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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 theyve 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 itll 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
Entres
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 entre 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 countrys 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. Whats 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 well 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 Were 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 8, 2018, 4:45 pm
  #61  
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
I am furious just reading this - did you escalate to a purser or another FA to get those items for you? That kind of snarky reply is absolutely unacceptable.
She WAS the purser. I was so angry because I know they go quickly,and I told her that. My first request was met with a luke warm "ok let me know when you are ready" HINT (I am ready now that's why I am asking). I gave her ample time, and asked again, she said we give them out after the meal. I said I know there aren't enough for everyone so I would like it now. She said, they stock one for each pax (which I doubt). Still nothing. I asked a third time to someone else. Purser returns in a huff, no smile, and hands them to me. I would think she would be proud of this offering since it's quite substantial.

Made me regret booking my PVG trip in a few weeks on UA instead of NH.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:00 pm
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by cranky1K
I miss the noodle soup.
I guess I will be bringing some ramen noodles with me on my upcoming SFO-HKG in March.

And the only reason why we are flying on UA is so my traveling partner can get lifetime miles, even though SQ C was the same price. Arrgh.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:21 pm
  #63  
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Originally Posted by fgirard
And the only reason why we are flying on UA is so my traveling partner can get lifetime miles, even though SQ C was the same price. Arrgh.
I hope your sacrifice is recognized.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:25 pm
  #64  
 
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Originally Posted by EWR764
I think the hot bites have been removed from the EU westbound flights but should still be offered TPAC and other longhaul, like TLV.
Just asked a couple FA friend and this is the consensus.

Example SFO-ICN will still have them. ORD-MUC, no.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:28 pm
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I hope your sacrifice is recognized.
It was because we are flying back on the NH NRT-LAX.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:38 pm
  #66  
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My Polaris flight from late January (SFO - PEK) in J, as well as non-Polaris return trip (PEK - EWR) in J both had wine carts. Slept through mid-snack. Food overall were pretty good.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:47 pm
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Originally Posted by DawgmanOH
I don't understand why they didn't just keep the drink cart that was used pre-Polaris. It was much simpler and more efficient. At least IMHO.
Or keep the pre-Polaris non-shattering ice cream sundae bowl!
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:51 pm
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Originally Posted by rflor


I had Hot Bites options on my TLV-EWR flight yesterday a lobster curry and tomato soup/grilled cheese. Had the lobster curry, and it was excellent.
they served lobster on a tlv flight? interesting
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 5:51 pm
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Originally Posted by LC757
I have a 15 hour EWR-PVG next week. If hot bites are indeed gone, that's a downgrade from the mid flight hot noodle soup service they had on TPACs prior to the Polaris rollout.
C'mon Man! I liked the hot noodles.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 10, 2018 at 1:39 am Reason: repaired quote
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 6:00 pm
  #70  
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Originally Posted by aCavalierInCoach
they served lobster on a tlv flight? interesting
I'm sure it just flew off the shelves No one from catering takes a moment to use their brain and figure out what food should and should not go on which routes? What's next, the Japanese washoku set served on IAD-FRA?

I guess the crew was happy with their snack bounty
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 6:07 pm
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I've about had it with this airline. I've been a strong supporter of United, and think most of the people that work there are good people who want to create a pleasant experience, but this is getting ridiculous. The Polaris experience, when first rolled out, looked promising. A year in and we've seen it is not promising at all. The lounge situation is a disaster, the cutbacks in the air are already there, and the planes won't have the new seats fully for a long time.

Just recently reached 1MM. Might be time for me to switch over to AA with a status match. Tried defending this airline a long time, but the Dao disaster, the cutbacks, the failures of rolling out Polaris are becoming too much. Live in DC area so UA always gave me the best options, also think *A is the best alliance out there. But AA is looking like a real possibility for me soon.

End rant.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 6:31 pm
  #72  
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Originally Posted by UAL250
I've about had it with this airline. I've been a strong supporter of United, and think most of the people that work there are good people who want to create a pleasant experience, but this is getting ridiculous. The Polaris experience, when first rolled out, looked promising. A year in and we've seen it is not promising at all. The lounge situation is a disaster, the cutbacks in the air are already there, and the planes won't have the new seats fully for a long time.

Just recently reached 1MM. Might be time for me to switch over to AA with a status match. Tried defending this airline a long time, but the Dao disaster, the cutbacks, the failures of rolling out Polaris are becoming too much. Live in DC area so UA always gave me the best options, also think *A is the best alliance out there. But AA is looking like a real possibility for me soon.

End rant.
It's no rant, these are all very valid points - what it comes down to is Polaris has been a horrible disaster - terrible rollout, no product consistency, almost immediate cutbacks that continue through today, domestic F catering has now been cratered, and the bottom line appears they just don't feel any need or desire to compete - this entire airline's culture today, managed from the top down, appears to scream "why bother?"

Yes, the Polaris seat is a vast improvement, but look what it replaced! Now it's just barely on-par with seats from other airlines - Air Canada's 787 is similar, BR's now long-in-the-tooth RL seat is similar, the new Delta seat is potentially even better - there is just nothing to differentiate Polaris from any other airline's 2018 business product, and with the cutbacks, it falls behind products that have been out for years. On ANA, I can ask for an endless number of hot and cold snacks mid-flight - it's been that way for years - and I will get them served with a bow and a smile. What do I get on Polaris? Fighting for a pillow and mattress pad that is already waiting for me at my ANA or BR seat? Fishing through the same pile of un-eaten desserts, cheese plates, potato chips and raisins that most other airlines wouldn't dare set out in their galleys mid-flight?

Like you, I want United to succeed - but it appears as if every time there is a moment of hope, a spark of progress, they hire some moron (ie, Kirby this time around) who throws a bucket of water on the plan, turns the place into a miserable train-wreck, ruins the product for everyone, then finally bails with a multi-million dollar parachute.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 7:10 pm
  #73  
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Originally Posted by Repooc17
My Polaris flight from late January (SFO - PEK) in J, as well as non-Polaris return trip (PEK - EWR) in J both had wine carts. Slept through mid-snack. Food overall were pretty good.
Was there still the wine flight offered as well?
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 7:14 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
I am furious just reading this - did you escalate to a purser or another FA to get those items for you? That kind of snarky reply is absolutely unacceptable.
i have started getting my own lately. I just go to the bin and remove then sit back down
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 7:22 pm
  #75  
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Originally Posted by Collierkr


i have started getting my own lately. I just go to the bin and remove then sit back down
Is everything stored in the same bin (pj, pillow, pad), or are they in different locations? Would you share which bin you found them on, or PM me if you don't want to state it publicly? I would rather just grab a pillow, pad and pajamas myself the moment I board, and be done with it.
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