An upgrade to premium economy on this long-haul flight is worth every cent

My window seat recalls the old-school, pre-flatbed business-class seats.

A United Airlines flight.

By Amy Cooper

Updated September 2, 2025, first published September 1, 2025

Flight Review: United Airlines flight UA870

From: Sydney to San Francisco

Frequency: Once a day

Duration: 13 hours, 45 minutes

Class: Premium economy

Explore more: united.com

Ahead of a busy work trip, I've treated myself to an upgrade on flight UA830 (since changed to UA870) from Sydney to San Francisco. I'm hoping that United Airlines' Premium Plus service will deliver me refreshed and ready for action after almost 14 hours in the air.

CHECKING IN: Second only to the top-tier Polaris Business passengers, my group boards fast. I'm allowed two free 23kg checked bags (although I stick to the economy allocation of one, as I'll be travelling that way later).

THE FLIGHT: We're aboard a Boeing 777 300ER, a popular workhorse on long-haul routes. We take off on time at 12.10XX and most passengers binge the inflight entertainment before nodding off about halfway through. We land punctually at 7.55am San Francisco time.

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THE CLASS: Dubbed the "purple class" for its boarding pass and seat colour, Premium Plus added an entire new cabin when launched in 2019, with its own section of 24 seats arranged 2-4-2 behind Polaris Business and in front of Economy Plus.

By far the smallest section - there are 60 business class and 266 Standard Economy/Economy Plus seats - the cabin feels exclusive and intimate.

My window seat, 21L, recalls the old-school, pre-flatbed business-class seats, with a recline and footrest. While the only flatbeds are up front in Polaris, this is still a significant step up in space and comfort, with a seat width of 47cm compared to the 43.3cm at the back.

The pitch is especially generous, at 96.5cm compared to Economy's 78cm and Economy Plus's 86.3cm. With a deep 15cm recline plus the Saks Fifth Avenue pillow and quilted blanket, sleep comes easily.

FOOD AND DRINK: Real crockery, glassware and cutlery, plus added options like fresh-brewed Illy coffee add frills to the same main dishes as Economy. After booking, I'm able to check out the flight's menu in advance on the United website and app.

ENTERTAINMENT: United's entertainment is strong overall, with a huge menu of movies, TV, music and more. In Premium Plus it's enhanced by a 33cm screen - just over 10cm larger than the Economy screen - and noise-cancelling over-ear headphones rather than the earbuds in the cheaper seats.

I dive into the 41 new-release movies, try some of the 14 podcasts and watch Hugh Grant commentating scenes from his movies in one of the Vanity Fair exclusive interviews. The Wellness channel's comforting videos of barnyard animals, forests, snowfall and hypnotic shapes are a superior sedative to any bedtime story.

THE SERVICE: Leading a genial and efficient team, our cabin manager offers everyone a kindly pep-talk up front. "These long flights are like marathons," he says. "Try to hydrate, stretch and pace yourself." If sleep's a priority, you can set a "do not disturb" message on your screen to ensure you're left to slumber on through meals.

IN A NUTSHELL: On this route and considering the packed agenda ahead, my splurge on this last-minute upgrade was worth the $650 price tag. I arrived as well rested as I'd hoped.

The writer flew courtesy of Travel Oregon and upgraded at their own expense