United drops premium service lie-flats from Boston; will it return?
There's no better way to fly domestically than on the transcon from the New York area to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In the years leading up to the pandemic, the Big 3, as well as JetBlue, all offered lie-flat business-class seating on these routes. Plus, premium-cabin flyers could expect multi-course meals, amenity kits, proper bedding and more.
While United's best product — the "new" Polaris — was reserved for the New York market, transcon routes from Boston to San Francisco also featured lie-flat seating on the single-aisle Boeing 757, along with the aforementioned premium service.
And then the coronavirus came stateside, upending carrier's schedules. In fact, United temporarily pulled lie-flat seats from both Boston and New York. The Chicago-based carrier was quick to restore its flagship planes to transcons from its Newark hub. But Boston? Not so fast.
Since May, UA has been operating standard narrowbody planes between Boston and SFO — a mix of Airbus A319s and A320s and Boeing 737s, Cirium schedules show.
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If you're hoping that United restores the premium transcon service to Boston, you'll need to be (very) patient. The carrier has confirmed to TPG that the return of lie-flats is contingent on seeing an appreciable "uptick in premium demand."
In a statement, United said:
We will continue to monitor demand trends on this route and anticipate returning premium transcontinental service at some point in the future.
In fact, UA has removed references to the Boston transcon from its dedicated premium transcontinental website. With demand for business travel at record lows, the airline clearly doesn't see the need to offer an elevated service on this route. Of course, anything could change, but the implication here is that this will likely be a long-term suspension of lie-flat seats from this frequency.
In the meantime, first-class flyers on this route can expect standard recliners, as well as a selection of cold sandwiches and pre-packaged snack boxes once inflight. Since the BOS-SFO route is losing its premium transcon service designation, Premier elites will be eligible for complimentary upgrades.
For now, Cirium schedules show that UA has pulled lie-flats from Boston through Dec. 31, 2020. The carrier plans to fly 237 total flights in the market through the end of the year, exclusively with Boeing 737s.
Though lie-flats are back on the schedule starting in January, United has been making schedule adjustments in roughly six-week increments. As such, it's only a matter of time before the fancy seats are pulled for the new year.
This all comes as United will be operating a much smaller Boeing 757 fleet going forward. Due to the pandemic, the carrier has retired a subset of these planes — those that used to fly for the pre-merger United. The 11 757-200s were outfitted in a premium-heavy configuration with 28 biz seats. The early retirement leaves United with 40 pre-merger Continental 757s, featuring 12 fewer biz seats.
Fortunately, there's still a lie-flat option for the five-plus hour flight from Boston to San Francisco. JetBlue has 232 flights scheduled in the market for the last two months of 2020.
The New York-based carrier operates its Mint-equipped Airbus A321 to Boston, sporting 16 business-class seats, four of which are individual suites. JetBlue has mostly restored Mint service to pre-pandemic levels, so flyers can expect tasty meals and Hayward amenity kits.
Hopefully, demand will bounce back faster than expected and United will restore its lie-flats to Boston.
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- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.