Dec 3, 2016, 9:22 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Access to Polaris lounges (source):
Hour 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily
A la carte dining, last seating 8 p. m.
United flights with the premium cabin class listed as 'Polaris Business' qualify for deaparture, connecting and arrival of a United Polaris flight.
UA premium cabin flights not marketed as Polaris, such as Domestic First or International Business (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, northern South America, ... ) are not eligible for Polaris lounge access.
For partner, Business or International First, access only at departure airport and same destination restrictions as UA (roughly at least 8+ hours long haul international - TATL, TPAC, yes any UA Polaris destination but no trans-border).
No Guests (except 1 guest for International First partner flights)
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Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread)
EWR Polaris lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
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International T5 ORD partner *G lounges
Hour 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily
A la carte dining, last seating 8 p. m.
United flights with the premium cabin class listed as 'Polaris Business' qualify for deaparture, connecting and arrival of a United Polaris flight.
UA premium cabin flights not marketed as Polaris, such as Domestic First or International Business (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, northern South America, ... ) are not eligible for Polaris lounge access.
For partner, Business or International First, access only at departure airport and same destination restrictions as UA (roughly at least 8+ hours long haul international - TATL, TPAC, yes any UA Polaris destination but no trans-border).
No Guests (except 1 guest for International First partner flights)
{Similar Threads:
Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread)
EWR Polaris lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
IAD Polaris lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
IAH Polaris lounge (E11/12 - top fl) -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
SFO Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
LAX Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
United Polaris-New Business Class seats & inflight service and new Polaris Lounges (wiki) (thread)}
Consolidated "Polaris Lounge Access Questions" Thread
International T5 ORD partner *G lounges
ORD Polaris lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
Dec 5, 2016, 8:35 pm
#136
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
So help me out - I'm not tracking the admittance rules and need to know if it's worth showing up extra early in the am to check out the new lounge before my trip to Seoul...
I'm flying ORD-SFO-ICN all on United metal. ORD-SFO is in first (P class). SFO-ICN is "Polaris Business" (P class).
It's the 6am flight to SFO, so I'm not sure that I'd even get there early enough to have time to check the lounge out (or if it's even open that early), but would my ticket allow me access?
I'm flying ORD-SFO-ICN all on United metal. ORD-SFO is in first (P class). SFO-ICN is "Polaris Business" (P class).
It's the 6am flight to SFO, so I'm not sure that I'd even get there early enough to have time to check the lounge out (or if it's even open that early), but would my ticket allow me access?
IMHO, the people at ORD Polaris lounge are screwing up on entry rules. I hope you do attempt an entry and please report what happens. What you're doing is hardly an odd situation. A lot of flyers are potentially impacted by ambiguous wording of the access policy. Either we are understanding the rules wrong or the lounge personnel are incorrectly applying the rules.
Dec 5, 2016, 8:57 pm
#137
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
IMHO, the people at ORD Polaris lounge are screwing up on entry rules. I hope you do attempt an entry and please report what happens. What you're doing is hardly an odd situation. A lot of flyers are potentially impacted by ambiguous wording of the access policy. Either we are understanding the rules wrong or the lounge personnel are incorrectly applying the rules.
The rule for *A Polaris access expressly limits access to departure airport ("Customers may only access a United Polaris lounge at the departure airport for their international business class flight"). That's much narrower than the published rule for UA metal (which includes access at "connecting airports"). Yet that much stricter *A limitation was imposed when Dank0014 was flying on UA metal.
If UA intended to limit Polaris access to pax on UA metal to the departure airport, that's what the published rule should say.
Dec 5, 2016, 9:06 pm
#138
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Platinum, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 89
dank0014 flew ORD-IAD-CDG in front cabins. dank0014 was denied entry at ORD because, according to the desk agent AND the club manager, Polaris lounge entry was only allowed at the departing airport (in dank0014's case, IAD) of the international flight. Post #166 of this thread. Of course Polaris lounge doesn't exist at IAD yet, so Dank0014 flew Polaris but couldn't use Polaris lounge. SFO doesn't have a Polaris lounge yet either. If these same two people are there at ORD, and they have not changed their minds, you will be denied.
IMHO, the people at ORD Polaris lounge are screwing up on entry rules. I hope you do attempt an entry and please report what happens. What you're doing is hardly an odd situation. A lot of flyers are potentially impacted by ambiguous wording of the access policy. Either we are understanding the rules wrong or the lounge personnel are incorrectly applying the rules.
IMHO, the people at ORD Polaris lounge are screwing up on entry rules. I hope you do attempt an entry and please report what happens. What you're doing is hardly an odd situation. A lot of flyers are potentially impacted by ambiguous wording of the access policy. Either we are understanding the rules wrong or the lounge personnel are incorrectly applying the rules.
Ok, we'll have to see. I'm not flying until 12/27 and given how early the flight is, I will probably just be rolling on to the plane, but maybe I'll just stay up all night and go to airport early in an attempt to help with jet lag!
Dec 5, 2016, 9:29 pm
#140
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
Dec 5, 2016, 9:34 pm
#141
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Platinum, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 89
As a current Gold (that is taking the flight to ICN to maintain that status, sadly), I'm feeling like it may be my duty to sacrifice my night of sleep to see if I'm allowed admittance if the answer isn't clarified before then... but is the Polaris lounge even open at 5am?? (I googled quickly, but admittedly not thoroughly)
Dec 5, 2016, 9:34 pm
#142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
It seems to me a pretty clear misapplication of the published rules by UA lounge staff.
The rule for *A Polaris access expressly limits access to departure airport ("Customers may only access a United Polaris lounge at the departure airport for their international business class flight"). That's much narrower than the published rule for UA metal (which includes access at "connecting airports"). Yet that much stricter *A limitation was imposed when Dank0014 was flying on UA metal.
If UA intended to limit Polaris access to pax on UA metal to the departure airport, that's what the published rule should say.
The rule for *A Polaris access expressly limits access to departure airport ("Customers may only access a United Polaris lounge at the departure airport for their international business class flight"). That's much narrower than the published rule for UA metal (which includes access at "connecting airports"). Yet that much stricter *A limitation was imposed when Dank0014 was flying on UA metal.
If UA intended to limit Polaris access to pax on UA metal to the departure airport, that's what the published rule should say.
As a current Gold (that is taking the flight to ICN to maintain that status, sadly), I'm feeling like it may be my duty to sacrifice my night of sleep to see if I'm allowed admittance if the answer isn't clarified before then... but is the Polaris lounge even open at 5am?? (I googled quickly, but admittedly not thoroughly)
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 5, 2016 at 10:38 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member -- please use multi-quote
Dec 5, 2016, 9:39 pm
#143
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 1,032
As a current Gold (that is taking the flight to ICN to maintain that status, sadly), I'm feeling like it may be my duty to sacrifice my night of sleep to see if I'm allowed admittance if the answer isn't clarified before then... but is the Polaris lounge even open at 5am?? (I googled quickly, but admittedly not thoroughly)
Dec 5, 2016, 9:49 pm
#144
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
United since 2012 has shown no interest in anything except GS (and then not even that in 2012-3) and now they are shifting attention to paid J, which will uncut the recent drive to improve the experience overall.
Dec 5, 2016, 10:19 pm
#145
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
International premium cabin can be profitable, but so are the domestic business travelers on expensive Y fares who are the bread and butter of the domestic UCs. This management is smart enough to realize that. The new UCs are nice. They're stylish, the snacks are edible, and the coffee is decent. This is not the same UA that we've been bashing around here since 2012.
Dec 5, 2016, 10:22 pm
#146
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: DTW and ORD
Posts: 667
As I have said before, once the "P" Lounges are rolled out, and all F/J is in then, any incentive to keep up product quality at the "P Club" will go to hell. Delta has a consistently good experience because their Delta One passengers use the same lounges. When this is not the case with UA, and it is basically just paid club members, the interest in monetizing it by cost cuts will become very very strong. Basically, service is not important, it is just a question of keeping up the club card sales at a point that the soft product is low enough to make $$$.
United since 2012 has shown no interest in anything except GS (and then not even that in 2012-3) and now they are shifting attention to paid J, which will uncut the recent drive to improve the experience overall.
United since 2012 has shown no interest in anything except GS (and then not even that in 2012-3) and now they are shifting attention to paid J, which will uncut the recent drive to improve the experience overall.
Of course, looking into 2017 and beyond will UA management change their mind? Only time will tell. But it's a little far-fetched at this point to think they're putting all this money in for new lounges that are significant improvements to existing ones, while building new United Polaris lounges in many of those same locations, knowing business class customers won't be the ones using the United Club.
Dec 5, 2016, 10:30 pm
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
I think there's still a non-insignificant amount of HVF on domestic and non-Polaris international flights that provide incentive.
Dec 6, 2016, 3:31 am
#148
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
I think your reading this wrong. Tipping of staff has always been appropriate (and the right thing to do) as long as the staff they are speaking of is a bartender. Who else would they expect or even think it's appropriate to tip?
Dec 6, 2016, 3:52 am
#149
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
The Polaris Lounge has a lot more staff that serve you now, such as bringing you drinks and, when the kitchen is ready, meal service.
Dec 6, 2016, 5:08 am
#150
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
So if your in J from ORD-SFO-HND it seems cut & dry that you get P lounge admittance in SFO only since the SFO-HND is the intl flight w Polaris class BUT...... Do you at least get UClub admittance in ORD or do you get nothing. If a full fare passenger, especially on a C/D/J fare is told they don't even get Ucclub admittance in the first airport of departure that would be a HUGE mistake on UAs part