Greetings from London

Greetings from London

Hello everyone from London! Here I am, relaxing in the Lufthansa lounge with the kids after a long 10.5-hour flight from Los Angeles on United Airlines, aboard a 787-9, seated in row 56 — which is pretty much at the back of the plane.

Booking Basic Economy

This was my first time purchasing a “basic economy” ticket on United Airlines, which helped me save about $100 per person. It wasn't an easy decision, especially since I had dropped from Premier 1K to Premier Gold in the MileagePlus program, meaning I could only get a free EconomyPlus seat for one companion.

So, spending over $200 for the other child’s EconomyPlus ticket seemed unnecessary. I opted for basic economy, and luckily, United has a solid “family seating guarantee” policy.

Check-in Process

Before the trip, I bought the tickets right before the cut-off on April 1, when basic economy tickets no longer earn miles. Despite some delays from the Department of Homeland Security, the TSA lines at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) moved surprisingly quickly. I arrived at the airport at 7 PM for my 8 PM flight without any issues.

With TSA PreCheck for me and the kids, we skipped the long lines and quickly boarded the plane.

Seating and Amenities

Even though I was sitting pretty far back, row 56 offered a comfortable 31 inches of legroom. The seat in front of me reclined, but I still felt cozy thanks to the neck pillow provided by United.

The kids were thrilled with the full-screen movies, TV shows, and games, which made the time fly by before they dozed off.

In-flight Meals

Honestly, the in-flight food from United was impressive. The appetizer was a breadstick with cheese, accompanied by drinks. For the main course, there were three options: chicken, beef, or pasta. I chose the chicken cacciatore, and it was quite tasty for airplane food.

Mid-flight, the crew served a hot sandwich with chicken and pesto, but it seemed to have a bit too much sugar and salt, so I passed on that.

Breakfast on Board

About 90 minutes before landing, a hot breakfast was served with a choice of eggs or pancakes. This meal was quite delicious and definitely more generous than what you’d get on other airlines.

The kids had pancakes with vanilla sauce, while I enjoyed a gluten-free shakshuka that was right up my alley.

Conclusion

Even though I didn’t sleep a wink, it was a very productive flight for me while the kids managed to get about 8 hours of sleep. United really impressed me with the variety of food available on board.

Although I didn’t want to travel with the kids without my wife, we still had a wonderful time together. Everything went smoothly for the three of us.