Would you pay up to four times the economy fare to fly business class trans Atlantic? Wife and I…read moredid it four times in the past 14 months.
June 2025 wife and I flew from San Francisco to Amsterdam, and then Frankfurt, Germany to San Francisco. Late April 2026 flew from San Francisco to London, and then Paris to San Francisco. All four flights by United Airlines business class, and on time departures and arrivals.
We flew business class as Viking river cruises able to get us a 50% discount on business class fares in lieu of free economy fares, reserving 9 months in advance.
At San Francisco, Frankfurt, and Paris Charles De Gaulle airports, we can eat hot food in the United or Celebi Platinum or Star Alliance lounges respectively by scanning our business class ticket.
Traveling by business class meant expedited baggage check in in San Francisco and Paris. Also expedited security checks and passport control in Paris Charles De Gaulle, which is a very big thing if you've seen the lengthy passport control lines in Europe.
United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner can seat 257 passengers with 3 restrooms for the 48 lay flat business class cubicles.
The 21 premium plus seats, 39 economy plus seats, and 149 economy seats share three restrooms in the middle of the plane, toward the front of the economy section, and behind the economy plus section.
seat map at
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/company/aircraft/boeing-787-9-dreamliner.html
The seating configuration is 3-3-3 in Economy and Economy Plus, 2-3-2 in premium plus, and 1-2-1 in business class.
Each business class lay flat bed seat takes up the same amount of room as 4 economy seats, and every business class seat is by the aisle. The lay flat seats are 72" in length, compared to 31" pitch in economy and 38" pitch in premium economy.
seat selection guide at
https://seatcompare.ai/insights/united-airlines-787-seat-selection-guide
My Viking river cruise advisor asked if we wanted the two middle seats adjacent to each other, each with aisle access. I declined as my wife needs assistance getting her 25 pound carry on luggage into the overhead bin, and we would be seated on different aisles. I asked for contiguous window row seats for us.
A and L are window seats, but business class row seating in United Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 Dreamliners are staggered, with odd number rows adjacent to windows, and even number rows seated about 9 inches from the window in business class. So seat 2A is really like seat 2B with 2A being a 9" wide arm rest. The feet of passenger 3A in lay flat seat mode are underneath that covered arm rest.
I got myself an odd number row, and my wife sat in the row behind me, 9 inches from the window.
10 hour 40 minute flight to Amsterdam departing at 5pm and landing at 1pm the next day, flying over the polar route at night and during the daytime mainly over ocean. 9 hour time difference
Full meal with appetizer, main course, and dessert and unlimited beverages. After 24 years of marriage, my wife is getting picky in her old age, and absolutely hated the chicken and the fish. I got the beef and she got the vegetarian option.
Business class passengers get a blue leather vanity kit including eye mask, ear plugs, disposable socks, bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, and complete skin care kit, the latter I immediately gave to my wife.
Great entertainment with airline provided excellent headsets and displays built into the back of the seats, and adjustable angled. I took off my shoes, and the stewardess immediately got me some disposable slippers, not taking a chance that my socks would stink up the cabin.
Best thing of course is the lay flat seats, and being able to get 4 hours sleep between dinner and breakfast, and waking up the next day refreshed. It helps that no crying babies nor loud snorers.
Viking river cruises in Europe reserves its trans Atlantic flights through United. We are scheduled to fly United business class in April 2027 when we take our 4th Viking river cruise in 4 consecutive years.
Wife says that next time we fly business on United, she gets the odd number row window seat, and me the even number row behind.