A hair short of 6'3" here, 215lbs, and I'm going to be in grieving, wearing black, and possibly holding a wake once the last United First Suite flies.

Sorry, the new Polaris has nice fixtures as is built well, but it's business class, and a confining one at that.

It isn't by any means a metal-accented suite, with multiple storage compartments, huge carved out collapsable armrests, and unencumbered 6'6" length (read: it's not a coffin that I hide myself in from the waist down).

Sitting in the nose of a 747 (1A/K) is unlike anything else, so it's no wonder I fell so hard for the 2006 IPTE suite, not to mention the original 2000 United First Suite. Nothing at the new UA will replace either in terms of size and comfort, or prestige (no more IFLs, no 6/8/12 person cabins). It IS the end of multiple era's at United, and for that, I am truly sad.

and p.s., lets not get carried away here - F is still on a considerable portion of the intl. widebody fleet. It may be relegated to certain airports, but it's still there. Further, it's not as if it doesn't sell. SFO-NRT/HKG/LHR/FRA, for one, are markets where UA can fill the entire F cabin with revenue pax >50% of the week.