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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 Dec 1, 2016, 10:49 am
  #2296  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: ATL F-Terminal
Programs: Hilton C, Marriott Pt, Delta Pt
Posts: 249
Nice looking soft products. I can't wait to try them out in about a week.

I would kill to get a polar(is) bear for my daughter.
What's the chance of me getting one after today?


Photo by ciaramassey (Instagram)


Photo by bombedpop (Instagram)

Last edited by flyertalk77; Dec 1, 2016 at 10:55 am
flyertalk77 is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 10:49 am
  #2297  
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: NY
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Posts: 2,708
Originally Posted by villox
At the Willis Tower event they mentioned 60% for the pillows. Didn't say about the pajamas.
Assume all 3 @ 60%. Not great odds...
anandrag is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:00 am
  #2298  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
Originally Posted by flyertalk77
Nice looking soft products. I can't wait to try them out in about a week.

I would kill to get a polar(is) bear for my daughter.
What's the chance of me getting one after today?
On twitter @United said it would be "for a limited time so catch a Polaris flight soon" which might mean that it's not just the flights today. I'm hopeful since I'm flying tomorrow!

https://twitter.com/united/status/804382908609794048
villox is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:08 am
  #2299  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 90
Originally Posted by anandrag
Assume all 3 @ 60%. Not great odds...
Flying IAD-PEK in early March in Polaris GF, or PF. Whatever it is, I think the entire F cabin should get priority on the PJ's/pillow before handing them out to lowly J pax /s :-)

I only say this because I would like to have them, AND a bear, to add to my collection of amenity kits, slippers, and other PJ's and have no immediate plans to fly UA in the near future after this trip unfortunately.

I'm sure Ebay will have everything up in no time, but where's the fun in that?
PJV33 is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:11 am
  #2300  
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Originally Posted by EWR764
Transborder AC J will not get the Polaris lounge, and AC longhaul J from a connection point does not get access (must be departing from same airport in partner premium cabin for Polaris access). United Club would be the permissible lounge under those circumstances. Only UA-metal premium pax can access the PL at intermediate airports before or after their longhaul segment.
That's how I read the rules as well but TPG seems to think otherwise (that AC will get Polaris access).

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/12/air-...olaris-lounge/
Duke787 is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:20 am
  #2301  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Posts: 9,450
Originally Posted by Duke787
That's how I read the rules as well but TPG seems to think otherwise (that AC will get Polaris access).

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/12/air-...olaris-lounge/
Interesting... and a loophole (if one at all) or scrivener's error that I wouldn't doubt is closed sooner rather than later. Transborder AC J customers most likely were not contemplated as Polaris lounge users.
EWR764 is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:24 am
  #2302  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,508
Originally Posted by nethead25
... will be interesting to see if the same standard of service is maintained long-term.
I asked that question at the IAD Polaris event and was told, "We're going to try very hard to make that happen."
JetAway is online now  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:31 am
  #2303  
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
Originally Posted by JetAway
I asked that question at the IAD Polaris event and was told, "We're going to try very hard to make that happen."
Hope that AA's new Flagship responds with similar quality and there's a better shot of it staying long term.

Same for Amex holding up the quality of its lounges.
cerealmarketer is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:42 am
  #2304  
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Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
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So SFO-TPE gets pajamas in J but not TPE-SFO?

Because of the jet stream/tail wind or international date line?
wco81 is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:43 am
  #2305  
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
Originally Posted by wco81
So SFO-TPE gets pajamas in J but not TPE-SFO?

Because of the jet stream/tail wind or international date line?
All routes that are listed get them roundtrip.

It's the average of the outbound/inbound block times that creates the route list.
cerealmarketer is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:54 am
  #2306  
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Flew J BCN-EWR for the first time with UA. Seat layout was 2-1-2. I had the central seat. I assume this is not Polaris? Was very nice. FA's were pleasant, food was good.
Not sure why everyone on this forum always complains about it.
Dieuwer is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 11:59 am
  #2307  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: UA 1P
Posts: 320
Originally Posted by Dieuwer
Flew J BCN-EWR for the first time with UA. Seat layout was 2-1-2. I had the central seat. I assume this is not Polaris? Was very nice. FA's were pleasant, food was good.
Not sure why everyone on this forum always complains about it.
The seat was definitely not Polaris. If you departed today (Dec 1) the service should have been Polaris, otherwise it would've been "traditional" United service.
LXFlyer is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 12:04 pm
  #2308  
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Join Date: Sep 2002
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Originally Posted by phxrsng
Nice! Are the Polaris bears a permanent soft product feature or just for the inaugural flight?
An FA on UA906 tells me the bears are nly for the first week.
Xyzzy is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 12:08 pm
  #2309  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,166
Am I correct that as of today, all of UA's international flights (TPAC and TATL) will feature the new Polaris soft product on-board?
Or is UA rolling out the new service in a gradual way?
agjil is online now  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 12:15 pm
  #2310  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,415
Originally Posted by agjil
Am I correct that as of today, all of UA's international flights (TPAC and TATL) will feature the new Polaris soft product on-board?
That is crrect.
Xyzzy is offline  


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