Having been a loyal fan of Alaska Airlines and Delta for more than a decade, I managed to completely miss United Airlines’ flagship international business class product, Polaris. That is until an affordable economy ticket mixed with an affordable upgrade to business finally led your author to United Polaris last month on a Boeing 777-200 flight between Tokyo Haneda and San Francisco.
The morning of the flight started with a setback, as a text notification announced a one-hour delay. Less than an hour later, that extended another hour to nearly 6pm local time. A proactive notification from United allowed me to push back my check-out time at the hotel, and structure the day a bit more efficiently to explore the airport and the surrounding area. It was much appreciated, and something for which United deserves props.
I finally checked in at my original departure time, finding a short line and a friendly agent at the business counter. A checked bag disappeared into the system and off I went through a short immigration and security line.
A visit to ANA’s flagship lounge was worth a stop. I filled up on some Japanese curry and a crisp Asahi beer. The runway views were also a pleasant addition.
Unfortunately the departure gate was less pleasant. Arriving at the new boarding time I learned that we were not boarding in the near future. The crew was still waiting to board the jet themselves, and we had a bus gate to boot, slowing things down considerably. The gate announced a predictable further 30-minute delay. I left the overcrowded, very hot space and took a walk before coming back to find boarding had begun.
Business class and Global Services passengers had their own dedicated bus, and we quickly made the five-minute drive to the waiting 777-200. It’s always fun to board a widebody via air stairs.
I settled into seat 11L, mid-way through the second of two Polaris cabins. Polaris is based on Safran Seats’ Optima platform, and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect to see in international business in this decade.
Likely due to the late arrival and quick turn, the seat needed a wipe down. Crumbs and grime were easy to come by, and the table had a handful of substances affixed to it. It came off with a few wet-wipes and five minutes of attention, but was still an annoying start to the experience.
Besides the cleanliness, impressions were otherwise positive. The color palette leans heavily on shades of grey, accented with the carrier’s deep blue. On the seat, a package of Saks Fifth Avenue bedding looked inviting. Picking it up to move it confirmed my suspicions; it was soft to the touch. I couldn’t wait to get to sleep.
I loved the homey-feeling light fixture, and the large and sharp inflight entertainment screen.
A menu, which was pretty small, confirmed options available for the flight, while a set of headphones sat inside a good-sized storage cubby. An amenity kit with Therabody products was also waiting at the seat, and it contained the usual suspects.
Storage in particular was above average, with the aforementioned cubby as well as two other less formal spaces available to store a variety of items, small and large.
Everything else was pretty standard: 180-degree lie flat with fully customizable controls, large tray table, working international style and USB power outlets, and a variety of lighting options.
The only drawback was the location of the seat controls, which are tucked into a single-row flush with the sidewall. As the seat angle uses a control wheel, it was easy to bump it accidentally. While it didn’t happen often, it did happen often enough to take note.
After a lengthy queue for departure, we were finally airborne three hours behind schedule. Service began almost immediately, with the crews absolutely hustling out a dinner service.
Catering was a mixed bag. The short rib entree was pretty good, though the polenta that came with it was too dry and way too salty. The salad was there.
The clear winner was the ice cream sundae with all the toppings, alongside a cup of tea: perfection.
In less than 90 minutes the service was complete and the cabin lights were out for the night, which was much appreciated given that the flight is a short, eight-hour red eye. Better yet, the timing aligned perfectly with an attempt to sync back up with Pacific time.
After a few minutes of setting out the bedding, I was out cold for the next five hours. It was probably the most comfortable bedding I’ve ever had on an airplane, and I’ll miss it in every business class experience from here on out.
I awoke an hour before arrival, and a cheery flight attendant quickly arranged a french-toast breakfast and another cup of tea. It hit the spot nicely.
I browsed my way through United’s inflight entertainment system while waiting for takeoff and during the meal service, and was thoroughly impressed. It was very well stocked, very well organized, and came with hard-to-find-elsewhere features like relax mode, which offers soothing ambient audio and visuals to help chill you out and set a vibe. I made good use of the latter in the last hour of the flight, and I can’t recommend it enough.
The 16-inch screen can be controlled either by touch or by a somewhat clunky but functional tethered remote.
Internet browsing is also offered at a price; I didn’t utilize it. I did, however, make liberal use of the free messaging tier.
We made up some time in the air, but still landed two and a half hours late in sunny San Francisco.
The bag appeared quickly at baggage claim, and I rechecked it onward to my home base of Seattle. International Polaris fliers can utilize a Polaris lounge as an arrival facility. Luckily SFO has one, and I had the time. It was absolutely worth the visit.
After years of ignoring United, it might be time for a change. Polaris is a solid product, one that I might find myself seeking out again soon.
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All images credited to the author, Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
