Nov 27, 2016, 1:30 pm

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UA has announced that the SFO Polaris lounge is opening 30 April 2018

Summary
The International UC is closed for renovation to a Polaris Club. The SQ & BR lounges have been closed and will be integrated into the new facility. Polaris lounge open 30 April 2018.
SFO Polaris Lounge opens 30 April 2018 (Previews - Press 25th, MP 27th)

The old GFL (near G99) has been converted into a premium cabin international lounge (not an UC). Eventually, it will be converted into a UC for the non-premium cabin international passengers (*G in economy). Now operating as an United Club

The F and E concourse UCs plus again the temporary mezzanine UC lounge (across from Gate 71) are options for those not eligible for the temporary G premium cabin international lounge.

sign

Previous Updates

1 Oct 2017 on united.com

Quote:

On October 1, the United Club location in the International Terminal will be closed to launch its transition into a United Polaris lounge. An additional United Club location will open across from Gate 71A on the mezzanine level at the end of September. Customers departing out of the International Terminal should allow 10-15 minutes to walk to their gate from the United Club location in Gate 71A or Concourse F.

posted 23 Sept 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oregonflyer

Bummer - was just in GF lounge and was told that in two weeks it will be a United Club - no showers, no open bar, etc. Was also told that "Polaris" is just a marketing term and that until the actual Polaris lounge opens in 8 months, it's United Clubs for everyone. .....

posted 28 Sept 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by geclub1

EVA just sent out an email announcement that its SFO lounge is closed as of 1OCT17.

Quote:

Originally Posted by findark

.... in the F club at SFO right now and there are signs announcing that the G club will close (entirely!) as of 01-Oct-17 for Polaris renovations. Possibly replaced by the decommissioned GFL?

Quote:

Closure of San Francisco SilverKris Lounge for renovations

The Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge in San Francisco will be closed for renovations starting from 01 October 2017. As part of the renovations, Singapore Airlines will begin a transition to a newly constructed, shared lounge facility operated by our Star Alliance partner, United Airlines. It is scheduled to open in early 2018.

Earlier thread summary
Summary of posts suggest the present SFO Global First Lounge will be available for much of first half of 2017. Reports are that the current Global First Lounge will become a "regular" UC, while the current international (G Terminal) UC will become a Polaris club (which will integrate the space currently housing the SQ & BR lounges). UA is also constructing a new UC, either in Terminal G or E (or both). Construction has begun in the G Terminal United Club, a large portion of which is now boarded off. Latest info from UA suggests "summer 2018" for the SFO Polaris lounge opening.

{Similar Threads:
Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread) --- UA Polaris lounge update site
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)}

SFO G UC closed, reopens as Polaris Lounge 30 Apr 2018, old GFL is now the intl UC

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Sep 29, 2017, 9:47 am

#241

samjnz

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: San Francisco, CA

Programs: NZ *E

Posts: 346

SQ lounge officially closing:
http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg...t/?id=j81pn3b1

Interestingly they are directing *G to terminal 3.

Sep 29, 2017, 10:20 am

#242

IAH-OIL-TRASH

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: Honolulu Harbor

Programs: UA 1K

Posts: 15,025

Quote:

Originally Posted by omahajim

I know this is an old post, but was just now searching FT for this very thing. I will be arriving soon HNL-SFO in whatever the old Hawaii BusinessFirst is called nowadays (2-4-2 Hawaii 772) and I’m delighted to know that I can get a shower at Freshen before continuing to the Amtrak Coast Starlight later in the day.

Many thanks for this nugget!

It's UA's domestic First with a nice seat, which provides no lounge/facility access, but you can pay for it.

Sep 29, 2017, 11:22 am

#243

cesco.g

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Posts: 11,468

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomBaritone

Indeed, the consensus seems to be that every single aspect of the hard and soft product has improved somewhat, but some find an aspect that hasn't improved -- cleanliness, for example, or footwell space -- and dwell incessantly on that.

"incessantly dwelling" sums it up pretty accurately!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live4Upgrade

I had chocolates with PDB in Polaris on each of my flights last week.

Most of the times I seem to be getting the little box with two chocolate truffles inside with the PDB. In GF the other day they were handed out at the end of the flight along with a "Thank you" round by the FA before landing.

Sep 29, 2017, 12:00 pm

#244

cerealmarketer

Join Date: Feb 2002

Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC

Posts: 4,599

Quote:

Originally Posted by samjnz

SQ lounge officially closing:
http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg...t/?id=j81pn3b1

Interestingly they are directing *G to terminal 3.

Wonder if UA will do the same thing with the temp "International Departure Lounge" on G - send Economy pax to T3.

Will be an interesting 3-6 months.

Sep 29, 2017, 12:02 pm

#245

uastarflyer

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Aug 2003

Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond

Posts: 60,174

Quote:

Originally Posted by samjnz

SQ lounge officially closing:
http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg...t/?id=j81pn3b1

Interestingly they are directing *G to terminal 3.

in practice I would assume *G would get into the UC (former GFL).

That space seems tiny to house all the INTL Gold, F and C.

Me and my family will happily sit in the rotunda. Is it still in its classic incarnation? Or have they begun the plastic overlays to looks like the E lounge?

Sep 29, 2017, 12:45 pm

#246

Kmxu

Join Date: May 2012

Location: ORF, RIC

Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum

Posts: 6,958

Standing room only for the next 3-6 months. When I was the G international lounge, there were not enough chairs for all pax. So, it is expecting that crowding at SFO UC will get worse before getting better.

Sep 29, 2017, 12:50 pm

#247

kirkwoodj

Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: Houston

Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles

Posts: 8,700

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmxu

Then the Polaris lounge will be chock full and the UCs will have plenty of seats

Sep 29, 2017, 1:26 pm

#248

uastarflyer

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Join Date: Aug 2003

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Posts: 60,174

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkwoodj

Then the Polaris lounge will be chock full and the UCs will have plenty of seats

up to now the G UC = all C and *G

tomorrow a much larger space is just for C. How is that more crowded?

the new tiny G UC (fka GFL) will be a sweat fest of overcrowding from *G.

Sep 29, 2017, 1:39 pm

#249

kirkwoodj

Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: Houston

Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles

Posts: 8,700

Quote:

Originally Posted by uastarflyer

up to now the G UC = all C and *G

tomorrow a much larger space is just for C. How is that more crowded?

the new tiny G UC (fka GFL) will be a sweat fest of overcrowding from *G.

We'll see.

Sep 29, 2017, 1:44 pm

#250

uastarflyer

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Join Date: Aug 2003

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Posts: 60,174

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkwoodj

We'll see.

polaris just needs to retain the lounge dragons

way I read it you need an INTL C (or F) boarding card to get in.

SQ's PPS and *G will be upset having to go to the future UC (not to mention the domestic ones) The SQ lounge was better.

Sep 29, 2017, 1:52 pm

#251

oopl

Join Date: May 2015

Programs: All the programs!

Posts: 1,006

These next few months will not be fun at SFO. I'll miss the SQ lounge.
I suspect the Centurion lounge is also going to be bursting at the seams. (Is this now also the single shower that's available???)

Last edited by oopl; Sep 29, 2017 at 7:50 pm

Sep 29, 2017, 3:15 pm

#252

radiowell

Join Date: Sep 2013

Location: East Coast, USA

Posts: 1,032

Question: In light of the Polaris Longe access change announced today

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28874971-post543.html

I wonder about AC J pax for the future SFO Polaris Lounge. For sure, YVR and YYC pax are toast, but how about YYZ and YUL pax? Does 6+ hour rule still apply?

All other *A F/J pax should be safe.

Sep 29, 2017, 3:19 pm

#253

WineCountryUA

Moderator: United Airlines

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: SFO

Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat

Posts: 66,858

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiowell

The message stated all North American flights would not qualify.

To have some Canadian flight qualify at some airports and not others is not the sort of rule that is easily understood / absorbed -- best to keep it simple

Sep 29, 2017, 3:32 pm

#254

radiowell

Join Date: Sep 2013

Location: East Coast, USA

Posts: 1,032

Quote:

Originally Posted by WineCountryUA

Thanks. This makes the most sense.

Sep 29, 2017, 5:38 pm

#255

FlyerTalkUserName

Join Date: Dec 2015

Posts: 624

Woof. Connecting through SFO to AKL over the holidays and disappointed in the lounge situation. Can't imagine what a zoo the lounges will be. Guess I'll be using Priority Pass to get into the AF/KLM lounge.