UNITED 218 HNL TO ORD
THE BRIEF
Finally, after a year and a half in one location (all be it a beautiful one in Hawaii), travel restrictions had eased and it was time to check in back home for a while. The best flight out was on UNITED 218 from HNL to ORD connecting to YYZ. I went ahead and booked it months in advance and that turned out to be fortunate since airfare had gone up considerably since. The best part was by the time the departure date arrived all Covid restrictions had been lifted. No tests, No quarantine, and No forms!
After spending some enjoyable time relaxing in the UNITED CLUB LOUNGE I made my way downstairs for boarding. United uses group lines for this procedure. I lined up for Group 1 and stood there for about 10 minutes while all these other subgroups were asked to board ahead of Group 1 passengers. Now, that’s getting a little ridiculous.
Things were going well with the trip, and I found myself returning to my comfortable travelling routine of the past. As is my custom, I boarded first and got my bags in the bin above my seat right away. All the window shades were down, so I opened mine. When the sun is shining, I like a view of the sky and clouds even if it annoys other passengers watching a video.
Settling into seat 3L I found it to be quite comfortable with lots of legroom. I prefer these single window seat layouts; this Boeing 777-300 did not disappoint. I got comfortable and acquainted myself with the offerings. All the window shades were down, so I opened mine. In short order, the Purser brought a tray of Champagne. I decided to try one even though they were in plastic cups. Not very nice for First Class United (let’s fix that). The boarding went well and the plane was able to push back for an on-time departure.
Once airborne the need for a nice glass of red wine became apparent. There was, unfortunately, only one to choose from (another thing to fix United) and so I went with the VINA TEMPRANA from Spain. This bold, sweet, full-bodied red is made at the Bodegas Aragonesas winery in the region Aragón of northeastern Spain.
This is a full-bodied Spanish Grenache with a nose of red plum, cherry, and hints of clove plus some vanilla. It’s sweet on the palate, slightly acidic, with mild tannins, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry notes. I thought it was delightful and a good choice by United for the Chicken Dinner that would follow.
The choices were vegetarian or chicken curry. I opted for the chicken which was dry and bland really. The wine helped round the meal out a little bit.
As we flew east (usually the wrong direction for me) the sun began to set out my window and I settled in to catch up on my reading.
They were a tad skimpy on the water. No bottled water ( let’s fix that to United) just a fill-up of the glass once in a while. I enjoyed lots of wine as I got through my books and puzzles.
We had an awesome tailwind near the jetstream and that made for a quick flight. Just 7.5 hours to ORD! Nice! So before long, it was time to bring out the breakfast.
I enjoyed what was on offer. It was light but relatively healthy for an airline meal. There was cold custard, hard-boiled eggs, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and cheese.
As I enjoyed the end of the meal, dusk began to break outside the window. One problem that United has fixed at ORD is the location of their connections. I remember running through tunnels to another terminal in order to make a quick turn. On this flight, I found my outbound to YYZ at the gate next to where we parked. Good thing, since they were already getting ready to board.
THE DEBRIEF
I have to admit, since booking this flight, I was not looking forward to all the headaches I’ve had with United in the past. I had not flown with them for years. This was probably the quickest flight from HNL I’ve ever been on. It was nice to be on a 777 and not the 737 that all the other airlines were using. The service was good and I felt fresh on arrival. This was just one flight and the jury is still out on whether United has actually turned the corner on improving customer experience though. Let’s hope they are at least starting to.
👍👍
Since I did this flight in mid-spring 2022, conditions have gotten a lot worse for all the airlines and many major airports in North America and Europe. It’s all due to staff shortages in every crucial department. The predictions I’ve heard see these problems continuing till the summer of 2023. Pack your patience and be prepared or just stay home for a while until Pre-Covid reliability returns.
