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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 Feb 13, 2019, 5:49 pm
  #4456  
 
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Originally Posted by FLYMSY
PJs were available this week on SIN-SFO. Also, the SFO PL Dining Room breakfast was very good on Thursday morning. All of the staff members (reception, dining room, showers, quiet suites) that I encountered were very friendly and helpful.
Huh, didn't know PJs were supposed to be available. I flew this in Polaris last Nov. Was not offered any in either direction. Are you required to ask for them?
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 5:57 pm
  #4457  
 
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Originally Posted by booper
Huh, didn't know PJs were supposed to be available. I flew this in Polaris last Nov. Was not offered any in either direction. Are you required to ask for them?
It can't hurt to ask. That's what I've learned about Polaris.
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 6:12 pm
  #4458  
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Originally Posted by booper
Huh, didn't know PJs were supposed to be available. I flew this in Polaris last Nov. Was not offered any in either direction. Are you required to ask for them?
Yes, you have to ask for them. They are only provisioned on longer flights. From the thread wiki:

** 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
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 8:38 pm
  #4459  
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Originally Posted by goodeats21
Yes, you have to ask for them. They are only provisioned on longer flights. From the thread wiki:

** 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
How did SFO-ICN make that list? It does not meet the 12 hour threshold.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 4:53 am
  #4460  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
How did SFO-ICN make that list? It does not meet the 12 hour threshold.
No idea. I just pulled the list from the wiki, as it was kinda buried at the bottom.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:47 am
  #4461  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
How did SFO-ICN make that list? It does not meet the 12 hour threshold.
I believe the block time on SFO-ICN is 12:35, so it qualifies.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:49 am
  #4462  
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Originally Posted by FoxFlyer
I believe the block time on SFO-ICN is 12:10, so it qualifies.
Isn't it supposedly based on both-way block time?
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 7:49 pm
  #4463  
 
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I've tried to search for an answer to this question, but I'm having trouble finding it. I had booked a United Polaris flight for this summer IADMAD on a 767, but the aircraft has now changed to a 757-200. According to the UA seat map, the 16 seats up front are called United Polaris. However, the Polaris tracking site doesn't list the 757 aircraft at all. Does that mean that the 757 doesn't actually have Polaris? And if not, what would be different about the experience compared to the original 767 aircraft?

For what it's worth, I also took a look at EWRMAD as an alternative. On that route they're at least operating a wide body, in this case a 777, but the seat map for it doesn't even call the seats United Polaris. They're called United First and have a 2x4x2 configuration. Is that worse than the 757?
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 9:48 pm
  #4464  
 
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Originally Posted by Howard
. . . the aircraft has now changed to a 757-200. According to the UA seat map, the 16 seats up front are called United Polaris. However, the Polaris tracking site doesn't list the 757 aircraft at all. Does that mean that the 757 doesn't actually have Polaris? And if not, what would be different about the experience compared to the original 767 aircraft?
You're confusing the two different senses in which United has opted to use the name Polaris, a fairly common source of confusion. You are looking to experience the Polaris seat, it appears, which (as the link you cite shows) is currently available in just over 45% of the 772, 773, 763, and 78X aircraft that UA is flying. But intercontinental business class is also called Polaris service, which may be operated with a variety of different equipment, including 752s, 764s, 788s, and 789s, none of which have the Polaris seat. in the seat maps, UA shows "United Polaris business class" space, referring to the service, not the seat. You can see the difference if you look at the two seat map versions for the 763: version 2 has the Polaris seat, but version 1 doesn't.

This link may be helpful . . ., or maybe not.

Last edited by Thorgils; Mar 9, 2019 at 9:53 pm
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 10:03 pm
  #4465  
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Originally Posted by FoxFlyer
I believe the block time on SFO-ICN is 12:35, so it qualifies.
Originally Posted by fumje
Isn't it supposedly based on both-way block time?
Yup. It's blocked at 10:25 eastbound, so should not be a pj route by UA's definition.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 10:58 pm
  #4466  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Originally Posted by FoxFlyer
I believe the block time on SFO-ICN is 12:35, so it qualifies.
Originally Posted by fumje
Isn't it supposedly based on both-way block time?
Yup. It's blocked at 10:25 eastbound, so should not be a pj route by UA's definition. .
It has been on UA's list from the beginning and one needs to look at year-round numbers -- but seem to remember a check done early had SFO-ICN at 23:45-ish just under the requirement but close and the thinking it would have been a slight to not include ICN.
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Old Mar 10, 2019, 12:46 pm
  #4467  
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Originally Posted by Howard
I've tried to search for an answer to this question, but I'm having trouble finding it. I had booked a United Polaris flight for this summer IADMAD on a 767, but the aircraft has now changed to a 757-200. According to the UA seat map, the 16 seats up front are called United Polaris. However, the Polaris tracking site doesn't list the 757 aircraft at all. Does that mean that the 757 doesn't actually have Polaris? And if not, what would be different about the experience compared to the original 767 aircraft?

For what it's worth, I also took a look at EWRMAD as an alternative. On that route they're at least operating a wide body, in this case a 777, but the seat map for it doesn't even call the seats United Polaris. They're called United First and have a 2x4x2 configuration. Is that worse than the 757?
To expand on Thorgils' point:

Ignore the "name" of the seats in the fleet description. That's probably the most misleading source of information. If you are crossing the Atlantic (on any equipment in the forward cabin), then you will receive "United Polaris" the class of service, which includes access to the Polaris Lounge and all of the standard long-haul Business amenities.

If you fly a 757-200, you will have the legacy B/E Diamond sCO 2-2 lie-flat seat.
If you fly the 777-200 that has 28J in the front (which I believe is the one you see on EWR-MAD), that's called the "77G" and you will have the legacy IPTE sUA 2-4-2 lie-flat seat.
If you fly the 767-300, you have about a 50-50 chance of getting either the legacy sCO seat (2-1-2) or the new Polaris seat (1-1-1). Which one you get won't be determined until shortly before departure.

Opinions on the seats vary. The Polaris seat is easily the "best" seat, but with the others its personal preference. The sCO seat on the 763 is arguably the least comfortable for sleeping, following by the 752. The 77G seats are very comfortable, but can be quite narrow and contain the dreaded middle seats.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 8:54 am
  #4468  
 
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Looks like BA is introducing a Polaris style seat.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/back-business-british-airways-launches-100419107.html
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 9:16 am
  #4469  
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Originally Posted by dilanesp
Looks like BA is introducing a Polaris style seat.
It's really not. It's a reverse herringbone, looks like a Super Diamond with a door. That's a bigger footprint than Polaris, and you don't have a configuration that varies row to row, as Polaris does.

ETA: TPG confirms it's the Super Diamond, with some customization. This will be a better seat than Polaris in most respects. In particular, the seat space will be much less restricted at the shoulders and in the footwell. And there will be more "good" seats, making seat selection less important.

Last edited by Kacee; Mar 18, 2019 at 9:25 am
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 9:20 am
  #4470  
 
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New BACW seat looks really good, but just like United, it's going to be a while before we see many of them in service.

The Optima seat was actually designed to accommodate a sliding door if specified by a customer. I wonder if a "Polaris 2.0" seat in the future will come with a door, especially if the business class suite concept gains more traction.
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