Polaris First Changes
 

I know that there is a major seat change in the new Business Polaris section. I see on some of my reservations that the First is now listed as Polaris First. I realize they are not going to change out the seats since they are doing away with F. What are some new expectations for Polaris First? Better meals; better wine; better duvets; turn down service without chasing them down?; any chance of better FA service and attitude?

Does anyone know when the IAD Polaris Lounge opens?

Thanks

Thank you. That link refers to the Polaris Business seat, I am interested in Polaris First changes and enhancement.

Ideally it will be the best of both worlds - Polaris service and amenities in the Global First seat. Whether the former pans out to be all that much better than current, we shall have to wait and see.

Best to assume that the "First" product is, as today, the business product but with some minor additions. Can't imagine they'll be investing in anything unique to the soon-to-be-history F cabin, but instead will be minor items that are supplemental to the Polaris C service product. For example, providing a soup course, a better amenity kit, and maybe an expanded dessert selection.

My SIN-HKG in January remains "Business", HKG-SFO flipped to "Polaris business".

March HKG-ORD in Global F, now labeled as Polaris First

At least in IAD you have the TK lounge if it takes a long time for the Polaris lounge to open.

This is purely speculative, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Polaris First will have exactly the same soft product as Polaris Business. Would love to be proven wrong on my Polaris First flight in January, however! I just don't think we should set expectations high. Even the normal Polaris soft product will be a huge step up from the current soft product in GF, and we'll still have the far better seat/storage/privacy.

I asked specifically about this at the Chicago Polaris event last night.

Very, very minimal differences in soft product between Polaris Business and Polaris Global First.

According to 2 different staff at the event, exact same catering and drinks (wines) for both cabins.

PGF will have a slightly larger amenity kit and a different colored quilt/duvet thing. It really is that similar. As indicated by others above, we will have to wait for some first-hand reports, but from the plans there will be very little to differentiate other than the actual seat.

My new favorite lounge in the domestic system. Even when Polaris opens up, it will be hard to beat this....now if only they can get some good scotch and bourbon.

No soup for us?

LOL

I don't know how definitive these staff comments should be taken, but heard the same story from 2 of them. Same catering for both cabins.

Soup!! and a better attitude from the FA's.... (sometimes)

SIN-HKG is a short flight, so not Polaris-worthy. I have the same thing on the same flight in Jan

No labor changes.

A middle/center seat in first on the 777 may actually provide less privacy than the Polaris seat.

I finally had the pleasure of a NRT crew. Life will never be the same. Can they clone them?

Hopefully there will be very very minimal differences in price to reflect this

They will be reducing current Global First prices by the amount it costs them to provide the current thimble of soup.

To be fair, the wine was also much better. On our recent PEK-ORD business drank them dry of the red dreck and a nice FA snagged us several glasses from F. A VAST improvement.

Please don't forget that in Int'l F you are guaranteed your first choice of a business class meal. I would imagine this will continue with Polaris F.

In addition to the soup, there is a "cocktail snack" for Polaris GlobalFirst Super Premier Elite Deluxe Class or whatever ridiculous naming convention it is. Food is the same other than it appears to be served in courses off of a silver tray whereas Business is similar to the current tray setup on the 3 class aircraft.

Truth be told they should probably just do what US did when they phased out intl F...sell the seat as an upgrade. I don't think the extra added soup, cocktail snack, and bigger amenity kit is worth either the extra cost or the extra added expense that UA incurs

:):):):)

Polaris GF is simply a placeholder name for a product on its way out. Since United can't have Polaris be better than GF while GF still exists, so Polaris GF is created to be be a slight upgrade over Polaris until it can be completely removed.

Hopefully the price will also be a "slight upgrade". Somehow, I doubt that.

Privacy is overrated. Space, not so much.