I flew 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.
I Flew Domestic “Polaris” For the First Time On United Airlines
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.
Let’s start with the positives, then I’ll point out one big negative aspect of the flight.
Access to the Polaris Lounge is a huge value-add. I showed up at the Polaris Lounge around 6:00 am where I had never seen it so empty…it was lovely (though by the time I left around 8:00 am it had filled up).
I took a shower and enjoyed a very nice breakfast (omelet, avocado toast, berries, green drink, and cappuccino). After this, I really didn’t need to eat on the flight (though I still did of course…you know me).
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 this certainly makes the value proposition higher for flying in a premium cabin on United.
Onboard, I found my seat in the rear center section of the 777-200 cabin, the last seat remaining when I was rebooked on this flight (after a flight cancellation). While I prefer odd-numbered window seats, the seat is very comfortable and was quite nice for the five-hour journey to Newark.
You will not go hungry on a United premium transcontinental flight. Breakfast was served after takeoff (no menus and I had not been able to pre-order) and 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.
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).
You could argue it was too much food, but I was very thankful for the hearty offerings.
Other notes:
- amenity kits were offered
- noise-cancelling headphones were offered
- IFE selection was excellent
- Service was excellent
So what was wrong? Care to guess? One critical thing, to me at least: Wi-Fi.
It didn’t function, which made the flight miserable for me. This flight, departing at 8:45 am PT, was right in the heart of my workday and the Panasonic Wi-Fi did not function at all. Call me a basket case or too self-important, but it’s just a deal-breaker for me…it’s why I mostly fly redeyes. Maybe I need to enter a 30-day electronic detox program, but I just could not handle the flight, so the 777-200 (and really any Panasonic-equipped aircraft) moves to my embargo list for daytime flights. Starlink cannot come fast enough.
Wi-Fi may be immaterial for many of you, but it was huge for me and any business owner should be able to appreciate that. Other than that, it was a very nice flight.
Get over it. Social media is a cancer on our society.
Except Matthew isn’t complaining about not being able to post on Insta, but spending what amounts to an entire work day unable to conduct his business because a service United offers as a component of its rather stiff transcon business class fares was unavailable. The point of business-people travelling in business class is the space and privacy to get some work done if they’re not sleeping.
Space and privacy ; how wide was the seat ? hopefully, wider than the sorry 20″ on UA’s 787’s ; we just
want more seat width and personal space, so you don’t feel like you’re in a coffin, right ? Hope we miss the
24 or 26″ of space on Thai Air or Singapore Air.
Polaris may not be Singapore Suites, but it’s still better than sitting down the back.
Amen to that. All they do is bitch about the tiny things on their flights that are paid for by their company. The disconnect is appalling.
Yup you are a sad man. Get over it. I used to work on all my long haul flights, then I saw the light and now it’s my only ‘me time’ in my busy thankless schedule.
Call me a luddite, but I use flights as a chance for a brief digital detox. I honestly welcome when wifi cuts out over certain countries or the Pacific.
Like yourself, Dee, I never use in-flight wifi, and I rarely watch anything other than the flying map on the screen at my seat, but I do get why it’s important to some people, particularly if they’re running a heavily-online business.
explain please: “… I prefer odd-numbered window seats”
The window seats (A and L) alternate between “true” window seats in the odd-numbered rows with the side table next to the aisle (creating more privacy) and the even-numbered rows in which the seat is against the aisle and the side table is under the window.
Plane day = cheat day, although that morning steak looked rather leathery.
No WiFi = bad. Even if it did exist, Panasonic WiFi is barely usable to begin with. But something is better than nothing.
I never log into to the WiFi but then again I’m not using it to work so I do sympathize.
You still must be able to work offline though. Draft emails. Write trip reports up to 90% etc?
Completely agree – need Starlink ASAP.
Starlink installs on express 76 seat fleet are done, mods are happening in earnest on the 737-NGs, and it looks like the 321s are now starting (after one has flown around quite a lot, it looks like the STC work is done – the next is now getting an install).
Widebodies? I’m guessing that doesn’t happen until next year, targeting the summer 2027 season, especially when the flying is reduced and widebody planes go into maintenance cycles off-season.
More interestingly to me – there appears to be no attempt to upgrade the 757s, which isn’t too surprising. Those will be retired as the 321XLRs are received. But the 737-700s – which sound like they are going to stay for a while – have not received any Starlink installs nor any United Next upgrades (paint/bigger bins/seatback screens). That is a surprise to me as an outside observer.
What possibly could have gone wrong? First guess was vicious stinky dog. Second guess no wi-fi. Actually make that the first guess. You’re close enough to ” vacation detox” enjoy the season.
For the umpteenth time, you’re so lucky!
For aviation enthusiasts → UA currently has 74 B777-200s (average age: 27 years) in its fleet.
Nailed it! Just flew home from Hong Kong Polaris yesterday and though I didn’t expect wifi to work entire flight (blocked over China though surprisingly it did work at times) I did expect it to be operable more than 4 of the 14 flight hours and I would expect to have good connectivity transcon. I go out of my way to find flights with Starlink. For those haters, some of us have work to do and the Polaris pods are great offices except wifi.
Did you have to pay for the Panasonic Wi-Fi?
and it is doubtful that UA 777-200s will ever have Starlink because UA will very likely have to retire them due to a lack of engine parts.
UA’s entire PW 777 fleet is at risk of retirement due to engine issues. The -200s will have more than completed their life but some of the younger 777-200ERs could serve longer if UA is willing to keep robbing engine parts from retired aircraft and engines to keep a small fleet operating for a few more years.
that’s what happens when you operate an orphan fleet
Having flown on quite a few United regional jets equipped with Starlink, it really does change the game!
DL has said that the 717s will be equipped wiht both LEO and HEO antennae – the first commercial aircraft that can access both types of satellites.
The 321NEO fleet will follow
all of this nonsense about DL’s fleet being at a disadvantage to Starlink is being shown to be the rubbish that it is.
Right! Delta is perfect….sigh!