United Airlines’ new Polaris Lounge in Washington Dulles represents a huge leap forward in terms of premium cabin ground product, offering a compelling reason to choose United or Star Alliance when departing from IAD.
United Airlines Polaris Lounge Washington Dulles (IAD) Review
I visited the lounge during a media preview day last month, but held off on writing a review (I did offer my first impressions) because I wanted to experience it as a passenger first. This week, I had that opportunity.
Access + Location + Hours
The lounge is located in the “temporary” C concourse of Washington next to get C18. The lounge is open daily from 5:30am to 10:00pm.
Access is reserved for:
- Departing or connecting United Polaris business class customers
- Departing longhaul Star Alliance business or first class customers
Note that distinction. If you fly United from London to Washington in Polaris business class and are connecting to, say, Seattle, you will have access. But if you flew Austrian business class from Vienna to Dulles, you will not have access to the lounge upon arrival. But if you were flying the other direction, you would have access whether you were on Austrian or United.
Seating
After checking in, proceed upstairs (an elevator is available if you are traveling heavy), which immediately offers a juxtaposition to the United Club directly across the concourse. That club is like a dungeon because you proceed downstairs and there is no natural flight. This lounge is just the opposite, with plenty of natural light flooding in. It makes a huge difference.
The lounge, at 21,000 square feet, has seating for 355 guests. Throughout the lounge, there are nooks and crannies of chairs and tables that allow you get cozy without feeling crowded, even when the lounge is running on the full side.
My favorite chairs are the wide leather easy chairs with a built-in desk, power port, and plug. I can park here and work for hours. In fact, that is exactly what I did.
You’ll find plenty of power ports and lighting-fast wi-fi throughout the lounge.
Phone Booths
If you need a bit more privacy or don’t want others to overhear your call (and please, no one wants to hear your call), there are a trio of phone booths located near the middle of the lounge in which you can have your conversations or virtual meetings behind a closed door.
Flight Help
When delays and cancellations roll in, the flight help desk located across the from phone booths instantly become the most important part of the lounge. These employees will be happy to help you with any questions about your flight reservation and come in particularly handy if you need rebooking.
Library
As you meander through the lounge, you’ll come to a library area with actual books on the shelves. While these books were probably chosen for their color more than for their content, United encourages you to take them and read them.
Food + Drink
Bar
The centerpiece of the lounge is the bar, with wainscoting on the ceiling, a beautiful couch in the center, and freshly-cut flowers. Of all the Polaris Lounges in the system, I think this room is the most beautiful.
The flowers may have been a grand-opening special, as they were not present for my second visit:
At the bar, you can request just about whatever your want from one of the knowledgeable bartenders, though the lounge boasts a number of specialty cocktails found only in this lounge.
Here’s the drink menu:
There’s also a “real” coffee machine that can make some wonderful espresso-based beverages. Just as it does onboard, United uses illy coffee in the lounge.
Dining Room
Walk past the bar and you’ll come to a beautiful dining room, with room for 55 guests. The modern chandelier may catch your eye, but the centerpiece of the room is a painting of the District of Columbia skyline by local artist Maggie O’Neill.
An a la carte menu includes appetizers and main courses for breakfast and lunch/dinner.
I ate breakfast during my visit, staring with espresso and a Greek yogurt parfait, followed by an egg white omelet and French Toast. Meals were not only smartly-presented, but tasty.
I asked for beet juice, which was on the menu, but was told that the blender had not arrived yet and therefore the fresh juice was not available. Also missing: croissants. Only English muffins, toast, and bagels were available.
I tried the dinner items during the media even and can vouch for the burger, salmon, and pasta.
Service was friendly, albeit a bit slow. I sat down for breakfast at about 7:30AM, ordered promptly, and it took about 25 minutes for the food to arrive. In my case, that was totally fine, but if you don’t allow sufficient time, you may not be able to finish your meal before you have to board your flight.
United’s onboard soft product still has not been restored to pre-pandemic levels but even when that happens (if that happens), I find transatlantic flights from Dulles are very short and having dinner in the lounge then going directly to sleep onboard is a great way to maximize your rest.
Little details matter as well: the dining room has silver salt and pepper shakers and an electronic candle at each table.
Buffet
On the other side of the bar is a buffet that offers food in the afternoon and evening hours including salads, sandwiches, fruit, soup, and sweet treats. It was closed in the morning during my visit, with the food and beverage manager telling me that there simply was not sufficient demand to justify the buffet.
Beverage Stations
Beverage stations area available in two places in the lounge, but remember: ask for coffee from the bartender or restaurant.
Relaxation Suites
Because of the timing of most international flights from Washington Dulles, United only installed two suites in this lounge. These semi-private (doorless) rooms include a daybed and are stocked with a blanket and pillow.
Restrooms + Shower
Near the center of the lounge are a bank of restroom suites. Each suite is gender neutral and you can tell if a suite is vacant (green) or occupied (red) based upon a light by the door handle. There are 13 in total.
Back near the relaxation area are six shower suites, including one that is wheelchair accessible.
Toiletries are available upon request and Sunday Reilly body wash, conditioner, and shampoo is provisioned.
If you need your clothing pressed, a complimentary pressing service is available.
Wellness (Nursing) Room
IAD is the first Polaris Lounge to offer a wellness room intended for nursing or a quiet area for babies. It is located next to the restrooms.
Tipping
Note that tipping is optional and United assured me that all workers are paid a living wage. That said, tipping is neither encouraged or discouraged. I wish Untied explicit forbade tipping (like Alaska Airlines does in its lounges), but do not feel obligated to tip…this is very different than restaurant workers who are dependent upon gratuity for the majority of their wages.
CONCLUSION
I can’t get over what a huge upgrade this lounge is for premium cabin passengers at Washington Dulles. I still prefer west coast connections to Europe because it gives me longer to sleep, but one thing is certain: connecting in Dulles to an international destination will no longer require walking over to the Lufthansa or Turkish Lounges in the B-Gate area. Nope, this lounge will now draw over Star Alliance passengers departing from other terminals.
Looks like the quality of the hot food has been watered down. At least the hard liquor is still up to prior standards. Where is the wine list?
And stop accommodating UA’s dreadful inflight food. and beverage. Many premium pax don’t have time to hit the lounge even for a short flight, or the lounge / dining area is too crowded.
I specifically called out UA’s poor soft product onboard in this review.
Listen up folks. Here’s the deal. I caught up on some sleep at the climate change summit, but now that I’m back home I’d like to know how we did in our elections yesterday. Can anyone fill me in?
Give it up, troll.
Great review and will absolutely be using this lounge, even when on the other concourses for Lufthansa or Austrian.
Looks great – Thank you for your review,
Any take on when the other Polaris lounges will open ?
I’m only told “soon” though I think ORD and EWR will open this month, IAH soon after, and supposedly LAX and SFO by “early” next year.
It certainly looks nice, although I think that only having two nap alcoves is woefully inadequate. Two other things:
When you review a lounge that’s not open yet it’s obviously an invitation-only situation. Who covers your air and hotel?
Which CEO initially agreed to this lounge? There’s a CEO who’s known for being galactically stingy and who shall remain nameless – let’s call him “SK” – who doesn’t seem the type to green light such a lounge without tangible return on such an investment, to put it mildly. In fact, saying that you would have to pry the checkbook to pay for such a lounge from his cold dead fingers might be closer to accurate. Was it “SK” or another CEO that approved this lovely addition?
Christian, you’re absolutely right about this lounge needing more nap alcoves.
The reason I ask is because for different reasons I feel that you wouldn’t engage in such a conflict of interest, but it’d be better to know for certain.
Don’t worry. I would never engage in a conflict of interest, particularly if it involved Hunter’s business dealings.
The “Joe Biden” humor was very slightly amusing for one time but it comes across as really sad attempt after that. Want another example? Watch a stand up comic repeat a joke – any joke – over and over and over again.
Y’all talked about Trump every day forty times per day for four years or more. But can’t handle LGB? laughable.
@Christian: I pay for my own flights and hotels unless explicitly disclosed (which almost never happens). I was invited to the media preview of the lounge and went on my own dime. My visit this week was on a paid (mileage) ticket.
@Matthew – I’m really glad to hear it and that my faith was not misplaced. Thanks for the reply.
I’m curious what makes a beer a “luxury” beer.
Not Bud or Coors or Miller?
Cool. Connecting at IAD this weekend from IND to VIE (IAD-VIE on OS) and looking forward to checking it out. Assume OS leaves from the B gates, near where the LH lounge is located. Does one take a train from C to B, or does it require a bus? Walking is a fine, if not preferable, option, but I don’t connect through IAD often, so am not sure.
Also, I assume UA will through check my bag to OS, since both are Star Alliance (albeit on separate reservations). And, if for some reason I cannot check-in online and get an electronic boarding pass, I assume I’ll need to get it from the LH lounge?
Thanks!
Ryan, it does require a train and allow 10 minutes to B, but very easy. It looks well worth it though. As a regular on the Austrian flight I can assure you this is a far superior offering. In fact, this easily appears to be the best lounge across the board at Dulles. When you land from IND just go to the Polaris Lounge as you will arrive within walking and then head to the gate after by train.
Alternatively, take the Train from C to A and then you walk the A concourse (where the train arrives) to B41. C/D and A/B are each one long course.
This. I always take the train to A (one stop from C) versus B (three stops from C). It’s good to get in a little exercise before your long flight.
Thanks all. Great intel. Will definitely take the train to A and walk to B.
I’d take the train to B, though it is a bit of a walk to the trains from C/D to B (it comes up near the LH gates). You could also take a moon buggy back to the main terminal and then walk to A/B. That seems to take longer, though I have not timed it.
I agree with Matthew’s remark that this should seriously cut back on international *A travelers spending much time in the LH and TK lounges. Maybe it will make them up their game a little – or at least back to pre-COVID standards.
I look forward to trying the IAD Polaris lounge. Maybe next year. The pictures remind me a little of the BA lounge, where I like their made-tor order BA burger with a Bewdog Speedbird. The BA lounge bar is pretty cool, too. The Concorde Room for BA First dining might still beats Polaris, but not by a lot.
Also, I wonder what the new Capital One lounge will be like, once it is completed. The articles I saw made it look like they were shooting for Centurion lounge-level quality. That could also attract domestic *A fliers away from LH and TK.
Passengers fying to IAD (no conexion) on polaris are aloud to get in?
Hello,
Passengers with IAD as final destination (no conexion) on polaris biz class are allowed to get in?
Yes*
*but UA won’t help you clear security to get back.
Good news is at IAD you can just use the midfield concourse upon arrival and your BP is not checked.
Really hoping the EWR lounge opens before my flight on 11/18
Excellent review. Fantastic pics.
I applaud UA for designing and delivering a very consistent Polaris Lounge product. To me as an international traveler Polaris on the ground sways me to book UA. Their on-board product has issues at the moment, but overall UA certainly does well on the ground. In addition, this is a significant benefit to IAD which has, IMO, languished over the years. As UA pushes more international traffic down to Virginia, this is a great option for UA flyers wanting to avoid EWR.
I must say I don’t always eat on most flights. I like to bring my own food even first. 2 weeks ago flying back home in Polaris EWR-SFO/SFO-OGG I was thoroughly impressed with both service and meals. I know I was very hungry cuz I ordered lunch …. Which was delicious. I was offered lemon sorbet after my meal which was very good. Prior to my arrival in SFO I was offered either a Mediterranean (humus & pita) or cheese and meat plate. I first declined, then I saw the ladies across from me ( looked good ) so I changed my mind. It was just what I needed. It came with different cheeses, salami and crackers! I also ate on the second flight as well….long day! I’m going back to the mainland next. I’ll still bring food, but will have a more positive attitude this time!
@Matthew, great review! It looks like the Polaris lounges are all pretty consistent (which is a good thing). What was the wine selection like?
Also, one thing I don’t get is why they didn’t install universal outlets. It seems like it should be a given at major international airports, but I can’t recall many/any lounge that has had them… On the plus side, UA seems to place USB/power outlets everywhere in the PLs, which is great.
FYI, a few typos/autocorrect mistakes:
“actual books on the shelve.” *shelves
“some wonderful espress-based beverages.” *espresso
“I find translating flights from Dulles are very short” *transatlantic
“I wish Untied explicit forbid tipping” *United explicitly (forbid? forbade?)
“Nope, this lounge will draw now draw over” *will now
Thanks for the corrections. I agree that there should be universal outlets – I was only there in the early morning hours and am sorry I did not check on specific wine and beer selections. I will do so.
So now UA can finally say they actually have the best lounge at IAD.
Nice review and great pics, Matthew. I live due north of IAD, but unfortunately don’t imagine there will be m/any occasions I’d qualify to enter the Polaris lounge there. That said, the lounge looks great. Seems like United is making a genuine effort to (attract more premium passengers and) move upscale, while American seems hell bent on chasing away everyone but low-end travelers.
Quite a few typos in this article
Could you please specify what long-haul would be? Would IAD to Bogotá on Avianca or Copa qualify?
Would not qualify. In Latin America, the only “longhaul” is to “Southern” South America included Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
Again, the problem remains the decrepit condition of the C/D gates terminal used by United since the demise of Presidential Airways in the 80s. Dark, dank, dirty. Yes, it’s swell for the high flyers in Polaris class to have this oasis of a lounge. But the rest of the facility appears to have stopped being renovated after 9/11. The train stop seems to be two miles away (as it was designed for the location of a replacement terminal. Suppose UA has zero plans to build such a new terminal unless or until they get another bailout -if even then.
Again, the problem remains the decrepit condition of the C/D gates terminal used by United since the demise of Presidential Airways in the 80s. Dark, dank, dirty. Yes, it’s swell for the high flyers in Polaris class to have this oasis of a lounge. But the rest of the facility appears to have stopped being renovated after 9/11. The United Club is a shit hole. The train stop seems to be two miles away (as it was designed for the location of a replacement terminal. Suppose UA has zero plans to build such a new terminal unless or until they get another bailout -if even then.
Look great. I miss Polaris lounges. Last time I was in one was February 2020 when I flew UA101 IAH-SYD. Can’t believe how much travel has changed. I will have to give this one a try next April when I connect through IAD to HND.
This lounge departure only policy will force people to book dummy leg after their arrival and/or to purchase refundable tickets an then get in the lounge for an arrival shower and snack.
Matthew and others, how would you compare the physical space and F&B options at this lounge against other Polaris lounges, particularly EWR (as the other main TATL gateway)? Is there a clear winner?
Both are spacious and beautiful. I found the a la carte food better at IAD than EWR.
Matthew, after my first visit to the IAD Polaris Lounge, I can tell you with certainty that the books aren’t meant to be read. Having a five hour layover, I tried to pick up on that looked interesting, and it was glued on both sides to the books next to it. These are strictly decorative.
Hi Matthew-booked UA 951 (BRU-IAD) through ANA for April. We will be in business. Will we get access? I read that arrival access is limited to arrivals before 12 noon. Didn’t know if that was a strict thing (scheduled to arrive at 220pm on a Tuesday). We will be going on United economy to Austin at 520pm. I have no status. Thank you!