Last edit by: kirkwoodj
Check the current status of aircraft reconfigured (or delivered) with new Polaris seats: http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris...-desktop-4/p/3.
A Polaris Update and Polaris Mod Schedule to indicate the status of specific aircraft are maintained by those that manage the United Airlines Fleet Website.
Except for 773- and 781-operated flights, and those markets selling Premium Plus, Polaris-equipped planes have not been allocated to specific routes. You won't know until approx. 36-48 hours before departure if you'll have a newly reconfigured aircraft, and even then, it may be replaced with a non-retrofitted aircraft.
777-300ER - All 22 aircraft have Polaris (60 seats) and installation of Premium Plus cabins (24 seats) is complete.
767-300ER - As of September 2020, 31 of the 38 aircraft have been reconfigured with the Polaris seats.
- Retrofit is from 3-cabin to 2-cabin with direct-aisle-access seats. No 3-cabin 767s remain in service.
- 76A configuration is 30J/50Y+/134Y, total of 214; fleet to consist of 17 ships (former 3-cabin 767s).
- 76L configuration is 46J/22PE/47Y+/52Y; fleet to consist of 21 ships (18 former 2-cabin 76C and 3 used ships from Hawaiian).
767-400ER - [16 aircraft] None updated yet; modifications put on hold due to Covid-19.
777-200ER - As of September 2020, 46 of the 50 aircraft have been reconfigured with Polaris and Premium Plus seats.
- Configuration is 50 Polaris seats, 32 in the front cabin and 18 in the second cabin (behind 2L/R)
- Configuration is 10 across in economy, with 24 Premium Plus seats, 4686 E+ seats and 156 E seats, with E+ in front economy cabin plus exit rows and bulkhead at 3L/R, i.e., almost the same as current pmCO planes, except with 4 seats in middle section.
- Seat map (v5) on united.com
787-8, 787-9 - As of November 2022, all 787-8/9 are converted or in mod. No chance of flying old configuration anymore.
- 788 configuration has 28 Polaris seats (20 in front cabin, 8 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
- 789 configuration has 48 Polaris seats (32 in front cabin, 16 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
787-10 - 13 787-10s have been delivered in 2020. All come with Polaris and Premium Plus cabins factory-installed. Another 19 should be added by 2024.
FAQ:
Q: Does a Polaris ticket mean the aircraft has the new Polaris seat?
A: No, Polaris is the label UA uses for long haul international business class. It is also the label UA uses for the new seats, so this does create some confusion.
All the 773s and 787-10s are 100% the new seat.
The rest of the long haul fleet in various stages of conversion, see http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris...-desktop-4/p/3
Q: How to tell if my aircraft is the new style Polaris seats?
A: If the unassigned business class section is showing orange seats or all the seats are side-by-side or there is a section for 4 adjacent seats in the middle, this is an old style lie-flat aircreaft
If the unassigned bussines class seats are dark blue seats or the all the seats appear to have direct aisle access, then you aircraft is the new Polaris seat.
You can also look at the FT maintained, United Fleet Site and crosscheck the tail number or check thePolaris Update tab
Q: How to tell if my aircraft has the new PremiumPlus (PP) / Premium Economy seats?
A: If the unassigned seats just behind business class are purple seats or the aircraft is 773 or 787-10, then yes. However, the purple color seat will only show on routes where PP is being sold.
Aircraft with PP seats are being used on some routes but are not being sold as PP. In those cases, the seats are considered to be a part of E+. In those cases, an indicator of PP sold as E+ will be if the first few rows of economy, there are just 2 seats on the sides (with the rest of E+ showing 3 seats).
Q: Will the aircraft I see at booking be the same configuration at flight time?
A: Unfortunately with the fleet in transit, aircraft swaps happen. UA tends to use placeholders until 2 days before travel and even after that last minute swaps do happen.
Q: My flight seat map shows 772 with polaris seats is it a retrofit?
A: Possibly. The flight status page shows the most accurate scheduled aircraft. If a 77W is swapped in, it will list the aircraft as 777-300ER. However, if the 772's seatmap shows blue rectangular boxes in the business class cabin instead of orange "pointy rounds", this would indicate that a retrofit aircraft has been swapped.
See also: United Future/Changed Routes w/ Polaris seats
A Polaris Update and Polaris Mod Schedule to indicate the status of specific aircraft are maintained by those that manage the United Airlines Fleet Website.
Except for 773- and 781-operated flights, and those markets selling Premium Plus, Polaris-equipped planes have not been allocated to specific routes. You won't know until approx. 36-48 hours before departure if you'll have a newly reconfigured aircraft, and even then, it may be replaced with a non-retrofitted aircraft.
777-300ER - All 22 aircraft have Polaris (60 seats) and installation of Premium Plus cabins (24 seats) is complete.
767-300ER - As of September 2020, 31 of the 38 aircraft have been reconfigured with the Polaris seats.
- Retrofit is from 3-cabin to 2-cabin with direct-aisle-access seats. No 3-cabin 767s remain in service.
- 76A configuration is 30J/50Y+/134Y, total of 214; fleet to consist of 17 ships (former 3-cabin 767s).
- 76L configuration is 46J/22PE/47Y+/52Y; fleet to consist of 21 ships (18 former 2-cabin 76C and 3 used ships from Hawaiian).
767-400ER - [16 aircraft] None updated yet; modifications put on hold due to Covid-19.
777-200ER - As of September 2020, 46 of the 50 aircraft have been reconfigured with Polaris and Premium Plus seats.
- Configuration is 50 Polaris seats, 32 in the front cabin and 18 in the second cabin (behind 2L/R)
- Configuration is 10 across in economy, with 24 Premium Plus seats, 46
- Seat map (v5) on united.com
787-8, 787-9 - As of November 2022, all 787-8/9 are converted or in mod. No chance of flying old configuration anymore.
- 788 configuration has 28 Polaris seats (20 in front cabin, 8 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
- 789 configuration has 48 Polaris seats (32 in front cabin, 16 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
787-10 - 13 787-10s have been delivered in 2020. All come with Polaris and Premium Plus cabins factory-installed. Another 19 should be added by 2024.
FAQ:
Q: Does a Polaris ticket mean the aircraft has the new Polaris seat?
A: No, Polaris is the label UA uses for long haul international business class. It is also the label UA uses for the new seats, so this does create some confusion.
All the 773s and 787-10s are 100% the new seat.
The rest of the long haul fleet in various stages of conversion, see http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris...-desktop-4/p/3
Q: How to tell if my aircraft is the new style Polaris seats?
A: If the unassigned business class section is showing orange seats or all the seats are side-by-side or there is a section for 4 adjacent seats in the middle, this is an old style lie-flat aircreaft
If the unassigned bussines class seats are dark blue seats or the all the seats appear to have direct aisle access, then you aircraft is the new Polaris seat.
You can also look at the FT maintained, United Fleet Site and crosscheck the tail number or check thePolaris Update tab
Q: How to tell if my aircraft has the new PremiumPlus (PP) / Premium Economy seats?
A: If the unassigned seats just behind business class are purple seats or the aircraft is 773 or 787-10, then yes. However, the purple color seat will only show on routes where PP is being sold.
Aircraft with PP seats are being used on some routes but are not being sold as PP. In those cases, the seats are considered to be a part of E+. In those cases, an indicator of PP sold as E+ will be if the first few rows of economy, there are just 2 seats on the sides (with the rest of E+ showing 3 seats).
Q: Will the aircraft I see at booking be the same configuration at flight time?
A: Unfortunately with the fleet in transit, aircraft swaps happen. UA tends to use placeholders until 2 days before travel and even after that last minute swaps do happen.
Q: My flight seat map shows 772 with polaris seats is it a retrofit?
A: Possibly. The flight status page shows the most accurate scheduled aircraft. If a 77W is swapped in, it will list the aircraft as 777-300ER. However, if the 772's seatmap shows blue rectangular boxes in the business class cabin instead of orange "pointy rounds", this would indicate that a retrofit aircraft has been swapped.
See also: United Future/Changed Routes w/ Polaris seats
✨ Polaris (& PP) Retrofits: Schedule, ....
#961
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: All the programs!
Posts: 1,006
Gary reports...
Glad to see that the retrofit is speeding up.
As for 772 retrofit, the next frame should get PE with Polaris seats.
On this morning’s United earnings call Senior Vice President Andrew Nocella announced that they’ll be adding a plane with new Polaris business class seats every 10 days through 2020."
As for 772 retrofit, the next frame should get PE with Polaris seats.
#962
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Seoul
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#963
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM, Bonvoy Titanium Elite Lifer, Hertz Prez
Posts: 232
I think United is motivated to complete the retrofits as quickly as possible; in fact, I see no evidence to the contrary. The issue is logistics, as well as supporting a highly seasonal operation that relies heavily on strong 2Q/3Q demand. Plus, United wants to roll out its PE product expeditiously (to be able to sell it), and I understand it won't be adding PE unless the aircraft also has the Polaris seats (IOW, no hodgepodge reconfigurations).
#964
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
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Posts: 9,442
Well, yah know, UA has to get those cattle car 10 across economy Polaris 772's in the air quick so they get a few extra bucks in their pockets. I had to fly one of those SFO-FRA and it's hellish unless you are a smaller person (I am not). Oscar and his execs should be forced to take a couple of round trips to Asia in Y on these retrofitted triple 7's...
#967
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Houston TX
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Posts: 408
Scheduled to fly to LHR this evening!
#968
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
I am on the 10 across tomorrow and it was an equipment change to it this week. I am in E+ but I really am not looking forward to this experience by what I have read thus far.
#969
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
According to FlightAware below is the current planned schedule for N786UA, the first re-configured 777-200ER in Polaris configuration:
Click on the FlightAware link above for updated, near-term future planned flights for N786UA.
Sunday
22-Apr-2018
01:55PM CESTFrankfurt Int'l - FRA
04:30PM PDTSan Francisco Intl - SFO
Saturday
21-Apr-2018
10:10PM EDTWashington Dulles Intl - IAD
12:10PM CEST (+1)Frankfurt Int'l - FRA
Saturday
21-Apr-2018
04:40PM BSTLondon Heathrow - LHR
07:40PM EDTWashington Dulles Intl - IAD
Friday
20-Apr-2018
07:35PM PDTSan Francisco Intl - SFO
02:10PM BST (+1)London Heathrow - LHR
22-Apr-2018
01:55PM CESTFrankfurt Int'l - FRA
04:30PM PDTSan Francisco Intl - SFO
Saturday
21-Apr-2018
10:10PM EDTWashington Dulles Intl - IAD
12:10PM CEST (+1)Frankfurt Int'l - FRA
Saturday
21-Apr-2018
04:40PM BSTLondon Heathrow - LHR
07:40PM EDTWashington Dulles Intl - IAD
Friday
20-Apr-2018
07:35PM PDTSan Francisco Intl - SFO
02:10PM BST (+1)London Heathrow - LHR
#970
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#972
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#974
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,392
That's right. I guess the guinea pig for the Premium Plus need to be out for a month longer than the others to get certification, iron out bugs in the P+ cabin etc. That said, given that there are 3 772 mod lines going on, maybe one of them is for P+ while the other two could be release as soon as they Polaris and 10X to get them back into service ASAP.
Purely speculation.
Purely speculation.
#975
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Portland OR
Programs: United 1K 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 560
That's right. I guess the guinea pig for the Premium Plus need to be out for a month longer than the others to get certification, iron out bugs in the P+ cabin etc. That said, given that there are 3 772 mod lines going on, maybe one of them is for P+ while the other two could be release as soon as they Polaris and 10X to get them back into service ASAP.
Purely speculation.
Purely speculation.
My my question is regarding the 77W. There is one remaining new delivery due in Q4. Will that be delivered with P+? It would make sense, as certification for the P+ config would then be done on that ship pre-delivery and the retrofits of the 17 in service wouldn’t be held up.