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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 Nov 29, 2016, 9:09 pm
  #2206  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,847
Originally Posted by JVPhoto
There is the SQ Gold Lounge for pax with *G status traveling in Y.
Yep, and it's one of SQ's {weakest} lounges worldwide

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 29, 2016 at 9:23 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 9:13 pm
  #2207  
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Originally Posted by djsflynn
Yep, and it's one of SQ's {weakest} lounges worldwide
There's a school of thought SQ is deliberately punishing *G for flying Y

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 29, 2016 at 9:24 pm Reason: quote updated to reflect Moderator edit
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 9:26 pm
  #2208  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Originally Posted by ermintrude
For me the polaris lounge product was relevant before UA revamped UA Club; but now I just don't get it. How many people are going to have a full meal before flying J and then have a full meal on board?
The point is to eat before the flight and sleep on the plane, which I plan to do prior to the 2:30 ORD-FRA I take quite often.

Will the food be better than my usual Tortas Frontera? We'll see!
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 7:26 am
  #2209  
 
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Originally Posted by villox
The point is to eat before the flight and sleep on the plane, which I plan to do prior to the 2:30 ORD-FRA I take quite often.

Will the food be better than my usual Tortas Frontera? We'll see!
NOTHING is better than Tortas Frontera! Nothing!
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 7:47 am
  #2210  
 
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Polaris is going to absolutely suck! I was in an airport bus in ORD with a crew that was complaining like crazy about all the things United wants them to do and said they will simply not do it
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 7:47 am
  #2211  
 
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Today's the media preview day of the ORD Polaris Lounge, and everything appears to be moving forward on schedule. A few teaser pics are floating around the various social media channels... I am very much looking forward to see if United can match the hype for this lounge!

Originally Posted by aero0729
Polaris is going to absolutely suck! I was in an airport bus in ORD with a crew that was complaining like crazy about all the things United wants them to do and said they will simply not do it
This is definitely a risk, but I wouldn't say it accurately reflects the sentiment of all United flight attendants. Conversely, there are some out there who are excited for the new service. At the end of the day, there needs to be some accountability.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 7:56 am
  #2212  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
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Originally Posted by EWR764
Today's the media preview day of the ORD Polaris Lounge, and everything appears to be moving forward on schedule. A few teaser pics are floating around the various social media channels... I am very much looking forward to see if United can match the hype for this lounge!
I'll be refreshing this link all day.

https://twitter.com/search?q=polaris%20lounge&src=typd

Also my waitlist for Polaris first cleared for Friday so I can report back on the soup course and the skewer!
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 8:00 am
  #2213  
 
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There is zero accountability. Even the ones who are excited may keep it up for a few months but the airline has minimal recognition and is a completely broken organization . I quote this direct from a flight attendant. "Walk up aisle 15 minutes? Is anyone actually going to do that?"
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 8:01 am
  #2214  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Originally Posted by aero0729
There is zero accountability. Even the ones who are excited may keep it up for a few months but the airline has minimal recognition and is a completely broken organization . I quote this direct from a flight attendant. "Walk up aisle 15 minutes? Is anyone actually going to do that?"
I have had crews that do that now. As with anything, YMMV.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 8:02 am
  #2215  
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Originally Posted by aero0729
There is zero accountability. Even the ones who are excited may keep it up for a few months but the airline has minimal recognition and is a completely broken organization . I quote this direct from a flight attendant. "Walk up aisle 15 minutes? Is anyone actually going to do that?"
Just my opinion, but when employees flat-out refuse to do their duties, this would be grounds for reprimanding said employee. If it continued, probably grounds for termination. This is the problem with US companies is that employees get away taking it upon themselves to just not do their job. Sad really. But something has got to change.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 9:23 am
  #2216  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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We're off to the races with the preview... the link villox posted upthread is a great place to start. Looks sleek, elegant. Very different feel from the United Clubs, which are reliant on the white/gold tones as opposed to the PL which are heavier on various shades of blue/gray, ostensibly to emphasize the sleep/relaxation motif of the entire product. Looking forward to hearing more about food service and the quality of the beverage selection in the lounge.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 9:50 am
  #2217  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Most interesting tidbit so far: There are liquor lockers for super frequent passengers that United will stock upon request. What the what?

https://twitter.com/airlineflyer/sta...97847976837120
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 9:53 am
  #2218  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by villox
Most interesting tidbit so far: There are liquor lockers for super frequent passengers that United will stock upon request. What the what?

https://twitter.com/airlineflyer/sta...97847976837120
Cool concept, but how will they get the booze through security? Duty free? Airline minis? Or will UA handle stocking your personal liquor cabinet?

It also sounds like the kitchen isn't quite a finished/approved product yet, so food will initially be catered in. Jason's twitter feed has a photo of the kitchen, and it appears to be a full restaurant-scale operation. Looking forward to seeing what UA(Sodexo) will be able to do with it.

There also appears to be a decent beer selection, with at least Guinness, Revolution (local Chicago) and Goose Island on tap so far.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 9:56 am
  #2219  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
Originally Posted by EWR764
Cool concept, but how will they get the booze through security? Duty free? Or will UA handle stocking your personal liquor cabinet?

It also sounds like the kitchen isn't quite a finished/approved product yet, so food will initially be catered in. Jason's twitter feed has a photo of the kitchen, though, and it appears to be a full restaurant-scale operation. Looking forward to seeing what UA(Sodexo) will be able to do with it.

There also appears to be a decent beer selection, with at least Guinness, Revolution (local Chicago) and Goose Island on tap so far.
According to the blogger, United will stock it upon request.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 10:16 am
  #2220  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
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Originally Posted by villox
According to the blogger, United will stock it upon request.
I wonder if they will send you a note asking for requests or if you need to proactively request what you desire?
sosptuba is offline  


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