Jul 25, 2018, 12:08 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

The Polaris Lounge is United's Business class lounge for passengers in premium cabins on long-haul flights only. It is separate from the United Club locations and the arrivals lounge in SFO.

Currently there are PLs in EWR, IAD, IAH, LAX, ORD, and SFO.

Quick Guide to "Do I get access?"

Are you in Polaris (Business) class on a long-haul United metal flight to/from Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, French Polynesia, or one of these South American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru?

You get access at all airports the same-day. It does not matter if your flights are on the same ticket or same cabin.
"Same-day" is ambiguous and is interpreted differently by different agents with respect to itineraries that include an overnight connection. YMMV and this thread has examples both ways.
No guests. Unless on F on a partner.
Though not stated by United, includes AKL (Auckland, New Zealand) when service begins.
Examples:
- EWR-SFO-NRT, if SFO-NRT is on UA you get access in EWR and SFO
- NRT-SFO-EWR, if NRT-SFO is on UA you get access in SFO and EWR, even if SFO-EWR is a separate Y ticket.

Are you in Business/First class on a long-haul *A partner metal flight to/from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, Middle East, or one of these South American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru?

You get access only at the airport where the long-haul flight departs.
At other airports along your route, you may have access to the United Club or other *A lounges. See here: Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread
Though not on United's stated list, access includes long-haul partner flights to Africa, Middle East, New Zealand, etc.
Guests: First Class (on flights with both First and Business cabins) only: you can bring 1 guest. Business class 0 guests.
Examples:
- EWR-SFO-NRT, if SFO-NRT is on NH you get access only in SFO, not at EWR
- NRT-SFO-EWR, if NRT-SFO is on NH you don't get any Polaris Lounge access because there is no Polaris Lounge in NRT, and you aren't eligible for SFO or EWR.

Are you on a United or partner short-haul international flight to/from Guam, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, or Ecuador?

You do not get access to the Polaris Lounge. However, you may qualify for access to the United Club. See here: Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread

Are you in Premium Economy, Economy Plus, or Economy on any flight?

You do not get access, unless you are connecting to/from a flight that gets access as described above.

Are you on a United domestic flight, including P.S. flights EWR-LAX, EWR-SFO, BOS-SFO?

You do not get access to the Polaris Lounge, even if you're flying in First on a wide-body plane with lie-flat "Polaris" style seats, unless you are connecting to/from a flight that gets access as described above.

Can I get access through status, membership, one-time pass, or any other method?

What else do it need for access?

~~Reports indicate that most PL's require a passport in addition to boarding pass for access. Some~~ locations may accept other forms of ID (driver's license, etc.). This appears to be a response to possible fraudulent attempts at access (e.g., double printing BPs for friends).

If eligible for access, who can I guest?

Only those departing on a *A airline in long-haul Int'l First on a plane w/ First and Business classes has guesting privileges. One guest only, and that guest must be departing on same flight, in any class..
Those in Polaris or qualifying International Business cannot guest another passenger.
~~If you are in an old Global First seat in United Polaris class, you cannot guest another passenger.~~ No longer relevant

More info

UA website outlining access for Polaris Lounge access

Photo ID required?There have been numerous reports from all Polaris Lounges of a photo ID being requested upon entry. Apparently, there have been some attempts to enter the PL with another person's BP (such as a traveling companion's). Recently there are reports that only a passport (not driver's license) is accepted at some lounges. More recent reports are UA has dropped the passport id requirement

Related Threads:
~~Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread)~~
ORD Polaris lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
SFO Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
EWR Polaris lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
IAH Polaris lounge (E11/12 - top fl) -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
LAX Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
IAD Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
~~United Polaris-New Business Class seats & in-flight service and new Polaris Lounges(wiki) (thread)}~~

Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread

Archive: Consolidated "Polaris Lounge Access Questions" Thread {Archive}

Consolidated "Polaris Lounge Access Questions" Thread

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Apr 4, 2024, 7:44 am

#631

Kacee

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2013

Location: PHX

Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)

Posts: 56,418

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fennario

One more question about access at LAX...while connecting on a LH F ticket and with LH SEN status I would hope that there might be some kind of lounge available to me in Terminal 7.

A non UA *G, you are allowed United Club access prior to any UA departure, domestic or international, regardless of class of service.

jsloan and SPN Lifer like this.

Apr 4, 2024, 2:48 pm

#632

The Man in Seat 9A

Join Date: Nov 2006

Location: SFO

Programs: UA 1K - 1 MM, Marriott LT-Plt, Hyatt Glb

Posts: 204

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA_Flyer

Not sure same PNR is relevant.

I believe as long as your ORD-MSP departure time is within 24 hours of the FRA-ORD flight, then you should be ok.
I have had two separate PNRs (1st flight domestic in Y) and (2nd flight in Polaris), and received Polaris Lounge Access at the 1st departure airport (the Y segment on a different PNR).
I have also had no problem accessing Polaris Lounge using the Singapore experience shared in your referenced post when traveling on separate PNRs for the domestic flight after arriving from SIN at +1 day.

Please report back with your experience.

I will certainly test and report back.

Our ORD departure is within 24 hours of our ORD arrival, it is not within 24 hours of our FRA departure.

Last edited by The Man in Seat 9A; Apr 14, 2024 at 8:19 am

Apr 4, 2024, 3:24 pm

#633

IAH-OIL-TRASH

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: Honolulu Harbor

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Posts: 15,000

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man in Seat 9A

...Our ORD departure is within 24 hours of our ORD arrival, it is not within 24 hours of our FRA departure...

That's more of a stopover. My guess is denial, but I could be wrong.

Apr 4, 2024, 7:05 pm

#634

fumje

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2015

Posts: 11,451

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man in Seat 9A

I will certainly test and report back.

Our ORD departure is within 24 hours of our ORD arrival, it is not within 24 hours of our FRA departure.

-Curtis

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH

That's more of a stopover. My guess is denial, but I could be wrong.

On an international ticket, at <24h, it's not a stopover.

I think at same airport within 24h it will be no questions admit. If you want to do a DIY check of the machine coding, you can go to the UC at C10 and see what the gates say. They'll pop up a prompt telling you you can access PL if you can.

SPN Lifer and The Man in Seat 9A like this.

Apr 4, 2024, 7:57 pm

#635

dkc192

Join Date: May 2007

Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 5,447

Yeah, whether it's a connection/layover or a stopover in city X is determined by the duration between arrival into X and departure from X, not between the departure of flight 1 A-X and the departure of flight 2 X-B.

SPN Lifer likes this.

Apr 12, 2024, 4:25 pm

#636

Weyland Yutani Corp

formerly wunderpit

Join Date: Dec 2009

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Posts: 1,337

Dumb question...but I think I understand. Taking my daughter LAX > DEN > LHR. We are in E+ LAX > DEN, and Polaris DEN > LHR. Since it's UA metal all the way, we have PL access at LAX, yes?

Apr 12, 2024, 6:46 pm

#637

jsloan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2001

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 21,362

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weyland Yutani Corp

Dumb question...but I think I understand. Taking my daughter LAX > DEN > LHR. We are in E+ LAX > DEN, and Polaris DEN > LHR. Since it's UA metal all the way, we have PL access at LAX, yes?

Correct.

SPN Lifer and Weyland Yutani Corp like this.

Apr 14, 2024, 8:24 am

#638

The Man in Seat 9A

Join Date: Nov 2006

Location: SFO

Programs: UA 1K - 1 MM, Marriott LT-Plt, Hyatt Glb

Posts: 204

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man in Seat 9A

...Next week my wife and I are flying MAD-FRA (LH Eurobiz) Day 1, FRA-ORD (Polaris) Day 2, ORD-MSP (UA F) Day 3. All on the same PNR, hotels in FRA and ORD. I'm hoping that we will be able to access ORD PL on Day 3. Not quite as contiguous as your example, but since it's the same PNR, maybe we will get a green light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man in Seat 9A

I will certainly test and report back... Our ORD departure is within 24 hours of our ORD arrival, it is not within 24 hours of our FRA departure.

To recap: Day 1: MAD-FRA LH Eurobiz, Day 2: FRA-ORD in Polaris, landed at 3pm, Day 3: Noon flight ORD-MSP in UA F. Two people on the same flights, one miles all the way, the other W class, upgraded with PlusPoints.
On Day 3 we both got green lights from the reader in ORD Polaris Lounge. The woman at entry gave a quizzical glance at my wife's ORD-MSP boarding pass but smiled an waved us on when the light came up green.

SPN Lifer, cfischer, choch345 and 3 others like this.

Apr 17, 2024, 9:48 pm

#639

uasfo

Join Date: Feb 2024

Location: SFO, SJC

Programs: UA Gold

Posts: 4

Polaris Lounge Access when Arriving on *A Partner

Hi all,

I will be arriving into LAX on an OZ flight in J, and connecting onward on a different ticket (so can get airside). Will I have access to the Polaris lounge on arrival with a same-day partner BP? I believe this should be allowed when arriving on UA, but I've previously been denied access to a UC in ORD when arriving on SK in Y (have UA *G) and connecting on a different ticket, so not sure if the policy is different for partner arrival.

TIA!