EWR Polaris club makes CNN "luxury 8" list
Feb 7, 2019, 6:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Wayne, NJ USA
Programs: UA Million Miler, Lifetime United Club member
Posts: 2,174
EWR Polaris club makes CNN "luxury 8" list
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/l...ges/index.html
And it's the only US lounge on the list. Well deserved. But such a shame that the reason for being in a Polaris Lounge (a flight on an airplane) is being "enhanced" bit by stingy bit.
And it's the only US lounge on the list. Well deserved. But such a shame that the reason for being in a Polaris Lounge (a flight on an airplane) is being "enhanced" bit by stingy bit.
Feb 7, 2019, 9:23 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/l...ges/index.html
And it's the only US lounge on the list. Well deserved. But such a shame that the reason for being in a Polaris Lounge (a flight on an airplane) is being "enhanced" bit by stingy bit.
And it's the only US lounge on the list. Well deserved. But such a shame that the reason for being in a Polaris Lounge (a flight on an airplane) is being "enhanced" bit by stingy bit.
Feb 7, 2019, 9:24 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,000
Don't hire the writer as a personal shopper:
"United won't comment on ticket pricing, but a quick look online reveals that fares vary depending on the route. A recent search for a business class flight between New York and Hong Kong showed tickets starting at $15,000 round-trip."
"United won't comment on ticket pricing, but a quick look online reveals that fares vary depending on the route. A recent search for a business class flight between New York and Hong Kong showed tickets starting at $15,000 round-trip."
Feb 7, 2019, 9:32 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
My opinion - lie flat and some drinks and basic food if hungry is all I need. If onboard cuts fund the Polaris lounges, I'm all for it - I'd rather spend time in the lounge and its selections than eat anything warmed and served in the sky.
Feb 7, 2019, 9:46 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
I predict it will take a year or so for the effects of this approach to become apparent, and then there will be an adjustment back towards more decent on-board catering.
Feb 7, 2019, 10:04 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
Don't hire the writer as a personal shopper:
"United won't comment on ticket pricing, but a quick look online reveals that fares vary depending on the route. A recent search for a business class flight between New York and Hong Kong showed tickets starting at $15,000 round-trip."
"United won't comment on ticket pricing, but a quick look online reveals that fares vary depending on the route. A recent search for a business class flight between New York and Hong Kong showed tickets starting at $15,000 round-trip."
Feb 8, 2019, 8:17 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Montréal, Canada
Posts: 1,610
Perhaps not the FC lounges. However, I am currently sitting in the HKIA SilverKris lounge, and believe me, the Polaris lounges are miles ahead in every regard. Coincidentally, I was in the WR Polaris lounge a few hours ago and mentioned the article to Daniel, one of the managers, as well as a couple of the servers with whom I am familiar. None of them were aware of the write up. In all honesty, it is really a fluff piece.
Feb 8, 2019, 9:25 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
In the past two weeks, I’ve been in the Polaris lounges in IAH, LAX, & SFO, the SilverKris lounges in SYD & SIN (Terminal 2), the SATS lounge in SIN & the Air New Zealand Lounge in SYD. The Polaris lounges aren’t in the same league as the others I mentioned - the Polaris lounges are leagues ahead of them. In fact, IMO, Polaris Lounges are much better than the LH Senator Lounges in IAD, FRA, & MUC, OS Senator Lounge in Vienna, TK Lounge at IAD, & slightly better than the LX Senator Lounge in ZRH (Terminal E).
Feb 8, 2019, 9:57 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,293
ummm... I didnt write the list comparing Polaris to First Class lounges ... CNN did.
Feb 8, 2019, 10:17 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
Feb 8, 2019, 10:38 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,293
yes, the Polaris lounge, as nice as it is for a US airline lounge, does not make the top 8 lounges in the world as identified by the article - thats the context, the article.
Feb 8, 2019, 11:37 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: UA GS ,QF Plat
Posts: 686
Agreed, very generous reporting , I have not been in the Virgin lounge in years but I have been in the others recently, The danger of putting them on the list is that there is an automatic comparison of quality and they are different universes compared to UA. The UA space is pretty nice (US basis) food product quality....meh ..........food in the QF business lounge in BNE beats EWR
Last edited by wanderingkev; Feb 8, 2019 at 11:43 am
