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Old Apr 25, 2018, 1:48 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: SPN Lifer
SFO Polaris Lounge Reopened - 4 January 2022

United Airlines Unveils United Polaris Lounge at San Francisco International Airport
Lounge is first of four United Polaris lounges expected to open this year

SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2018
-- Beginning April 30, customers traveling in United Polaris, the airline's international premium cabin travel experience, will be able to relax and dine prior to their travels or refresh upon arrival in the new United Polaris lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) conveniently located in the International Terminal near Gate G92.
....
United Polaris Lounge at SFO Facts & Highlights
  • Two levels across more than 28,000 square feet
  • 440 seats
  • 19 different types of seating
  • 492 power outlets and 492 USB ports
  • 8 pieces of art by prominent Bay Area artists, all San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art (SECA) Art Award honorees
  • 5 private daybeds outfitted with Saks Fifth Avenue bedding
  • 8 luxurious shower suites, featuring rainfall showers and Soho House & Co's Cowshed Spa products
  • Personal valet services, including steaming garments
  • "The Dining Room" – a private restaurant style dining area with a menu designed by Chef Tritia Gestuvo, a California native, that blends international comfort foods — such as a traditional Chinese congee breakfast and hand-cut pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragout — with staples like the United Polaris Burger
  • A bistro-like buffet that includes a ramen noodle bar in the afternoon and additional unique-to-San Francisco treats that align with the flight schedule and destinations of United and Star Alliance partners
  • Cocktails inspired by the Bay Area, including the Mai Tai, invented in Oakland in 1944, and the Pisco Punch, featuring pisco which became all the rage during the California Gold Rush of 1849
....
For more photos of the United Polaris lounge at SFO, visit the United Newsroom
Originally Posted by djsflynn
... Also and for those interested, here's a link to download a PDF (10.5MB) copy of the Polaris SFO menus, as provided to media in the press pack: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jjv4i9s97g...0Menu.pdf?dl=0
Access to Polaris lounges (source):


update 29 Sept 2017, effective 1 Oct 2017
Trans-border flights (Canada, Mexico, ..) for UA and partner flights do not qualify

Departure: The airport you are leaving on an international J/F flight* from, i.e. SFO-TPE
Connecting: The airport to or from which you have a short-haul flight to connect to a longer flight, i.e. LAX-SFO-NRT or NRT-SFO-LAX
Arrival: The airport you arrive at after your long-haul flight, i.e. NRT-SFO

Hours - 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily
reportedly a la carte dining closes at 9PM

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SFO Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..

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Old Aug 5, 2022, 2:00 pm
  #1006  
 
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Originally Posted by chemengin
Aug 05, 9am - crowd was fairly sparse, 5 min wait for the restaurant. It's currently 12pm and it is a complete zoo in here. Wait for the restaurant is 1 hour.
Is 12-1pm typically peak hour there? In general, when are the peak and off-peak hours for the lounge restaurant?
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 2:23 pm
  #1007  
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Originally Posted by sfvoyage
Is 12-1pm typically peak hour there? In general, when are the peak and off-peak hours for the lounge restaurant?
Yes, roughly around then. Most of the *A long haul flights depart early-mid afternoon from SFO, both to Asia and Europe.
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 5:53 pm
  #1008  
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Originally Posted by GoSh4rks
Yes, roughly around then. Most of the *A long haul flights depart early-mid afternoon from SFO, both to Asia and Europe.
Most of the European-bound traffic is mid-afternoon to early evening. There's only a couple of European departures that affect 12-1pm crowding. The composition is mostly TPAC, a few departing TATLs, and a good chunk of arriving Polaris pasengers who are connecting.
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 6:19 pm
  #1009  
 
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
Most of the European-bound traffic is mid-afternoon to early evening. There's only a couple of European departures that affect 12-1pm crowding. The composition is mostly TPAC, a few departing TATLs, and a good chunk of arriving Polaris pasengers who are connecting.
So are you saying the peak hours are from mid to late afternoon (and not so much 12-1pm)?
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 6:35 pm
  #1010  
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
Most of the European-bound traffic is mid-afternoon to early evening. There's only a couple of European departures that affect 12-1pm crowding. The composition is mostly TPAC, a few departing TATLs, and a good chunk of arriving Polaris pasengers who are connecting.
There are 1-2-3 PM UA TATL departures from SFO and some early evening
UA901 LHR 12:30 pm
UA194 MUC 1:40 pm
UA58 FRA 1:55 pm
UA44 ZRH 2:15 pm
UA968 AMS 2:45 pm
UA990 CDG 3:05 pm
....

With TPAC down, suspect there are more TATL PL passengers than TPAC in the early afternoon
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 8, 2022 at 11:32 am
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 6:47 pm
  #1011  
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Originally Posted by sfvoyage
So are you saying the peak hours are from mid to late afternoon (and not so much 12-1pm)?
No - definitely wavish (pre-pandemic). Seemed lunchtime and mid-afternoon.
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Old Aug 6, 2022, 1:51 am
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
There are 1-2-3 PM UA TATL departures from SFO and some early evening
UA901 LHR 12:30 pm
UA194 MUC 1:40 pm
UA58 FRA 1:55 pm
UA44 ZUR 2:15 pm
UA968 AMS 2:45 pm
UA990 CDG 3:05 pm
....

With TPAC down, suspect there are more TATL PL passengers than TPAC in the early afternoon
In addition, pax on LH455 to FRA at 2:40pm are eligible to use the PL.
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 11:42 am
  #1013  
hch
 
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I was there for a very short visit on Aug 3rd just before 7pm before heading out to MUC. Seemed fairly crowded but not actually overcrowded. The buffet food selection seemed to be worse than the new UC in EWR that I visited the week before. I did not have anywhere near enough time to even look a the real restaurant menu.
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 11:44 am
  #1014  
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
No - definitely wavish (pre-pandemic). Seemed lunchtime and mid-afternoon.
The busiest I've ever seen Polaris SFO is in the 6-7:30 pm timeframe, before the bank of evening TATLs. The UC in G is also a mess during this period (turn around and walk-out bad).
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 11:53 am
  #1015  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
The busiest I've ever seen Polaris SFO is in the 6-7:30 pm timeframe, before the bank of evening TATLs. The UC in G is also a mess during this period (turn around and walk-out bad).
Better than walking out mad.

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Old Aug 7, 2022, 2:43 pm
  #1016  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
The busiest I've ever seen Polaris SFO is in the 6-7:30 pm timeframe, before the bank of evening TATLs. The UC in G is also a mess during this period (turn around and walk-out bad).
Interesting--was this pre-pandemic or during?

Right now, the only PL-eligible flights I can think of during the early evening are FRA, LHR, TLV, ZRH (LX), and IST (TK), plus anyone showing up early for SIN, SYD, MEL, and MUC (LH). Pre-pandemic, I can't think of more PL-eligible flights during the same timeframe.

I still think the early afternoon "should" still have the most PL-eligible flights and pax. You have FRA x2 (UA, LH), LHR, MUC, ZRH, CDG, AMS, PPT, and TPE.
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 2:54 pm
  #1017  
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I'm sure UA could provide a average daily admittance instances vs time of day (if they wanted to ...).

And a average daily denial count and rate (vs admittance). Just morbid curiousity....

Originally Posted by Kacee
The busiest I've ever seen Polaris SFO is in the 6-7:30 pm timeframe, before the bank of evening TATLs. The UC in G is also a mess during this period (turn around and walk-out bad).
Yeah, I see it building mid/late afternoon. Definetely more of a "Europe" crowd than the noon time rush.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 7, 2022 at 3:21 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 3:05 pm
  #1018  
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Originally Posted by dkc192
I still think the early afternoon "should" still have the most PL-eligible flights and pax. You have FRA x2 (UA, LH), LHR, MUC, ZRH, CDG, AMS, PPT, and TPE.
I think the evening flights generate more lounge traffic just due to the time of day. Think post-work drinks and appetizers.
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 3:23 pm
  #1019  
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I'm a bit confused, are we talking about preCOVID usage or recent usage patterns, I would suspect that can be quite different and the initial query was on an upcoming trip.
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Old Aug 7, 2022, 3:35 pm
  #1020  
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
I'm a bit confused, are we talking about preCOVID usage or recent usage patterns, I would suspect that can be quite different and the initial query was on an upcoming trip.
I imagine so.
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