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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 Jun 2, 2016, 9:00 am
  #61  
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Originally Posted by belfordrocks
But the flagship lounges are a F lounge not a J lounge (and quite a lousy F lounge at that)... I'd still say (new) UA has the upper hand.
New Flagship will be for J pax. The new Flagship a la cart "dining" will be F only.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:00 am
  #62  
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Originally Posted by nevansm
PL's to be located in EWR, IAD, ORD, IAH, SFO, LAX, LHR, NRT, & HKG. Per website.
In other words, replacing the GFLs, with the addition of EWR and IAH. Wonder if they'll be converting an existing UC there.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:01 am
  #63  
 
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Shame that PJs are limited to 12+hour flights.
ctownflyer is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:03 am
  #64  
 
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So Polaris is replacing Business class, not a new F product?

The lounges sound a lot like AA's recently announced revamp to the Flagship lounges.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:04 am
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by RTWSTARALLIANCE
Am I correct. They say nothing about retro fit of 787-8 and 787-9. ?
Doesn't seem to be mentioned.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:05 am
  #66  
 
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Originally Posted by BlissWorld
New Flagship will be for J pax. The new Flagship a la cart "dining" will be F only.
Interesting... definitely a much needed change for intl premium pax.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:06 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
In other words, replacing the GFLs, with the addition of EWR and IAH. Wonder if they'll be converting an existing UC there.
given cost constraints I imagine the answer is reusing/converting vs net new.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:06 am
  #68  
 
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Originally Posted by JetAway
Looks promising. As always, the devil is in the details--and the execution.
Only reimagined by UA, already there with most other international carriers. Another great thing- like the Continental merger? Advance IT?

At least when Oscar says something, it might be there or coming.
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:07 am
  #69  
 
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I'm not really a UA flyer but I really like the sound of this...
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:08 am
  #70  
 
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Did channa write this press release? It reads like one of those April 1st ones.
cmdinnyc is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:08 am
  #71  
 
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The seat isn't real. It's just a virtual reality simulation. Welcome to the Matrix... Polaris.

https://twitter.com/AirlineFlyer/sta...85272224763904

Every business class customer gets an oculus.
oopl is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:08 am
  #72  
 
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Looks like they've found a way to repurpose the Global First lounges - they can become the "exclusive" lounge for premium class travelers, leaving the *G rif-raf to the UC.
drewguy is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:09 am
  #73  
 
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GlobalFirst isn't dead.....yet

From Q&A:
Does United Polaris service replace United Global First? What's the future of United Global First?

In December, United Global First is being rebranded as United Polaris Global First and will receive all of the additional United Polaris amenities, in addition to the great offerings you've come to expect from our international first class product. As we update our fleet over the next several years to incorporate our signature United Polaris direct-aisle-access seating, we will be phasing out the first class cabin and moving toward a two-cabin experience for international travel.


United Polaris Global First is kinda clunky. Surprised they didn't try a United Polaris BusinessFirst....why not just United GlobalFirst and United Polaris?
qukslvr619 is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:09 am
  #74  
 
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Didn't they just "remodel" the HKG lounge?
oopl is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2016, 9:10 am
  #75  
 
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Originally Posted by Longboater
I'm not so sure how they can squeeze in this configuration into the Dreamliner. This is not like other business class seats that can be adjusted into other widebodies, i.e. Cirrus, B/E Super Diamond, etc.
It will be installed in existing widebodies too, including 767/787.
EWR764 is offline  


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