Which is Better Northwest or United [Archive] - Sawatdee Gay Thailand the oldest and most popular gay forum on Thailand and South East Asia

travelerjim

August 9th, 2006, 07:47

Hi Jefferyj...

You did not say which departure city...But if you are already a frequent flyer in one airline, I suggest you use that airline or alliance of airlines which will earn you frequent flyer miler.

If you are located near an Eva Air departure city..(check their website) LAX, SFO, SEA, YVR, or EWR then look at the Economy Deluxe price...it may be about the same as you are quoting for coach seats on United & NW. The Eva Air economy deluxe is like a domestic first class seat...more roomy and better food - so say those that have flown Eva.]

Eva Air website: http://www.evaair.com/html/b2c/english/en_index/ .

There have been many discussions about Eva on this forum...here is a current one:

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... sc&start=0 (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8814&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0)

I am a NW flyer myself...but looking at making a change after I retire to Thailand next year...to get the Eva comfort at economy price :-)

Also - may I add - be sure to check out the airfares for NW and United on a consolidator agent website sich as Best Travel ...

Best Travel Store website: http://www.bt-store.com/ .

and the ThaiFly website: http://www.thaifly.com/ .

The Best Travel Store website gives you fast information re: flight cost and availability on dates you may wish to fly...a good source of information and you can book the flight with them if you like.

They offer the "H" class of coach airfare at deeper discounts that those posted on the airlines websites.

Have a good and safe trip...Take care!

TravelerJim
For Affordable International Health & Travel Insurance
Please visit: www.tjinsurance.com (http://www.tjinsurance.com) .

August 9th, 2006, 07:58

Never flown United but have a friend who does and he raves about them. I've flown Northwest several times and would say they aren't the greatest, but not bad either. Both arrival times will get you into Bangkok around midnite, which pretty much takes care of your first day in Thailand. If airline miles mean anything to you, then you have much to consider. United is a member of the Star Alliance. You might consider Thai Airways, also a member of the Star Alliance, which has a non stop from LA to Bangkok 4 days a week. It has a 10:30 pm departure and gets you into Bangkok at 6:40 a.m. which means you don't lose that first whole day. Not sure of the dates you're looking at, but when i checked for November a couple days ago, ticket was priced at $1088. I've heard great things about Thai Air, but haven't used them yet because of all my miles with AA.

fedssocr

August 9th, 2006, 08:03

where are you leaving from? Thai Airways has the most convenient direct nonstop flights from JFK and LAX to BKK. They use fairly new planes with lots of legroom even in regular economy. It's a 17 hour flight, but worth checking into. Fares should be competitive. I am going next month. I take American from DCA to JFK and then switch over to Thai. I booked in premium economy which is even more space and a seat with a legrest. They also have a good in-flight entertainment selection. And Thai is a Star Alliance member so if you collect miles on United you can get the FF miles.

August 9th, 2006, 08:07

Never flown United but have a friend who does and he raves about them.

Unbelievable, is all I can say. Has your friend ever flown on any of the Asian carriers? Cathay Pacific, Singapore, EVA, or even Thai? United would be my second-to-last choice. Northworst would be in dead last. Filthy planes, surly service, uncomfortable seats (even in business class), awful food.

August 9th, 2006, 08:13

I will be flying from Greensboro North Carolina GSO I can leave any day after September 24 and staying for 30 days. I have flown to BKK twice on United. Thanks all.

August 9th, 2006, 08:26

Hi Jefferyj...

The Eva Air economy deluxe is like a domestic first class seat...more roomy and better food - so say those that have flown Eva.

.

more room in delux?...yes. Better food? no....foold in delux is the same as economy class.

August 9th, 2006, 08:35

seats in United ecomomy class 747 are awful. My butt hurt after only sitting on it for an hour. However, I have no problem sitting at Thai air, Singapore air, ANA, Asiana...etc.

August 9th, 2006, 08:54

I fly United a lot. United Economy Plus seating is not bad and the service in steerage class is on par with most carriers.

I find the key to a long flight is lots of books and frequent breaks from sitting. I frequently get up and walk about the cabin or just stand and doing a little stretching near the bathrooms. Great way to meet some interesting people and make the flight pass a little faster.

Why does the last leg and especially the last hour seem to take so long...

gearguy

August 9th, 2006, 09:13

gaybutton (i think it was his site) use to post the contact info for a travel agent in Atlanta (I think) that was said to get good rates. Anyone remember the info? ever use them? experiences?

I've flown both NWA and UAL but after looking the EVA web site and pricing out some flight for my next trip, I'm going to give them a try, even with having to fly to LAX or SFO or drive over to Newark, still would be a good deal, esp if I combine it with a stop-over in SFO for a while.

August 9th, 2006, 09:20

The travel agent from GB's website was:

Norcross Travel
Rhonda
US Toll Free No. 1 888 888 7157
Toll No. 1 770 934 2777

I have used Rhonda for many years now. With only 1 exception, she has always given the best rate (or matched) and connections. I highly recommend Rhonda.

August 9th, 2006, 09:21

gaybutton (i think it was his site) use to post the contact info for a travel agent in Atlanta (I think) that was said to get good rates.

Norcross Travel. Tel.: (888) 888-7157

catawampuscat

August 9th, 2006, 10:28

I recently flew on American Air from the USA to Tokyo and then on Japan Air (partner) on a free ticket (ok, 800 baht in taxes) and it
was bearable..Probably because flight was less than half full to NRT and I had an empty row to recline in.. Shocking to see
how polite air stewards can be on non-farang airlines and how rude and obnoxious they can be on AA or NW.. One old biddie was very
angry that the Japanese could not understand her when she asked "beef or pork", so she yelled louder and showed her contempt very
visibly.. Of course, she is the dumbo as one would think the old biddie could learn two words of Japanese like beef or pork and not be
so "ugly American" about it.. But, as some think, why don't they just learn English... :cat:

August 9th, 2006, 10:58

Check the total flying time. Northwest is always better by at least two hours for me and that's worth it!

But, on my last NW flight here I learn that they are charging $5 on all flights, domestic and international, for drinks. I really think this sucks on intl flights. Has anyone flown UA recently and can comment on this?

NW planes will tend to be a little dingier but they had a very new plane Tokyo/Bangkok. You can even stare at a personal TV screen all you want on it.

It's a toss-up. Make the decision on what airline you are most likely to use the FF miles.

manfarang-old

August 9th, 2006, 11:26

As with many, I would suggest a non-American carrier (especially the Thai air nonstop). But if the choice is definitely between Northwest (flight attendants are scheduled to go on strike next week and NWA may not survive if it does happen) and United, I would opt for United because United offers economy plus. You may have to pay $299 extra to get the E+, but even a few extra inches of room for such a long flight is worth it.

My first trip to Thailand was on Northworst and it was a true cattle car nightmare.

August 9th, 2006, 12:05

I agree with Boygeenyus on this one, both are horrible. If you are not used to any kind of service you might not notice. Compare prices with other airlines before you opt for either. As far as I am concerned you are entitled to service from all airlines.

I flew on a NorthWest flight from Detroit I think it was, too LA, anyway the air-hostess's wouldn't get up to serve anyone. They did a single run with the trolley after we reached altitude, trying to flog lunch boxes and then vanished.
The flight was not bumpy or anything and the stay in your seat light was not up. I had a bad head from too many gins in the lounge, so I needed to swallow an aspirin with some water.
I put on my light and waited. Nothing happened. So I got up and went behind the curtain and there they were, stuffing their faces. So I said to no one in particular as no one looked up when I arrived, "I have put my light on and no one has come". So one old tart turned to me and said "I hope you are not going to be any trouble sir" and turned to carry on eating.

Of course I exploded, being hung over and all that, and had the silly bitch bring me a glass of water. But for the rest of the flight they made no appearance, only once did I see one of them running the length of the plane with a jug and then back again disappearing behind the curtain.

I believe American airliners have possibly the worst service in the world. A very odd state of affairs.

August 9th, 2006, 12:06

... trip to America, many (many, many) years ago, I went United. On the return journey the air steward kept plying me with those small bottles of champagne as he said 'he had to get rid of them before they landed'? I slipped him my number but never did get a call back!

August 9th, 2006, 12:28

I think the problem is with American labor laws. It's hard or impossible to fire those old bitches once they hit menopause.

August 9th, 2006, 12:47

There are a few positive things to say about Northwest. On most flights from the US they are flying new Airbus planes. I think only the LAX to Tokyo flight is still an old 747. The seats and legroom and seatback inflight entertainment in coach are decent and they are NEW. And the Worldclub in Tokyo is quite nice--several beers on tap, open bar, lattes, decent snacks, wireless internet. Of course, the schedule still sucks, just like United. As far as United, I think they are getting a new BKK based crew soon that will serve the Tokyo-BKK flight, so there might be some new opportunities to share your number.

August 9th, 2006, 15:02

Labour laws, Quantas has the same problem. What I find so damn right tacky is on domestic flights in the US you are asked to pay on the plane for your food and drink. The quality it's usually terrible, like cold pasta salad with your choice of salad dressing, you know the thousand islet number in a sachet, all served up in a plastic mc Donald's punnet. Looking back must say I had a good laugh after it was all over with. i don't do domestic anymore i prefer to drive. mr bush may had something to do with this. However if you haven't yet tried any Asian carriers, you are in for a mind boggling experience.

Far superior in flight everything. At least three different English language news papers and dozens of Asian ones.
You know those three miraculous movies you get on Northwest, well Cathay and Singapore have them on tap, you decide when you want to watch them and there are about 60 new releases to choose from, divided into categories, like comedy thriller etc I often see a movie before it has come out here. Same with console games. Same with popular tv shows and even documentaries and news. Forget "latte" what about at least three different coffee blends including 100% Blue mountain, freshly brewed and of course cappuccino for breakfast, certainly not the instant kind. All to be had day and night same with the bar, that is standard, no reason to get excited has been since I can remember flying. Even the overflowing fruit selection or quality Belgian bonbons and chilled snacks and steamy dim sum or hot noodle stand by's are all easily overlooked.

What really stands out and best of all is the extremely satisfying service with a capital S, from a very smartly groomed and well spoken crew. In my opinion this makes or breaks an airline in any class, it puts you at ease and makes you feel special and a valued customer.

jimnbkk

August 9th, 2006, 21:05

Air. I fly from Washington DC area, and National Airport (DCA) is very convenient for me. So, the United flight goes from DCA to ORD (Chicago) where you change planes for a flight to Norita (Japan), then same flight number, but different plane Norita to BKK. It's about a 26 hour ordeal as I remember, and in Japan you have to go through security again, a royal pain when you're carrying some luggage. The plus: You get full United frequent flyer miles for the trip. The minus, besides the length of time, you arrive in BKK at nearly midnight.

Lately, I have flown Thai Air out of JFK. American Eagle DCA to JFK, a few hour layover (you have to change terminals in JFK), then about a 17 hour nonstop flight JFK to BKK, arriving around 4 in the afternoon. Thai Air uses newer Airbus A345 aircraft. Nice planes. Food OK, and they cooperated by letting me have aisle seats. (Total cost about $1200). Downside: Although Thai Air is a Star Alliance partner, along with United, they only give you 1/2 mileage to your account.

Pluses and minuses. I've never flown NW so can't comment on them.

Captain Swing

August 9th, 2006, 22:44

Might as well throw in my two-cent's worth. I too usually fly EVA economy deluxe, but waited too late to buy tickets for my flight last month and wound up on United in regular economy. To my surprise, it wasn't that bad. Seat was smaller, of course, but bearable, even for my fat ass. Food was acceptable, by airline food standards. Service was reasonably attentive. My initial flight out of EWR was delayed, which I knew before leaving home, but I went to the airport early anyway and happily found they had put me on an earlier flight so I could make my connections in Chicago and Tokyo. Arrived in BKK before scheduled time of 11:05 PM and had short wait at immigration, so even after spending some time at the Thai ticket office buying tickets for a domestic flight I got to the Tarntawan in time to make it to the Solid bar (my fave) before it closed.

Coming home was a different story. Got to check-in counter at BKK to be told my flight from Tokyo to JFK had been cancelled. When my heart started beating again, the told me they had put me on an American Airlines flight. The connections worked out OK and I got to JFK only two hours later than planned, but the flight was abysmal. I hadn't flown AA (or United) in decades and was surprised at the difference. The food was a bad parody of bad airline food. The elderly attendants were seldom in evidence--I saw them sitting and chatting with each other the two times I used the lavatory. Only once did one of them come by offering water or juice. (On United they did so four or five times, on EVA at least hourly.) There was a $5.00 charge for a beer or drink (no charge on United, or EVA of course). Overall my most miserable flying experience in a long time.

Never flew Northwest so can't comment, but can recommend United.

By the way, I also can recommend Rhonda at Norcross. She got me this ticket on quite short notice, at a price about $500 less than I could find on my own on the internet, though admittedly I'm quite clueless on shopping for tickets online. I'm not sure if I could ever have managed to buy online a round trip ticket flying out of EWR and back to JFK (both in the New York City area, for those who don't know), which she did. Rhonda sometimes seems a little harried and slipshod, but she always comes through, in my experience.

August 9th, 2006, 22:57

The elderly attendants were seldom in evidence--I saw them sitting and chatting with each other the two times I used the lavatory.

Can we please stop the hate-mongering against "female flight attendants of a certain age"? Sathorn2 is offended.

TrongpaiExpat

August 9th, 2006, 23:01

Unbelievable, is all I can say. Has your friend ever flown on any of the Asian carriers? Cathay Pacific, Singapore, EVA, or even Thai? United would be my second-to-last choice. Northworst would be in dead last. Filthy planes, surly service, uncomfortable seats (even in business class), awful food.

The food on NWA is uneatable, if you have to go NWA pack a lunch. The seats are ok on the second leg in Business but not so on the old 747's.

Northwest (flight attendants are scheduled to go on strike next week and NWA may not survive if it does happen)

Good thing I used up all my miles and don't plan on setting foot in another NWA international flight again.

The Thai non-stop is decent.

Captain Swing

August 9th, 2006, 23:03

August 10th, 2006, 00:31

Boygenius wrote:

"It's hard or impossible to fire those old bitches once they hit menopause."

And later...

"Can we please stop the hate-mongering against "female flight attendants of a certain age"? Sathorn2 is offended."

----------------

I would hope all readers would be offended at the discrimination expressed. After all, boygenius, you're the one who claims to hate all forms of discrimination. Nonetheless, I applaud your call for an end to hate mongering. The last things gays should be encouraging is hate or discrimination; we're the most frequent targets of both.

August 10th, 2006, 01:35

i isually fly them because of frequent flier miles, but in addition to other criticisms above by other posters
-if you are not elite you get the worst seat-bad sched arrive just before midnight lose a visa calendar day leave around 6 am.

- flying korean this time, much better
- have also flown china, eva, japan, singapore , thai all better than northwest

August 10th, 2006, 05:33

I have flown Japan Airlines at least a dozen times to Southeast Asia. I feel the Asian carrier give better service and no attitude at all. Stay away from the American carriers, if possible. The exception is American Airlines. They code-share with Japan Airline. I flew a Dallas to Tokyo last year and the flight was very good, but it was a Japan Air plane and crew. My friend used to fly Norhtwest and had nothing but complaints. Of course, because of the frequent flyer's program, continued to fly with them. I am trying an Eva flight, for the first time in November, out of SFO. Hope all goes well, especially going into the new airport.

August 10th, 2006, 06:20

I also flew AA from Dallas to Japan last trip. I have to say, the new 777 to Japan was quite pleasant. Japan Air to Bangkok was just so so. Seats were smaller and not as comfortable. In November, I'm flying Cathay, which is the airline I prefer. I stated earlier I would like to try Thai Air, but if they are only giving 1/2 miles with the Star Alliance, I don't think it's worth it. You get AA miles with Cathay, but you have to be careful which booking code you use.

August 10th, 2006, 07:27

I have tried a variety of airlines during the last 15 years in trips to Thailand. Many of the trips have been on NW but I swear each time it will be the last. I have found the service to be from poor to awful. The staff on many of the flights have been too long with this airline and their boredom and lack of interest in providing good customer service is a good reason to find an alternative.

I went on Cathay Pacific last time and will again in November. It adds a few hours from my home base but it is worth it. The Cathay Pacific flights from the West Coast also get in at a reasonable time in BKK.

My two cents for what it is worth!

August 10th, 2006, 08:25

flight attendants are scheduled to go on strike next week and NWA may not survive if it does happen

You'd think NW'd survive, so many other airlines have miraculously survived bankruptcy recently. I'd be diissed to lose the miles I just began accumulating with them a couple years ago on a Sky Team RTW. They stop in Prague! What fun that was. The only real downer on that trip was the return to Bangkok from Amsterdam on KLM. That flight took inadequate leg room to new lows. Not only were my knees bumping up against the seat in front of me, but the knees behind me were as well.

The service on my recent NW flight was certainly adequate but I noted a hint of low morale. Once when I asked for apple juice I was NOT told "I'm sorry, the only juice we have is orange" but was told "See what's on the tray? That's what we're serving, sir".

The more I think about it the more OUTRAGED I am that NW wanted me to pay for drinks on the international long haul. Especially on a long haul meals must be included in the price. I, like many others, prefer wine with my meal.

What else? A food court on board? I have a feeling that vending machines are about to replace the cabin crew stations. Bring your own? Lines to the microwaves? What about all that trash on board from MacDonald's wrappers and, like in an American movie theatre, that smelly hot dog with sauerkraut, chili and mustard that those kids are eating in the next row?

fedssocr

August 10th, 2006, 08:43

You can get 100% United miles on Thai as long as you don't book class V or W which I think are probably consolidator fares. A regular Y class economy ticket will get you 100%.

August 10th, 2006, 11:19

After you have flown on a few Asian airliners you will no longer be saying things like "the food wasn't bad as far as aeroplane food goes" you will be disgusted at what you had to put up with before and had to pay for.
I have to say Virgin Atlantic's catering is very American. The food is horrible, that is, that which is actually in your plastic dish and not plastered all over your seat, window and arm rest. Stay away from premium economy it is a rip off on Virgin. Upper is not much better, and the flat beds are narrow and uncomfortable and face the wrong way. Giving you a severe neck ache if you wish to view the Himalyas as you fly over them.

I am definitely a window seat type, I hate isle. But I also have no problem getting around any-one sitting next to me, even in economy I just ask them to get up or I vault over if they are sleeping. I just have to look at the world as i fly over it, even during the night. I love seeing those little fishing lights and wondering about the people on board and those small city's scattered in the desert like jewelled necklaces on black velvet and night storms. So much too see, it's better than the console.

August 10th, 2006, 11:25

... I am definitely a window seat type, I hate isle ... I just have to look at the world as i fly over it, even during the night. I love seeing those little fishing lights and wondering about the people on board and those small city's scattered in the desert like jewelled necklaces on black velvet and night storms. So much too see, it's better than the console.

Your descriptive passage just reminded me of that Les Dawson quote:
'In awe I watched the waxing moon ride across the zenith of the heavens like an ambered chariot towards the ebon void of infinite space wherein the tethered belts of Jupiter and Mars hang forever festooned in their orbital majesty. And as I looked at all this I thought...I must put a roof on this lavatory'.

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