Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): My seatmate who is an Indian student returning to college in New York alerts me to a spectacular view outside the window. This is a snow-capped peak near the Icelandic coast. Is it an active volcano too? Who knows?

Great report. Actually the snow-capped peak (it's a glacier) that you were looking at is the one and only Eyjafjallajökull that caused the shutdown of air traffic all over Europe in 2010. The other glacier in the right lower corner is the Mýrdalsjökull glacier under which Katla lies. Katla is the bigger of the two by a huge amount. These two volcanoes are interlinked through a system in the ridge that connects them. Historically when the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupts it's followed in the next couple of years by an eruption from Katla which is a much bigger (more ash). Here is a picture from the last eruption, which was in 1918.

Hello

Great report of a PMCO flight. Thanks for the effort
Looks like not so much has changed from the CO-days.
Good to see you got quite a bit of food on this ULH flight, as it's almost 15hrs


greetings
Marc

Thanks for the report. I thoroughly enjoyed the same. I have been a Global Service member of United for a long time and of late seem to be only having mediocre flight with them. I am probably one of the minority of people who actually think the United staff were a hell lot better than the Continental ones. Next year will probably be the first when I switch my primary account from United to Turkish.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): One observation here – the FAs seemed to be engaged in their own conversation (read gossip) while serving the passengers. And they were talking loudly, not whispering. Every now and then they would pause for a few seconds, ask a passenger what they wanted, and go back to their chatting. They were talking to each other even while handing out the meal trays or glasses of drinks. They didn’t even respond when the passengers thanked them! How rude!

= This is incredibly poor of them ... especially at past midnight!

Thanks for sharing this.

Saludos,
A.

Great report Vivek - I've always been a big fan of reading TRs featuring ULH flights out of India.

UA certainly seems to have delivered an under par performance, but then I wasn't really surprised - just out of curiosity, did you choose the UA option only because of the 15-hour flight attraction or was it the cheapest?

Did you consider the 9W option via BRU - it's a one stop but the product/ service would have certainly been of a better grade than UA in Y?

Cheers,

Windowseater

Hi Vivek,

really interesting report about this ULH flight - I don't want to make such long flights in Y Class any more. The catering in general looks okay, but...

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): The “dessert” is a packet of chocolate chip cookies, which I thinkis a really poor choice on United’s part.

...that "dessert" is indeed ridiculous.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): United charges $7 for an alcoholic drink ($6 for beer) in Economy Class. I choose Absolut with Sprite.

And that's a rip-off!


PH

Hi Vivek,

Nice report and just as long as your flight .,

I found the snack bag an interesting move from UA especially given the competition prefers keeping snacks at their galley

keep them coming

Karan

Nice report Vivek. It is a shame that UA charges for alcholic drinks on LH & ULH flights too. What made you chose UA over BA/LH/AF where in you could have reached ORD with just one stop in Europe without having to endure 15 hours on the flight? You could have got better luggage allowance too if you so wanted.

How were the choices of movies/tv shows on the IFE? Was it as good as SQ/EK?

Hey,

Thank you for very well written report, I felt as I was flying with you. I must say that I HATE those kind of flights - on long flights I will always choose a day flight - so I can get a good night sleep - and for such a long distance I would rather break the flight to 2 parts and connect somewhere.

Thx for shearing.

Cookies for desert is standard on all US airlines. You are really lucky. You were not served lettuce as a starter. UA are very very generous with their lettuce.

To India I would avoid a US carrier and pick JET even with 1 stop.

Great report, interesting to see how BOM has changed in the 5 years since I was last there, and what the service is like now on the new UA. I have flow both J and Y on CO before and the service was always good to/from India

I intended to do a trip report on this flight as I was on the Inaugral trip in 2007, but was so tired from working there that I slept about 10 of the 15 hours!!

Here is a video of the talkeoff on that flight, although I am sure yours was much longer since the first flight only had about 75 people on it if I remember correctly.

http://youtu.be/UchXrvpWp6k

Nice TR, Vivek, although like wht many people mentioned here US carriers are my last option when it comes to ULH!!  

BTW noticed that the FF details on your boarding pass was left unflilled. It would be sheer waste of miles esp on ULH. I would recommend TK, where this US trip of urs could make you Silver straight away  

Quoting eaa3 (Reply 1): Great report. Actually the snow-capped peak (it's a glacier) that you were looking at is the one and only Eyjafjallajökull that caused the shutdown of air traffic all over Europe in 2010.

WOW! So it was the Eyjafjallajökull after all. I am happy to have got a shot of the now (in)famous volcano.  

Quoting eaa3 (Reply 1): Historically when the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupts it's followed in the next couple of years by an eruption from Katla which is a much bigger (more ash).

Oh! So we better get ready for another shutdown then? 

Quoting MSS658 (Reply 2): Great report of a PMCO flight. Thanks for the effort Looks like not so much has changed from the CO-days. Good to see you got quite a bit of food on this ULH flight, as it's almost 15hrs greetings Marc

Thanks Marc. Yes, the quantity of food was adequate.

Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 3): Thanks for the report. I thoroughly enjoyed the same.

Thanks Alex!

Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 3): = This is incredibly poor of them ... especially at past midnight!

Completely agree!

Quoting Windowseater (Reply 4): Great report Vivek - I've always been a big fan of reading TRs featuring ULH flights out of India.

Thanks so much!

Quoting Windowseater (Reply 4): just out of curiosity, did you choose the UA option only because of the 15-hour flight attraction or was it the cheapest?

UA was the cheapest option for the entire routing - BOM-EWR-ORD-CID. Other airlines gave me a fare only till ORD and I would need to purchased ORD-CID separately. LH was pretty expensive for the entire routing.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 5): Hi Vivek, really interesting report about this ULH flight -

Thanks PH!  

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 5): ...that "dessert" is indeed ridiculous.

I would hardly call it a "dessert" I had it as a snack a few hours later!

Quoting karan69 (Reply 6): Hi Vivek, Nice report and just as long as your flight ., I found the snack bag an interesting move from UA especially given the competition prefers keeping snacks at their galley

Thanks buddy!

Yeah the snack bag was interesting. Although the snack - a potato subzi filled sandwich was barely edible!

Quoting blrsea (Reply 7): Nice report Vivek. It is a shame that UA charges for alcholic drinks on LH & ULH flights too. What made you chose UA over BA/LH/AF where in you could have reached ORD with just one stop in Europe without having to endure 15 hours on the flight? You could have got better luggage allowance too if you so wanted. How were the choices of movies/tv shows on the IFE? Was it as good as SQ/EK?

Thanks blrsea!

UA was the cheapest and the quickest option for my entire routing till CID. I wanted to avoid LHR (due to the Olympics) and CDG (for the general mess that it is) LH was quite expensive.

Quoting EL-AL (Reply 8): Hey, Thank you for very well written report, I felt as I was flying with you.

Thanks! Nice to know you enjoyed it.  

Quoting lychemsa (Reply 9): Cookies for desert is standard on all US airlines. You are really lucky. You were not served lettuce as a starter. UA are very very generous with their lettuce.

Well, what works in one region may not work in another. The India non-stops are their showcase routes. They need to innovate in order to stay above the competition. Look at EK for an example.

Given a choice, I would take a one-stop option that provides better service than a non-stop with poor service. And its not just about the food. The overall crew behavior and attitude too was nowhere close to customer centric!

Quoting wingsofman72 (Reply 10): Great report, interesting to see how BOM has changed in the 5 years since I was last there, and what the service is like now on the new UA.

Thank you!  

Quoting wingsofman72 (Reply 10): Here is a video of the talkeoff on that flight, although I am sure yours was much longer since the first flight only had about 75 people on it if I remember correctly.

Nice video. Our take-off roll was of a similar length too - lift off in front of the Terminal 1B domestic apron.

Quoting justbala (Reply 11): Nice TR, Vivek, although like wht many people mentioned here US carriers are my last option when it comes to ULH!!

Thanks Bala! Completely agree with you.

Quoting justbala (Reply 11): BTW noticed that the FF details on your boarding pass was left unflilled. It would be sheer waste of miles esp on ULH. I would recommend TK, where this US trip of urs could make you Silver straight away

Ah, I masked out the FF details before posting it here. I am a member of A3 (Aegean Airlines) and I am Star Silver already!  

Cheers,
Vivek

Hi vivek,

Very nice report enjoyed it very much, thanks for sharing.
This sure is an ULH flight, man it indeed never seemed to end. Dont see myself sitting in a Y seat for 15 hours!

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): Delta later routed the non-stop to its hub in Atlanta before discontinuing the route

Well they actually still fly to ATL from BOM except it isn't non-stop anymore but via AMS

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): “Sir, last night’s UA 49 was cancelled due to a technical issue, so that aircraft is already at BOM.”

hmm 2 cancellend flights right after each other.. interesting

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): One observation here – the FAs seemed to be engaged in their own conversation (read gossip) while serving the passengers. And they were talking loudly, not whispering. Every now and then they would pause for a few seconds, ask a passenger what they wanted, and go back to their chatting. They were talking to each other even while handing out the meal trays or glasses of drinks. They didn’t even respond when the passengers thanked them! How rude!

That is very unprofessional!

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): This time I decide to watch a TV show and choose an episode of “Friends

Good choice!

Thanks once again for sharing

cheers,

Brendan

[Edited 2012-09-26 14:59:12]

Hi Vivek,

Nice to see the first long haul on the BOM-EWR sector. Great report with some nice pictures.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): This would be my first ever Ultra Longhaul Flight and I was excited for sure!

Welcome to your very first ULH flight!! May you have a lot more to come  

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): I decide to check if the incoming flight – UA 48 was on schedule. I log on to United’s website and I am shocked to see that it shows up as cancelled! Me: “I am flying on UA 49 to Newark tonight and the website shows that the incoming flight – UA 48 is cancelled today! Does this mean that tonight’s UA 49 is cancelled too?” UA: “Sir, your flight tonight is on schedule.” Me: “Are you sure? How can you operate the flight when there is no inbound aircraft?” UA: “Sir, last night’s UA 49 was cancelled due to a technical issue, so that aircraft is already at BOM.”

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): The ground crew also inform passengers that tonight’s flight is absolutely full (understandable, since the previous night’s flight was cancelled)

So then you were probably tracking the wrong flight then? Perhaps the flight from the day before?

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): As is the case with any airport in India, there are hordes of family members bidding farewell to their sons/daughters/husbands/wives/brothers/sisters/friends, etc.

Looks like due to your business trip you were spared the traditional send off yourself lol.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): Gate 2A has a secondary security check point to cater mainly to the US bound non-stops.

Always these little extras on flights to the US

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): Note the "Time to Destination" on the top right corner!

Awesome time of 14hours and 59 minutes.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): I settle for the vegetarian dinner consisting of a salad, cottage cheese gravy, cauliflower & capsicum gravy served with rice along with a bun and some yoghurt. The “dessert” is a packet of chocolate chip cookies, which I thinkis a really poor choice on United’s part.

The famous Amul butter can be seen there too.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): United charges $7 for an alcoholic drink ($6 for beer) in Economy Class. I choose Absolut with Sprite.

Charging on flights that are non-US domestic too.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): One observation here – the FAs seemed to be engaged in their own conversation (read gossip) while serving the passengers. And they were talking loudly, not whispering. Every now and then they would pause for a few seconds, ask a passenger what they wanted, and go back to their chatting. They were talking to each other even while handing out the meal trays or glasses of drinks. They didn’t even respond when the passengers thanked them! How rude!

Well you were after all on an American carrier, and not the likes of SQ, MH or TG for that matter   

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): The FAs go through the cabin distributing snack packs consisting of a potato sandwich, a packet of chips, a bar of Kit Kat and a bottle of water. Something to munch on in case you feel hungry later on.

That was a nice touch. Etihad has two seperate rounds of ice cream and sandwhiches, not forgetting their dedicated dessert service!!

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): Seven more hours to go before we land! And we’ve been airborne for eight hours! This is a flight that never seems to be ending.

Welcome to that feeling that really makes you want to scream lol.....Yes seven hours more to go with eight hours already passed.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): These ULH flights get boring after a point, as there is nothing much to do. IFE helps, but only to some extent. How many movies can you watch at a stretch? With these thoughts running in my mind, I try to get some more sleep. I wake up when we were flying over Norway. I must have slept for an hour and a half!

They seem to have a pretty decent IFE system. Sometimes with less to choose from makes it easier to watch a lot more!!

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): I ask a male FA for coffee and he promptly makes one for me. We chat about the flight and I tell him about my love for aviation among other things. Then I ask him if he and the other crew were part of Continental before the merger. He smiles and responds in the affirmative, and then adds “I hope it always remains that way!”

At least you got one nice FA!!

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): The breakfast consists of a minced chicken cutlet and omelet served with boiled veggies along with fruit cuts, yoghurt, a croissant and a cup cake. It is average but since I am quite hungry, I devour it quickly. This is followed by another round of coffee.

Was the breakfast two choices. In that case it would have made no difference if they started this round from the back.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): At exactly 0452 local time in Newark, nearly 14 hours after our departure from BOM, our mighty 777 makes a smooth landing. The reversers shatter the pre-dawn calm at the airport and we quickly exit the runway.

How can the time at origin and the time at destination be the same at 0452?

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): I am greeted by wide smiles, perhaps the first genuine smiles I saw from the crew on this flight!

Boy, were they happy to get rid of all of you.....Remind me never to fly with United. Definitely not a LAX-SYD-LAX or IAH-DXB-IAH

Nice report Vivek and certainly the first on BOM - EWR

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): This would be my first ever Ultra Longhaul Flight and I was excited for sure!

Congrats, but it seems you are not really keen to do more ULHs :P

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): There is a long queue at Check-In and three counters are assigned for Economy Class today. United’s Mumbai based ground crew come along, check passengers’ documents and ask a couple of mandatory questions about their baggage

UA at BOM is handled by Livewell (GSA) and Air India.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): I wonder if the B777-200ER was capable enough to haul 250 odd passengers & crew and their luggage, along with a belly full of fuel across 7000 miles to EWR.

Most times out of BOM, it does not.

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): The “dessert” is a packet of chocolate chip cookies, which I thinkis a really poor choice on United’s part.

That is awful

Quoting vivekman2006 (Thread starter): One observation here – the FAs seemed to be engaged in their own conversation (read gossip) while serving the passengers. And they were talking loudly, not whispering. Every now and then they would pause for a few seconds, ask a passenger what they wanted, and go back to their chatting. They were talking to each other even while handing out the meal trays or glasses of drinks. They didn’t even respond when the passengers thanked them! How rude!

Pretty sad, might as well have 'robotic' FAs than having a bunch who choose to do chit chat while serving meals.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for posting - loved the TR. I've personally been on a few ULH flights, but that was on TG and SQ - which is a far superior experience to UA. On a side note - I wish I'd known you're flying this sector, I have a couple of drinks vouchers for UA that are probably going to go waste - you could have used them instead of paying $7 for each drink!

What I did like about UA/CO long haul (I've flown them EWR-FRA/ IAH-FRA/ SFO-FRA) was the overall friendliness of the crew. Surprising that the crew was not like that on this flight. The food is generally not too bad either, but the $7 for drinks really pinches.

Quoting adamspotter,reply=13Very nice report enjoyed it very much, thanks for sharing. This sure is an ULH flight, man it indeed never seemed to end. Dont see myself sitting in a Y seat for 15 hours! [/quote] Thanks so much. Yeah 15 hours is too much even for an aviation enthusiast! [quote=flightsimboy (Reply 14): Nice to see the first long haul on the BOM-EWR sector. Great report with some nice pictures.

Thank you!  

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 14): Welcome to your very first ULH flight!! May you have a lot more to come

Thanks but not on UA please!  

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 14): So then you were probably tracking the wrong flight then? Perhaps the flight from the day before?

I was tracking the correct flight. UA cancelled the previous night departure out of BOM and EWR both. The previous night's aircraft operated my flight which would have otherwise been operated by the incoming one (which got cancelled)

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 14): That was a nice touch. Etihad has two seperate rounds of ice cream and sandwhiches, not forgetting their dedicated dessert service!!

Wow - two rounds of ice cream!!!

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 14): How can the time at origin and the time at destination be the same at 0452?

Haha, I know. Strange isn't it?

Quoting ojas (Reply 15): Nice report Vivek and certainly the first on BOM - EWR

Thanks man!  

Quoting ojas (Reply 15): Congrats, but it seems you are not really keen to do more ULHs :P

Yeah will try to avoid ULHs as much as possible. Maybe one on an EK A380 if possible  

Quoting Nimish (Reply 16): Thanks for posting - loved the TR.

Thanks Nimish!

Quoting Nimish (Reply 16): On a side note - I wish I'd known you're flying this sector, I have a couple of drinks vouchers for UA that are probably going to go waste - you could have used them instead of paying $7 for each drink!

Thanks so much for the offer. I am tempted to say - next time, but I will try and avoid ULH on UA as much as possible!