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United Polaris - New Business Class seats & inflight service {Archive}

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Old Jan 17, 2020, 6:38 pm
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Archive thread -- Active thread is United Polaris - New Business Class seats & inflight service -- 3+ years after Intro

United website - Explore: http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris-business-class/p/1
from UA's Facebook stream
Only customers traveling in United Polaris business class or United Polaris Global First on international flights and customers in Star Alliance international first or business class cabins on flights longer than six hours will have access to the United Polaris Lounge.
Official Polaris Lounge Access Rules are here: Polaris Lounge Access Rules

United Polaris Business and Polaris First pax may access the Polaris lounge at connecting airports and their final destination within 24 hours of departure or arrival.

*A international J and F pax may only access the Polaris lounge at the departure airport. For purposes of Polaris lounge access, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and Guam are excluded from the definition of "international."

Seat Chart.

Press release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300278706.html

NEW YORK, June 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the aspiration of making weary business travel a relic of the past, United Airlines today unveiled its all-new United Polaris business class, the airline's most significant product transformation in more than a decade, featuring a reimagined, sleep-enhancing, departure-to-landing experience for intercontinental travelers.

Named after the North Star, United Polaris is the shining new star of business class travel that flyers can turn to for a tranquil and restful journey.

"United Polaris will change the game in international business travel with an exceptional level of relaxation and comfort throughout our customers' journeys," said Oscar Munoz, president and CEO of United. "This completely reconceived experience exemplifies the new spirit of United and the innovation, excitement and operational momentum across our airline."

Path-Breaking Design

In setting out to create a transformative business class experience, United chose to outfit its widebody fleet with a custom-designed, exclusive-to-United seat, rather than select an option already in the marketplace. Designed in partnership with Acumen Design Associates and PriestmanGoode and manufactured by Zodiac Seats United Kingdom, each United Polaris seat will offer direct access to the aisle, 180-degree flat-bed recline and up to 6 foot 6 inches of bed space.

Crafted as individual, forward-facing, suite-like pods, each customer's personal suite will feature a "Do Not Disturb" sign, mood lighting, one-touch lumbar support, several storage areas, multiple surfaces for simultaneous working and dining, a 16-inch high-definition entertainment screen and, for seats in the center of the cabin, electronic privacy dividers. Complementing the new seats, United and PriestmanGoode have also conceived an all-new look for the United Polaris cabins.

In rethinking the international business class experience, United conducted more than 12,000 hours of research, and sleep emerged as the single most important priority for international business class travelers. United Polaris' path-breaking design and sleep-enhancing focus was inspired and informed by insights from hundreds of customers and employees, inflight product simulations and more than 100 product evaluations.

Sleep-Enticing Amenities

In addition to the sleep-enticing United Polaris personal suites, several other amenities were designed with our customers' sleep in mind.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, United has worked with leading luxury specialty store Saks Fifth Avenue for custom-designed bedding. All designed to provide the best sleep in the sky, the new bedding collection will feature plush duvets, lightweight day-blankets and a large and small pillow for each United Polaris customer. In addition, mattress cushions will be available upon request.

Slippers will be available on all flights, and customized United Polaris pajamas will be available by request on flights longer than 12 hours**. Flyers will also be able to request a gel-cooled pillow. New amenity kits will feature ergonomically designed eye shades, calming lavender pillow mist and additional products from Soho House & Co.'s Cowshed Spa.

With the introduction of United Polaris, the airline intends to donate tens of thousands of pillows, blankets and other inflight service items to Fisher House Foundation, which United and its employees have long supported.

Elevated Dining Experience

Upon boarding their flight, each United Polaris customer will be welcomed with a pre-departure beverage of his or her choice and gourmet chocolate. While in the air, customers will enjoy regionally influenced in-flight menus updated seasonally, developed in partnership with The Trotter Project and its critically recognized chefs, including Bill Kim of acclaimed Chicago restaurants Urbanbelly, bellyQ and Belly Shack.

The airline will offer an upgraded wine experience, with the highest-quality options curated exclusively by United's Master Sommelier. Inflight service will also include made-to-order signature ice cream sundaes, a dessert cart with a variety of petit dessert options, chocolate truffles and wine flights. On daytime flights longer than eight hours and on all flights longer than 12 hours, hot mid-flight snacks such as lobster macaroni and cheese will be available.

Raising The Bar With United Polaris Business Class Lounges

United will also open an exclusive portfolio of United Polaris business class lounges in nine locations around the world – the only lounge of its kind offered by a U.S. airline to business class customers – that will feature custom-designed chairs, private daybeds, spa-like showers and chef-inspired hot meals served in a boutique restaurant setting so customers can refresh and dine before boarding their planes. Premium sparkling wines and spirits, refreshing snacks and bottled water will also be offered.

The first new United Polaris lounge will open at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 1, 2016. Lounges in eight other locations – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York/Newark, Washington Dulles, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong and London Heathrow – will follow in 2017.

United Polaris Introduction

United will begin to introduce United Polaris on Dec. 1, 2016, with the new inflight food and beverage experience, new custom bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, new amenity kits and the new United Polaris lounge in Chicago. The United Polaris business class seat will first take flight in December on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and subsequently on Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, as well as on Boeing 767-300 and 777-200 retrofits.

United Polaris will serve business class customers flying the U.S. airline industry's most global route network, reaching more than 330 destinations in more than 50 countries.

More information on the United Polaris business class can be found at united.com/Polaris.

[From [email][email protected] 11/15/2016]
Starting December 1, 2016, United Polaris Business Class service will replace United BusinessFirst service on international flights, and United Polaris Global First service will replace the current United Global First service.

Between 2017 to 2019 eight additional United Polaris lounges will open at EWR, HKG, IAD, IAH, LAX, LHR, NRT and SFO. We do not have the exact opening dates at this time. A scheduling announcement will be forthcoming.
** Flights with pajama service (for both directions)
SFO - ICN, PEK, PVG, HGH, XIV, TPE, AKL, HKG, CTU, SYD, TLV, SIN
EWR - NRT, PEK, DEL, BOM, HKG, PVG
ORD - NRT, PEK PVG, HKG
LAX - PVG, SYD, MEL, SIN
IAD - NRT, PEK
IAH - NRT, SYD
(from United Twitter feed https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CyjFHZLW...jpg&name=large

{Similar Threads:
Polaris Lounge Roadmap 2017-2018 (wiki) (thread)
Polaris lounge ORD - opened 01 Dec 2016 (wiki) (thread)
SFO Lounge changes? Which will become Polaris? Shower options?(wiki) (thread)
United Polaris-New Business Class seats & inflight service and new Polaris Lounges(wiki) (thread)}


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United Polaris - New Business Class seats & inflight service {Archive}

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Old Sep 20, 2016, 6:00 pm
  #1531  
 
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Originally Posted by Duke787
Yeah - I'm glad the food is good on the ground, that's absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately they don't serve the food on the ground so maybe they could do these trial runs you know up in the air where the food is actually served.

EDIT: Looks like they actually did run a trial flight EWR - CDG per AusBT http://www.ausbt.com.au/united-trial...k-paris-flight so I take it back. Glad they are trying food up in the air and not just on the ground (where it tastes nothing like it does up in the air).
Hardly an impartial trial "The special charter flight was an invitation-only affair for selected United employees..."
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Old Sep 20, 2016, 7:52 pm
  #1532  
 
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I'm low maintenance & in general just want a comfortable seat & good wine. However removing the hot appetizer really pushed my buttons & it still irritates me.

Last edited by J.Edward; Sep 28, 2016 at 9:56 am Reason: VBB / quote clean up from upthread.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 4:48 am
  #1533  
 
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Originally Posted by Duke787
Yeah - I'm glad the food is good on the ground, that's absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately they don't serve the food on the ground so maybe they could do these trial runs you know up in the air where the food is actually served.

EDIT: Looks like they actually did run a trial flight EWR - CDG per AusBT http://www.ausbt.com.au/united-trial...k-paris-flight so I take it back. Glad they are trying food up in the air and not just on the ground (where it tastes nothing like it does up in the air).
That publication missed that the 'flight' didn't go anywhere. It was on the ground at EWR with a mock destination.

They did do some in air testing earlier this year / late last year with customers while they were coming up with meal concepts - chartered a 747 from ORD-HNL.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 7:42 am
  #1534  
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Originally Posted by cerealmarketer
That publication missed that the 'flight' didn't go anywhere. It was on the ground at EWR with a mock destination.

They did do some in air testing earlier this year / late last year with customers while they were coming up with meal concepts - chartered a 747 from ORD-HNL.
why would they charter a 747 when they have their own
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 7:45 am
  #1535  
 
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Originally Posted by AndyInSaigon
+1
I'm low maintenance & in general just want a comfortable seat & good wine. However removing the hot appetizer really pushed my buttons & it still irritates me.
+2.
Wine list surely has to improve. And, unless the appetizer is a salad, I'd prefer something that is heated.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 7:56 am
  #1536  
 
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Originally Posted by AndyInSaigon
+1
I'm low maintenance & in general just want a comfortable seat & good wine. However removing the hot appetizer really pushed my buttons & it still irritates me.
I'm a little more ambivalent on the hot appetizer... if it's along the lines of cheap frozen hors d'oeuvres, like what's served in GF these days, pass. I actually was a fan of the first round of cold appetizers on the sCO flights in 2012 or so, after the international premium cabin service was standardized. As I recall, there were two different cold apps served from trays on the three-tiered cart and plated seat-side. The apps were substantial in portion and reasonably high-quality.

That went away pretty quickly, early 2013 I believe.

Originally Posted by FlightNurse
why would they charter a 747 when they have their own
It was a UA 747, but operated as a charter flight for a group of NDA'ed customers to evaluate a few different service concepts for Polaris.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 3:49 pm
  #1537  
 
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Originally Posted by EWR764
I'm a little more ambivalent on the hot appetizer... if it's along the lines of cheap frozen hors d'oeuvres, like what's served in GF these days, pass. I actually was a fan of the first round of cold appetizers on the sCO flights in 2012 or so, after the international premium cabin service was standardized. As I recall, there were two different cold apps served from trays on the three-tiered cart and plated seat-side. The apps were substantial in portion and reasonably high-quality.

That went away pretty quickly, early 2013 I believe.
I remember that. It was a throwback to how Biz First did the apps before the mid 2000s. I remember the chef's idea with the hot apps was to 'serve something a business traveler would get at a conference or meeting, so it feels familiar.'

Not the mandate i would have gone with but explains the hotel passed hor d'oeuvres.


Few other Polaris nuggets...

EWR lounge attendants say the main C100s club will convert to Polaris next year, using the existing space. A new United Club will also open, not clear if it will be adjacent, above, or somewhere else.

LAX attendants say no Polaris for 'a few years.'

Saw on Twitter the UA head of rev mgmt. said at a conference the 763s will start converting in May.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 6:34 pm
  #1538  
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Are you talking about appetizer served just before the main dish or the heated nuts served with the first drinks?

What kind of hot appetizers are we talking about?

I guess they have salads with cold deli meats or prawns.
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Old Sep 22, 2016, 6:34 am
  #1539  
 
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Originally Posted by wco81
Are you talking about appetizer served just before the main dish or the heated nuts served with the first drinks?

What kind of hot appetizers are we talking about?

I guess they have salads with cold deli meats or prawns.
Fried shrimp for example. It's rarely hot by the time you get it.

Served after the nuts in Global First.

Used to be served in Business on CO at the same time.

Also in my 763 timing reference above it was the head of network planning, not rev mgmt who say May is when they start.
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Old Sep 26, 2016, 7:47 am
  #1540  
 
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Showers

So the Polaris Lounges with have "spa-like showers." There will be one lounge open in 2016 with others to follow in 2017. They took away the arrivals access in Europe now(with the exception of LHR).

So for this year, one lounge and probably one plane with the Polaris seats. Time to shop around for me - likely to end the year at Platinum. On balance, more has been taken away this year than added.

The timing is always interesting. Yes, the program can change at any time but so many changes have happened in the middle of a year that there's no reason to trust anything listed as a benefit.
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Old Sep 26, 2016, 7:51 am
  #1541  
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Originally Posted by FlyfromDenver
They took away the arrivals access in Europe now(with the exception of LHR).
You're still able to access the LH arrivals lounge in FRA (which has tons of showers and great breakfast buffet).
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Old Sep 26, 2016, 8:06 am
  #1542  
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Originally Posted by cerealmarketer

Few other Polaris nuggets...

EWR lounge attendants say the main C100s club will convert to Polaris next year, using the existing space. A new United Club will also open, not clear if it will be adjacent, above, or somewhere else.

LAX attendants say no Polaris for 'a few years.'

Saw on Twitter the UA head of rev mgmt. said at a conference the 763s will start converting in May.
I was at IAH E club last week, and was told the third floor would be converted to Polaris.
halls120 is online now  
Old Sep 26, 2016, 8:34 am
  #1543  
 
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Originally Posted by halls120
I was at IAH E club last week, and was told the third floor would be converted to Polaris.
Makes sense. Plumbing already in place with the existing shower suites... I'd just be concerned about square footage up there for all Polaris pax.
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Old Sep 26, 2016, 8:52 am
  #1544  
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Originally Posted by EWR764
Makes sense. Plumbing already in place with the existing shower suites... I'd just be concerned about square footage up there for all Polaris pax.
Seems like there is a lot of "back office" space on the third floor that could be relocated.
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Old Sep 26, 2016, 6:21 pm
  #1545  
 
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Originally Posted by halls120
Seems like there is a lot of "back office" space on the third floor that could be relocated.
I guess this also means no more showers for the regular UC there, which is a loss for Star Golds not seated in business.
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