United Airlines Business Class

[wilkiaj]

Just booked some really cheap business class tickets from Sydney to Fort Lauderdale with Air New Zealand. Looking at the sector from Houston to Fort Lauderdale the flight has three cabins, First, Economy Plus and Economy. I am trying to find out what business class fall under and how do you find out your seat allocation. Not been to Houston before , any tips on transferring to domestic. Our layover is 3.5 hours.. Also if I am a member of the Koru Club are there any rights to the lounges. I am also LT Gold Qantas and Plat.

Alan

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just booked some really cheap business class tickets from Sydney to Fort Lauderdale with Air New Zealand. Looking at the sector from Houston to Fort Lauderdale the flight has three cabins, First, Economy Plus and Economy. I am trying to find out what business class fall under and how do you find out your seat allocation. Not been to Houston before , any tips on transferring to domestic. Our layover is 3.5 hours.. Also if I am a member of the Koru Club are there any rights to the lounges. I am also LT Gold Qantas and Plat.

Alan

You can go on to the United website and select seats. You should have a booking reference, just go to manage booking. That will show you if you have first class domestically.

Qantas gold won't help you with lounges before an Air New Zealand or United flight.

Koru Club lounge access details are here: https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/koru-benefits - lounges are only available in limited circumstances (ie not USA domestic United lounges). As an Air New Zealand business class passegner you will have access to lounges before departure of the Air New Zealand flights.

I know United will allow its own international passengers lounge access if you are continuing on a domestic United flight. I don't know if that extends to connections from Air New Zealand. Hopefully someone with direct experience will be able to chime in. Domestic first class doesn't get lounge access inits own right (except for limited transcon flights).

 

[jgm]

First, despite the name has virtually NO first class features, but it is what you should be in. It is just basic domestic business class with leather recliner seats (pitch 36-39", width 20.5"). You get priority boarding, drinks, and meals on flights > 2 hours, but no lounge access. However when we have had International J awards with UA domestic legs, we have always had lounge access (for what it's worth). Don't expect anything like Australian lounges though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

However when we have had International J awards with UA domestic legs, we have always had lounge access (for what it's worth).

Which airline was operating the long-haul business class?

 

[windycityf]

I would check your itinerary, I would not be surprised if you are booked in economy for the the IAH-FLL leg. I did this trip last month and while the long haul was business, the domestic were economy. Unless you have Star Alliance status, you might not have lounge access domestic. You are not missing much.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would check your itinerary, I would not be surprised if you are booked in economy for the the IAH-FLL leg. I did this trip last month and while the long haul was business, the domestic were economy. Unless you have Star Alliance status, you might not have lounge access domestic. You are not missing much.

I was wondering that too. It can depend on the fare. Usually long haul business class would be accommodated in the First cabin on domestic USA, but an heavily discounted business fare may not have the same provisions.

 

[Milboo]

I was playing around with some Air NZ J fares to the US yesterday and any that routed through IAH had the US domestic leg in Y and not J.

 

[windycityf]

I should mention that Virgin Atlantic booked into J class on those discounted J fares. I am UA 1K so the short domestic flight in economy was fine, especially for the significance in fare. I had no issues with long haul in business.

 

[wilkiaj]

I checked direct with United with my Air NZ Reference. Took a while but it found my booking and they were J class tickets so I was able to select my seats in First Class. I kept a copy of the United reference as it was different especially in breakdown of cost. We paid about $5,000 Bris/Syd/Hous/Fort Laud and the United confirmation document stated around AUD20,000 . All good now. Thanks everyone for there help.