Hipplewm

It was more the chided part, then no follow thru, then basically being left alone for the next 12 hours.

I didn't want to make it a 4 paragraph with everything that was wrong, I just hit the highlights.

dmurphynj

Hey, look, I took a Continental blanket many moons ago. One of the thin, domestic-F types. It stays in my laptop bag, so if/when I miss an upgrade, or they forget to cater blankets for domestic F, I have something. It's not so much that it's warm, but I can't sleep without being covered.

I dont feel feel bad about it - that CO blanket's gotten WAY more use in my bag than it would've if I had left it behind. And now that the tag says Continental, it's a reminder of what once was.

porciuscato

I don't know, being chastised by an FA like you're a small child could definitely ruin most people's day. You're lucky if that sort of treatment doesn't bother you at all.

Exleftseat

I agree with you, but aren't we all treated like small children nowadays on planes? We know they judge us by the way we dress, for example. Surely we are not getting the respect we used to be accustomed to years ago, and I mean 30-40 years ago. At that time a passenger was special and welcomed as such. Times have changed for sure and we better get used to it.

narvik

I think it completely depends on the FA. Some treat their customers really well, others, well....not so much. UA seem to have a disproportionate amount of incorrigibly tetchy FAs compared to other carriers, sadly.

On a recent flight I came across a conundrum: when exactly does one ask for a pillow or blanket, or PJs? During boarding? After the meal?
I asked during boarding, and based on the reaction of FA this might not be appropriate. Fair enough I guess. So, when do you ask for these items?
By the way, I never heard this announced or mentioned on any Polaris flight I've taken, unlike others report up-thread.

PJ's: better than expected, quite comfortable
Gel Pillow: rather small, but also very comfortable
Pad: not requested yet.
Provided thick blanket: Would have been nice to have these in the old Continental days where my nickname for the EWR-PEK route was "ARCTIC EXPRESS" where inside temperatures were only moderately warmer than outside temperatures. This has changed since though, and now I can barely stand using the thinnest of the blankets as temperatures get cranked up way too high.

JVPhoto

Now that I've had a minute to settle post flight my thoughts on my first Polaris (soft product) flight IAH-LHR 772.

Bedding: I feel the pillows were more substantial and less lumpy than before. I didn't ask for the gel because I ended up passing out for 5h before I could think to ask. The "pad" I don't see too much value in. It's pretty thin, I'd rather have one of those Swiss made brand breathable mesh ones from NH. The blanket was nice, I could see myself stealing it lol.

Amentiy kit: Win for me. I'll use this as a travel wallet on longer trips where I have multiple currencies, forms, BP stubs, etc.

Pre-flight: I just had water but I liked the cup and chocolate. Given I'm a grown adult I have the dexterity to set it back on the peg.

Menu: I had a great meal overall. I slept right to breakfast so I didn't get any snacks. But from what I heard an FA telling the aisle mate it's mostly just cold stuff/fruit on this flight because it's only about 8.5h and a 9pm red eye. I liked the desert trolley. For about 2 years I've not had the sundaes on flight. Most of the time I just want a tiny little sweet so to have the 3-bite options was great.

Wine tasting: A little awkward. I was in row 8 and I said I'd do the red tasting. I assumed he would just pour me three 1/4 glasses and set the holder on my table. He instead asked what I would like to start with so I said the CdR. He pours it and gives me the glass and shows the bottle and waits. Nice touch but I didn't want to hold up the line! So I said oh that's nice I'll just have a glass of that. I could see this working (waiting and tasting 1 x 1) in a 8 pax F cabin but if this was SO for all of J it would take forever.

I'll have LHR-LAX next week to compare.

enviroian

I just flew QR J LAX-DOH had a few hours at their business lounge and then flew DOH-SIN.

Yeah a little different experience than my Polaris flight Lhr-lax in December. Lol

Vulcan

I'm doing JFK-DOH-SIN in April on the recent QR fare sale (~1750 RT). I'm anxious to compare and see the difference, though I am pretty sure in advance of the results.

Kmxu

On a recent EWR-PVG flight, FA's PA specifically asked not to take Polaris bedding items. Customers were allowed to take the amenity kit. This happened before landing. So, UA is aware of the problem.

FlyfromDenver

Yup. It's also fun as a single older woman to be assumed to be the wife of any older male sitting next to you. I don't know him and have no idea if he wants to woken or what he might want to eat. I earned my own status and paid for this business seat.

United's made all of this harder by limiting items like the gel pillows and making passengers request them. For me, the FAs act like they are doing me a favor. Or they "find" things much later. No, I asked for the lobster mac and cheese instead of the entree(none of which appealed) but I didn't want it for breakfast after they found it 10 hours later.

NoStressHere

Asking for pillow and blanket - silly.

1 - Ask while boarding. That way you have it upon takeoff. Some folks use the blanket immediately.

2 - Ask right after in the air. That will bother the crew that is busy getting drinks and dinner. "We are busy right now"

3 - Sit and wait a few hours? Nah - people want to go to sleep.

In the end, while boarding seems to make more sense to me.

Seems so easy, and something that can just set the flight off to a bad experience.

cerealmarketer

Looked under the cover and found the label on the pillow says it's imported by 'Classic Brands LLC' in Jessup, MD.

Their site lists a travel memory gel pillow:
http://www.classicmattress.com/acces...travel-pillow/

They have a presence on Amazon, but don't see the travel sized pillow.

Here's one of theirs...


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._al_bw_c_x_3_w

And another...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PLM47OW..._t3_B00MGLOX40

Ratings are fine for both, though not knowledgable about gel pillows to know if the Classic Brands imports are a good value vs other gel options.

Overall, even though all the pillows / blankets are awkward in the high density configs, it's very, very comfy once you get it all set up.

I'm usually a window person, but until the all aisle access is in place would rather have an aisle now to make it easier to set up the pad and blankets. Also found it all keeps in place nicely when you put the seat up for landing.

On food while not the most exciting presentation, it all tasted much more flavorful than the prior offerings. For airplane food the asian chicken soup and porcini mushroom pasta were among the most flavorful I've had in any cabin. Stay away from the traditional 'chicken or beef' riffs that are on the menu and some nice surprises there.

UA_Flyer

I have done 11 Polaris flights since the launch. 4 transatlantic and 7 transpac across PMUA and PMCO aircrafts and also in Polaris First and Polaris Business. I have been holding back my comments until I have done enough flights. Here are my random thoughts:

• Certain Passenger population really need to stop taking stuff from the planes. I have been told by FA that gel pillows and soft blankets are the common missing items. Bathroom Cowshed toner is also a "hot" item.
  
• The food is definitely better. The quality of salad ingredients are improved. The desert options are great. Real sparking water is a huge plus.
  
• Pre-arrival breakfast options on transpac flights still need to be reconsidered. I like the deli plate option on the transatlanic flights.
  
  The dinner salad entree options on transatlantic flights are delicious. I would like to seem them offered on transpac flights.
  
• No slippers on my four transatlanitc flights. It seems UA is running out of the gel pillows.
  
• Wine tasting is great. Yes, the selections can be better, but it is an improvement.
  
• On the PMUA aircrafts (other than upper deck of 744), there is little space for the pillows and blankets.
  
• No Cowshed toiletry items on PMCO aircrafts
  
• Amenity kits are not functional. I think cost is greater than benefits. I am beginning to see a lof of folks leave them behind. I prefer the soft pouch.

I have scheduled a few 77W flights in the couple of months and hope to have the complete Polaris experence (both soft and hard) before making my final judgment.

Explorer789

Nice to see some level-headed comments here without being overly critical.

I'd definitely like to try those gel pillows, but at this rate, who knows if they will still be around for my Polaris flight in May.

Regarding amenity kits, it's possible a lot of business travelers like yourself have enough of the new kits hoarded at home already.

Amil

Service is great with great Polaris experience but this seat is terrible. I can't store anything. I had a choice between sas with a stop or non stop united I decided to give united a shot but wow this is terrible. Lobster Mac and cheese was bomb though