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United Polaris - New Business Class seats & inflight service {Archive}

Old Jan 17, 2020, 6:38 pm
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Archive thread -- Active thread is United Polaris - New Business Class seats & inflight service -- 3+ years after Intro

United website - Explore: http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris-business-class/p/1
from UA's Facebook stream
Only customers traveling in United Polaris business class or United Polaris Global First on international flights and customers in Star Alliance international first or business class cabins on flights longer than six hours will have access to the United Polaris Lounge.
Official Polaris Lounge Access Rules are here: Polaris Lounge Access Rules

United Polaris Business and Polaris First pax may access the Polaris lounge at connecting airports and their final destination within 24 hours of departure or arrival.

*A international J and F pax may only access the Polaris lounge at the departure airport. For purposes of Polaris lounge access, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and Guam are excluded from the definition of "international."

Seat Chart.

Press release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300278706.html

NEW YORK, June 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the aspiration of making weary business travel a relic of the past, United Airlines today unveiled its all-new United Polaris business class, the airline's most significant product transformation in more than a decade, featuring a reimagined, sleep-enhancing, departure-to-landing experience for intercontinental travelers.

Named after the North Star, United Polaris is the shining new star of business class travel that flyers can turn to for a tranquil and restful journey.

"United Polaris will change the game in international business travel with an exceptional level of relaxation and comfort throughout our customers' journeys," said Oscar Munoz, president and CEO of United. "This completely reconceived experience exemplifies the new spirit of United and the innovation, excitement and operational momentum across our airline."

Path-Breaking Design

In setting out to create a transformative business class experience, United chose to outfit its widebody fleet with a custom-designed, exclusive-to-United seat, rather than select an option already in the marketplace. Designed in partnership with Acumen Design Associates and PriestmanGoode and manufactured by Zodiac Seats United Kingdom, each United Polaris seat will offer direct access to the aisle, 180-degree flat-bed recline and up to 6 foot 6 inches of bed space.

Crafted as individual, forward-facing, suite-like pods, each customer's personal suite will feature a "Do Not Disturb" sign, mood lighting, one-touch lumbar support, several storage areas, multiple surfaces for simultaneous working and dining, a 16-inch high-definition entertainment screen and, for seats in the center of the cabin, electronic privacy dividers. Complementing the new seats, United and PriestmanGoode have also conceived an all-new look for the United Polaris cabins.

In rethinking the international business class experience, United conducted more than 12,000 hours of research, and sleep emerged as the single most important priority for international business class travelers. United Polaris' path-breaking design and sleep-enhancing focus was inspired and informed by insights from hundreds of customers and employees, inflight product simulations and more than 100 product evaluations.

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.

Elevated Dining Experience

Upon boarding their flight, each United Polaris customer will be welcomed with a pre-departure beverage of his or her choice and gourmet chocolate. While in the air, customers will enjoy regionally influenced in-flight menus updated seasonally, developed in partnership with The Trotter Project and its critically recognized chefs, including Bill Kim of acclaimed Chicago restaurants Urbanbelly, bellyQ and Belly Shack.

The airline will offer an upgraded wine experience, with the highest-quality options curated exclusively by United's Master Sommelier. Inflight service will also include made-to-order signature ice cream sundaes, a dessert cart with a variety of petit dessert options, chocolate truffles and wine flights. On daytime flights longer than eight hours and on all flights longer than 12 hours, hot mid-flight snacks such as lobster macaroni and cheese will be available.

Raising The Bar With United Polaris Business Class Lounges

United will also open an exclusive portfolio of United Polaris business class lounges in nine locations around the world the only lounge of its kind offered by a U.S. airline to business class customers that will feature custom-designed chairs, private daybeds, spa-like showers and chef-inspired hot meals served in a boutique restaurant setting so customers can refresh and dine before boarding their planes. Premium sparkling wines and spirits, refreshing snacks and bottled water will also be offered.

The first new United Polaris lounge will open at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 1, 2016. Lounges in eight other locations Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York/Newark, Washington Dulles, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong and London Heathrow will follow in 2017.

United Polaris Introduction

United will begin to introduce United Polaris on Dec. 1, 2016, with the new inflight food and beverage experience, new custom bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, new amenity kits and the new United Polaris lounge in Chicago. The United Polaris business class seat will first take flight in December on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and subsequently on Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, as well as on Boeing 767-300 and 777-200 retrofits.

United Polaris will serve business class customers flying the U.S. airline industry's most global route network, reaching more than 330 destinations in more than 50 countries.

More information on the United Polaris business class can be found at united.com/Polaris.

[From [email][email protected] 11/15/2016]
Starting December 1, 2016, United Polaris Business Class service will replace United BusinessFirst service on international flights, and United Polaris Global First service will replace the current United Global First service.

Between 2017 to 2019 eight additional United Polaris lounges will open at EWR, HKG, IAD, IAH, LAX, LHR, NRT and SFO. We do not have the exact opening dates at this time. A scheduling announcement will be forthcoming.
** 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

{Similar Threads:
Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread)
Polaris lounge ORD - opened 01 Dec 2016 (wiki) (thread)
SFO Lounge changes? Which will become Polaris? Shower options?(wiki) (thread)
United Polaris-New Business Class seats & inflight service and new Polaris Lounges(wiki) (thread)}


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United Polaris - New Business Class seats & inflight service {Archive}

Old Jul 21, 2018, 7:54 pm
  #4291  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Originally Posted by StuckinITH
If you both prefer direct aisle access just stay with your seats. The probability that a 2-4-2 is going to sub your 2-2-2 is not big. Just monitor your flight when it's closer to departure date.
Yea. I'm trying to check once a month for any changes.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 9:11 am
  #4292  
 
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Originally Posted by StuckinITH
If you both prefer direct aisle access just stay with your seats. The probability that a 2-4-2 is going to sub your 2-2-2 is not big. Just monitor your flight when it's closer to departure date.
The probability of sCO (2-2-2 J) and sUA (2-4-2 J) and even sUA/Polaris 777-200s being swapped increases dramatically in October. That's when the FAs have a single contract and scheduling system. And so there is much less incentive to segregate the fleets by route, especially at the last minute, when substitutions would allow any FA to work any aircraft whereas they can't now.
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 5:46 am
  #4293  
 
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Originally Posted by wxguy
The probability of sCO (2-2-2 J) and sUA (2-4-2 J) and even sUA/Polaris 777-200s being swapped increases dramatically in October. That's when the FAs have a single contract and scheduling system. And so there is much less incentive to segregate the fleets by route, especially at the last minute, when substitutions would allow any FA to work any aircraft whereas they can't now.
It's not good for passengers like me who book my airline tickets months in advance and don't think that a seat is a seat. It has to be a specific seat. Anyways, I already had experienced a sub from sUA 772 to sUA/Polaris and back to sUA 772 where I had a good seat on the sUA 772, a much better seat on the sUA/Polaris and ended with a bad seat on the sUA 772.

It will be worse when I'll be travelling in Economy and the sub will be in the 3-4-3 configuration......
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 11:07 am
  #4294  
 
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last week took the FRA/EWR flight and had my first Polaris seat experience. a little bit jaded as i had also flown Singapore Air on one leg of my flight back from Asia and their business class seat is still far more superior. not sure why UA keep their business class sleeper seats so narrow. very uncomfortable to sleep on.
Food was ok - didnt think that it was much different than past UA international business class flights.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 10:01 am
  #4295  
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Originally Posted by raiachat
last week took the FRA/EWR flight and had my first Polaris seat experience. a little bit jaded as i had also flown Singapore Air on one leg of my flight back from Asia and their business class seat is still far more superior. not sure why UA keep their business class sleeper seats so narrow. very uncomfortable to sleep on.
Food was ok - didnt think that it was much different than past UA international business class flights.
I think each seat has it's trade off's, SQ when you want to sleep you have to sleep on an angle since the foot cubby is never right in front of you (unless you have a bulkhead seat) but the seat is wider, the UA seats you can sleep in a straight line. It's a tradeoff on what you want or like,
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Old Jul 29, 2018, 6:03 am
  #4296  
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I just finished my first "full" Polaris experience (Polaris Lounge, 77W with new seats). I have to say I am overall very impressed.

The SFO PL was an excellent lounge, and not particularly crowded during my 20 minutes there. The new seat is a very impressive hard product. It has its drawbacks (yes, I hit my knees on the tray table, and it's a little bit cramped in the vein of the new LX J seats), but overall I was extremely impressed with the hard product quality when compared with the seat density. Obviously I would prefer the legacy GF seat for the increased shoulder and knee room, but I think it is to the Polaris seat's credit that I am even comparing it to an F hard product.

The food/wine/service is of course the UA normal.. no amount of rebranding is going to change that. The idea behind Polaris though was supposed to be quality of sleep, and I think they do an excellent job delivering on that. The seats are quite wide across the shoulders, and the bedding is of course top-notch. If it weren't such an awfully timed flight (SFO-FRA), I would expect to sleep almost as well as in a hotel.


All in all, evaluating the "full" product, I am very happy with the execution of the announced concept. UA is never going to match some foreign carriers for soft product, but I think Polaris does well at what it is shooting for, and the high-density, large cabin will mean a continued source of low fares and upgrades.
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Old Jul 29, 2018, 6:16 am
  #4297  
 
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A great review! 👏
A 20 min visit to PL is too short. 2 hour may give you the full experience. Cheers!
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Old Jul 29, 2018, 9:01 am
  #4298  
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Originally Posted by Kmxu
A great review! 👏
A 20 min visit to PL is too short. 2 hour may give you the full experience. Cheers!
With the way my morning went, I was happy to make the check-in deadline with 9 minutes to spare. Will definitely spend more time in the lounge another trip
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Old Jul 29, 2018, 10:58 am
  #4299  
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Originally Posted by findark
All in all, evaluating the "full" product, I am very happy with the execution of the announced concept. UA is never going to match some foreign carriers for soft product, but I think Polaris does well at what it is shooting for, and the high-density, large cabin will mean a continued source of low fares and upgrades.
Yes, it's overall an attractive product. The flip side is it's made all UA long-haul with the old seats rather unattractive to me.

UA58's departure time is awful. LX39 remains my preferred SFO TATL departure, despite the hard seats and inconsistent service.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 12:58 pm
  #4300  
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I find the seat superior to most including cx but not as good as qr. The food and booze quality are holding it down.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 12:42 pm
  #4301  
 
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I was on SFO-FRA (UA 58) yesterday, which got delayed by over an hour because they forgot to clean the plane. (I'm not sure if they actually forgot to clean the plane, but the cleaning crew was MIA at boarding time even though the inbound aircraft had landed 4 hours prior.) When we finally boarded, there were no slippers on our seats. The FA's checked, and no slippers had been boarded. One of the FA's insisted that slippers are only guaranteed on flights of 12 hours or longer. I seem to recall that it's only the pajamas that have the 12-hour length requirement, and that slippers are supposed to be on every seat for every Polaris flight.

I'm not going to complain, but if I get a survey from UA I'm going to mention this. I just want to make sure that I'm right and the FA was wrong, so would appreciate the confirmation.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 1:24 pm
  #4302  
 
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Originally Posted by SS255
I was on SFO-FRA (UA 58) yesterday, which got delayed by over an hour because they forgot to clean the plane. (I'm not sure if they actually forgot to clean the plane, but the cleaning crew was MIA at boarding time even though the inbound aircraft had landed 4 hours prior.) When we finally boarded, there were no slippers on our seats. The FA's checked, and no slippers had been boarded. One of the FA's insisted that slippers are only guaranteed on flights of 12 hours or longer. I seem to recall that it's only the pajamas that have the 12-hour length requirement, and that slippers are supposed to be on every seat for every Polaris flight.

I'm not going to complain, but if I get a survey from UA I'm going to mention this. I just want to make sure that I'm right and the FA was wrong, so would appreciate the confirmation.
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...laris-FAQ.aspx

Here's what it states (emphasis mine)

United Polaris inflight experience

How does United Polaris service provide better sleep in flight?

We've paid close attention to the details that matter when it comes to getting a good night's sleep.

Seat features

Our new United Polaris cabins feature forward-facing, direct-aisle-access seats that recline flat, providing sleeping spaces that are up to 6 feet 6 inches (198.12 cm) long and up to 23 inches (58.42 cm) wide. In locations where two seats are next to each other, there's a powered privacy divider so you can easily tuck yourself away and forget that there are other travelers nearby. We've even included an illuminated do not disturb sign that lets you signal to your flight attendants that you'd prefer not to be awakened.

Bedding

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, United has worked with luxury goods department store Saks Fifth Avenue to create custom bedding designed to provide the best sleep in the sky. Because temperature is crucial to sleeping soundly, we give you the choice of two different blankets a quilted duvet and a lighter throw blanket for the perfect amount of warmth. Mattress cushions are also available upon request.

Dining

We provide several dining options so you can choose the right time and pace for your meal. We're proud to offer our chef-redesigned, multi-course inflight dining experience, with each element presented in its proper order once the flight reaches altitude. If you're eager to get as many hours of rest as possible, you can choose to enjoy a seated meal in the United Polaris lounge before your flight so you can go right to sleep in the air. Or if you'd prefer to eat in flight but don't want to wait for each course, you can opt for our Express Dining service and receive a single tray with your full meal all at once, at the time of your choosing. For those midflight cravings, we offer self-serve snacks and beverages that you can grab at your convenience.

Amenities

When curating our selection of United Polaris amenities, we put a strong emphasis on sleep. Cozy slippers are perfect for quick trips out of your seat or just standing and stretching. In your amenity kit, we provide premium sleep mist and skincare items from Soho House's Cowshed Spa to keep you relaxed and refreshed. And ear plugs and an ergonomic eye mask ensure that you can block out any ambient distractions while you doze. On flights longer than 12 hours, we also offer 100% cotton pajamas upon request.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 6:38 pm
  #4303  
 
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Originally Posted by SS255
... When we finally boarded, there were no slippers on our seats. The FA's checked, and no slippers had been boarded. One of the FA's insisted that slippers are only guaranteed on flights of 12 hours or longer. I seem to recall that it's only the pajamas that have the 12-hour length requirement, and that slippers are supposed to be on every seat for every Polaris flight. ...
Neither of my LAX-SYD flights last month had slippers at the seats and I do not recall seeing anyone with slippers.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 9:29 pm
  #4304  
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Originally Posted by 1kBill
Neither of my LAX-SYD flights last month had slippers at the seats and I do not recall seeing anyone with slippers.
My SFO-FRA boarded slippers at every seat. Consistent inconsistency
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 5:16 am
  #4305  
 
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There’s certainly no consistency here. For what it’s worth, the FA policies are to provision slippers at each seat for flights to Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan. And for all other long haul flights slippers are provisioned at 60% and are upon request. Of course, this is not always the reality.
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