goodeats21

Menu and service details from above. Sorry for the quality and sideways. Not sure why it did that...

quantumslip

first time seeing that pre departure beverage container. wow, is the base that narrow? it looks like it can't stand up already as it is.

takeshi74

See also post 107.

transportbiz

That cheese plate looks rudimentary at best. But, all the bedding stuff does look very nice and comfy.

TIMOS

I can't commmet on the taste of the good - but my god the presentation is depressing.

I literally can't tell the difference since pre Polaris.

The placemat, the plates and bowls, the design - it all looks so dated. I see more contemporary and modern looking dining settings in Target.

The food - gosh - a pile of meat carbs and Veges. The salads look like they are from Trader Joe's. The sandaes like a Pizza Hut all you can eat.

It looks so bad. Domestic F at best. You better than this on Qantas domestic business class 1 hour flights. I recently flew Qatar 1 hour Doha to Dubai and the food and presentation leads this for dead.

This is what united came up with after years of planning?

I'm embarrassed for them. And not excited to fly Polaris First in a few weeks.

lhrsfo

I have to say that I feel for UA on the catering front. Everyone has different tastes, and you only have to read the posts on FT to realize that they have an impossible task trying to satisfy the majority. Some want modest portion sizes, subtle variations in flavor and texture and sophisticated settings; some want massive portions and relatively plain food and there's every variation imbetween. As a generalization, it seems that the people who fly Business Class on foreign airlines are perhaps a more homogeneous group than those flying Business on US airlines - there's more of a sense of what is right and wrong. You see the same thing on Yelp reviews of great SF restaurants - some love the place, some hate it, saying that the portions are too small and all they want is a hamburger.

findark

That being said, serving the same six entrees for a decade and calling iceberg lettuce a "salad" can, I hope, be agreed to be much worse than Polaris. Some people looking for a "true premium experience" might disagree, but I'm not looking for a Michelin-starred experience in the air. I just want to be fed a reasonable meal that doesn't make me wish I bought something in the terminal (which these days usually has some pretty nice restaurants), and to be able to relax comfortably on the plane. I think, in broad strokes, Polaris delivers this and will be a huge improvement over the current J product.

IME, despite the occasional drive-by jobs by FT critics, the new domestic dining menus in the last year or two have been generally approved of, and flying ~weekly I've been generally quite satisfied by the variety and food quality. Polaris looks to be aiming for more of that general quality.

qukslvr619

Dramatic much? Of course its not Qantas...and of course its not Qatar but oh by the way there is a huge difference in terms of the markets that those carriers serve. But Qatar can spend a lot of money on that 1 hr flight because they are subsidized and they are offering a much smaller network/different type of operation.

I'm not defending UA here...but let's be honest: UA isn't trying to compete with the likes of Qatar they are trying to compete with DL and AA. Realistically we are what 12 days into product launch? The seats won't be coming on line until next year and for as much planning that went into the new service is going to take some time to get polished.

Is it the most modern china pattern, no but its a step in the right direction and at least there is an effort to have a consistent look. It's airline china so there really is only so much you can do....last I checked most airlines have plain white designs even in First: LH, BA to name a few.

Is it the best food out there? No, and unfortunately sometimes it really is station specific in terms of quality regardless of which airline you are on. Trader Joe's really isn't that bad, but meat/carbs/vegetables....well they do offer a lighter meal option. But most airline food is meats/carbs/vegetables. As to the quantity of food, I'm thinking they are taking into consideration an assumption (down the line) that people will be pre-flight dining in the Polaris lounges.

And finally regarding everyone talking about too much bedding, etc....well again its based off of the newer seats that won't come online until next year.

If UA had not launched the product until fully installed/lounges built/etc, people would be complaining about the tired Global First and BusinessFirst offering. I suppose there is some risk in launching a product that is only partially finished....however if they are attempting to "refresh" and generate some positive buzz in anticipation of full product launch, then I think this was the right way to go.

The vast majority of the American traveling public isn't willing to pay the premium for UA to offer a product on the same level as Qatar. If you are not excited to fly Polaris First, and you realize the deficiencies in comparison to other premium carriers, then why fly them again?

lowfareair

Agreed, and based on what UA is saying, their focus groups showed a similar thought and they ended up moving some of the food budget over to bedding.

The one thing that they could improve on without spending a ton of money is that cheese plate. Add some more crackers or bread - they have 2 crackers for 3 types of cheese!

NH_Clark

IMHO, UA is on the right track. Things they need to focus on;

1. ensure that the on-board crew is committed to delivering excellence. I think the greatest % of customer gain or loss will be the way the FA's deliver on the Polaris promise. Fail there and won't matter if you have a memory pillow or an extra sheet/blanket.
   
2. refine the small things as the service becomes more prevalent. Things like crackers/cheese and ensuring the wines on the menu are the wines on the flight. Hit a 100% on the small things and it will go a long way to customer satisfaction.

Once the hard product is out a 100%, and UA has good execution on the staff and amenity side, then they are definitely a strong player in the J market (of the us-based airlines) and that should be the basis of the comparison. If I'm looking for EK/SQ type service and amenities in J/F I shouldn't be looking at UA/AA/DL. They will never be that type of airline.

cyclogenesis

What? No IPA?

tw747

sCO 777 and some sCO 767 had espresso machines on board. As part of Mr. Smisek's destruction of two airlines, they were removed.

Unfortunately, I don't see them being re-installed and I don't see UA ever getting a Zagat or other travel award again. With UA's desire to chase the customers of Spirit and Allegiant, the Polaris Business class (seats) are only catching up. Food and wine are still sub-standard.

goodeats21

Yes, the base is very narrow. The glass has a indention that sits on top of a "spike" that is part of the base. It is a very unstable setup.

In person, struck me as very gimmicky...not at all elegant, which I think is what they were going for. I was very nervous that it was going to tip over. FAs were handling them gingerly.

Interesting idea, but does not work. Needs to be replaced.

IPA is listed on the beverage menu. Same Goose brand, along with the 4 Star Pils.

narvik

FA on our flight [jokingly] stated that the new flute glasses were designed so she could easily identify who was getting too drunk to serve!

gspurr

Any bears left? Am flying tomorrow ORD-PVG in PF and was hoping that if there might be some.