Old Jan 22, 2017, 3:51 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: wilp888
Sleep-Enticing Amenities

In addition to the sleep-enticing United Polaris personal suites, several other amenities were designed with our customers' sleep in mind.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, United has worked with leading luxury specialty store Saks Fifth Avenue for custom-designed bedding. All designed to provide the best sleep in the sky, the new bedding collection will feature plush duvets, lightweight day-blankets and a large and small pillow for each United Polaris customer. In addition, mattress cushions will be available upon request.

Slippers will be available on all flights, and customized United Polaris pajamas will be available by request on flights longer than 12 hours*. Flyers will also be able to request a gel-cooled pillow. New amenity kits will feature ergonomically designed eye shades, calming lavender pillow mist and additional products from Soho House & Co.'s Cowshed Spa.

With the introduction of United Polaris, the airline intends to donate tens of thousands of pillows, blankets and other inflight service items to Fisher House Foundation, which United and its employees have long supported.
*Flights with pajama service (for both directions)
SFO - ICN, PEK, PVG, HGH, XIV, TPE, AKL, HKG, CTU, SYD, TLV, SIN
EWR - NRT, PEK, DEL, BOM, HKG, PVG
ORD - NRT, PEK PVG, HKG
LAX - PVG, SYD, MEL, SIN
IAD - NRT, PEK
IAH - NRT, SYD
(from United Twitter feed https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CyjFHZLW...jpg&name=large

Trip reports with photos:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...l#post27799060
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Polaris In-flight Experiences

Old Mar 26, 2017, 10:58 am
  #1231  
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Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
Dehydration from the additional alcohol consumption...;-)
And the problem is?
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Old Mar 26, 2017, 5:51 pm
  #1232  
 
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Originally Posted by laughinlab2001
UA 952 ORD-MUC last night... they had a Polaris teddy bear waiting for everyone on the seats in J when we boarded, I assume this was in recognition of the first international Polaris flight SFO-HKG (hard product) that took place earlier in the day and is referenced on previous threads.
I believe that's the reason. I got one on my flight ex LHR and the tag referenced the 777-300.
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Old Mar 26, 2017, 6:00 pm
  #1233  
 
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Bears are back in town

I also got the bear "celebrating the arrival of our first boeing 777-300er" on the cdg-sfo flight today.

Good surprise as I missed the bears by one day when they first showed up late last year.

I assume this around the first "real" usage vs the sfo-ewr flights earlier.
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Old Mar 26, 2017, 6:56 pm
  #1234  
 
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Originally Posted by cmhua777
I believe that's the reason. I got one on my flight ex LHR and the tag referenced the 777-300.
Dang! Missed the bear by 2 days!
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Old Mar 27, 2017, 12:19 am
  #1235  
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Got the "first 777-300 flight" bear on UA903 HNL-NRT today.
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Old Mar 27, 2017, 4:07 am
  #1236  
 
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Bears on board!

Originally Posted by SF_Flyer
I also got the bear "celebrating the arrival of our first boeing 777-300er" on the cdg-sfo flight today.

Good surprise as I missed the bears by one day when they first showed up late last year.

I assume this around the first "real" usage vs the sfo-ewr flights earlier.
Also got the bear on UA 892 ICN-SFO Sunday 3/25.

Could very well be my last UA 747 flight.
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Old Mar 27, 2017, 7:29 am
  #1237  
 
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Did another Polaris roundtrip this weekend. Seems the FA's are more polished and getting used to the service. Flew EWRDUB/DUBEWR. A couple of points:

-Not sure this is an official data point but the FA serving me seemed more than happy to do the wine flight. She said that not many people ask for it but she enjoyed being able to present the wines tableside. Which is interesting because exORD on a much longer routing the FA didn't offer it in First because she felt that the flight was too short.

-Hot towels need more water poured over them. Most of the time they hand them out 3/4 of the towel is dry when its unrolled.

-I usually love munching on nuts, but the nut mix either needs to be switched out or served cold. I think more often than not they are overcooked and become chewy.

-I miss the bread basket; granted the garlic bread is still there (albeit pre-plated) but the rolls in the basket were at least actually served warm and the pretzel rolls were good.

-The exEurope arrival service, especially on flts from UK/Ireland to EWR needs revisiting. Having a full hot entre literally 2 hours after the main service ended is just too much food. A lighter cold option is offered, but perhaps a sandwich our a wrap (like the BF flights used to have) would be better suited.

-Perhaps they did it for consistency between 2-class/3-class, but the previous BF linen/silverware/china being set by the FA seemed much classier vs a tray setup where everything is just on the tray.

-I have mixed feelings about the mimosa/blood mary cart. I think its a nice touch on longer flights, but on shorter flights especially those that leave later in the morning, more pax seem to be making individual drink requests for things other than mimosas or bloody Mary's.
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Old Mar 27, 2017, 4:49 pm
  #1238  
 
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Originally Posted by 1kBill
Also got the bear on UA 892 ICN-SFO Sunday 3/25.

Could very well be my last UA 747 flight.
Bear on board SFO-ICN this morning (27th)
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Old Mar 27, 2017, 4:54 pm
  #1239  
 
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Originally Posted by slippahs
Got the "first 777-300 flight" bear on UA903 HNL-NRT today.
Got one this morning 837 SFO-ICN
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Old Mar 28, 2017, 12:08 am
  #1240  
 
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Originally Posted by qukslvr619
-Not sure this is an official data point but the FA serving me seemed more than happy to do the wine flight. She said that not many people ask for it but she enjoyed being able to present the wines tableside. Which is interesting because exORD on a much longer routing the FA didn't offer it in First because she felt that the flight was too short.
Fully agree here. The FA on my recent ICN-SFO flight seemed eager to offer the tastings and even presented the bottles so we could see the labels. Very well done!

One thing I have noticed however is that the champagne does not seem to be on the drinks cart unless/until someone requests it, as I did on my outbound flight.

Finally, does anyone know what they serve as the PDB sparkling wine? Pre-Polaris, it was some god-awful semi-sweet garbage poured from splits. Had it once and swore never again.
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Old Mar 28, 2017, 5:41 am
  #1241  
 
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They have bears on UA 59, FRA-SFO leaving now, no reason why but I will take it
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Old Mar 28, 2017, 6:46 am
  #1242  
 
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I suspect the bears will be key to the future success of Polaris.
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Old Mar 28, 2017, 8:01 am
  #1243  
 
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Originally Posted by 1kBill
Finally, does anyone know what they serve as the PDB sparkling wine? Pre-Polaris, it was some god-awful semi-sweet garbage poured from splits. Had it once and swore never again.
It appears to be the following:
Jean Balmont Blanc de Blancs Vin Mousseux NV France

Had it once, didn't care for it. But then again I was also spoiled by the Dom they were serving on TG.
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Old Mar 28, 2017, 8:26 am
  #1244  
 
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A couple weeks late (hey I was on vacation) but I think I saw "near" the best and worst of Polaris earlier this month for my fiance and my anniversary trip. (SFO-FRA).

Pros: ORD Polaris lounge generally, and the Blue Door Burger specifically were much better than I anticipated. My brain still has a hard time coping with not having a check to settle.

Cons: 3-class 763 ORD-FRA -- aside from the 3 hour delay for maintenance [where they kept us on the aircraft and squirted far more deicing fluid at a control surface than should be necessary in 40-degree ambient temps], flight attendants might as well have been working a domestic economy cabin, no sense of excellence, no real polish. Of a bit more than a half dozen Polaris flights since the launch this was the first time that the purser/ISM/whatever they're being called this week didn't stop by and introduce his/herself -- and actually, come to think of it, I don't think my name was used once during the flight. Asked not to have the appetizer (fish), FA confirmed that it wouldn't be served, yet they still brought it out.
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Old Mar 28, 2017, 3:07 pm
  #1245  
 
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IAD-AMS just the other day on 767-400. Crew seemed pretty young for international.

Flying time 7 hours 20 minutes.

I was in the single seat of the 2 x 1 x 2 configuration.

It took 55 minutes for them to get the first drinks out and then it was just a cart with wine, sparking water and regular water. Anything else had to be requested and required a return to the galley.

Flight attendants from the mid galley worked rows 6-8 and those customers had their meals when we were getting our drinks in the rows 1-5 sections. They also seemed quite confused about how to divide up the middle section.

In any case, the meals came out about 1 hour 40 minutes into the flight. The cheese and port course was offered 2 hours into the flight and then I decided to recline and watch a movie. The sundae and alternative dessert selection was offered 2 hours 20 minutes into a flight. The cart looked nice but most people were out or were trying to be by now. This is way too long for a 7 hour 20 minute trans-Atlantic overnight flight.

They then put on all the lights 90 minutes prior to arrival to serve breakfast to those who wanted it. I'd say about 1/3 opted in for it. I'm not sure why this couldn't have been done just with their reading lamps or if the 767-400 has a dim setting. Other airlines seem to manage. It did wake me up and I did see a return of the pre-Polaris southwest omelette with the beans and sweet potatoes.

While I appreciate the effort, there needs to be some refinements.
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