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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 30, 2016, 8:35 am
  #916  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Very cool!! Those window and inner aisle seats look prime. I can't wait for the inaugural flight announcement
FlyHighInTheSky is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 9:18 am
  #917  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyHighInTheSky
Very cool!! Those window and inner aisle seats look prime. I can't wait for the inaugural flight announcement
I'm with ya. The 788 inaugural flight was a cool experience, and I am looking forward to one of the window seats where the seat is on the window for that inaugural flight. Hopefully they do it on a Saturday again like they did with the 788.
jjmoore is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 12:41 pm
  #918  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
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Originally Posted by FlyHighInTheSky
Very cool!! Those window and inner aisle seats look prime. I can't wait for the inaugural flight announcement
If flying with someone I might take the inner aisle middle given how close the two inner middle seats are, but if not i would take the outer aisle middle for more privacy from my neighbor.....

For window seats the inner window seat is going to be perfect for me.
harryhood is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 12:49 pm
  #919  
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Really cool - thanks for posting!
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Old Jul 1, 2016, 8:45 am
  #920  
 
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Originally Posted by mgobluetex
Polaris will be a very nice and competitive hard product if it arrives as promised. I can't wait to try it out!
If it arrives as promised. I stopped watching the Video after 2 min of seeing the lounge. I hope I'm wrong but I don't believe for a second the lounges will look like that. SLEEP ROOMS!! Sure Not to mention quite a leap from processed cheese to dine on demand w a chef in the lounge. I'm sure UA has the best intentions and would like to do this......until......the quotes & bills start a coming in. Hope I'm wrong but I don't believe we will ever see a United lounge like the one in this video
chinatraderjmr is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2016, 8:51 am
  #921  
 
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Originally Posted by chinatraderjmr
If it arrives as promised. I stopped watching the Video after 2 min of seeing the lounge. I hope I'm wrong but I don't believe for a second the lounges will look like that. SLEEP ROOMS!! Sure Not to mention quite a leap from processed cheese to dine on demand w a chef in the lounge. I'm sure UA has the best intentions and would like to do this......until......the quotes & bills start a coming in. Hope I'm wrong but I don't believe we will ever see a United lounge like the one in this video
Ay, there's the rub. All this looks great, but I see dozens of opportunities for cost-cutting and 'optimization' in the impending down-cycle in the industry. It'll be death by 1000 cuts: first, the day blankets, then the memory foam pillows, then the PJs, then the mattress pads, then the wine flights, then cuts to the lounge product, and so on...

Until proven otherwise, this is the United MO. I am eager to see that turn around, but for now, I'm taking a "show me" approach.
EWR764 is online now  
Old Jul 1, 2016, 9:21 am
  #922  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,324
Originally Posted by EWR764
Ay, there's the rub. All this looks great, but I see dozens of opportunities for cost-cutting and 'optimization' in the impending down-cycle in the industry. It'll be death by 1000 cuts: first, the day blankets, then the memory foam pillows, then the PJs, then the mattress pads, then the wine flights, then cuts to the lounge product, and so on...

Until proven otherwise, this is the United MO. I am eager to see that turn around, but for now, I'm taking a "show me" approach.
^ just how long did those "positively spectacular" p.s. meals, wines, champagne-cocktails, and chocolates last?

Last edited by tuolumne; Jul 1, 2016 at 12:25 pm
tuolumne is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2016, 11:55 am
  #923  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Various tier levels of frequent flyer/hotel plans received for bellyaching about minor flaws in the service I received.
Posts: 610
Although I figure each club will be different, the sleeping pods look a bit better - the walk though makes it look as if they will be a bit enclosed.
CO DCA is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2016, 1:21 pm
  #924  
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Quite a change from the United Club where sleeping is prohibited.
goodeats21 is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2016, 2:16 pm
  #925  
TPJ
 
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Originally Posted by blahmeh14
Didn't see this posted yet. United uploaded a 360 video
The video suggests there will be alcohol (I think it shows bottles of wine) at the self service bar. Is it even legal? I thought there a FAA(?) regulation that calls for alcohol to be served by F/A's only. Just curious... And yes... there are quite a few non-UA airlines that offer alcohol in the self service areas (QF, QR, AY).
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Old Jul 8, 2016, 1:13 am
  #926  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Have they said which route / airport will get the first 777-3 / polaris delivery?

If so, could we wikify that info .
bigwings8 is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2016, 1:40 am
  #927  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
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Originally Posted by bigwings8
Have they said which route / airport will get the first 777-3 / polaris delivery?

If so, could we wikify that info .
It will fly domestic hub to hub routes for the first several weeks until enough are on property to fly them intl.
JOSECONLSCREW28 is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2016, 8:53 am
  #928  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Originally Posted by JOSECONLSCREW28
It will fly domestic hub to hub routes for the first several weeks until enough are on property to fly them intl.
Can't wait... I will book it instantly.

Will the 773's have some of the cool nuances that the 787 has? ... such as the polarized light shading on the windows, the lighting ambiance?

I am really excited to be in one of the window seats with the seat away from the isle.... hoping that's the most private ride offered in the fleet.
jjmoore is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2016, 9:11 am
  #929  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
The 77W's won't have the windows of the 787, but possibly will have the mood lighting.
belfordrocks is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2016, 9:39 am
  #930  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Originally Posted by tuolumne
^ just how long did those "positively spectacular" p.s. meals, wines, champagne-cocktails, and chocolates last? United Airlines PS First Class - YouTube
This is my thoughts exactly. My guess the meals in lounge would go first, then the bedding on board then meal/wine on-board downgrades, so on and so on. I just can't see United pulling this off. Sad but true.
zoegksf is offline  


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