Do US Airlines Suck (UNITED vs EMIRATES Tested)
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Date: 2025-11-01
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Comments and reviews: 20
roberthunter6927
One thing that really annoys me with most carriers is when you book a flight with a certain aircraft, and configuration, you get another aircraft with a totally different [and inferior] seat. Some of it is due to unexpected maintenance issues, causing a plane swap. At other times it seems to be due to adjusting the aircraft size to demand. But if you pay top dollar for a business class flight you expect to get what you paid for. [Ist world whinge, I guess].
On a cut-price carrier, one is usually not surprised by a worn-out plane. However, the crew can go a long way to compensate for this. On one leg [the long one between KL and London] the seat would NOT lie flat. So what did the Malaysian Airlines crew do They got out the seat manual, and 3 of them [two ladies and a guy] got their hands dirty for over 15 minutes until they had tamed the seat. A perfect rest for most of the flight.
yes, their planes can be a bit shabby sometimes, but the crew will break their backs to get you sorted and comfortable. On another flight the IFE did not work properly, and the cabin crew reported it, and I got extra flight points.
The meals drinks and service was excellent in BC, with staff calling everyone by name. They work really hard but cheerfully and friendly. In my mind, Malaysian Airlines is TOP TIER! Better than Singapore airlines. On one short leg [KL to Perth], we did NOT get the lie flat seat, but as it was only about five hours in duration, we did not mind, because we were well looked after. Some of their aircraft might need a little refurbishment, and in my mind that is the sole reason why they are not top tier. I fly with them anyway. And the flights are usually reasonably priced, and thousands less than the [so=called] top tier carriers. In March we took a Singapore airlines flight [albeit in economy], and we were not impressed. Malaysian crews are very friendly, and are good diplomats, and great with unruly passengers, Singapore air Not so much. Some rowdy drunks, and despite requesting it, did not order the guy in front to keep his seat upright during mealtimes.
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One thing that really annoys me with most carriers is when you book a flight with a certain aircraft, and configuration, you get another aircraft with a totally different [and inferior] seat. Some of it is due to unexpected maintenance issues, causing a plane swap. At other times it seems to be due to adjusting the aircraft size to demand. But if you pay top dollar for a business class flight you expect to get what you paid for. [Ist world whinge, I guess].
On a cut-price carrier, one is usually not surprised by a worn-out plane. However, the crew can go a long way to compensate for this. On one leg [the long one between KL and London] the seat would NOT lie flat. So what did the Malaysian Airlines crew do They got out the seat manual, and 3 of them [two ladies and a guy] got their hands dirty for over 15 minutes until they had tamed the seat. A perfect rest for most of the flight.
yes, their planes can be a bit shabby sometimes, but the crew will break their backs to get you sorted and comfortable. On another flight the IFE did not work properly, and the cabin crew reported it, and I got extra flight points.
The meals drinks and service was excellent in BC, with staff calling everyone by name. They work really hard but cheerfully and friendly. In my mind, Malaysian Airlines is TOP TIER! Better than Singapore airlines. On one short leg [KL to Perth], we did NOT get the lie flat seat, but as it was only about five hours in duration, we did not mind, because we were well looked after. Some of their aircraft might need a little refurbishment, and in my mind that is the sole reason why they are not top tier. I fly with them anyway. And the flights are usually reasonably priced, and thousands less than the [so=called] top tier carriers. In March we took a Singapore airlines flight [albeit in economy], and we were not impressed. Malaysian crews are very friendly, and are good diplomats, and great with unruly passengers, Singapore air Not so much. Some rowdy drunks, and despite requesting it, did not order the guy in front to keep his seat upright during mealtimes.
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rowen_travels
I have many thoughts on this. First, the US carriers are all significantly larger than their ME counterparts. Crews from the US can fly two domestic legs one day and a transoceanic flight the next. US workforces are also largely unionized, so even bad apples have some form of job protection. There have been reports of inhumane working conditions for front line employees at the ME carriers. Next, the US market is significantly larger than the ME, the closest thing the USA has to a super hub is ATL, which still caters to a majority of domestic traffic. DXB is a super connector that pulls traffic from SE Asia and Europe. Finally, it's worth noting that US carriers at least all have direct aisle access in biz class, (or will after DL configures the last A35Ls. From a hard product standpoint, they edge out the ME. But, from a soft product standpoint, ME absolutely blows the US carriers out the water. The big US3 need to focus on service rather than profits. Unfortunately, the US3 are publicly traded corporations, not state owned.
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I have many thoughts on this. First, the US carriers are all significantly larger than their ME counterparts. Crews from the US can fly two domestic legs one day and a transoceanic flight the next. US workforces are also largely unionized, so even bad apples have some form of job protection. There have been reports of inhumane working conditions for front line employees at the ME carriers. Next, the US market is significantly larger than the ME, the closest thing the USA has to a super hub is ATL, which still caters to a majority of domestic traffic. DXB is a super connector that pulls traffic from SE Asia and Europe. Finally, it's worth noting that US carriers at least all have direct aisle access in biz class, (or will after DL configures the last A35Ls. From a hard product standpoint, they edge out the ME. But, from a soft product standpoint, ME absolutely blows the US carriers out the water. The big US3 need to focus on service rather than profits. Unfortunately, the US3 are publicly traded corporations, not state owned.
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williamsohor4067
Fellow Central North Carolinian hereyou definitely highlighted the one thing. About United I wish could change: the service. I flew Polaris from Newark to Paris on a 767 this past March and the service was amazing. Not only the Polaris Lounge, but on board. My attendant welcomed me by name and immediately asked me if I needed any special instructions on my seat or IFE (I’m blind and clearly he looked at my profile. Food Serb or was swift and even though later most of the plane was sleeping, someone came by once and hour to check on my insomniac self to see if I needed anything.
Meanwhile ont he flight back the attendant couldn’t care less if I was on fire, and even chided me for getting up to go to the galley for a snack mid flight, telling me to get back to my damn seat.
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Fellow Central North Carolinian hereyou definitely highlighted the one thing. About United I wish could change: the service. I flew Polaris from Newark to Paris on a 767 this past March and the service was amazing. Not only the Polaris Lounge, but on board. My attendant welcomed me by name and immediately asked me if I needed any special instructions on my seat or IFE (I’m blind and clearly he looked at my profile. Food Serb or was swift and even though later most of the plane was sleeping, someone came by once and hour to check on my insomniac self to see if I needed anything.
Meanwhile ont he flight back the attendant couldn’t care less if I was on fire, and even chided me for getting up to go to the galley for a snack mid flight, telling me to get back to my damn seat.
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ebboy5
I’ll fly Emirates any day of the week! United crew is just like their aircraft; tired and worn. Their crew also need refreshers on grooming; most of them look like they just rolled out of bed and didn’t even bother running a comb through their hair. Most foreign carriers emphasize grooming with not a single hair out of place while providing superior customer service. United’s crew act as if they’re doing you a favor. . United just offered advanced food ordering capabilities; something Singapore Airlines has been doing for years via their Book the Cook feature. Lastly, prices seem more competitive on foreign carriers vs. United. I’m flying to Morocco next March on Air France Business Class and can’t wait! I’ve flown them before and thoroughly enjoyed it!
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I’ll fly Emirates any day of the week! United crew is just like their aircraft; tired and worn. Their crew also need refreshers on grooming; most of them look like they just rolled out of bed and didn’t even bother running a comb through their hair. Most foreign carriers emphasize grooming with not a single hair out of place while providing superior customer service. United’s crew act as if they’re doing you a favor. . United just offered advanced food ordering capabilities; something Singapore Airlines has been doing for years via their Book the Cook feature. Lastly, prices seem more competitive on foreign carriers vs. United. I’m flying to Morocco next March on Air France Business Class and can’t wait! I’ve flown them before and thoroughly enjoyed it!
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grifterwannabe836
I don't fly very often so my opinion may be skewed. I'm curious if the US flight attendants have more ability to remove unruly passengers off of a plane when compared to their international counterparts. If they do, may that little bit of extra power give them a little more of a god complex when it comes to serving passengers, arguing with them knowing they have the power to remove them if the passengers do not capitulate. I also think that culture does play a part here. Americans are so used to terrible service in all aspects of their lives that they do not think of holding service to a higher standard whereas in many international airlines, service is everything as it's a reflection on their culture (thinking Asian airlines in particular.
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I don't fly very often so my opinion may be skewed. I'm curious if the US flight attendants have more ability to remove unruly passengers off of a plane when compared to their international counterparts. If they do, may that little bit of extra power give them a little more of a god complex when it comes to serving passengers, arguing with them knowing they have the power to remove them if the passengers do not capitulate. I also think that culture does play a part here. Americans are so used to terrible service in all aspects of their lives that they do not think of holding service to a higher standard whereas in many international airlines, service is everything as it's a reflection on their culture (thinking Asian airlines in particular.
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carltonhealy9457
There's just more money per capita in the Middle East than there is in the US or most other countries. And by per capita I mean actual Middle Eastern citizens; most Middle Eastern countries are populated with less than 20% citizens with the rest being ex-pats from poorer countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
If you're going to be the flag carrier in a country like that you're going to put a much larger amount of money into quality of service to please your citizens, especially for those flying business class.
The fact that United isn't a flag carrier but a private enterprise doesn't help in competing with such an airline.
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There's just more money per capita in the Middle East than there is in the US or most other countries. And by per capita I mean actual Middle Eastern citizens; most Middle Eastern countries are populated with less than 20% citizens with the rest being ex-pats from poorer countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
If you're going to be the flag carrier in a country like that you're going to put a much larger amount of money into quality of service to please your citizens, especially for those flying business class.
The fact that United isn't a flag carrier but a private enterprise doesn't help in competing with such an airline.
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kegerator1000
Your like for like’ comparison between these two carriers isn’t reasonable. It’s UA from their nearly hometown hub at EWR where they invest in their best products (thinking lounge here. Conversely you’re flying EK from ATH, a spoke in their network, to EWR, another spoke. This isn’t a valid comparison. Should have been EWR-DXB and return. You claim when measuring seats you use a data driven approach - but really your flight choices demonstrate you’re cooking the books from the beginning. It’s a bit like any discussion you have about Delta whom you spare no showering of love for. Blech.
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Your like for like’ comparison between these two carriers isn’t reasonable. It’s UA from their nearly hometown hub at EWR where they invest in their best products (thinking lounge here. Conversely you’re flying EK from ATH, a spoke in their network, to EWR, another spoke. This isn’t a valid comparison. Should have been EWR-DXB and return. You claim when measuring seats you use a data driven approach - but really your flight choices demonstrate you’re cooking the books from the beginning. It’s a bit like any discussion you have about Delta whom you spare no showering of love for. Blech.
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gailerlitz6248
We just flew on October 10th on United from IAD to CDG. The Polaris Lounge in Dulles was very comfortable and since we had a 6 hour layover from our starting flight from CAE, we took advantage of the Quiet Zone and caught a few zzzz’s before going out to the main part of the lounge to watch the planes! The flight itself was comfortable, the food was good (I had the salmon) and I even got a little sleep! Because our son works as a dispatcher for United we tend to fly only United across the pond! We are returning home on a Transatlantic cruise! It was cheaper than flying and no jet lag!
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We just flew on October 10th on United from IAD to CDG. The Polaris Lounge in Dulles was very comfortable and since we had a 6 hour layover from our starting flight from CAE, we took advantage of the Quiet Zone and caught a few zzzz’s before going out to the main part of the lounge to watch the planes! The flight itself was comfortable, the food was good (I had the salmon) and I even got a little sleep! Because our son works as a dispatcher for United we tend to fly only United across the pond! We are returning home on a Transatlantic cruise! It was cheaper than flying and no jet lag!
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Lomo1277
Veteran Polaris flyer. Iah - Gru. 767 to 787 types. Flight attendants on United consistently reduce the value of the experience. Food. Eat before you go. Wine, sub $20 retail. Alternative routes on Aeromexico and Delta exceed the United experience. Lack of customer service training, major underperformance with food service (United stopped service on one trip due to food quality concerns) and let’s be honest, cheap wine and begging for a second drink/guilt trip makes Polaris unacceptable for the costs.
They won’t change. Cabin is still full. Most Americans don’t care about shortcomings.
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Veteran Polaris flyer. Iah - Gru. 767 to 787 types. Flight attendants on United consistently reduce the value of the experience. Food. Eat before you go. Wine, sub $20 retail. Alternative routes on Aeromexico and Delta exceed the United experience. Lack of customer service training, major underperformance with food service (United stopped service on one trip due to food quality concerns) and let’s be honest, cheap wine and begging for a second drink/guilt trip makes Polaris unacceptable for the costs.
They won’t change. Cabin is still full. Most Americans don’t care about shortcomings.
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jasonmirabile5184
You'll always hear how you cannot compare US carriers with those in the middle east because the ones in the middle east are typically subsidized by the government. While this may make a difference in the equipment and food (I do believe US airlines use this as an excuse to cut costs, it should not make a difference when it comes to service and many US flt attendants have a sense of entitlement and are rude to paying customers. Remember flt attendants even if the customer is wrong, they are always right. You are in the customer service/hospitality industry!
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You'll always hear how you cannot compare US carriers with those in the middle east because the ones in the middle east are typically subsidized by the government. While this may make a difference in the equipment and food (I do believe US airlines use this as an excuse to cut costs, it should not make a difference when it comes to service and many US flt attendants have a sense of entitlement and are rude to paying customers. Remember flt attendants even if the customer is wrong, they are always right. You are in the customer service/hospitality industry!
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Wanderdawgstudio
I think people have a tendency to repeat things they’ve heard or lean heavily on outdated information. United these days is way better than most of the commenters here would let on, and reality is US carriers are much closer to the top international carriers that everyone raves about than the average person seems to believe. Love that you did this video - fwiw I think UA does do mattress pads (by Saks Fifth avenue no less) on most international business class flights, surprised you didn’t get one here.
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I think people have a tendency to repeat things they’ve heard or lean heavily on outdated information. United these days is way better than most of the commenters here would let on, and reality is US carriers are much closer to the top international carriers that everyone raves about than the average person seems to believe. Love that you did this video - fwiw I think UA does do mattress pads (by Saks Fifth avenue no less) on most international business class flights, surprised you didn’t get one here.
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jeffreymorris1181
Hi Mr. Brooks. I love you and your wife's travel vlogs. This is going to be kind of a weird question but I notice you snack on prunes to help keep you regular during your travels. Do you have a set number that you eat a day I ask because I've decided to eat prunes to help me. I've put it off for over years because I've always heard they weren't very tasty. I tried one just now, unsweetened and pitted and it wasn't bad at all.
Did you ever think you would be asked for advice about staying regular
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Hi Mr. Brooks. I love you and your wife's travel vlogs. This is going to be kind of a weird question but I notice you snack on prunes to help keep you regular during your travels. Do you have a set number that you eat a day I ask because I've decided to eat prunes to help me. I've put it off for over years because I've always heard they weren't very tasty. I tried one just now, unsweetened and pitted and it wasn't bad at all.
Did you ever think you would be asked for advice about staying regular
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wotan10950
I don’t fly as often as you do, perhaps 2-4 transatlantics a year. I’ve flown everything from Play to most of the American & European majors. I have no problem with United, haven’t had any bad experiences. In my experience, British, Lufthansa, Delta are just as good/bad as United. Brussels is so bad, they make American look good. The one standout has been Austrian great service, good food, very enjoyable. Sorry, I won’t fly Emirates they can keep the martini and work on human rights.
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I don’t fly as often as you do, perhaps 2-4 transatlantics a year. I’ve flown everything from Play to most of the American & European majors. I have no problem with United, haven’t had any bad experiences. In my experience, British, Lufthansa, Delta are just as good/bad as United. Brussels is so bad, they make American look good. The one standout has been Austrian great service, good food, very enjoyable. Sorry, I won’t fly Emirates they can keep the martini and work on human rights.
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teddymartinii1979
I'm a first class flyer, and my experience is that the US airlines I fly (AA and United) are not at the level of the Middle Eastern and Asian airlines first class service. Even the top European airlines are better. BTW, a good friend of mine is a United flight attendant. Great neighbor, but his many stories about passengers indicate some customer service attitude problems. AA flight attendants used to have some arrogance issues, but have improved over the last ten or so years.
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I'm a first class flyer, and my experience is that the US airlines I fly (AA and United) are not at the level of the Middle Eastern and Asian airlines first class service. Even the top European airlines are better. BTW, a good friend of mine is a United flight attendant. Great neighbor, but his many stories about passengers indicate some customer service attitude problems. AA flight attendants used to have some arrogance issues, but have improved over the last ten or so years.
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kallemueller3194
As always a great video, thanks Jeb and Suzanne. It was closer than I thought at first. Emirates is highly subsidized though, for example with cheap fuel and low taxes, that makes the comparison to Western airlines unfair. What I don't like about Emirates quite frankly is, that their hiring policy is obviously biased towards attractive, young women, preferebly with a European look. I think they should rather hire staff form poorer countries in the near and mid East.
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As always a great video, thanks Jeb and Suzanne. It was closer than I thought at first. Emirates is highly subsidized though, for example with cheap fuel and low taxes, that makes the comparison to Western airlines unfair. What I don't like about Emirates quite frankly is, that their hiring policy is obviously biased towards attractive, young women, preferebly with a European look. I think they should rather hire staff form poorer countries in the near and mid East.
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matthewshannon9
United Polaris is very good compared to any of the US and European carriers in my opinion. In 10 times flying Polaris, I have always been quite happy. FAs are always very polite out of Houston. The bedding on Polaris is much better than most airlines too. I generally can get a decent night's sleep on Polaris. The European business class options are worse than United. My experience with Turkish in business class makes United service look like Singapore.
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United Polaris is very good compared to any of the US and European carriers in my opinion. In 10 times flying Polaris, I have always been quite happy. FAs are always very polite out of Houston. The bedding on Polaris is much better than most airlines too. I generally can get a decent night's sleep on Polaris. The European business class options are worse than United. My experience with Turkish in business class makes United service look like Singapore.
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brucebaker3523
I fly a lot for work and holidays and travel in the USA is like a third World bus ride compared to most international flights. Lounges are like bus terminals worn-out with little hospitality or comfort. Qatar business class is so far ahead of any First Class flight in America it's embarrassing. Diversity is not a strength, uniformity and respect are what make any brand worthy. Merit based hiring from top to bottom is what builds great customer service.
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I fly a lot for work and holidays and travel in the USA is like a third World bus ride compared to most international flights. Lounges are like bus terminals worn-out with little hospitality or comfort. Qatar business class is so far ahead of any First Class flight in America it's embarrassing. Diversity is not a strength, uniformity and respect are what make any brand worthy. Merit based hiring from top to bottom is what builds great customer service.
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killakiran
While I appreciate the title though it's a bit clickbait-ish, I think it's fairly accepted that the US airlines have led the world in terms of substandard/average service in terms of airline service in comparison to Asian and Middle Eastern carriers. Volume and shareholders are their priority - so as long as they're whole, that's the priority. It's like the joke about Air Canada - We're not happy unless you're not happy.
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While I appreciate the title though it's a bit clickbait-ish, I think it's fairly accepted that the US airlines have led the world in terms of substandard/average service in terms of airline service in comparison to Asian and Middle Eastern carriers. Volume and shareholders are their priority - so as long as they're whole, that's the priority. It's like the joke about Air Canada - We're not happy unless you're not happy.
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jacenhorn403
Last time I was on a united airlines flight they were going to take everyone to another airport unless people in the business class gave up their seats. Not to mention I was denied food and drink on that flight from Singapore to San Francisco. So obviously their service is poor. Don’t fly on united. When I filed a complaint they waved it away as a typical occurrence of the American airline industry. What a joke.
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Last time I was on a united airlines flight they were going to take everyone to another airport unless people in the business class gave up their seats. Not to mention I was denied food and drink on that flight from Singapore to San Francisco. So obviously their service is poor. Don’t fly on united. When I filed a complaint they waved it away as a typical occurrence of the American airline industry. What a joke.
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cwolfe777
You need to consider that United flight attendants are the lowest paid in the industry and they are working on an expired contract with truly terrible work rules. I am big fan of you and definitely agree sometimes flight attendants can be a little more friendly however they are really treated poorly specially at United compared to other US mainline ( Delta and American) so alittle empathy can go a long way.
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You need to consider that United flight attendants are the lowest paid in the industry and they are working on an expired contract with truly terrible work rules. I am big fan of you and definitely agree sometimes flight attendants can be a little more friendly however they are really treated poorly specially at United compared to other US mainline ( Delta and American) so alittle empathy can go a long way.
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