Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

✨ Polaris (& PP) Retrofits: Schedule, ....

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
Old May 29, 2017, 1:21 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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, 46 86 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

Print Wikipost

✨ Polaris (& PP) Retrofits: Schedule, ....

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 26, 2017, 5:19 am
  #436  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
Originally Posted by wco81
So there are some J fares for sale next summer, including the ORD-AMS flight on a 767.

Any chance of it being retrofitted by June?
There should be more retrofitted by then, and ORD would be the natural spot for them to be located (since 3-class 763s mostly fly from there), but no guarantees of course.
PsiFighter37 is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2017, 9:37 am
  #437  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: UA Million Mile, Mileage Plus Premier 1K, SkyMiles Gold Medallion, AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 875
Originally Posted by wco81
So there are some J fares for sale next summer, including the ORD-AMS flight on a 767.

Any chance of it being retrofitted by June?
Only the 3 class birds are being retrofitted at the moment, so if it's a 2 class 763 then you are out of luck.

This first retrofit is really taking a lot longer than expected. It was originally due out in July before being pushed back to mid-August, which has come and gone. If it stays a while longer, every plane could be pushed back a few weeks.
DA201 is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2017, 9:59 am
  #438  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
Originally Posted by DA201
Only the 3 class birds are being retrofitted at the moment, so if it's a 2 class 763 then you are out of luck.
They can just as easily swap the Polaris 763 for a two class as a three class.
Kacee is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2017, 9:59 am
  #439  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: WN, AA, UA, DL
Posts: 1,313
Originally Posted by wco81
So there are some J fares for sale next summer, including the ORD-AMS flight on a 767.

Any chance of it being retrofitted by June?
Certainly a chance by then. I imagine UA would like to have all 3-class 767s converted by next summer. Just a question of where they fly.

Originally Posted by DA201
Only the 3 class birds are being retrofitted at the moment, so if it's a 2 class 763 then you are out of luck.

This first retrofit is really taking a lot longer than expected. It was originally due out in July before being pushed back to mid-August, which has come and gone. If it stays a while longer, every plane could be pushed back a few weeks.
The first one is flying test hops now. The three and half months since its entry into mods is normal for what was done. Shouldn't be any delays going forward as the pace ramps up.
minnyfly is offline  
Old Aug 27, 2017, 2:30 am
  #440  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,393
Well it looks like a second bird is in for a reconfig as well so hopefully the ball is moving now.

It would be nice if they would get the first 772 in there for the 90+ days so they can work on some of them over the winter.
phkc070408 is offline  
Old Aug 27, 2017, 5:06 am
  #441  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Maybe they're reluctant to take planes offline in peak travel season?

Especially when they will be retiring the 744s in this timeframe?
wco81 is offline  
Old Aug 27, 2017, 11:06 am
  #442  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, M Life Gold, SIXT Platinum, Marriott Gold, Amex Platinum, Global Entry
Posts: 150
Originally Posted by phkc070408
Well it looks like a second bird is in for a reconfig as well so hopefully the ball is moving now.

It would be nice if they would get the first 772 in there for the 90+ days so they can work on some of them over the winter.
Yes, N648 landed in HKG today. I hope that means that the first converted 763 (N644), which did its first test flight for two weeks in HKG, is ready to go back into service very soon.
UASleeper is offline  
Old Sep 4, 2017, 8:14 pm
  #443  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 902
Polaris seating on 787-9

I'm planning travel well in advance, almost one year, trying to snag saver lever awards for three travelers. Seeing availability with Austrian which I might pull the trigger on but wanted to try United Polaris and see availability SFO to MUC. Are they planning to retrofit these planes anytime soon with the Polaris seat? With three of us aisle access for each seat isn't quite as necessary but would like to have the new product if possible. Any ideas on if/when this will take place, obviously this plane is not that old.
Jonesdds is offline  
Old Sep 4, 2017, 8:20 pm
  #444  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,021
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
I'm planning travel well in advance, almost one year, trying to snag saver lever awards for three travelers. Seeing availability with Austrian which I might pull the trigger on but wanted to try United Polaris and see availability SFO to MUC. Are they planning to retrofit these planes anytime soon with the Polaris seat? With three of us aisle access for each seat isn't quite as necessary but would like to have the new product if possible. Any ideas on if/when this will take place, obviously this plane is not that old.
Zero chance. Already all-business and 66.67% of the front-cabin seats have direct aisle access. United has other aircraft to move through retrofit sooner.
IAH-OIL-TRASH is offline  
Old Sep 4, 2017, 8:27 pm
  #445  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tx
Programs: AA, UA, WN
Posts: 812
The 787-8 & 9 have no published retrofit dates at this time. UA has only indicated that 18 77Ws 14 763s and 55 772s will have or be retrofit with no further public statements.
Halo117 is offline  
Old Sep 4, 2017, 11:14 pm
  #446  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,393
First one is done and has returned to the mainland USA. I wonder how long it will be before it goes into revenue service. Does it need an induction (Forgive me, but I don't even know what induction means). Flightaware says there are some flights hidden from few because there isn't a flight plan.

I just searched every possible 767 flight departing from EWR, IAD, IAH, and ORD for 08-October, 2017, and none of them show the Polaris seating.
phkc070408 is offline  
Old Sep 5, 2017, 12:22 am
  #447  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Seoul
Programs: None anymore
Posts: 983
Originally Posted by phkc070408
First one is done and has returned to the mainland USA. I wonder how long it will be before it goes into revenue service. Does it need an induction (Forgive me, but I don't even know what induction means). Flightaware says there are some flights hidden from few because there isn't a flight plan.

I just searched every possible 767 flight departing from EWR, IAD, IAH, and ORD for 08-October, 2017, and none of them show the Polaris seating.
Just use flightaware and search the tail number for the retrofitted aircraft.
warrenw is offline  
Old Sep 5, 2017, 1:05 am
  #448  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, UA Silver, AA Gold
Posts: 494
Originally Posted by warrenw
Just use flightaware and search the tail number for the retrofitted aircraft.
It's sitting in SFO for now. Probably a tech ops intro.
SPLITTERZ is offline  
Old Sep 5, 2017, 2:11 am
  #449  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,324
Originally Posted by SPLITTERZ
It's sitting in SFO for now. Probably a tech ops intro.
Would be great to see UA have one at SFO family day on 10/8!
tuolumne is offline  
Old Sep 5, 2017, 2:18 am
  #450  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,393
Originally Posted by warrenw
Just use flightaware and search the tail number for the retrofitted aircraft.
Originally Posted by SPLITTERZ
It's sitting in SFO for now. Probably a tech ops intro.
Which is why I searched over a month out.
phkc070408 is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.