Monday, December 1, 2025
Not exactly the start to vacation we had in mind.
Sophon and I arrived at LAX early for our business class flight. While I’ve flown business before, this was my first time visiting the Polaris Lounge at LAX — and I was genuinely looking forward to it.
Big mistake.
The lounge looked impressive at first glance, but that’s where it ended. We struggled to find a table, and the food looked like it had been sitting out for hours. As we picked at a few items, I couldn’t help noticing that no one seemed to be clearing dishes or wiping down tables. The whole place felt sluggish and neglected.
After finishing, we actually moved to another area just so we wouldn’t have to stare at our own dirty plates. For United’s flagship business class lounge, it was underwhelming. I’ve had better food and noticeably better service at the Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 6, not to mention the Star Alliance Lounge in the International Terminal.
As boarding time approached, the lounge became packed. Guests were being redirected to the regular United Club. Not exactly the premium experience you expect when you’re paying for business class.
Then things got interesting.
After boarding, I noticed several people in bright vests labeled “Tech Ops” moving in and out of the cockpit. The captain told us we were waiting on security paperwork and some last-minute luggage, but it was obvious something wasn’t right.
We eventually pushed back and taxied out… only to sit on the runway. Finally, the announcement came: there was a radio issue, and we were heading back to the gate.
At the gate, the inevitable: the flight was cancelled. We were told customer service agents would assist us in the boarding area.
Here’s where it hurt.
We were scheduled to spend six hours in Bangkok before continuing on to Singapore. That onward flight was on a separate ticket. Which meant United wasn’t going to help rebook it. Any change fees? That was on me.
I knew the risk when I booked separate tickets. But in all my years of flying, I’ve only had one flight cancelled. I didn’t expect this to be number two — and certainly not at the start of a trip.
As we headed to the hotel, I already knew I wouldn’t be sleeping much. Vacation hadn’t even begun, and I was about to spend the night reworking an international itinerary from a hotel room at LAX.
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