Customers flying in United Airlines Polaris business class will soon enjoy more slippers on more routes, though customers in United’s Premium Plus premium economy product will lose out.
United Airlines Adds More Slippers To Polaris Business Class, Eliminates Them From Premium Economy
Citing “significant requests and inquiries from our customers and flight attendants,” United will provision slippers to 100% of the Polaris business class cabin to most Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern destinations effective January 1, 2024. Currently, slippers are on request only and on some routes not enough are boarded for everyone in the cabin to have a pair.
Per a memo reviewed by Live And Let’s Fly, the following routes will feature slippers for every passenger in Polaris:
- Asia
- Hong Kong – HKG
- Tokyo – HND
- Seoul – ICN
- Osaka – KIX
- Manila – MNL
- Tokyo – NRT
- Beijing – PEK
- Shanghai – PVG
- Singapore – SIN
- Taipei – TPE
- Pacific
- Auckland – AKL
- Brisbane – BNE
- Christchurch – CHC
- Melbourne – MEL
- Tahiti – PPT
- Sydney – SYD
- Middle East / India
- Amman – AMM
- Delhi – DEL
- Dubai – DXB
- Tel Aviv – TLV
As for other routes, “Eligible flights between the U.S. mainland hubs and Europe, South America and Africa will continue to have slippers available upon Polaris customer request.”
Premium Plus Loses Out On Slippers
Currently, Premium Plus (UPP or premium economy) passengers can also receive slippers on request in many Asian markets. That changes on January 1, 2024: no more slippers for those in premium economy.
As a result, all UPP cabins no longer qualify for this amenity and will not have the slippers placed on-seat or counted in the allocation for on-request markets. Slippers are now exclusive to Polaris customers.
That’s a loss for these passengers because I think the slippers (pictured above) are very decent on United, but if it had to be a tradeoff, I think full provisioning in Polaris makes more sense. At the same time, I think pajamas and slippers should be prominently noted on the menus, but still on-request only. No need for many pairs to be wasted by passengers who shove them aside or rip them open only not to use them. Even better would be if flight attendants went around the cabin asking passengers if they would like them.
CONCLUSION
United is modifying its onboard slipper policy in 2024, with more provisioning in Polaris business class but the elimination of slipper in Premium Plus premium economy class. While it is too bad that United is eliminating this benefit from premium economy, it is important to ensure a consists and reliable experience in Polaris…no flight should run out of slippers in a premium cabin.
I suppose offering to both would break the bank.
Kirby cutting costs again
Scott Kirby’s Greed Leads The Way! How else can he steal his 8 million bonus?
Pajamas are now only on 14+ hrs per a note on the menu. This is a shame. The business class tix is thousands of $$ and penny pinching is really bad
Agreed that UA should offer pajamas on all longhauls in business.
even if the menu says that, there are usually some PJs or even mattress pads loaded (or left?) on the plane. I’ve asked for and gotten mattress pads (and some PJs too but didn’t always ask for them) on all my EU flights this year (ORD/IAD/EWR/IAH-BER/BRU/FRA/MUC/AMS) even if the menu states the 14-hr rule
Mattress pads are supposed to be available on all Polaris flights.
More waste for the landfill. I don’t think I would want to make myself “at home” on an airplane thinking about germs and contaminated surfaces, but hey that’s just me.
If you need to sleep well and feel refreshed, especially if youre traveling for business, being able to switch into something roomy and soft makes a huge difference. I’d rather people throw on pajamas than roam airports in ugly American athleisure.
Sippers keep your feet dry from the “whatever liquid” on the lavatory floors. I’ll take slippers over pajamas every day of the week, just for that reason.
United’s slippers are great – as long as you have a size 9 foot or smaller. Otherwise, forget it.
That’s a tough one…on Asian Airlines my 8.5 foot size is too big for most slippers. They could provision extra large ones, but that become an additional logistical hurdle. Would still be nice.
Exactly. They don’t fit my size 13 feet. Glad they don’t hand out condoms.
🙂
Tell Kirby that Delta has been giving slippers on Delta One for many years now.
So has united…??
Tell delta to upgrade their coffin seats. They could probably spend less on slippers to do it 😉
Interesting, most of my united travel is to Germany, on my last two polaris flights a couple months ago slippers were waiting for me with the other amenities.
Hi Matthew, can you ask your contacts how come United stopped offering slippers for business class flights to and from Guam? Thanks.
Should be available on request.