Author: Kevin Chau

Over the past few years, United is starting a transition from 3-cabin to 2-cabin international flights. With the exception of a few routes, more and more routes are 2-cabin.

With that said, Global First will eventually only be found in history books. Leaving only Business First as the highest available premium cabin.

All Business First is not Created Equal

This is the key distinction! All equipment the same (777-200), 2-cabin and 3-cabin configurations do not have the same Business First seats. Where Global First is found in a 1-2-1 layout. Business First in 3-cabin flights is 2-4-2, while in 2-cabin flights, it’s 2-2-2. This is a huge difference.

Although both types of Business First are lay-flat seats. 3-cabin 2-4-2 Business First seats are 20 inches in width, and 76 inches in pitch/length. While 2-cabin Business First is 23 inches in width, and the same 78 inches in pitch/length as Global First. In fact, 2-cabin Business is 1 inch wider than Global First.

Having flown on 2-cabin 787-900’s, and 2 and 3-cabin 777-200’s. 2-cabin Business First seats are not far off from Global First in terms of overall comfort. Aside from marginally better privacy, an extra seat pad, and more storage, it’s not far off. I do not mind 2-cabin Business First at all.

A Secret to Global First

However, there is one secret to Global First seats that you won’t find on Seat Guru or other seat information websites.

There is a hidden 6 inches of seat width in Global First. The armrests can be pushed down and made flush with the seat. This made a huge difference when sleeping. Although Seat Guru lists 2-cabin Business First as 1 inch wider than Global First, they do not have height adjustable armrests. Simply put, you have a total of 30 inches of width where it matters – your hips.

How to Find 3-Cabin Flights

More and more routes are being replaced with 2-cabin flights. Older 3-cabin 777 routes such as ORD-HKG, and SFO-HND will eventually be replaced by 2-cabin 787s. Two example routes you can search for on Expedia are SFO-HKG on the 747-700, and ORD-HKG on the 777-200.

Global Services is not Going Away

Global Services continues operating as usual. And with United Polaris eventually coming into service, the 2-cabin experience will be elevated.

International flights can be 8 hours long. With the longest routes pushing 16 hours. You can survive economy by preparing ahead of time, spending a little money, or picking the right plane. International journeys will be made easier, and all you have to do is a little preparing.

Survive Economy on a Boeing 787

If you have the option, fly on a 787. New technologies make surviving economy easier. The same technologies are coming to the new 777X, and Airbus is following suit with the composite A350. They all have higher cabin humidities, higher cabin pressure (lower pressurized altitude), and are noticeably quieter than previous generation planes.

Everyone knows the desert-like feeling of flying. The moisture being sucked from your skin, your nose and mouth get dry, lips get chapped, and dehydration kicks in. What you don’t realize is what it’s doing to your body. It leads to altitude sickness and jet lag. The first time you fly on a 787 – it’s an amazing feeling.

I didn’t realize how much better the cabin air was on the 787 until I flew on a 737 immediately after for a connecting flight.

You can use FlightAware to search routes, and filter by aircraft type.

You can then search for those specific routes on SkyScanner.

Upgrade to Economy Plus

Although it’s the main selling point, the secret to flying in upgraded premium economy isn’t the extra legroom. On international flights that aren’t overbooked and depart full, it may be worth the small upgrade to premium economy. You can get a whole row to yourself, lay down and sleep. However, don’t choose to upgrade at check-in. Talk to the gate agent, and ask if there are any empty rows in upgraded economy.

The worst case scenario is you’ll share a 3-seat row with one other person. If you have status, most airlines will upgrade you to premium economy for free. If you don’t, it’s available for a small charge – sometimes worth it.

Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine, and Bring a Water Bottle

Aside from disturbing your body’s internal clock, alcohol and caffeine dehydrate you. The effects of alcohol are also more intense at altitude. Avoid consuming tea, coffee, and alcohol on the day of your flight. You’ll arrive in better shape.

On most international flights, the cabin crew will hand out small bottles of water before they turn down the lights. It’s recommended to bring your own large bottle of water, and when you finish it – the cabin crew will refill it for you (don’t toss out that bottle!).

Alternatively I recommend the Vapur Element Bottles. They roll up to take less space, and you can fill them up before your flight, and during your flight. Not to mention, they’re quite TSA friendly.

Bring Your Own Headphones

Unless you’re flying in business or first, the headphones in economy class are utter garbage. If you don’t already have headphones you love, you have two types to choose from: Noise Isolating and Noise Cancelling.

The main considerations for choose one or the other is whether you can sleep in them. Noise Isolating Earphones are small earbuds that won’t get in the way.

Our recommendations for each:

• Noise Isolating Earphones: Shure SE425
• Noise Cancelling Headphones: Bose QC25 or Bose QC35 (Wireless)
• Best of Both Worlds: Bose QC20 Noise Cancelling Earphones

Be Comfortable

It’s completely okay to wear your comfortable clothes. Sweatpants, yoga pants, whatever works. Wear breathable clothing that you can layer. This isn’t just a recommendation to survive economy, but the same applies if you’re flying business or first. Don’t wear jeans, don’t wear dress shirts. Stick with what’s comfortable and something you can sleep in.

Main photo by Martin Deutsch

Do you have any tips to survive economy? Share your stories in the comments below.

AirBNB is a revolution in the hospitality industry. Without going into the politics of vacation rentals and how they affect the market for locals, find out why AirBNB is no longer my preferred choice.

I have stayed in many AirBNBs. In Asia, in the US and Canada, and even while traveling on business. In the early days, I stayed in them as much as possible, avoiding hotels. The local living image that AirBNB promotes is something I no longer experience.

AirBNB is not Always the Cheapest

AirBNB’s goal from the start was to acquire as many hosts on their platform as possible. As the company matures, they continually shift focus on experience from guests to hosts. This is something that I have experienced since first using the service in 2013. With the introduction of Smart Pricing and pricing guides that help hosts react to market trends, there is no longer a large pricing gap between hotels and vacation rentals.

As for short stays, such as weekend trips or trips for business, it is almost certain that you will find at least a 3-star hotel with a lower total cost. There are two fees that you won’t find while casually browsing. First is the service fee charged by AirBNB, the other is the cleaning fee charged by hosts. While sites like Booking.com and Orbitz show you the total cost per night while browsing, AirBNB does not.

This is especially true in countries and cities where tourism is a primary source of revenue. Destinations such as Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and other countries in Asia. You will almost always find a better deal staying in a Hotel.

Hotel Flash Sales

Taking a look at an upcoming trip I booked for Seoul through Booking.com, the price differential between a 4-star hotel and a comparable AirBNB is $9 USD. When you consider the added benefits of a hotel (daily cleanup, 24-hour staff, etc.), the choice is clear.

Although there are cheaper options for AirBNB, I picked one with a reasonable number of reviews, and an overall higher quality.

Lack of a Loyalty Program

If you are a frequent traveler, loyalty programs have proven useful time and time again. You no longer have to book with a Hotel directly to earn points. Expedia, Orbitz, and Hotels.com have all launched loyalty programs that let you earn free stays at most hotels listed through their respective sites.

Neither AirBNB and their competitors, HomeAway have launched anything resembling a loyalty program.

AirBNB Moguls

Cost aside, this is my #1 gripe. AirBNB has been revising their user profiles to hide this. There used to be a section that showed all available properties from a host. I had the worst experiences from hosts that use the platform to run a business. Here are just some of the problems I’ve dealt with:

• No mirrors in an apartment.
• Broken washer.
• No actual washer in the unit or building, instead a “laundromat next door”.
• Refrigerator not plugged in.
• No hot water.

All of these issues are easily resolved with a hotel.

In the past, you would be able to call AirBNB directly, and have them handle your issue. They’ve transitioned to a resolution center for you to work out these issues with your host, and negotiate compensation on your own. This is not something I want to deal with while vacationing.

Longer Stays

In the event where AirBNB is slightly more expensive, hotels offer benefits that you otherwise give up: Daily cleaning, personal hygiene amenities, fresh towels and linens, “I lost my key”, and concierge service, etc..

On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I opted to spend 3 weeks in a hotel. I managed fine without a kitchen and using a wash-and-fold service. I misplaced my keycard a couple times, and would be in an uncomfortable situation had it not been a hotel.

Recommended Travel Accessory:

I’ve been using Anker Powerbanks to keep my devices topped up and they have earned their stay in my bag. I cannot recommend them enough – I recently purchased two of their PowerCore 5000 to keep with me on the go.

Do you have any stories on choosing between AirBNB and hotels? Share in the Disqus comments below!