To begin our summer trip, we flew from Los Angeles to London on United Airlines in Polaris Business Class on the 787-9. In short: despite a three-hour delay, the flight was great, with superb service, edible food, and a good rest.
United Polaris Business Class Family Review
I’m thankful my three-year-old daughter seems to be over the hump in terms of being able to sit still on a flight. She’s three years old, but can now keep herself entertained with the seatback entertainment. We avoid screen time at home, but when it comes time to fly she can watch as much as she wants.
I mentioned our three-hour delay (firmware update) and the amazing service of Captain Alberto Diaz, but let’s start from the top. After enjoying lunch in the Polaris Lounge we boarded the flight on-time.
United 231
Los Angeles (LAX) – London (LHR)
July 2023
Depart: 12:55PM [4:03PM actual]
Arrive: 7:25AM+1 [9:31AM+1 actual]
Duration: 10hr, 45min
Aircraft: Boeing 789-9
Distance: 5,456 miles
Seats: 8A, 9A, 10A, 12A (“Polaris” Business Class)
The purser, David Leonard, warmly greeted passengers as we stepped onboard. Rather than be first to board, we were among the last: I did not want to rush through the Polaris Lounge nor spend unnecessary time on the plane with two restless children (little did I know then about the delay).
Seats
The 787-9 Polaris cabin includes 48 seats spread over two cabins and is arranged in a 1-2-1 format. Rather than take four seats across one row, I assigned us window seats, one behind the other, since everyone loves the window. Unfortunately, 11A was already taken, but that meant my wife Heidi got the last seat in the front cabin (8A) while the kids and I took the rear.
I could have asked 11A to swap with Heidi, but the odd-numbered Polaris window seats provide more comfort and privacy than the even-numbered ones. Since it was not an “even” trade I did not bother to ask.
I have flown this seat so many times, but it was the first time my children had tried it…and they loved it. The seat includes 180° recline, transforming it to a lie-flat bed providing 6’6″ (198 cm) of sleeping space. The seat is 20.5 inches wide.
My kids, of course, had more than enough room and spread out nicely. We flew business class more for my wife and me, not for them, since they can sleep anywhere and all they want to do on a plane is watch TV shows and movies anyway.
I got a bulkhead seat, 9A, which is my favorite on the plane (along with 1A, 1K, and 9K) because of the generous cut-out for your feet.
We all slept well. United offers great bedding including a large duvet and two pillows.
In fact, my kids slept through breakfast and my daughter slept so well that we had to pry her out of her seat upon landing.
IFE + Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi was available for purchase at the following rates:
- $2.99 – one hour
- $6.99 – two hours (yeah, I didn’t get that either…)
- $19.99 – flight pass
I receive free wi-fi on my mobile phone via T-Mobile, which does not include audio or video streaming.
The IFE library includes a lot of movies (over 100), though I did not find anything I wanted to watch. Same with TV shows, audio, and games. But I did not try hard on this flight.
Noise-cancelling headphones are of mediocre quality.
One thing that pulled the kids away from the screen (at least for a little bit) was a “Children’s Travel Kit” with coloring, activities, and a puzzle. This proved quite vital during the firmware update since the IFE had to reboot several time.
Amenity Kit
My flight was in the final days of the Away era: we received a hard-shell case that I did not bother to open and left behind. I’ve reviewed the contents before here.
United now has amenity kits from Asutra.
Food + Drink
By the time we finally took off three hours late, I was very hungry. So were my kids.
Menus were handed out prior to departure, but I had pre-ordered all of our meals. One side of the menu includes meal choices while the other side includes the wine list.
Thankfully, the flight attendants were quite efficient and dinner began rolling shortly after takeoff.
First, hot towels were offered. Next, the tablecloth was set.
Then, dinner came out all on one tray, with beverages.
United is trialing a return to multi-course meal service on select routes, but I appreciated everything appearing at once.
I ordered a seared flat iron steak (with mushroom gravy, thyme-roasted red bliss potato wedges
and creamed spinach). I’m not a fan of many sauces and asked that the gravy be placed on the side. The flight attendant cheerfully obliged, which may not have made the tray look very fancy, but I skipped both the creamed spinach and the gravy. The meat was tender and cooked medium. Not the highest quality, to be sure, but it was satisfactory.
The appetizer was a salmon rillette with radish, arugula, extra virgin olive oil and baguette and I found it to be lacking in taste and texture. The garlic bread and pretzel roll were warm and you generally cannot go wrong with a mixed salad and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Heidi ordered the fish (seared turbot with lemon caper sauce, asparagus, sautéed mushrooms,
roasted potatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes) and reported it was satisfactory.
I ordered a gluten-free meal for Claire Marie, not because she is gluten intolerant but because I knew it would be a simple chicken breast and a simple leafy green salad: Claire Marie is a picker eater than Augustine, but this was a perfect meal for her which she ate right up.
Augustine tried the pasta (babv spinach tortellacci with rustic tomato sauce, roasted eggplant, and toasted pepitas), which he enjoyed.
For dessert, the kids enjoyed bowls of plain vanilla ice cream while I enjoyed a cheese course, cake, and an ice cream sundae. Granted, I think just about anything would have satisfied me I was so hungry, but I thought dinner was perfectly satisfactory minus the appetizer.
Oddly, the mixed nuts were served after the meal service (hot). That was a service mishap, though I still enjoyed them.
Mid-flight, a snack cart included more mixed nuts, sweet and salty treats, and whole fruits. Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich were also available.
Just an hour before landing, breakfast was served with a choice between creamy scrambled eggs with sautéed mushrooms, chicken herb sausage, marble potatoes, and baby kale or a ricotta crêpe with vanilla cream, cherry sauce, and blueberries.
The eggs were fine…I wasn’t hungry, but ate breakfast since the arrivals lounge was closed.
Lavatory
Lavatories were clean both at the start and end of the flight. Sunday Riley amenities were still present, though I suspect United will find a new provider since that relationship seems to have ended.
Service
From Captain Diaz to David, the purser, the crew was really excellent. The flight attendant working my side of the cabin in business class was so kind and frequently knelt down on her knees to speak to my children. She pampered them with beverage refills and snacks and even tucked my daughter into bed.
Arrivals Lounge Closed
It was a long walk from the aircraft to the UK Border, but a good way to stretch out after the flight.
One of my favorite aspects of flying United into London is the use of the arrivals lounge in Terminal 2. Sadly, it was closed for maintenance.
The Plaza Premium Lounge in the arrivals area remains closed, so we were soon on our way to central London.
CONCLUSION
The delay was annoying (and pathetic considering it was a firmware update that presumably should have been done earlier), but the flight itself was very lovely with excellent service and respectable food. I slept well, which is really the most important part of business class and perhaps it was the delay that enabled me to fall asleep quicker.
United is not the best among its peers, but I find the experience quite solid and reliable. Guard your expectations when it comes to dining, but you can always count on a comfortable seat and excellent bedding. I was thankful to fly Polaris with my family across the Atlantic.
Not related but thought I would get others thoughts here. Have a last minute trip to London next week. Cheapest option in business class is on United with 2 stops for $11k. Delta non stop at $15k. Interesting is that when you look at the seat availability, almost 70% of the business class is available to book. What is going on with these prices?
Are you talking round-trip pricing? Premium fares always so much higher originating in USA than UK. Can you use one of your Delta Global Upgrade Certificates on the way out and book directly in business on return, or does it really not matter if the company pays?
Yes, roundtrip. Two nights in London next week. I understand premium fares are higher originating in the US but I paid $3,500 roundtrip to fly to Paris on Delta business class in July. Not sure why now it is $15,000. Tried Amsterdam and it is the same. Interesting is that for eat o use a Delta Global upgrade certificate, I need to book Premium Economy but that is sold out. Delta One is 70% empty on the flights I need so really cannot figure out what is going on.
Unfortunately last minute prices may be high even if the cabin is empty because they know of those who HAVE to book, they’ll pay whatever fare is required. Reliably high prices soon before departure also incentivizes more customers to fill the seats earlier (and also pass on looking for last minute award space) for fear prices will rise
Hopefully you can find an award seat in at least one direction for your dates?
Matt,
In one of your photos toward the end, is that one of those children’s rolling suitcases that pops up and becomes a foot rest when flying in say economy class? Recommend or not? My wife did not enjoy our business class routing on our last UK trip booked with Lifemiles (ICT-ORD-FRA-MAN-ZRH-ORD-ICT) So our next trip will likely be more direct with the direct SQ IAH-MAN flight in economy as we don’t have enough transferable miles to go business next time. Thank you.
Hi Scott, My daughter loves the Stoke JetKids Bedbox. This is not a paid placement – we paid full price for it and have already gotten our money’s worth. She loves it.
Thanks for the recommend! Have you had any issues with using it? I’ve read some reviews that they are banned by some airlines. Our daughter is coming of that age (2 going on 12 lol) where she is hit or miss about using the pram when we are walking through the terminal. This would be a good option for when it’s not worth carrying/pushing the travel pram around the airport anymore.
Polaris is nice. But you realize just how cramped a space it is when you see something like the Qsuites on Qatar. I flew them for the first time this weekend, in economy unfortunately. The Qsuites looked awesome.
Their seat width of 20.5″ is just inadequate; its too small of an area to be comfortable; they jammed
in too many seats in the bus. cabins on the 787’s . The seat is too narrow, its hard to roll over once you’re
lying down, bumping your elbows; it’s such a small space for such a high fare; on Eva Air and SQ with
their A350, the seat is much wider & with more personal space.
Lucky had a post not too long ago about parents flying in business with their children in economy. Have you thought about if there’s an age when you’ll start doing this? Especially as miles keep getting devalued and redemptions harder to snag.
The meals look a whole lot better than on my Polaris flight BCN-EWR in April!
I’ve saved miles on my cc for 5 years to get a regular 18″ wide cattle seats to finally see my girlfriend. Stories like this one make me sick. The wealthy live in another world that we get to read about and glimpse on our way to the back of the bus.
My guess is he used miles, since he travels over 200k miles a year for business.
That would be correct.
And maybe pays for business expenses with the same set of CCs too.
What really lucky kids you have. Great write-up and great photos and thank you for sharing
Adorable, gorgeous kids!
I used to enjoy long walks and when things are ok, I still will walk a few miles but now that I’m older and have dealt with back and foot injuries that aren’t going away, on bad days they can be rough to deal with.
A few years ago we were returning from Europe and had a connection on United back to the states in Polaris, and we thought for sure we had missed the flight but the flight was delayed. Then once we got on board it turned out to be another 2 hr delay. I was so thankful we were not in coach since we were so hot and tired and at least in business class they treat you better with cold drinks, towels, etc. This was around 2018.
Do you find noise from the galley to be an issue while trying to sleep? Bathrooms to busy?
Neither was an issue in this front and is rarely an issue even though I consistently choose bulkhead seats.
Why don’t you start a Youtube channel and do reviews on there?
I don’t mind screaming kids in business class. I fly so much it happens.
Matthew, how did you get business class awards in the summer high season? I haven’t seen United offering saver awards for biz in forever now – even on flights where it seems mostly empty before departure. When you fly, it’s always full but they never offered saver awards and 155k miles or more is too much for me.
Oddly, I booked eight days prior to travel and the flight was I4, PZ4…I was shocked too.
I agree that the service and food were great, but I have an issue with the ‘new’ Polaris business class seats. I’m 6’4″ and can barely squeeze into them when they are flat, and my shoulders are too wide so I need to lie on my side in order to lie down. They are too tight! I need like 2 extra inches so that I could lie on my back and it drives me crazy. So due to how narrow they are towards where your head lies, and that they really aren’t long enough for someone who is 6’4″ (although they state that), I end up lying on my side with my legs in the aisle when I (try to) sleep. It sucks!
Does anyone know if the lie-flat seats on any of the other US carriers any larger? I prefer to fly United, but my discomfort in their B class seats makes me look to their competitors…..
I’m only 6ft but recently flew Qantas back and forth from the USA. On the way I had an enclosed seat and on the way back I chose the bulkhead on the a380. Near the galley but immeasurably better experience. Was superb with so much room.
Lucky just reviewed LOT which has the old seats with more leg room. Ditto air Kenya :). They do exist.
To be fair, there aren’t many seats built for a 6’4 frame mate. You drew the short straw when it comes to comfort when flying being so tall. I’m 6’1 and most of the time at the cusp of comfort vs discomfort flying.
Matthew, you’re a fortunate guy, your children appear to be lovely and delightful. Please tell Heidi that your readers are very impressed. You and Heidi keep up the good work. Please also tell Heidi that I (retired ER doc) empathize with her (likely grueling) 12 hour shifts and immensely respect her work as a RN.)
Santastico: re “ … last minute trip to London … business class … United with 2 stops for $11k. Delta non stop at $15k.” Excellent example of why miles and points should be saved (and burned/used judiciously) instead of “earn and burn”. Award pricing doesn’t change (as much) at the last minute and it’s less annoying to get gouged on a miles price than a $$$ price. Several years ago I didn’t flinch (too much) at spending twice the miles each for 3 transcon biz class seats for myself my Mom and my sister to attend an uncle’s funeral.
Willem: re: “… last minute prices may be high even if the cabin is empty because they know of those who HAVE to book, they’ll pay whatever fare is required.” Correct for many major airlines, in direct contrast to some cruise lines which dramatically lower last minute prices to whatever it takes to get cabins filled. Might explain why cruise ships often sail at 104% capacity and why most airlines went through bankruptcy (due to empty cabins) and why cruise lines are cash cows without (significant) income from loyalty programs.
Boot on my neck: re “I’ve saved miles on my cc for 5 years …” Your comment (“my cc”) implies a single card, excellent example of why churning credit cards is the most lucrative way to earn and save miles and points for many people. I’ve churned credit cards for awhile and now fly international award biz class multiple times each year (and I’m not “wealthy” – see below).
Boot on my neck: re “The wealthy live in another world that we get to read about and glimpse on our way to the back of the bus.” This kind of ignorant misinformed comment doesn’t deserve a rational reply.
“Matthew, how did you get business class awards in the summer high season?” That’s an excellent question and is worthy of reply; how did you get 4 biz class seats on a competitive route during peak season? “Anytime” awards, whereby empty seats are made available for awards at twice the usual award rate (do they even exist anymore)? Just got lucky (I’d rather be lucky than good)? Because you told UA that 2 of the seats were for your adorable children (nice if it worked that way)? Some secret method? Thank you.
Matthew, I think the picture of Claire-Marie in the Polaris seat with her big old seatbelt and shoulder harness is one of the most adorable things I have seen in a long time. I love all these pictures, but that one just made my face light up. As for Augustine, he is definitely your mini-you. What a sweet family!
I don’t get taking little kids in Business class. I guess if you don’t want to see or talk to your kids its fine, but what a waste of space.
Makes all the difference in the world in beating jet lag.