US Airways Envoy (Business Class) to Europe

I was excited to fly US Airway's Envoy business class to Madrid.  However US Airways didn't share my excitement and oversold business class. I tried to board and on scanning my boarding pass, the agent said I didn't have a seat anymore and directed me to the gate podium to discuss my options. This was shocking because I had a boarding pass with seat assignment issued five hours earlier in Denver. Flabbergasted, I walked to an agent to discuss my options.

US Airways A330 in Philadelphia 

The gate agents were awful.  I spent a long time discussing why there were more business class passengers than seats and why I was selected to be denied boarding. I was told I lost my seat because business class was oversold, the aircraft was changed, I was not checked in, general reservations issues, I upgraded with miles, US Airways and United weren’t partners anymore, the reservation wasn’t valid, and 016 tickets aren’t valid on US Airways.  I was able to refute these implausible (or factually wrong) explanations and demanded I be accommodated on another flight in business class. No other business class options were available or the agents only looked for coach seats. Also no refund or compensation was offered because the reservation was booked with United Airlines miles and the gate agents said they weren’t responsible for United Airlines tickets.  The agents refused to look for business class options on other carriers and generally wasted time talking with themselves while other flights to Europe left and limited my options.  They repeatedly provided false information, like United had refunded the ticket or it was never valid. 

Better Than US Airways' Business Class

The best US Airways would offer was a coach flight to London, then coach to Madrid.  They also tossed in $20 in food vouchers.  This was unacceptable.  I called United and the phone agent had some choice words for the US Airways staff.  She also found a late departing Lufthansa flight from Chicago with business class award space (old style business class like on the A340-600).  Even better, there were flights from PHL to ORD and FRA to MAD with award space too.  She changed the reservation and I raced to the other end of the airport to get a boarding pass and board my new flight.  My time in Philadelphia was absolutely miserable and now I'm boycotting US Airways and American Airlines.

New United Express CRJ 700 Seats

United Express (SkyWest) has new seats on their CRJ-700 aircraft and they look great, but are terribly uncomfortable.   The seat design is visually outstanding and provides a new and modern feel to an otherwise dreary and cramped cabin.  Unfortunately I was able to experience the seats for a 3.5 hour flight from ATL to DEN and they became incredibly hard very quickly.  Regional jets like the CRJ series are best for short flights (less than two hours) because their cramped cabin and lack of in flight amenities.  The new seats wouldn't be bad on a short flight, but are unbearable for four hours.  United needs to keep their focus on customer experience rather than unending cost cutting.

Economy Seats - Window Seat At Full Recline

First Class Seat 1A

Guess Which One I Flew

Guess which of these was my aircraft this weekend.  Yup, the CRJ.  I was connecting in SFO and saw about a dozen planes that made me think 'oh, I want to go on that one.'  The CRJ did not evoke a similar reaction.

British Airway 747 Looks Great

US Airways Express CRJ-900 First Class Review

I flew on a new (for me) aircraft type today.  The CRJ-900 is the stretched version of the CRJ-700 and doesn't feel very spacious. The windows are narrow and the overhead bins are tiny (Embraer jets have bigger windows, usable bins, and feel more spacious). The seat was comfortable and had plenty of leg room, even with my backpack under the seat in front.  The first class service was spartan (45 min flight) with a single drink and a small snack bag.  Not a bad flight, but the CRJ-900 feels obsolete even though it's a newer model.  I have another flight in US Airways first class today, so things can still improve.

US Airways CRJ-900 First Class Seat 

US Airways CRJ-900 First Class Seat Reclined

United Express ERJ145 Exit Row

Exit rows are the first class of Southwest Airlines and 50 seat regional jets. The ERJ-145 has a ton of leg room in row 12 and is my favorite 50 seat jet. It feels much more spacious than the CRJ-200, it's main competitor.  You can really notice the difference, especially on longer flights.

Exit Row 12 on United Express ERJ-145

United Express ERJ Going to Chicago

United Express ERJ-145 Seat 2A

What's the best seat on a United Express ERJ-145 or ERJ-135?  The pilot's seat.  For the rest of us, all the #A seats are the same, so I went with 2A and liked it.  You might get more leg room in row 12 with the exit row, especially in seats B and C, but it still feels cramped and it takes a long time to deplane.  I like the ERJ-145 better than the CRJ-200 for 50 seat jets, but both feel too small.

Seat 2A on United Express ERJ-145

Still Better Than The Office

My morning started at 3:30 with a call from United EasyUpdate saying my flight was delayed.  The original estimate was 20 minutes.  It turned out to be an hour.  Still, could be worse, I could be in the office.

United Express In Paint From Two Brands Ago

Aspirational Aspects of Flight

Flight should be more than moving from A to B in the most efficient manner possible.  Domestic airlines don't sell this in their advertising, but foreign carries are still promoting this aspect of travel.  Here is an example of Pluna Airlines in Uruguay.  Really gets you excited about flying on a CRJ.