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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 Jul 21, 2018, 2:11 pm
  #4276  
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
Originally Posted by StuckinITH
...as I'm half blind that I have to bend to the level of the lock to read what it says...
We're in the same boat. I'll avoid ORD

After the new 60 gates area re-opened, I visited the concourse restrooms across from the BK. There was an attendant there who was so outgoing, cheery, and friendly to everyone he encountered, I handed him a Hamilton on the way out. It was close to Xmas.

Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Jul 21, 2018 at 2:17 pm
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 2:17 pm
  #4277  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
We're in the same boat. I'll avoid ORD
You shouldn't. The ORD Polaris Lounge is extremely nice (although I'm unhappy that we were enhanced out of the Veuve Clicquot and the Vosges mint chocolates).

Maybe they'll find a way to add the led lighting indicating the vacant/occupied status of the restrooms.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 2:18 pm
  #4278  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Has anyone tried knocking on the door or turning the handle to find out if a restroom is occupied????
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 2:20 pm
  #4279  
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Originally Posted by zitsky
Has anyone tried knocking on the door or turning the handle to find out if a restroom is occupied????
Probably everyone. The point is - there are ways to make it easier. Like at the EWR Polaris lounge.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 2:42 pm
  #4280  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: New York / Hawaii
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Originally Posted by 1P

I have now used the ORD Polaris lounge about 20 times, and every time I wonder what genius designed the atmospherically darkened corridor so that you cannot easily see if the restrooms are vacant or occupied!
In the dozen or so times I've been to the lounge, the doors to the clean/unoccupied restrooms have always been open. And when I go in, I always lock the door behind me. It's never been an issue finding an open bathroom or staying safe inside one.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 2:51 pm
  #4281  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Originally Posted by Weatherboy
In the dozen or so times I've been to the lounge, the doors to the clean/unoccupied restrooms have always been open. And when I go in, I always lock the door behind me. It's never been an issue finding an open bathroom or staying safe inside one.
Staying safe? That sounds ominous. Are you concerned about theft?
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 3:55 pm
  #4282  
1P
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
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Originally Posted by Weatherboy
In the dozen or so times I've been to the lounge, the doors to the clean/unoccupied restrooms have always been open. And when I go in, I always lock the door behind me. It's never been an issue finding an open bathroom or staying safe inside one.
I often find that the person inside has not locked the door, which can be embarrassing (for them!).... And no, the vacant restrooms don't always have doors that are left open. Yes, there are cleaners around to help, sometimes more than one, but sometimes there are none. I agree with others posting that LED lights would be the way to go.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 5:08 pm
  #4283  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
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Posts: 4,637
Originally Posted by StuckinITH
I also found that the seat was harder on the Polaris reconfigured 772 than on the 2-4-2 772. Even the mattress pad was not enough to make it comfortable.
I've found that the pmUA 2-4-2 business seat cushioning to to be the best I've been on, followed by pmCO then BA. I wish UA would have used that type of cushions on the Polaris seats.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 5:28 pm
  #4284  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,242
Originally Posted by 1kBill
I've found that the pmUA 2-4-2 business seat cushioning to to be the best I've been on, followed by pmCO then BA. I wish UA would have used that type of cushions on the Polaris seats.
On the 2-4-2 772 do all seats have aisle access, or do you have to crawl over people? What about the 2-2-2 config?
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 5:32 pm
  #4285  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Posts: 4,392
Originally Posted by zitsky
On the 2-4-2 772 do all seats have aisle access, or do you have to crawl over people? What about the 2-2-2 config?
On the 2-4-2 sUA 777-200ERs, the windows and two middles have to jump over the aisle seats. On the 2-2-2 sCO 777-200ERs only the windows have to make the leap. Only the true Polaris hard product planes (all 777-300ERs, some 767-300ERs, and a handful of reconfigured sUA 777-200ERs have all-aisle access Polaris.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 5:33 pm
  #4286  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Originally Posted by zitsky
On the 2-4-2 772 do all seats have aisle access, or do you have to crawl over people? What about the 2-2-2 config?
Obviously on the 2-4-2, there are 4 passengers per row that don't have direct aisle access. On the 2-2-2, there are 2 passengers per row that don't have direct aisle access.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 6:30 pm
  #4287  
 
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There is no way that a 772 2-2-2 would be changed to a 2-4-2 would there? There wouldn't be enough seats in J.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 6:49 pm
  #4288  
 
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Originally Posted by zitsky
There is no way that a 772 2-2-2 would be changed to a 2-4-2 would there? There wouldn't be enough seats in J.
If you count the 8 First Class seats that are in the process of not being sold anymore, the 2-4-2 has 48 seats (40 Business + 8 First). The 2-2-2 has 50 Business seats. A difference of 2 would not worry UA as there are frequently no-shows. If it happens that everybody shows up they would ask for volunteers to fly Economy or on another flight.
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 7:23 pm
  #4289  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,242
Originally Posted by StuckinITH
If you count the 8 First Class seats that are in the process of not being sold anymore, the 2-4-2 has 48 seats (40 Business + 8 First). The 2-2-2 has 50 Business seats. A difference of 2 would not worry UA as there are frequently no-shows. If it happens that everybody shows up they would ask for volunteers to fly Economy or on another flight.
Uh oh! Maybe I better move us out of the middle. LOL
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Old Jul 21, 2018, 7:27 pm
  #4290  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Originally Posted by zitsky
Uh oh! Maybe I better move us out of the middle. LOL
If you both prefer direct aisle access just stay with your seats. The probability that a 2-4-2 is going to sub your 2-2-2 is not big. Just monitor your flight when it's closer to departure date.
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