I flew on a United Airlines internationally-configured 777-200ER from San Francisco to Newark in Polaris Business Class, my first time flying on a premium transcontinental flight on United Airlines since the carrier rebranded some of its domestic routes as Polaris. The flight was mostly pleasant, though the lack of functional Wi-Fi was particularly difficult for me.

United Airlines 777-200ER Domestic Polaris Review (SFO-EWR)

United now sells longhaul Hawaii flights and transcontinental flights between Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO)/Los Angeles (LAX) as United Polaris instead of United Business. Most importantly, that means that front cabin passengers receive Polaris Lounge access as long as they are not flying on a “basic” ticket.

I turned lemons into lemonade after my San Francisco – Chicago flight canceled (mechanical), rebooking myself onto this more circuitous routing which most people might find horrifying but I found a pleasant way to spend my day (I miss my “office in the sky” days from the pandemic).

> Read More: A Productive Day Trip To New York JFK On United Airlines
> Read More: My Office Is A 767-300 Traveling Between LAX And JFK

Plus, I got to enjoy a nice breakfast and shower in the Polaris Lounge ahead of my flight.

Boarding began at 7:55 am from Gate F11. I was enjoying my time in the lounge and traveling with only a small duffel bag (so no concern over overhead bin space), thus I decided to board last and did not step onboard until 8:30 am.

United 435
San Francisco (SFO) – Newark (EWR)
Tuesday, May 19
Depart: 8:45 AM
Arrive: 5:00 PM
Duration: 5hr, 15min
Distance: 2,565 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Seat: 8G (“Polaris” Business Class)

Stepping onboard, I was greeted by a flight attendant, offered a sanitizing wipe, and walked through the galley and turned left to find my seat in the last row of the front business class cabin.

Seats

United’s 777-200 Polaris business class cabin features lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, meaning direct aisle access for every passenger (compare this to the “high-density” 777-200s that used to run on this route that were 2-4-2 in business class).

I assigned myself seat 8G, a center-section aisle seat, which was the last remaining seat in business class when I rebooked onto this flight. For solo travelers, this would not be my first choice. I much prefer a true window seat (odd-numbered A or L seat) because it feels more private and gives you a better sense of being tucked away from the aisle. Seat 8G, by contrast, felt more exposed, with passengers and flight attendants passing by throughout the flight.

That said, the seat itself was perfectly functional and comfortable. There was sufficient storage for smaller items in a side cabinet, a large entertainment screen, a side console, a reading light, power outlets, and the usual Polaris bedding, which remains one of the strongest parts of the United business class experience. The Saks Fifth Avenue pillow and blanket are excellent, and I still find United’s bedding better than what competitors offer in business class.

The seat converted into a fully flat bed, and while I would have slept better in a window seat, I still found it comfortable enough for a longhaul flight. The footwell was not huge, but it was workable, and the seat controls were easy to use.

United has 777-200s from Continental and from legacy United. While both have the same configuration in business class, the ex-Continental 772s do not have personal air vents. This aircraft (thankfully) did.

United Polaris was never the most cutting-edge business class seat in the world, but it remains a solid product. My main advice is simple: choose an odd-numbered window seat because those seats have the seat adjacent to the window and side table adjacent to the aisle. That gives you the most privacy and it feels like more space. The 777 seats are slightly wider than the 787 seats.

Lavatories

The 777-200ER has three lavatories for 50 business class passengers: one in the front and two between the front and rear business class cabin. I used the lavatory toward the end of the flight and there was something on the floor (and it probably was not water).

The premium cabin lavatories include additional hand lotion and skin mist from Perricone MD and “Garment groom” from Murchison-Hume (that I strongly recommend against using, since it stained one of my shirts permanently on a past trip).

Food + Drink

You’ll certainly get enough to seat on these transcontinental Polaris flights.

I’m not sure where the printed menus went, since these flights typically have menus, but the menu was viewable on united.com:

Despite the early hour, service started with a hot towel followed by mixed nuts.

I ordered steak and eggs, a filet mignon served with a cheese omelette. The beef was cooked well-done, but this was a hearty and respectable breakfast, with fruit and yogurt with berries on the side, plus a croissant.

The sundae cart does not appear on morning flights, but there was a very nice lemon tart served with coffee after breakfast.

What really impressed, though, was the pre-arrival meal.

If flying on American Airlines or Delta Air Lines, you receive a hot cookie before landing. But on United, a second hearty meal (with three choices) is served before landing. I enjoyed a delicious salad with carrots, sweet potatoes, golden raisins, green apples, green goddess dressing, and a chicken breast on the side…so very good (the salad, not the fake chicken).

Most people passed on the pre-arrival meal, so I tired the pork adobo with jasmine rice and sautéed garlic green beans as well…also very delicious (both pre-arrival dishes were better than than the breakfast).

United has come a long way with catering and I give it credit.

IFE + Wi-Fi

The big problem on this flight was the lack of Wi-Fi…it id don’t work, just like almost every other Untied aircraft that has Panasonic Wi-Fi. I won’t belabor the point except to say that this flight left at 8:55 am and was the heart of my work day…it was devastating not to have functional Wi-Fi and this is really why I continue take redeyes.

There were certainly hundreds of movies, TV series, music, and games to pass the time (along with new and improved noise-canceling headphones from Meridian Audio.

Amenity Kit

A centennial anniversary-branded amenity kit was placed at each seat with contents that included:

• Earplugs
• Eyemask
• Perricone MD Lip Baim 5ml
• Perricone MD Hand Cream 5ml
• Perricone MD Cleansing Towelette
• Toothbrush

(Delta Air Lines offers its full international amenity kit on domestic Delta One flights while American Airlines offers a more limited domestic amenity kit similar to United).

Service

The crew was nice on this flight and I gauge a good crew on both the passenger interactions and how attentive they are between meal services to patrol the cabin. The flight attendant working my section did both well. She was also very happy to offer me a second meal before landing when so many turned down the pre-arrival service…that’s not something you can demand, but I certainly appreciated it.

CONCLUSION

The inoperable internet was a dealbreaker for me, but other than that it was a very comfortable daytime flight across the country on the United 777-200 in Polaris. You will not go hungry on a premium transcontinental flight and the pre-arrival service runs circles around what American and Delta offer.

You could say that United was just playing “catch up” to American Airlines, which offers premium transcontinental passengers Flagship Lounge access, and to Delta Air Lines, which offers premium transcontinental passengers Delta One Lounge access, but Polaris Lounge certainly makes the value proposition higher for flying in a premium cabin on United and it’s just nice, in general, to see meals and amenities improving even during a time of rising oil prices.

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