2018 Let's Eat - Polaris Business
Sep 6, 2018, 12:34 am
#691
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 818
Hi I was on UA179 (EWR-HKG) on 2 September and happy to report that I had spicy chicken entree; so it's there for September 2018 at least. Enjoy.
Sep 6, 2018, 12:36 am
#692
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO / LHR
Programs: UA GS 2.2MM / UC / AS Gold 75K / Bonvoy Plat / Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,028
Pretty poor service from the EWR-based crew throughout the flight, so this was the capstone!
Sep 6, 2018, 8:16 am
#693
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Platinum Elite, National Executive, United Gold
Posts: 1,181
UA82 EWR-DEL on August 21: choice of Indian mutton dish, spicy chicken noodle soup, poached shrimp and something else I can't remember. I had the shrimp which was decent IMO.
Did not have the midflight snack but FA mentioned the grilled cheese was available alongside some sort of Indian vegetarian dish which she could not discern. Pre-arrival meal (landing at 9:30pm...) was a choice of omelette or Indian vegetarian, which had paneer, spicy beans and paratha bread - this was not that good and I would stick with the omelette or the continental option next time around.
Stellar service by the EWR-based crew.
Did not have the midflight snack but FA mentioned the grilled cheese was available alongside some sort of Indian vegetarian dish which she could not discern. Pre-arrival meal (landing at 9:30pm...) was a choice of omelette or Indian vegetarian, which had paneer, spicy beans and paratha bread - this was not that good and I would stick with the omelette or the continental option next time around.
Stellar service by the EWR-based crew.
Sep 6, 2018, 3:42 pm
#694
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,324
My September Transpac flight did not start well in terms of the quality of inflight meals. I hope this is the not the trend as I have 5 transpac flights this month and will be enduring the same menus. My main meal on PEK-IAD was so bad that I did not finish. The only hot bite is the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. FA told me there is a second hot bite choice on longer transpac flights. PEK-IAD is 6,912 miles and clocked at over 13 hours. The only longer Transpac flights are SFO/LAX-SIN and flights to Australia/NZ. The rest of snacks are filled sodium or sugars. One can only eat as many bananas and there were no other fruit items.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
Sep 6, 2018, 4:17 pm
#695
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,148
My September Transpac flight did not start well in terms of the quality of inflight meals. I hope this is the not the trend as I have 5 transpac flights this month and will be enduring the same menus. My main meal on PEK-IAD was so bad that I did not finish. The only hot bite is the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. FA told me there is a second hot bite choice on longer transpac flights. PEK-IAD is 6,912 miles and clocked at over 13 hours. The only longer Transpac flights are SFO/LAX-SIN and flights to Australia/NZ. The rest of snacks are filled sodium or sugars. One can only eat as many bananas and there were no other fruit items.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
Sep 6, 2018, 4:20 pm
#696
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,919
My September Transpac flight did not start well in terms of the quality of inflight meals. I hope this is the not the trend as I have 5 transpac flights this month and will be enduring the same menus. My main meal on PEK-IAD was so bad that I did not finish. The only hot bite is the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. FA told me there is a second hot bite choice on longer transpac flights. PEK-IAD is 6,912 miles and clocked at over 13 hours. The only longer Transpac flights are SFO/LAX-SIN and flights to Australia/NZ. The rest of snacks are filled sodium or sugars. One can only eat as many bananas and there were no other fruit items.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
Sep 6, 2018, 4:39 pm
#697
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,341
My September Transpac flight did not start well in terms of the quality of inflight meals. I hope this is the not the trend as I have 5 transpac flights this month and will be enduring the same menus. My main meal on PEK-IAD was so bad that I did not finish. The only hot bite is the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. FA told me there is a second hot bite choice on longer transpac flights. PEK-IAD is 6,912 miles and clocked at over 13 hours. The only longer Transpac flights are SFO/LAX-SIN and flights to Australia/NZ. The rest of snacks are filled sodium or sugars. One can only eat as many bananas and there were no other fruit items.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
I have pretty much stopped posting United meals on domestic flights because the downgrades. I may no longer want to take and post international meals in the future if the quality of inflight meals don't improve. The midflight hot bite options are just embarrassing.
Perhaps some of the meal budgets have gone to Polaris Lounges, but not all passengers visit the Polaris Lounges before or after the international flights, and IAD probably won't see one forever despite the promise of one sometimes in 2019 at an almost 40-year old temporary C/D terminals that were build with park trailer materials.
There is only so much one can do to make UA inflight meals look remotely good to eat.
I find meals ex-PEK are always sub-par and recently even more so.
By the way; luckily for me I like the tomato soup; although re: cheese sandwich, that ranges from "passable" to "inedible" . I will now likely order the soup sans cheese sandwich in the future.
Sep 6, 2018, 5:24 pm
#698
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
And bananas are such a poor choice inside a plane. Just the smell of it is revolting. I think I already mentioned this. On our flight from PEK some months ago, my wife's neighbor in Polaris Business ate a banana in the middle of the night. She left the peel on the little table between my wife seat and her seat but with the thing dangling on my wife's side. It took that person more than 4 hours to get rid of that peel and she did it only after my wife pushed it to her side. And the FAs getting the garbage from time to time never picked it up.
Sep 6, 2018, 6:02 pm
#699
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,341
But then again, I like most fruit. If it were up to me, UA could serve Durian.
Sep 6, 2018, 6:05 pm
#700
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,003
Had spicy Thai chicken noodles on EWR-GVA and grilled chicken and asparagus ZRH-EWR. Mid flight snack on the way back was a delicious beef with potatoes...definitely a good choice to substitute for the arrival bite. Was pleased overall with the food quality.
Sep 6, 2018, 6:08 pm
#701
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
I should try Durian at some point. They were selling them in cut pieces on a cart near my hotel in PEK last year. If I go back during the same season I'll try it.
Sep 7, 2018, 12:12 am
#702
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
My flights were end of July and again mid-August, on the latter they run out of it.
A couple of times I did let the FA ask to save one of those stews for my arrival meal.
Sep 7, 2018, 12:27 am
#703
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,448
LAX-SIN Aug. 29 offered both the spicy chicken and red curry prawns. I tried the prawns for novelty factor. They were pretty tasty. Surprisingly spicy, probably the spiciest item I've ever had on an aircraft. I have a high tolerance for spicy, and would guess this dish is too hot for 75%+ of UA pax.
Nice flight. I find the LAX long-haul crews consistently the best in the system.
EWR-HKG, ORD-HKG, and SFO-HKG are all longer (SFO by 2 miles), but your point is well taken.
Nice flight. I find the LAX long-haul crews consistently the best in the system.
EWR-HKG, ORD-HKG, and SFO-HKG are all longer (SFO by 2 miles), but your point is well taken.
Sep 7, 2018, 1:51 am
#704
Join Date: May 2006
Location: STL
Programs: UA Platinum, AA Platinum Pro, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,429
Ice Cream Sundaes missing again?!?!
SFONRT
Chalking this as a one off and not necessarily indicative of a larger “enhancement”.
I’ll echo the impression that somehow any budget for menu updates or improvements has pretty much gone to get the Polaris Lounges up and going. Not to say that the lounges aren’t a huge differentiator with respect to other airlines Business Class lounge offerings, but having flown Polaris a month after product launch, and experiencing it yesterday, about the only memorable aspect were the seat on the 77W and the lounge at SFO.
As for for the meals, I can’t really stress that there is that huge of a difference than what’s served in domestic F. Yes the quantity of food is a bit more substantial, but even the way it was plated, suggests a “half-assed” attempt without even the garnish.
The FA came around taking orders, but rather than asking for my first choice and second, made it a point to say “we have GS and 1Ks on this flight so they will get to have the limited selections first, since you are only Platinum.” Yes, I realize that is a benefit for them, but it could have been delivered a bit more tactfully, instead of implying that my paid J seat was somehow less important than someone else just because they had status. In fact even when I’ve flown in the past as a nonrev, it’s been communicated with a bit more class.
Nonetheless, this is what I ate. I ordered the short rib, it was a bit on the overdone side. Not digging the whole cart in the aisles for delivery vs the previous hand delivery. Nothing was said about the lack of true ice cream sundaes, instead the sorbet was the only option.
Chalking this as a one off and not necessarily indicative of a larger “enhancement”.
I’ll echo the impression that somehow any budget for menu updates or improvements has pretty much gone to get the Polaris Lounges up and going. Not to say that the lounges aren’t a huge differentiator with respect to other airlines Business Class lounge offerings, but having flown Polaris a month after product launch, and experiencing it yesterday, about the only memorable aspect were the seat on the 77W and the lounge at SFO.
As for for the meals, I can’t really stress that there is that huge of a difference than what’s served in domestic F. Yes the quantity of food is a bit more substantial, but even the way it was plated, suggests a “half-assed” attempt without even the garnish.
The FA came around taking orders, but rather than asking for my first choice and second, made it a point to say “we have GS and 1Ks on this flight so they will get to have the limited selections first, since you are only Platinum.” Yes, I realize that is a benefit for them, but it could have been delivered a bit more tactfully, instead of implying that my paid J seat was somehow less important than someone else just because they had status. In fact even when I’ve flown in the past as a nonrev, it’s been communicated with a bit more class.
Nonetheless, this is what I ate. I ordered the short rib, it was a bit on the overdone side. Not digging the whole cart in the aisles for delivery vs the previous hand delivery. Nothing was said about the lack of true ice cream sundaes, instead the sorbet was the only option.
Sep 7, 2018, 8:55 am
#705
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DCA, IAD (not BWI if I can help it)
Programs: UA 1MM 1K, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Explorist, status-free on AA, AS, B6, DL, WN, Amtrak, etc.
Posts: 1,481
UA 106 IAD-MUC, 8/27/18
777-200
A week and a half late with this, but anyway... the one new-to-me item on this list was the poached shrimp, so I picked that. The sauce reminded me of the Asian fusion chicken/spicy chicken/whatever they'll call it on the next menu cycle, and that was a good thing. This was also not as filling as I suspect the short rib would have been. Skipped breakfast because I knew I had two hours to spare in the LH lounge--which turned out to be three when my connecting flight canceled and I got to spend an extra hour in MUC.
777-200
A week and a half late with this, but anyway... the one new-to-me item on this list was the poached shrimp, so I picked that. The sauce reminded me of the Asian fusion chicken/spicy chicken/whatever they'll call it on the next menu cycle, and that was a good thing. This was also not as filling as I suspect the short rib would have been. Skipped breakfast because I knew I had two hours to spare in the LH lounge--which turned out to be three when my connecting flight canceled and I got to spend an extra hour in MUC.