UA1/2 Dreamliner Non-stop to San Francisco in Y

[yflyer]

Great TR! Loved it, and a very relevant for me to plan something post-ORD hehehe.

Thanks, shikhargpt!

Happy ORD in advance! I have to warn you that on the last few days prior to ORD...time seems to go by even more slowly than normal!

This is the part I wanted to know a little about. I'm a small person -- just 167cm in height, a super thin waist and a lean body type. I've never really felt issues with aircraft comfort except for 5+ hour sectors on the 737 and A320.

Interestingly, I am about the same height as you, but probably not as slim. My limit for a 737 or A320 is about 4 hours. Any more than that, I would much prefer a wide-body.

I also sleep well on 9-abreast 777's, A380's (whether 10-abreast main deck or 8-abreast upper deck) and 8-abreast A330's. I did not like 9-abreast 787's (or 10-abreast 777's), and did have some difficulty sleeping and resting well on those aircraft.

Finally, SQ's sector also seems to be at identical times, but it does use the A350 and is (well...) SQ, which gives it a leg up on comfort over UA I believe. Prices seem to be similar for both. Any possible recommendations for choices between the two? What about 1-stop options like EVA/ANA which are quite a bit cheaper?

I would not want to comment on SQ's SIN-SFO experience on the A350 until I actually try it, but the A350 cabin is clearly wider than the 787's cabin and that should count for something.

As for non-stop vs one stop, you would typically be paying a premium for non-stop service. If price is important, then a one stop option would likely give you a better deal. I have often chosen a one-stop flight over a nonstop simply because it was so much better value for money (Despite the inconvenience of a transit stop.)

As for cabin service, if that is important to you, then the choice is clear!

[yflyer]

Great TR (and also your one for NH and AI)!

Thanks, SQGamespeed!

Also, congratulations on surviving 15 hours on UA!

I think having an aisle seat helped. I may have gone mad if I was in a middle seat, though...

As much as I go out of my way to avoid UA when traveling in the US (thank goodness for the Virgin America codeshare with SQ!), I have to give them credit for their efforts as shown here.

Keen to try Virgin America at some point in the future...

I will definitely take notes on my SQ32/31 flights in November and December to compare my experience with this and other TRs of UA1/2. Also quite excited for it as it will be my first time on the A350.

Do share your impressions of these flights, SQGamespeed!

[SilverKrisSRG]

These don't appear to be the widest J class seats, but they do go fully flat.




The J on SQ2 is far better, wider and looks more luxurious with leather #77WN

[Pinkfloyd]

You are a brave man yflyer for even considering such a long flight on UA! The only long-ish flight I have ever done with them was on a 777 doing SIN-NRT in J... Even then I felt like b*tch-slapping the FS for giving me attitude!!

[mr_botak]

I have nothing but respect for your powers of endurance. Looks like a reasonable experience - thanks for a great report.

[shikhargpt]

Thanks, shikhargpt!

Happy ORD in advance! I have to warn you that on the last few days prior to ORD...time seems to go by even more slowly than normal!


Interestingly, I am about the same height as you, but probably not as slim. My limit for a 737 or A320 is about 4 hours. Any more than that, I would much prefer a wide-body.

I also sleep well on 9-abreast 777's, A380's (whether 10-abreast main deck or 8-abreast upper deck) and 8-abreast A330's. I did not like 9-abreast 787's (or 10-abreast 777's), and did have some difficulty sleeping and resting well on those aircraft.



I would not want to comment on SQ's SIN-SFO experience on the A350 until I actually try it, but the A350 cabin is clearly wider than the 787's cabin and that should count for something.

As for non-stop vs one stop, you would typically be paying a premium for non-stop service. If price is important, then a one stop option would likely give you a better deal. I have often chosen a one-stop flight over a nonstop simply because it was so much better value for money (Despite the inconvenience of a transit stop.)

As for cabin service, if that is important to you, then the choice is clear!

Haha thanks a lot for all the information! Let's see how much I can save up until ORD haha! Would much prefer flying SQ31/32!

[ninervictor]

These don't appear to be the widest J class seats, but they do go fully flat.




The J on SQ2 is far better, wider and looks more luxurious with leather #77WN

It can fit an American ?

[yflyer]

You are a brave man yflyer for even considering such a long flight on UA! The only long-ish flight I have ever done with them was on a 777 doing SIN-NRT in J... Even then I felt like b*tch-slapping the FS for giving me attitude!!

I have nothing but respect for your powers of endurance. Looks like a reasonable experience - thanks for a great report.

Thanks, Pinkfloyd and mr_botak!

It wasn't that bad. Really! And I had an aisle seat. It's those folks in the middle seats that deserve the medals!

I think the travelling public has gotten used to the idea of 15-16 hours in a regular economy seat. That is probably the limit, though. I don't think regular Y would work for an 18 hour sector like SIN-NYC.

Would much prefer flying SQ31/32!

Only one way to find out, shikhargpt!

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

On this occasion, I stayed at the Fairmont San Francisco.



This is an old hotel with a lot of history behind it, having been completed in 1907, a year after the big 1906 earthquake, which happened while the Fairmont was being built.

It is located at a very scenic location on top of Nob Hill, right by the cable car line that still runs along Mason Street.



It is a hotel in the grand style, with marble columns and opulent decor.



A corridor leading from the lobby to the tower block showcased photos of it's construction and history...





Including posters from some of the films which had scenes filmed in the Fairmont, from Vertigo and Dirty Harry to The Rock...

[yflyer]

The glass elevator running outside the tower block extension no longer runs...





...but the top floor is still accessible, via regular elevators, to guests and visitors who want a great view of San Francisco...

[yflyer]

My room in the historic main building had an inner courtyard view which was nothing to write home about, but the room itself was elegantly styled in white, grey and black.





Connectivity and technology were all top notch, despite the historic character of the property.



Bathrooms were not large, but were well appointed.



Overall, a very pleasant hotel to stay in. Would this be an absolute favourite? I guess it all depends on whether you appreciate old world charm or not. My general preference for hotels leans more towards more modern design and styling, and to be frank, I don't need many fancy trimmings and frills when I choose a hotel -- Just give me a comfortable bed, furniture that is not worn out, and a nice view/location, and I am happy. But it did make for a nice change to stay in a historic hotel like this once in a while.

One big consideration: the location, right on top of Nob Hill. It is incredibly convenient, just a short walk to Union Square, and the views are great. But, and this is a big but, the area is extremely hilly...



It is downhill to Union Square and Market Street, as well as the Embarcadero and Ferry Terminal, but the uphill walk back up to the hotel is quite daunting, up what can seem like a 30-40% slope.



Maybe best to get a travel card and catch the Cable Car up the hill to the hotel at the end of the day.

[yflyer]

While in San Francisco, I had dinner at Sotto Mare, a small seafood restaurant in North Beach.



This is a small, crowded and incredibly popular restaurant, with a lively crowd and a unique menu, focusing almost exclusively on seafood...



There are in fact no meat dishes on the menu. And we would find out at the end of dinner that there were no desserts either!



What what you do get is amazing seafood...

Oysters...



Crab legs...



Risotto...



...and their house speciality, Cioppino, a fish and seafood stew that is considered an Italian-American dish, as it originated in San Francisco.



This was ultra fresh seafood and shellfish, served in a rich yet refined and very tasty broth.

Quite spectacular! By the end of it none of us had space for dessert anway...

They had quite good wines, including this extraordinary Chardonnay...



...which actually had 14.5% alcohol by volume!



An amazing restaurant with great food in a very lively, noisy setting.

[yflyer]

On another occasion I had a light lunch at the Wayfare Tavern...







This restaurant serves seasonal American cuisine, prepared with a lot of finesse.





The Petaluma Farm Deviled Eggs were outstanding...



...as was the prime beef tartare...





Heavenly...

[yflyer]

My visit to San Francisco took place not long after they launched the new Apple iPhone 7.

The Apple store in San Francisco has moved from it's original location to a prime spot right by Union Square, next to the Grand Hyatt San Francisco.

There was a long line snaking outside the store. Folks were queuing to buy iPhones.



A very spacious store...



I couldn't resist heading into the store to check out the new iPhones.



Hmm...really hard to tell the difference between those and my iPhone 6.



The matte black and piano black colours looked really cool.

The upper floor of the store is directly accessible via a courtyard across from the Grand Hyatt.

[yflyer]

I didn't have a lot of time on this trip to do my usual Golden Gate bridge run, but I did a couple of shorter runs up and down Nob Hill, and through Chinatown, the Embarcadero, and Lombard Street.

Although these were not long runs, the hills in the area really made for a fantastic cardio workout. I hadn't huffed and puffed up so many hills in a long time.

Here are a couple of running routes I took around the Fairmont and Nob Hill.

This first run was straight towards Fisherman's Wharf, then heading along the coastline towards the Embarcadero and Ferry Buildling, before heading uphill, through San Francisco Chinatown, back to the Fairmont.



For my second run, I headed up to the foot of the curvy stretch of Lombard Street, billed the most crooked street in the world, and a mandatory sightseeing stop for tourists. After a few pictures at Lombard Street, I retraced my steps and headed through North Beach and back to the hotel.



The curvy stretch of Lombard Street can be seen at the 2km mark of the route below.



Some of the most hilly runs I had done in a long time.