United Airlines Boeing 737-900 Economy Class Review [IAH to MCO]

Airline: United Airlines (UA)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-900
Flight #: UA 1193
Route: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Date: November 9, 2024
Duration: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Economy, 159 seats across 32.5 rows, 3-3 configuration
Seats: 26A, 26B, 26E, 26F, 27F
Cost: 150,000 miles and $85.99 for a total of 5 passengers, round-trip from IAH to MCO

I flew from IAH to MCO in economy class in early November with my family of 5, including a teen and tweens. This flight was a comfortable alternative to a road trip and a good introduction to United perks with my new United℠ Business Card.

Booking United Airlines Economy Class

This flight was a last-minute anxiety booking to avoid driving through the potential path of late-season Hurricane Rafael. My family had plans for a road trip from Houston to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World with planned stops in Pensacola and New Orleans, which suddenly seemed risky with a wide cone of possibility centered in eastern Louisiana and covering most of our route from Texas to the Florida panhandle.

Hoping to save our Disney World plans, I turned to points and miles, and my United Business card and a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards came to our rescue. First, looking for a low-cost flight for this quick hop over to Florida, I checked Frontier, Spirit, and Southwest, but the cheap fares we usually find to Orlando on those carriers were long gone. On Google Flights, most options were well into the $2,000 to $3,000 territory for a flight that is usually well under $1,000 for all of us.

When I checked with United, I first looked at cash options, and the flight I ultimately booked with miles would have cost $2,946 for 5 people (just under $600 each). Last-minute flight costs are no joke!

I found Saver Award availability that worked with our travel dates at about 15,000 miles per seat, per segment — a total of 150,000 miles. I had recently earned a 75,000-mile welcome bonus offer with my United Business card, so I had half of the miles ready in my United MileagePlus account. I transferred the rest from Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned from regular spending with my Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.

Had I booked earlier, we certainly could have spent less in points, miles, or cash. Still, the redemption value wasn’t bad compared to the cash cost — about 1.98 cents per point, which is well over our 1.2 cents per point value for United MileagePlus miles and just a little below our 2 cents per point value for Chase Ultimate Rewards.

I spent an additional $56 in taxes and fees. I also paid $29.99 for 1 premium seat selection because even though United’s family seating policy put most of us together, the policy doesn’t apply to my teen, who would have had a seat several rows away.

United would have charged $40 for each of our first checked bags, but with the United Business card, the first checked bag is free for myself and a companion on the same reservation. In economy, we could all bring personal and carry-on bags. That’s what we ended up doing, which meant we wouldn’t have any baggage fees anyway.

I earned 86 MileagePlus miles and 330 Premier Qualifying Points using my United Business card to pay the taxes, fees, and premium seat selection.

United℠ Business Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

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United℠ Business Card

A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99

APR

21.24% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The United Business card is a compelling option for traveling business owners that are also frequent United flyers. Not only will the card help you earn more United miles, but it also offers great perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, a discount on inflight purchases, and much more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
• 2x miles per $1 on United purchases
• 2x miles per $1 on dining

Cons

• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards
• Other United cards are more rewarding for United purchases

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
• 2x miles on United^® purchases, dining including eligible delivery services, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting.
• 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster.
• Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United℠ Business Card and a personal Chase United^® credit card.
• Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges.
• $100 United^® travel credit after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more each anniversary year.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.24% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Bottom Line:

This won’t make our list of the best ways to use United MileagePlus miles, but booking with points and miles saved me thousands on this last-minute flight.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

We arrived at IAH about 2 hours before our flight was scheduled to depart, and we were dropped off at Terminal C.

Check-In

IAH Terminal C is exclusively for United domestic flights. This was my first time flying out of Terminal C and I honestly couldn’t tell where to go for check-in that wasn’t Premier Access.

Many of the self-service kiosks also appeared to be Premier Access. Fortunately, we didn’t have any bags to check and had checked in online, so we headed straight to security.

Security

Just past check-in, a directional sign showed us where to go. The TSA screening line was right behind it.

There were several sign-up kiosks for CLEAR membership.

We found the line for TSA PreCheck, which was near lines for TSA PreCheck with CLEAR, CLEAR, and Premier Access. The line for TSA PreCheck was practically nonexistent, so we sped through.

Once we cleared security, we hopped on the Skyway to visit a lounge in Terminal D. I was planning to walk it since the terminals are right next to each other, but after reviewing terminal maps, I realized it would be easier to ride the train.

KLM Crown Lounge

My United Business card offers 2 United Club passes annually, which would have been good if we hadn’t traveled as a family of 5. We had 2 Priority Pass options at IAH, both in Terminal D, which typically serves international flights. Visiting around 10:30 a.m., we were just a bit too early for the newly renovated Air France Lounge, which opens daily at 11 a.m.

We once again visited the KLM Crown Lounge, which I used to think was tough to get into. However, it has lately been accessible as long as we don’t try to visit during the restricted hours of 1 to 6:30 p.m., when Priority Pass members aren’t allowed in.

I used my Priority Pass Select membership to get in and brought 2 kids with me. My husband used his membership for himself and another kid. We both have memberships with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, as he’s an authorized user on the card and gets a separate Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment.

The lounge was a bit busier than I’ve seen it before. We couldn’t find 5 contiguous seats, but the kids found a pod of chairs close to the restrooms, and my husband and I sat in chairs across the small walkway from them.

We arrived at an odd time for food, as breakfast was wrapping up and not being replenished. The main cold breakfast options were avocado, boiled eggs, and tomato slices.

Oatmeal and toppings were available, as well as a small selection of bagels and sliced bread.

Oatmeal was the only hot item available at breakfast, and cereal was where I usually see hot food on the buffet. We left before the main hot lunch items were brought out.

The cold options were soon replaced with cucumber salad with imitation crab meat, quinoa salad, and broccoli salad. I wanted to like the cucumber imitation crab salad, but it wasn’t visually appealing. I had to stir things around to find imitation crab and was not too fond of the dressing.

The tomato soup and oyster crackers hit the spot, though!

Whole fruits — apples and bananas — were available and packaged to go.

The small, staffed bar cart was open the whole time we were there, and my husband got a Bloody Mary with extra olives.

Unlike my previous experiences at this lounge, the Wi-Fi worked fine this time. There were no blazing-fast speeds, but I got a connection and was able to get some work done.

Boarding

While at the lounge, I received a notification that our flight would be delayed an hour, and shortly after that, another that it would only be about 10 minutes behind. I wanted to be at the gate for our original boarding time just in case, so we rode the Skyway back to Terminal C and headed to gate C41.

Along the way, there was a Mamava nursing pod.

Our plane was waiting for us when we got to the gate.

Passengers were lined up, and we got in what we guessed was the line for Group 2 boarding, which I and everyone on my itinerary got with my United Business card.

H Burger Bar was across the walkway from the gate, easily within view and earshot of passengers who wanted to grab a bite or drink before boarding.

Boarding moved swiftly, and we were soon on the jetway lined with travel posters.

As we got on the plane, I noticed it was equipped with Wi-Fi and DIRECTV. I don’t consider entertainment and Wi-Fi must-haves for a 2-and-a-half-hour flight, but I appreciated it.

We hiked past first and Economy Plus to get to our economy seats in rows 26 and 27.

On Board United Airlines’ Boeing 737-900

We were on a full flight and brought carry-ons, so I was thankful we got Group 2 boarding to secure overhead bin space.

Seats

We were split between rows 26 and 27. We had the middle and window seats on row 26 and another window seat on row 27. Our seats had a width between 16.3 to 17.3 inches and a pitch between 30 to 31 inches.

The legroom was acceptable but not amazing. Sitting at the window, I had less room than I’m accustomed to when I usually sit in the aisle seat. There was enough room underneath for a large shoulder bag, though I had to tuck my feet under it to stretch out a bit. I also felt I had enough room to leave a water bottle in the seat’s back pocket.

The tray table was clean and a decent size but lacked a drink well, which I prefer for security against spills.

Behind the tray table was literature, including a safety card, an inflight menu, and an advertisement for United credit cards.

The main ad touted a welcome bonus offer for the United℠ Explorer Card.

On the other side was a list of other United credit cards and a mention of United’s small business cards.

The lights and buttons at my seat were functional, and we were asked to close the window shades and turn on the fans for temperature management as we waited for our turn to take off. I’d seen a line of United planes awaiting takeoff as we rode to the airport, and we joined that line.

We waited about half an hour to get cleared for take-off. I was thankful for the DIRECTV screens at our seatbacks — and the flight attendants who brought earbuds to our seats.

Food and Beverage

The food and beverage menu included breakfast, lunch/dinner, and international options. However, none of these options were available as we were on a flight less than 1,190 miles.

However, we could get drinks and snacks. We were offered complimentary sodas, juices, water, and select snack items.

Snacks for sale included snack boxes, chips, and candy. The complimentary snacks included a snack mix, chocolate quinoa crisp, and a fruit bar.

My daughter got the snack mix, and I got the chocolate quinoa crisp.

I liked the pineapple and passion fruit sparkling water. The quinoa crisp was a bit crumbly but had a nice sweet and salty mix. My daughter asked about the seasonal cranberry Sprite she saw on the menu, and the flight attendant was happy to provide it even though it seemed to be only available with a seasonal cocktail. She also asked for an extra snack mix, which was no problem, either.

Amenities

Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment were available on our flight. Some seats had charging capabilities, but our row in economy didn’t.

Inflight Entertainment

We usually arrive at the airport ready with games and phones to keep ourselves occupied while flying, but that wasn’t necessary on this flight, which offered DIRECTV screens on the seatback.

One of the channels was a flight tracker.

My daughter and I simultaneously watched “IF” together — a movie about imaginary friends that we’d seen in the theater.

We didn’t think to bring headphones with a jack, but United provided earbuds that worked with the system. These were slightly too large for my daughter, but she made them work.

Hot Tip:

You can bring your headphones or earbuds if you’d like a better fit and sound quality. Any with a wired headphone connection will do.

The only thing I didn’t like about the inflight entertainment was the control panel, which had poor placement on the armrest. The buttons worked fine, but I accidentally changed the channel or adjusted the volume multiple times during the flight, and my daughter asked her seatmate in the aisle to adjust as he inadvertently pressed buttons on her controls as he rested his arms. The display was not a touch screen, so the control panel was the only available option.

Wi-Fi

We had a few options for Wi-Fi, with free messaging on select messaging apps and free movies, TV, and games in the United app. T-Mobile customers could get free Wi-Fi for phones only (no laptops or other devices), and paid Wi-Fi was available for $8 for MileagePlus members and $10 for non-members.

The inflight speed was faster than I experienced on the ground in the KLM Crown Lounge.

Service

The service was great on this flight, from the airport experience to landing. I felt well informed with text and app updates about the delay, which was not very long at all. Boarding was efficient, and we were greeted warmly on the plane and then quickly provided with complimentary earbuds so we could start enjoying the inflight entertainment right away. The pilots kept us updated on our takeoff status. In the air, my daughter asked for extra drinks and snacks, and the flight attendant didn’t hesitate to take care of her.

Arrival at Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Despite the gate and takeoff delays, we only arrived 20 minutes behind schedule.

It didn’t take long to get off the plane, even though we were well into the back rows.

We rode a quick train to baggage claim and ground transportation with good signage so we knew where to go.

As we made our way to pick up our rental car, we were greeted by the Magic of Disney store in the terminal — a fitting welcome, as many passengers on our flight, like us, were heading to Disney World.

Final Thoughts

I got the United Business card to earn the welcome bonus and spend those miles on a different trip, but having the card and miles available came in clutch to give us a stress-free journey to Orlando and back.

This was my first experience flying United as an adult, and I’ll happily repeat it. We fly low-cost carriers frequently, so taking advantage of United perks — even in economy — like free carry-on bags, complimentary snacks, and inflight entertainment was nice. My cardholder perks of Group 2 boarding and free checked bags sweetened the deal.