Omicron-era Trip Report: United Airlines First Class SAN-SFO Airbus A319
After I had left China, the country implemented a new policy for people who were going back: we needed to go to the city of departure of the nonstop flight from US to China, and take a PCR test 7 days in advance. Previously, we already needed to go to the city of departure 2 days in advance to do testing, but they added a test 7 days in advance, probably in response to the number of people who were testing negative 2 days prior, but then positive after arrival in China.
So, it was off to San Francisco, a week early for me.
I was glad to see that social distancing and masking mandate were followed in the gate area.
United recently restarted pre-departure beverage service in First Class on its flights. I asked the flight attendant if he had any of the small bottles of water, but he said he didn’t. I passed. The guy next to me also passed on the service. I think taking off your mask to drink something while people are filing past you to go to Economy Class is not the best idea.
Bye San Diego!
Once in the air, when the flight attendant came around to offer beverages, I asked for sparkling water in a can, unopened, so I could drink it after the flight. I was glad the flight attendant was understanding, and gave me an unopened can.
(I had been hoping to try the AHA sparkling water that United is now serving, but I guess when one just asks for “sparkling water,” one gets Seagram’s seltzer water, because this also happened on my PVG-ICN-SFO flight).
Some time later, the guy next to me asked the flight attendant if he had any stroopwafels. The flight attendant went back to the galley to look, and came out with the little All-in-one snack bags with little bottle of water, pretzels, and stroopwafel. He offered them to all of the passengers. This was what i was hoping for! He said, “I found them!” and mentioned that they might be for tomorrow morning’s flight?
Both the can of sparkling water and the snacks came in really handy later, because it would be too late to buy any dinner or drinks by the time I checked into the hotel in San Francisco.
