On a recent flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, I had the chance to try out United’s flagship Boeing 787-9. While usually found on long-haul flights, this busy route between two major cities supports the high-density plane on morning departures. Here’s a look at the economy cabin and what you can expect from this service!
Quick and easy
When it comes to managing your bookings through the app, United excels at making the experience easy. I was able to check-in for my flight, receiving my boarding pass a day before, along with an offer to switch to a less busy flight or accept a voluntary bumping. I declined the former and put in a bid for a potential bumping from the 787. Notably, an upgrade to Polaris was available for $300 on this flight.
I was flying UA2242, departing ORD at 08:55 AM and landing in LAX at 11:06 AM. I got to the airport about 90 minutes before departure and with no bags to check-in, went straight to TSA for my screening. While a bit busy, queues moved quickly at O’Hare, and I was through in 10 minutes, spending another five minutes regretting not having TSA PreCheck while putting on my shoes and belt.
O’Hare is a major hub for United and the airline’s headquarters, explaining the investment into the terminal building. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying
My flight departed from the C Gates, and I was impressed by how modern the refurbished gate area looked. A far cry from the usual terminal designs, C18 features tons of seating, electronic information boards, and charging points for waiting passengers. This is also right across the United Polaris lounge, allowing those seated in business class as late a boarding call as they wished. Gate agents also reminded economy passengers to register their cards on the United app to buy snacks onboard with contactless.
This was definitely one of the nicer gate areas I’ve spent time in before a domestic…
