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

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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

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

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Old Oct 23, 2018, 9:30 pm
  #1366  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
Originally Posted by mike2003242
It's frustrating, however, the new rule for old GF seats is a nice upgrade. If I'm planning trips out a few months those seats can be snagged!
Unfortunately as I currently have no status with UA, there are no upgrades in my future. It's either a paid or mileage ticket, and if so, I want a real Polaris seat!
MarkP24 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2018, 11:34 pm
  #1367  
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Originally Posted by phkc070408
So, summer peak season has been over for a month and a half now and there has been no increase in the number of retrofit lines.
Many (overseas) routes carry the summer schedule thru the end of October though. This should result in a pickup in retrofts starting in a couplw of weeks
cesco.g is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2018, 11:55 pm
  #1368  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
Originally Posted by MarkP24
Very frustrating! I'm still waiting for the EWR-LHR routes to be retrofitted.
A lot of these are operated by 764s. Are these even going to be retrofitted? They’re not on the tracker...
villox is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 4:27 am
  #1369  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,391
Originally Posted by villox


A lot of these are operated by 764s. Are these even going to be retrofitted? They’re not on the tracker...
There are rumors the 787-10 will be deployed on EWR-LHR, displacing the 764s.
wxguy is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 4:41 am
  #1370  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
Originally Posted by wxguy
There are rumors the 787-10 will be deployed on EWR-LHR, displacing the 764s.
I thought the plan was for the high J 763 configuration to be on this route...maybe they add a 78J to make up some of the lost Y capacity as a result? I still don’t think it happens, though.
PsiFighter37 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 11:50 am
  #1371  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,508
Any insight/guesses as to when the IAD/NRT 772 will get the new configuration?
JetAway is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 11:52 am
  #1372  
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Originally Posted by wxguy
There are rumors the 787-10 will be deployed on EWR-LHR, displacing the 764s.
Anything replacing the 764 is good news.

Originally Posted by PsiFighter37
I thought the plan was for the high J 763 configuration to be on this route...maybe they add a 78J to make up some of the lost Y capacity as a result? I still don’t think it happens, though.
Indeed, 763JJ (JJ=extra Polaris seats) expected for EWR/ORD-LHR/ZRH/GVA
cesco.g is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 12:04 pm
  #1373  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Platinum Elite, National Executive, United Gold
Posts: 1,181
* in J. 764 to 78J (not happening with EWR-LHR IMO as others have articulated) is a downgrade in Y.

Originally Posted by cesco.g
Anything replacing the 764 is good news.
764toHI is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 1:31 pm
  #1374  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,448
Originally Posted by PsiFighter37


I thought the plan was for the high J 763 configuration to be on this route...maybe they add a 78J to make up some of the lost Y capacity as a result? I still don’t think it happens, though.
It'll still take a few months to get all of the 763s converted. I think that project will take about a year.
EWR764 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 2:31 pm
  #1375  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Houston TX
Programs: United Premier 1k, Hertz Presidents Circle, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 408
Originally Posted by JetAway
Any insight/guesses as to when the IAD/NRT 772 will get the new configuration?
Mid 2021 most likely
mike2003242 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 2:57 pm
  #1376  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,508
Originally Posted by mike2003242
Mid 2021 most likely

Interesting...
JetAway is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 3:01 pm
  #1377  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
Originally Posted by JetAway
Any insight/guesses as to when the IAD/NRT 772 will get the new configuration?
It already gets it occasionally. My flight last week was supposed to be on one, but it got swapped back out for the current config.

BTW, I thought the plan was to convert all the pmUA 772ERs before the pmCO ones (which have a configuration more consistent with Polaris).
drewguy is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 3:05 pm
  #1378  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,508
Originally Posted by drewguy
It already gets it occasionally.
Yes, I noticed it got it today too. I'll track it for awhile to see how regular it becomes.
JetAway is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 3:17 pm
  #1379  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Originally Posted by mike2003242
It's frustrating, however, the new rule for old GF seats is a nice upgrade. If I'm planning trips out a few months those seats can be snagged!
Can you say what the new GF rule is ?
manstein58 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2018, 3:45 pm
  #1380  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Originally Posted by manstein58

Can you say what the new GF rule is ?
Since this past Saturday, GSs and 1Ks can select a seat in the former First Class area without having to waitlist any instrument. All the seats in that area and Business Class show orange. Lower status passengers cannot do that on international flights. However, my wife as a Platinum managed to get one of those seats (we don't know if it will stick, most probably she will be booted out). And, today, on a dummy booking for a domestic flight (IAD-SFO), she was also able to select a seat there: showed all orange.
manstein58 likes this.
StuckinITH is offline  


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