Note: This is officially the end of Chasing New Adventure’s first trip report! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and you can find the rest of the posts linked below.
To my disappointment, our upgrades didn’t clear on our return flight from Denver, leaving us in row 10 (Economy Plus). And we also had some pre-flight drama due to weather issues and potential cancellations. However, the flight ended up going quite smoothly, and we got great views over the Rockies.
Here are the flight details:
- Route: DEN-SFO
- Airline: United
- Flight Number: UA683
- Cabin: Economy+
- Seat: 10A
- Aircraft: 737-900
- Registration Code: N68452
- Date: October 24, 2021
- Scheduled Time: 3:45pm-5:26pm
Booking our United Airlines Flights
We booked our flights with cash, as it was much more reasonable than the redemption rates. Like our outbound flight, we’d attempted to upgrade this leg using PlusPoints. However, first class was fully booked, so we remained in row 10 of Economy Plus.
DEN Pre-Flight Experience
We took the A-Line train to Denver International Airport, which was a much smoother experience than when we rode it to downtown. The train drops you off at Denver Airport Station right outside the Westin, and from there you take a series of escalators to enter the airport.
Security was the most crowded I’d seen throughout the pandemic, but with TSA PreCheck and Clear it only took us 10 minutes to get through. We then headed to the Amex Centurion Lounge, which I reviewed more thoroughly in this post.
United Airlines 737-900 Boarding and Cabin
Due to weather issues at SFO, boarding was a little delayed. Ultimately, we took off only 15 minutes behind schedule, so this didn’t impact us too much.
We were flying on an ex-Continental 737, meaning a slightly different cabin interior. Most notably, every seat has a TV, which is great – I love watching the in-flight map.
Departing DEN
The safety briefing commenced after pushback (yay for being able to watch it on the seatback TVs!).
We taxied past a Lufthansa A350 and an Icelandair 757-200 – exciting!
Takeoff was at 4:05, about 20 minutes after scheduled departure. DEN doesn’t exactly have the most thrilling views on departure, but here are a couple pictures regardless.
United Airlines Economy Plus Food & Beverage
After reaching 30,000 feet, the FAs came around to hand out the complementary snacks. On this particular flight, we were given a choice between Swedish Fish or pretzels, but sometimes stroopwafels and Biscoff cookies are options.
Additionally, a benefit of Premier 1K status is that you can select one free item from the buy-on-board menu. I chose the Takeoff snackbox, because I really like the dried apricots.
United Airlines Service
The service on this flight wasn’t particulary notable, but it wasn’t at all bad either. After boarding, Captain Steve welcomed us onboard the plane and warned that it would be turbulent over the Rockies and during the last 40 minutes of the flight. He also told us that our FAs were based in Boston and San Diego, which is always fun to know.
The one negative I have to point out is that on pushback, they spent a good 3 minutes advertising the Explorer card. Unfortunately the FAs can’t really do anything about this, but it’s still annoying.
Views Onboard UA683
Sadly a majority of the flight was rather uninteresting, as we were either flying through clouds or over flat land. However, we were treated to some stunning views over the Rocky Mountains shortly after takeoff. The sun was beginning to set and the mountains were covered in snow – it was a beautiful scene. Plus, it wasn’t nearly as turbulent as the pilot had warned.
And here are a couple photos from the rest of the flight, for those who are interested.
Arriving in SF
Despite my worries about having to divert or be put into a holding pattern, we arrived smoothly at SFO on time. It was rainy and a little bumpy during landing, but nothing like what I’d been expecting. We deplaned without problems and headed home.
Final Thoughts
Despite some drama that ensued earlier in the day due to weather issues, it was a pretty smooth 2.5 hours in the air. Except for the ridiculous Explorer card advertising, the service was friendly and efficient. There was also the added bonus of great views over the Rockies.