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

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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}

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Old Apr 23, 2019, 4:13 pm
  #4501  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA GS 2MM
Posts: 947
Originally Posted by manstein58
UA 57- EWR/CDG: Quality of everything on Polaris has taken a turn for the worse. FA’s are shorthanded so service suffers: it is slow rpto the point of being nonexistent and slapdash. Food is right out of “Shawshank”: salty, overcooked slop. Salads are really bad. I will bring my own food on board for return. Wines are pedestrian at best. Missed completely on wakeup. No coffee, juice, or anything else. Wonder if corporate goal is to keep cost of booze/meals under $10. The overall service is easily the worst i have ever experienced overseas and i have been doing this regularly since 1991. Total ripoff
Write in to GS and/or take your travel $$$ onto other carriers until Polaris service starts recovering. United seems to have really misjudged the effect on service with the crew reduction as well as the atrocious and inedible food they’re serving now.
djmp is offline  
Old Apr 23, 2019, 7:59 pm
  #4502  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 128
Just flew FRA-IAH on Sunday. The boarding announcement mentioned they were 2 FAs short on the trip and to expect delays in service (8 FAs vs. 10). Is this due to the crew reductions or something else? By the way, service in Polaris was actually quite good compared to my recent experiences, even without the full FA complement.
iflyabunch is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 3:30 am
  #4503  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Originally Posted by djmp


Write in to GS and/or take your travel $$$ onto other carriers until Polaris service starts recovering. United seems to have really misjudged the effect on service with the crew reduction as well as the atrocious and inedible food they’re serving now.
I have and I will unless service recovers. UA Customer Care rep did not seem surprised by my comments and indicated others were also not happy with the service. Time will tell but this was a very disppointing experience
manstein58 is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 1:45 pm
  #4504  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Northern California
Programs: UA-Plat, UA-MM, Hertz PC, HH, APEC ABTC
Posts: 235
Really? This is Polaris?

So, I don't mean to be whiny, but how was this image chosen to tempt me to cough up $2598 to upgrade from Econ (Plus!) on an upcoming SFO to SIN trip?

tvhead is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 1:49 pm
  #4505  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
That doesn't appear to be a Polaris J cabin but rather an F cabin on their 737 and A32X planes.

IIRC the cabin will look something similar to this:



Whether DOM and Krug will be stocked on the plane is a whole other story

-James
FlyerTalker70 is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 1:57 pm
  #4506  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,392
Originally Posted by j2simpso
That doesn't appear to be a Polaris J cabin but rather an F cabin on their 737 and A32X planes.

IIRC the cabin will look something similar to this:



Whether DOM and Krug will be stocked on the plane is a whole other story

-James
Actually, it won't. The SFO<>SIN route uses the 787-9, with the 2x2x2 pmCO "BusinessFirst" seat. The service is branded as "Polaris," but the seats are not the new hard product pictured above which appears to be from the a reconfigured 767-300.
wxguy is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 3:19 pm
  #4507  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
Originally Posted by tvhead
So, I don't mean to be whiny, but how was this image chosen to tempt me to cough up $2598 to upgrade from Econ (Plus!) on an upcoming SFO to SIN trip?

You don't think that's worth $2598?
Kacee is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 3:36 pm
  #4508  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by Kacee
You don't think that's worth $2598?
Ah, No.
Dublin_rfk is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 5:44 pm
  #4509  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Programs: United, American, Delta, Hyatt, Hilton, Hertz, Marriott
Posts: 14,802
Originally Posted by seanp7
Knowing the wine list seems like a quick win to me. Are UA FA's so overworked that they can't spend 60 seconds memorizing the wine list from an app or PDF on the shuttle to the airport?
like the rest of us, they’re busy working on a whine list.
ContinentalFan is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 6:56 pm
  #4510  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
Originally Posted by Kacee
You don't think that's worth $2598?
Maybe if you want to buy the seat itself for your sitting pleasure at home...
PsiFighter37 is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2019, 11:04 pm
  #4511  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,637
Originally Posted by PsiFighter37
Maybe if you want to buy the seat itself for your sitting pleasure at home...
Not even that.
1kBill is offline  
Old Apr 27, 2019, 6:13 am
  #4512  
iwc
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 593
Any pictures of the new amenity kit?

It has been reported to been boarded on SYD-SFO and MEL-SFO.
iwc is offline  
Old Apr 27, 2019, 6:35 am
  #4513  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: United GS; AA EXP; Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 174
Originally Posted by iwc
Any pictures of the new amenity kit?

It has been reported to been boarded on SYD-SFO and MEL-SFO.
There are photos of the new “toddler” socks, but not of the new amenity kits themselves yet...

Toddler socks in the new amenity kit
bdw1120 is offline  
Old Apr 27, 2019, 7:12 am
  #4514  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1MM GS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 283

Polaris amenity kit 4/27/2019

Here is the one I received yesterday. I like the bag, kind of big but looks useful. Socks are same size from the older kit as far as I can tell. I have no problems with the size but I don’t have big feet. Eye mask is improved from previous black cosmetic kit one.
SFOdelayed is offline  
Old Apr 27, 2019, 9:02 am
  #4515  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Our nation's capital
Programs: UA 1K & 0.6 MM
Posts: 781
Nice! What is the little bottle above the hand and face cream tubes?

Originally Posted by SFOdelayed

Polaris amenity kit 4/27/2019

Here is the one I received yesterday. I like the bag, kind of big but looks useful. Socks are same size from the older kit as far as I can tell. I have no problems with the size but I don’t have big feet. Eye mask is improved from previous black cosmetic kit one.
big V is offline  


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