer 34 inches of legroom as standard economy on many of their long-haul flights, I rolled my eyes a bit at having to pay for this but alas. Seat 31C did wind up being a much more comfortable option than being in the back of the plane and I was glad to have a little more room to stretch my legs.
There was a blanket and pillow at each seat and headphones were given out to “only people who need them because we don’t have very many.” I must say that the pillow was flimsy and would have been absolutely useless to anyone trying to sleep. The touch screens are wide and responsive but alas, they do not yet boast the Boeing 737 Max’s capability of Bluetooth headphone pairing. So, I worked on my laptop, which at 15 inches still fit quite comfortably on the tray table, due in part to the increased leg room.
Obviously, more space is going to make long haul flying more tolerable, and I was happy to shell out a bit for a seat in Economy Plus, which is the five rows from 30-34. However, the best seat on United’s Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner which offers the most space and room whether you are looking to stretch out on a daytime flight or catch some shuteye on a redeye is a bit farther back in seat 42A or 42L.
While some might say that seats 30A and 30L are contenders for the best seat, I would argue that because of the bulkhead in front of row 30, these seats are not optimal for stretching out and trying to sleep. Row 42 offers truly unlimited legroom, with nothing in front of it except for the reverse crew seat and the bathroom door. It should be noted, however, that the exit door extends slightly into the legroom of seat 42 L. I’m built like a string bean and did not mind. However, if you are a bit bulkier, you might dislike the exit door cutting into your legroom.
The other slight drawback of this row is that it was absolutely freezing. I am a cold sleeper and I have been known to travel with a baby fan and request air conditioning when the temperatures are quite mild, but this was truly cold. I wrapped my blanket around my legs, shut off the air vent and made the best of it. It certainly would not put me off this row again but I would just prepare a bit better, perhaps with some wool socks and another layer.
The other trouble with this seat is that United has wised up and is beginning to charge for this row if you are not a premium Mileage Plus member. I shelled out $137.99 for it and while the price varies slightly for the aisle and middle seat, you should expect to pay somewhere around this neighborhood for a seat in row 42.
The food in United’s economy class
Ten years ago, I flew from Tel Aviv to Newark on United in economy and had one of the best airline meals that I can recall. I am a big fan of Indian food and decided to try my luck by ordering the vegetarian chana masala (chick pea curry) option they had on the menu. It was incredible, restaurant quality, and I have often tried to recreate it.
On this more recent flight from Brussels to Newark, I foolishly tried to recapture the magic and chased the dragon. I was incredibly excited to see chana masala on the menu, but once I took a look at the dyed yellow rice and caught a whiff of the spice mix, my hopes disintegrated. The dish was bitter, undersalted and tasted as though someone had accidentally spilled a minty all-purpose cleaner in the mix. Just completely and utterly gross. The Caprese salad was mediocre once I dumped enough salt and pepper on it, and as is often the case, the French chocolate truffles provided as dessert were the highlight of an otherwise very underwhelming airplane meal. An hour before landing, the flight crew handed out a pizza pastry, which seems to be the only thing airlines are serving as pre-arrival snacks in economy any more.
The service on United’s Boeing 787-10 service from BRU-EWR-BRU
Admittedly, because I was trying to sleep for much of the redeye, I did not interact much with the flight crew. During the daytime flight on the way over, though, the trilingual (English, French and Dutch) crew was pleasant and engaged. Both flights departed and arrived early which certainly helped to engender goodwill toward the flight crew. I will say, however, that I really despise the practice of dimming the cabin lights entirely right after the meal service is completed. By the time the cabin crew cut the lights, in both the departure and arrival city it was the middle of the day so I really don’t get why they do this. I suspect that it is to put everyone to sleep so that the flight crew does not have to work as hard but if anyone wants to put forward another theory I would be interested to hear it.
The bottom line
Admittedly, I did not sleep much on the red eye back to Brussels. However, had I been in another seat, I might not have slept at all. Being prepared for a flight is the difference between a tolerable flight and an absolute disaster. While I hope to not have to fly in cattle class overnight again any time soon, having an exit row seat with a window would certainly be my choice again.