Went there last week and was again unimpressed by the buffet selection. (Not enough time to order table service.) It looks like every expense has been spared. The only pastry offering was dried scones, the oatmeal was watered down to gruel, and the bagels are the kind that last for a week. Don�t look for anything like smoked salmon, quality fruit or a decent egg dish. You won�t find it here. They need to increase their food budget.

Maybe the SFO UA Polaris Lounge catering manager is on the road ensuring conformance in offerings across the system.

It doesn't seem like Polaris lounges are all that more impressive than Flagship lounges at this point (and they are for sure inferior to the Soho lounge at JFK).

And yet they have much stricter access requirements.

What time and how long were you there?

Soho not so hoho: Soho lounge cost cuts

David

Maybe so, but I still see an access policy that in no way matches the actual product delivered (i.e. Polaris lounges being business class only).

I agree -- the last few times through we have not been impressed at all...

In my experiences, the Flagship buffet is vastly superior to anything I've seen in Polaris the past few years. Both in terms of variety and quality. I also like AA's self-serve champagne, which is now Bollinger,

Took UA 7 into NRT so I was in the lounge sometime midmorning but only for 30 minutes. The lounge was crowded but I found a solo seat. I’ve actually left this lounge to go to the regular UC early in the morning because the Polaris lounge had no hot food out. Nada. I’ve eaten in the restaurant several times and that’s a lot better than the buffet but it’s a pretty low bar and the service is spotty.

This may have been yje ytansition from breakfast to lunch offerings.

It better be, since that�s the only food option for the vast majority of AA FL guests (unlike PL which offers dining room to all). See for example the great scallops and burger I had at IAH PL last week:




I do wish PL would offer self-serve wine/champagne. Let the bartenders focus on cocktails.

As for IAH PL, it is def too small at peak hours but I don�t know that UA has any available real estate to fix it.

Agreed. The Business Class Lounges in DXB for Emirates and the Cathay Premium lounges in HKG let you self serve these.

Here now. It�s pretty crowded but was able to snag a dining table at 5pm. After utilizing a shower room to change into my �plane clothes� was also able to snag a seat at the entirely too small bar right when I walked up.

Out of the �sundae cart� old fashioned but the other ones is great.

Burger was delicious as usual.


New sign out front directing �Base� customers to United Club.

Lounge was busy but seats available in main areas as well as Dining Room.

New menu as shown below. Had the etouff� and the burger. Both solid.

Visit was marred by the following experience at the end. After I left the Dining Room I took my laptop bag and 1/3 full glass of champagne to a seat in the main lounge. Went to the restroom and on the way back, stopped at the bar for a fresh glass of of champagne. Back at my seat, about 3 minutes later, the same bartender who gave me the fresh glass was wandering the lounge, spotted my two glasses, asked if both were mine, and after I said yes, she grabbed the fresh one and said �You can get a new glass when you�ve finished the first one. Lounge policy.� I then asked her if she could also collect the empty Sprite can and glass that had been uncollected from the prior guest, and she rolled her eyes and said �I�ll send someone�. She never did. 10 minutes later I left for my flight. Good leads the way!

I've noticed IAH bar staff in particular are very snippy and quick to assume patrons are drinking too much or are intoxicated. I've witnessed this at least half a dozen times over my probably 20 visits, as both the target and observer, only once did I think the bar staff was correct in their observations (of another passenger I did not know). I have been a licensed server in 4 states, have taken alcohol service training mandated by states for 20 years and certainly can spot it no problem, but maybe the penalties in TX or Houston are so severe that they don't want to take a chance. Alternatively, it may be part of UA's rumored passenger behavior monitoring to prevent inflight issues. Either way, when its clear staff are over-reaching I find it very frustrating.