Background
To head back to California for a friend’s wedding, I had a flight booked to Los Angeles (LAX) on United originally, since it was the lowest price at the time. My flight then had a schedule change, which allowed me to switch flights. Orange County (SNA) was actually closer to where I needed to be. So, I decided to chat with United to see if they could switch me to SNA, and they were able to for no charge. Loved that!
But, I am a bit puzzled as to why United would put such a bad aircraft (Boeing 737-700) on the Newark to Orange County route. American puts their premium transcons on here, and Delta used to fly the 757s with Delta One lie-flats in the past when they operated the nonstop.
On the plus side, I got lucky, and the middle seat next to me was empty, so it made the flight way more enjoyable. But the aircraft needs to be fixed or retired. The IFE screen was broken for 90% of the passengers & sink was inoperable in the lavatory.
Check-In/At the Airport
Generally, most flights on United leave from United’s Terminal C at Newark. They also have a handful from the newly renovated Terminal A, which is where Delta & American leave out of. My United flight to Orange County left from Terminal A, and it was a nice terminal, though the TSA line was quite slow, and even with Pre Check, it took me 30 minutes to get through. It wasn’t that the lines were particularly long; they just moved really slowly for some reason.
I don’t have any way to access United Clubs, so I just grabbed a bite at one of the restaurants and a $2 bottle of water from one of the grab-and-go markets, then I was on my way!
Flight Details
United Airlines Flight 2208
Newark (EWR) to Orange County (SNA)
Scheduled Duration: 5 hours 58 minutes
Status: On Time
Seat/Cabin: 28C Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737-700
Boarding
Boarding was scheduled 35 minutes before our scheduled departure. I arrived at the gate slightly prior, and they had already started pre-boarding.
I was scheduled in Group 5, and by Group 3, they were already gate-checking bags, which seems ridiculous to me. Though when I got on board, it was pretty full since this plane had older interiors with small overheads where bags couldn’t be put in on their sides.
I appreciated that when boarding, they had sanitizing wipes, so I could wipe down my seat.
The Cabin: United 737-700
It was definitely an older aircraft, with the older-designed air vents. But the seats looked relatively updated.
Surprisingly, there was a seatback screen. But it was one of the older ones with the credit card slot to swipe, and it only had DIRECTV. Throughout the entire flight, it just always said, “Due to normal aircraft movement, the channel is temporarily unavailable”. 90% of the plane couldn’t get the screens to work, and the flight attendant said they couldn’t reset these types of screens and apologized for the inconvenience.
My standard economy seat seemed a bit tight for a 6-hour transcon, with just 30 inches of pitch. I’m not that tall (5’9), and it felt quite cramped, maybe perhaps since the seats weren’t the slimline ones. Thankfully, I got lucky as the middle seat next to me was empty.
Unfortunately, I did not have access to a power port since they are only available in First Class, Economy Plus, and a couple of Economy rows (only rows 11, 12, 15).
You might think that United would put a more premium aircraft on this route, especially when American uses the premium A321 Transcon on the route. Too bad they only offer one morning flight a day from JFK-SNA, as I would much prefer to be on that aircraft.
On the bright side, the boarding doors closed at our scheduled departure time, and the captain said it would be 5 hours and 22 minutes in the air.
About 1.5 hours after takeoff, they came by with a snack and beverage service. It included a choice of Stroopwaffel, pretzels, and a Chocolate Quinoa Crisp. I really do like the Quinoa Crisps!
Snack boxes were also available for purchase.
Wifi was available, and free messaging was available to all passengers. If you wanted full WiFi, it was $8 for Mileage Plus Members (or $10 for non-members). T-Mobile customers could also access WiFi for free.
About 1.5 hours before landing, an additional beverage service was provided.
Broken Lavatory
I had to use the lavatory in the middle of the flight, and unfortunately, when I walked in, I saw that the sink was inoperable and only sanitizing wipes were provided.
On the plus side, we got to Orange County on time, about 10 minutes early.
The Verdict
Overall, it was disappointing to see the United 737-700 aircraft in service and in poor condition. For a six-hour transcon to top it all off. No running water in the lavatory top of the list of issues, and between the broken seatback entertainment and lack of power outlets/USB ports, it leads to a pretty poor experience.
Have you flown on a United Boeing 737-700 before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
Would you rather get home on time, or delay the flight until they can find a fully functioning plane? The vast majority would select the former instead of the latter
You’re not wrong! Though, I would hope in planning schedules, they assign an older plane like this on a shorter route. Thanks for reading!