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[Rumor] More Polaris "Enhancements" coming May 1, 2018? ...

Old Mar 25, 2018, 4:42 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Originally Posted by EWR764
Word is out on another site (not my post) regarding a company memo about the May 1 "enhancements".

POLARIS SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS
Frequently Asked Questions

1. When do the service updates go into effect?
A: The service updates are effective May 1, 2018, on all long-haul international flights.

2. Why are we making changes to our United Polaris® service?
A: Customers have positively received our United Polaris lounge, and this year we are opening more United Polaris lounges beginning this summer in San Francisco, Houston and New York/Newark and in the fall, Los Angeles. As we continue to add more lounges, we want to take into account the feedback that customers have given us — they’ve emphasized their desire to rest and relax during their journey, especially onboard. The updates to the service flow will allow us to continue providing a premium product with high-quality food, wine, amenities and more, but it’ll be delivered in a more efficient way.

3. What is the new international United Polaris meal service flow?
A: The meal service flow for both first and business class will be the same:
Pre-departure
• Pre-poured sparkling wine, orange juice and water offered from a silver tray, with other beverages available upon request.
Main meal service
• Hot towels
• Linen placement
• Pre-meal beverage cart
• Appetizer and salad cart
• Bread and beverage refills
• Entrées
• Bread and beverage refills
• Dessert and pre-plated cheese cart
• Individual water bottles with hang tags
Mid-flight service (when applicable)
• Display mid-flight snacks on console, self-service unit, fold-down trays or galley countertop.
• Heat and serve hot on-demand items (when applicable) upon customer request.
Pre-arrival service
• Hot towels
• Pre-arrival tray setup with entrée and choice of beverage
• Breads and pastries

4. Will we be able to offer other pre-departure beverages?
A: Yes, upon customer request fulfill other pre-departure beverages in accordance with each departure country’s pre-departure liquor procedures. Refer to the Flight Attendant Policies and Procedures Manual to determine if you are allowed to open beverage carts/carriers that contain alcohol on the ground.

5. Is there still a chocolate offered during pre-departure?
A: Pre-departure chocolates/dessert will be catered on the pre-arrival tray instead for customers to enjoy during or after their flight.

6. What’s changing with the Bloody Mary and wine specialty beverage carts?
A: Wines and Bloody Marys will continue to be available upon request, but the dedicated cart service will change. This was a common flight attendant suggestion for improvement. A new branded cart cover is being sourced to improve presentation in the aisle and will be available shortly after launch.

7. Can we still offer wine tastings?
A: Absolutely. Although the wine arches with the 3 tastings will not be boarded, we can continue to honor customers’ requests to sample select wines.

8. What about the United Polaris first class soup and salad course?
A: The salad and appetizer will be delivered at the same time on a tray setup, instead of having a soup course.

9. What about the turndown service?
A: We will continue to offer the turndown service upon request.

10. Will Express Dining continue to be offered?
A: Yes, Express Dining will continue to be offered and can be requested and delivered at any point during the flight.

11. Will we continue to offer the mini desserts and fruit and cheese?
A: The mini desserts will continue to be offered from the three-tier cart with the signature ice cream service. In addition, pre-plated cheese will be added to the dessert cart. To make room for the fruit and cheese on the dessert cart, the specialty tea box will be removed from the cart, although specialty teas will continue to be available from the galley.

12. Are there any updates to the mid-flight and pre-arrival services?
A: There will be a few updates to both the mid-flight and pre-arrival service.
Mid-flight service (when available) – While we’ll no longer have formal presentation of mid-flight snacks, snack provisioning levels will remain the same and will continue to be displayed near the galley as is done today. Hang tags advising the customers that mid-flight snacks are available will be added to the individual bottle waters distributed after the main meal service. Hot snack items, when available, will also be delivered upon request.
Pre-arrival service – We’re removing tray table linens to reduce trips through the aisle. The tray itself will continue to have a linen liner. The pre-departure chocolate/dessert will be catered on the pre-arrival tray for customers to enjoy during or after the flight.

13. Will there be any new service items introduced to support the new United Polaris service?
A: Yes, there are a few new elements that will be introduced, including:
Cart covers – Similar to some of our competitors, branded cart covers for both the half and full carts will be boarded for use in the aisle on both the beverage and meal tray carts. Cart covers will be available shortly after launch.
Hang tags – To be placed on individual bottle waters at the end of the main meal service to advise customers that mid-flight snacks are available.

14. Will we be changing the domestic meal service procedures to align with the new United Polaris service (e.g. pre-poured pre-departure beverages)?
A: We will continue listening to the feedback of our customers and our flight attendants and will adjust our processes where necessary to deliver the best service for our customers.
Some key points:

- Return of the salad/appetizer cart, although I suspect it's just going to be the meal cart with a fancy cover, to reduce the number of galley trips with hand-run trays
- Beverage carts coming back to the aisle (similar to DL and the former 3-cabin sUA business class service) with branded cart covers
- Soup is gone in Polaris First (so no more differentiation; the product isn't expected to last the full year, anyway)
- Wine tasting arches are gone
- No bloody mary carts (already announced)
- Hot bites will stay
- Bread refills to be offered (return of the bread basket?)
- Pre-departure chocolates returned to the pre-arrival tray

In many ways, this is going to look like the former three-cabin BusinessFirst service with nicer linens and serviceware. Overall, not the sweeping change (or depth of cuts) I was expecting. No word on provisioning of the other items (gel pillows, mattress pads, slippers, PJs, etc.)
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[Rumor] More Polaris "Enhancements" coming May 1, 2018? ...

Old Feb 9, 2018, 7:46 pm
  #151  
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Originally Posted by milepig


I fly out of ORD and mainly fly to LHR, AMS and CDG. Please list the plethora of other *alliance nonstop options. I seem to have overloooked them.
he didn’t say nonstop. You can take NH via NRT to LHR.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 7:51 pm
  #152  
 
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Originally Posted by milepig


I fly out of ORD and mainly fly to LHR, AMS and CDG. Please list the plethora of other *alliance nonstop options. I seem to have overloooked them.
Wait. Where did I say nonstop? Whoops, I didn't
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 7:59 pm
  #153  
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Originally Posted by adambrau
Wait. Where did I say nonstop? Whoops, I didn't
I get that but having to transfer is automatically a downside. Not the same category. I could fly to AMS via FRA on LH, or other options and spend many more hours enroute. Not a valid comparison.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 8:00 pm
  #154  
 
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer


this is all a red herring

United made certain statements regarding Polaris and its benefits. Now they are either half arse fulfilling THEIR commitments or are removing the commit altogether. In some cases without any mention.

The price of the ticket is 100% irrelevant.

The points being made are to see UA live up to its promise. Or for them to be open and honest about no longer being able to do so. Nothing more or less.
UA put out a press release some 2 years ago about the Polaris experiment. A PR release is not a promise. By any means. Levels of service will be constantly adapted to an ever-changing business environment. Seems reasonable to me?
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 8:05 pm
  #155  
 
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Originally Posted by milepig


I get that but having to transfer is automatically a downside. Not the same category. I could fly to AMS via FRA on LH, or other options and spend many more hours enroute. Not a valid comparison.
And neither is it UA's fault that they are the only *a provider to a Skyteam or OneWorld major hub.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 8:14 pm
  #156  
 
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Originally Posted by adambrau
UA put out a press release some 2 years ago about the Polaris experiment. A PR release is not a promise. By any means. Levels of service will be constantly adapted to an ever-changing business environment. Seems reasonable to me?
Press release ? They did a multi-city dog and pony show and a massive media campaign about the Polaris service they were offering. There are still misleading posters in the United Club in Denver showing the fabulous Polaris service.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 8:23 pm
  #157  
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Originally Posted by adambrau
If UA Polaris is so terrible aren't there a plethora of other *A Int'l business options you can choose.
Yup. And many of us will be. Or moving to different alliances.

Originally Posted by adambrau
UA put out a press release some 2 years ago about the Polaris experiment.
Now it's an "experiment"? l don't recall seeing Polaris referred to as an "experiment" anywhere in UA's extensive marketing campaign.
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 10, 2018 at 2:08 am Reason: overly personalized comment removed
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 8:33 pm
  #158  
 
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Ironic that Polaris is migrating from being only soft product enhancements with no hard product enhancements (seats, lounges) to only hard product enhancements as the planes and lounges come more online this year and all the soft enhancements disappear.

My personal tear shed moment is for the wine flights. For all the complaining here, I have found them surprisingly consistent and available. I have yet to be on a flight when they weren’t. I love them.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 8:42 pm
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Yup. And many of us will be. Or moving to different alliances.

Now it's an "experiment"? l don't recall seeing Polaris referred to as an "experiment" anywhere in UA's extensive marketing campaign.
I am not United. The changes UA proposed with merging Global First and Business First into Polaris is a bold endeavor, and so while 'experiment' is my term one could substitute it with several other terms.

Originally Posted by FlyfromDenver
Press release ? They did a multi-city dog and pony show and a massive media campaign about the Polaris service they were offering. There are still misleading posters in the United Club in Denver showing the fabulous Polaris service.
A press release is normally issued first followed by some sort of Adverting and Public Relations campaign. Unfortunately I haven't been to Denver in a long time and I am not a member of the United Club because they suck. And yes United did a huge 'dog and pony show' to promote Polaris, I can't disagree. Nor can I disagree on the how slow the rollout of Polaris has been. But Bloody Mary cart and dropping 'hot bites' USA to Europe, which I gather are the main changes confirmed thus far, do not a promise-broken make.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 10, 2018 at 2:19 am Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member;quote updated to reflect Mod edit; removed response to deleted material
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 9:25 pm
  #160  
 
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Originally Posted by cerealmarketer
What I have noticed is the wine selection in UA biz is better this year - let's see if that holds. My biggest gripe is going back to the plain main course selections from the more inventive first gen Polaris attempts.
To your point: on UA 879 today LHR/IAH Champagne Drappier, Carte d’Or. Very tasty!
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 9:30 pm
  #161  
 
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Polaris was a marketing campaign that made lots of promises with specific timelines. Go back and look at it. They did not deliver. Was it just puffery? Was it an inability of the corporation to execute on its promises? Did they decide that it didn’t matter to their corporate contracts? I don’t know. Personally, I think that discrepancy between promise and delivery has hurt their image. I will still fly them if they are the cheapest international business class, since what I need is a lie-flat seat. If they are the same price as other airlines, I know I will have a better experience on another airline. But here is the thing. Is that the route to maximizing profits? Count me skeptical.
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 10, 2018 at 2:22 am Reason: Let's stay away from characteristing posters
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 9:34 pm
  #162  
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Originally Posted by BeanTownBoy
To your point: on UA 879 today LHR/IAH Champagne Drappier, Carte d’Or. Very tasty!
Lucky you. What else was on offer and how far beyond “we have red or white, which would you like” did it go? Was the glass refilled without flagging down a FA and begging for more?
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 9:42 pm
  #163  
 
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Originally Posted by milepig


I get that but having to transfer is automatically a downside. Not the same category. I could fly to AMS via FRA on LH, or other options and spend many more hours enroute. Not a valid comparison.
I agree with you. It's not a valid comparison. And even worse for me, my employer would not reimburse my ticket. I can only fly a non-US airline if there are no US airlines flying to that destination. Even needed once to justify why I flew from FRA to VIE on OS......
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 10:23 pm
  #164  
 
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Originally Posted by StuckinITH
I agree with you. It's not a valid comparison. And even worse for me, my employer would not reimburse my ticket. I can only fly a non-US airline if there are no US airlines flying to that destination. Even needed once to justify why I flew from FRA to VIE on OS......

It's totally valid. If the only *A nonstop is belowpar (i.e. UA) and a *A connection is untenable, and no other airline or alliance flies the 3 given examples, then one has to make their own judgement call on pain versus connection.

Originally Posted by Artpen100
Polaris was a marketing campaign that made lots of promises with specific timelines. Go back and look at it. They did not deliver. Was it just puffery? Was it an inability of the corporation to execute on its promises? Did they decide that it didn’t matter to their corporate contracts? I don’t know. Personally, I think that discrepancy between promise and delivery has hurt their image. I will still fly them if they are the cheapest international business class, since what I need is a lie-flat seat. If they are the same price as other airlines, I know I will have a better experience on another airline. But here is the thing. Is that the route to maximizing profits? Count me skeptical.

All we have lost so far is a Bloody Mary cart and loss of hot bites eastbound TATL so far, that we know of. Could there be more cuts - yes likely. Knowing one will have a better experience on any other carrier than United, then the only logic possible is that one only cares about price if one is still flying on UA.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 10, 2018 at 2:26 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member; removed snark; discuss the issue, not the posters
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 10:36 pm
  #165  
 
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Originally Posted by milepig


Lucky you. What else was on offer and how far beyond “we have red or white, which would you like” did it go? Was the glass refilled without flagging down a FA and begging for more?
I can beat that ... had my white wine (with a few sips left) refilled with red not too long ago. I guess I shouldn't complain about a refill actually being offered but it was also not a "blend" I had tried before.
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