
Boarding the new Polaris cabin (rendering courtesy United Airlines)
This week I had a chance to preview United’s new “Polaris” business class in San Francisco. The airline is putting a lot of effort into this new product, including a roadshow to its major hubs to show it off to press, top tier Global Services flyers, and major corporate accounts.
United built a mockup of the new cabin inside a studio in the edgy Dogpatch neighborhood of SF, which gave the whole event a hip, innovative vibe compared to a more traditional location like a hotel ballroom or even United’s large facilities at SFO airport. And that was fitting for a product where United has clearly put a lot of thought into being different and not simply copying its competition.
Here are links to Part 2 (Food & Bev) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

United built a mock up of its new Polaris business class cabin in SF’s Dogpatch neighbhorhood (Scott Hintz)
Highlights
- All of the features of the new Polaris product will roll out system-wide on December 1, except for the new seat, which will be retrofitted to the fleet over a 3-year period. But the new food, bedding, and amenity kits will be on all business class flights later this year.
- Innovative features include a new bloody mary service for morning flights and wine tasting flights for afternoon/evening departures
- Enhanced flight attendant training in an effort to improve “soft” service levels, one of the major complaints customers often make when comparing U.S. carriers to international competitors
- Big emphasis on delivering the best possible sleeping experience, including an option to dine prior to the flight at a sit-down waiter service in the Polaris airport lounge; high quality bedding including two pillows, two blankets, and a mattress pad; snazzy new eyeshades with foam that conforms to the eyes and blocks out more light; and on-request items such as a cooling gel memory foam pillow, pajamas, and slippers on select flights
- A pod-like seat that felt spacious, comfortable, and private — much more in line with competitors and a big step up from UA’s current offering
- A beautiful new amenity kit that felt luxurious, especially for business class
- A nice upgrade to the airport experience with new Polaris business class lounges at major international hubs, including a buffet with premium food offerings, sit-down waiter service, and sleeping rooms

Something new: A Bloody Mary cart on flights that depart before noon. (Photo: Scott Hintz)
Overview
United says they spent three years developing this new business class product and tried hard to be truly innovative, rather than just catching up and copying the competition. And it shows. While in many ways this new Polaris product does finally bring United up to par with major U.S. and international competitors, it is nice to see them going above and beyond in some small and even some more significant ways.
In speaking with the lead product director for Polaris, it was clear that United’s main focus for this product was on providing the best possible sleeping experience. Through extensive customer research, United found that a good night of sleep is the one thing customers want the most, and UA has tried hard to deliver on that. From a new airport lounge that provides the opportunity to eat a sit-down meal prior to the flight, thereby allowing for maximum sleeping time on board, to a comfortable new fully-flat seat/pod with enhanced privacy, and all-new bedding including and mattress pad, multiple pillows and blankets, and additional amenities, it does look like United has done a lot to make it easier for customers to arrive at their destination well-rested.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the details, starting with the seat itself. (In subsequent posts, we’ll inspect bedding, food and bev, inflight service and the new Polaris lounge so come back for more!)
The Seat
At last, United will be offering a lie-flat bed with all-aisle access, similar to what American and Delta already offer throughout most of their fleets. While it’s nice to see UA catch up to its U.S. peers, it’s worth noting that this hard product will be better than what many international carriers, such as British Airways and Emirates, offer on all or most of their planes.

Polaris pod seating with alternating row seat arrangement (Photo: Scott Hintz)
United developed this seat in partnership with a design agency, Boeing, and a seat manufacturer. They say that the unique layout allows them to fit the same number of business class seats into the cabin as their old/current product, without taking up any extra space. They claim that if they had used a product similar to what American has on the 777-300 and Delta has on the A330, the wasted space of that design would have required United to remove 6-8 business class seats from the cabin, or 24-40 seats from the economy cabin, just to fit into the same amount of space. If this is true, UA might have found the holy grail of delivering a seat that is a great customer experience at a cost/efficiency level that allows UA to offer it at lower prices than the competition and/or at higher margins.
My first impression of the seat was quite good. Although it’s hard to say for sure how good the seat is when you only sit in it for 20 minutes versus 12 hours, it felt comfortable, private, and spacious (enough). When Polaris was first unveiled a couple of months ago, reaction seemed to be centered around the seat layout looking very tight, and I shared that concern. But sitting in the actual seat in a mock layout of two rows of the cabin, it felt more spacious than I was expecting. However, the seats in the mock-up did not recline, so I don’t yet have an opinion about the lie-flat space. It certainly felt like more space than something like American’s updated 777-200 business class, and maybe about the same as the Delta A330 and American 777-300ER. Polaris will have a 1-2-1 configuration, with each alternating row being a bit different.
Here are links to Part 2 (Food & Bev) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

Seat map for United Polaris on 777-300 (Image courtesy United Airlines)
For the single seats along the windows, one seat will be closer to the window and the next row will have the seat closer to the aisle. It’s reminiscent of AA’s and DL’s updated 767-300 cabins in that way, but different in that the United seats still maintain the pod-like feel of the AA 777-300 and DL A330. It’s similar for the two seats in the middle, where one row will have the seats closer to the aisles, and the next row will have the seats closer to the middle of the aircraft. Those two seats in the middle section that are closer to the middle would be great for a pair traveling together, and both seats face forward and you can easily look at the person next to you, if you have the divider down.
I was pleased to see that the divider will be in the up position when you board, providing a nice amount of privacy and avoiding the social awkwardness one experience when having to keep putting the divider up in BA’s Club World cabin.

Movable divider between middle seats (in the “down” position in this photo) (Photo: Scott Hintz)
Looking at the cabin layout, it felt to me like the seats that are further away from the aisle (both the single seats along the windows and the side-by-side seats in the middle section) were more private, so would be my preference if flying Polaris.
The seat has nice finishes and feels upscale. United went with a cloth upholstery, as they found in their research that customers don’t like leather (they’re looking at you, Delta). There was the standard assortment of power ports and lighting that one would expect. Storage also feels fairly typical with a door that opens near your head to reveal a storage compartment, plus a few little pockets down lower.

Polaris seat storage cubby, noise cancelling headphones, and power ports, amenity kit (Photo: Scott Hintz)
A nice element is that the large monitor is in a fixed position facing you as you sit in the seat, which seems nicer than the type that you have to pop out of a wall on a hinge like you find on AA and BA. Additionally, United says this setup will give customers gate-to-gate use of the entertainment system.

Fixed screen entertainment monitor; notice the tray table that slides out from underneath (Photo: Scott Hintz)
The pod includes several neat, novel features. One of the side tables in the pod is finished with a real “stone” surface. United says it’s a stone polymer composite, but it does indeed use real stone. To me, it felt a bit more like plastic than stone, but kudos nonetheless for at least trying to incorporate some natural materials in the design.
And from the no-brainer department, United has included a “do not disturb” sign at each seat, so you can let the flight attendant know not to bother you for anything. It’s such a simple feature, I don’t know why all airlines aren’t doing this.

Smart “do not disturb” sign (Scott Hintz)
Adjusting the recline of the seat is done primarily through a simple dial feature that worked well for me. Finally, it’s nice that the tray table easily slides out from underneath the monitor in front of you, as opposed to some of the judo origami tricks it takes to unfold some trays from armrests without accidentally chopping off a finger. Furthermore, United showed me how you can slide the tray forward far enough to get out of your seat even while you might have some used dishes still on your tray.
At last, no more feeling like a hostage while you wait for the flight attendants to clear your plates! The tray also has a little extendable “lip” near the back so you can easily prop up your iPad or other tablet if you’re using it to watch a movie — smart.

Stone polymer table (Scott Hintz)

Seating controls include a simple dial for adjusting recline as well as buttons for more specific movements, lumbar support, lighting, and do not disturb light (Scott Hintz)
United says that a unique characteristic of their Polaris seat is that it will be easy to get in and out of it even while it’s in the fully reclined position. I did test that out and found it to be accurate, but it’s hard to recall if it’s really that much more difficult from competitors’ seats. A United spokesperson said that you have to basically return the seat to the full upright position in order to get out of it on some other airlines. I know this to be largely true on British Airways, especially if you are in a window seat and have walls on both sides of you, but can’t say how much more broadly this dynamic applies across the industry.
That’s it for part one of our Deep Dive series on United’s new Polaris business class. Next up we will look at bedding, amenity kids, food and beverage, inflight service, a new lounge and more. Come back!
Here are links to Part 2 (Food & Bev) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…
This post was written by TravelSkills contributor Scott Hintz. Check out Scott’s other amazing contributions here.
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Where does it fly to?
They will have the new lounge at Dulles and IAH, as well … big hubs …
Of the 8 international flights I made in the past 12 months, I only paid for biz class once … LOL … I upgrade with miles and money or with global upgrades. I truly believe in the value of affinity cards; I have a Hilton card and a United card and most of my travel is “free.” No, I cannot afford to buy a biz class ticket every time I fly so I do need help from the airline. Occasionally, I can get an inexpensive biz class tix to Rio but never to any other destination.
We accepted the invitation to the Polaris reception and mock-up that United presented late in the summer at Dulles; this new business class IS all that is was meant to be. I am really looking forward to experiencing an enhanced sleep environment 🙂 … While the new seats will not be ready for my London flight in about two-and-a-half weeks, the other accoutrements will be standard onboard. Since I am usually on a night flight, sleeping accommodation is very important. Typically, I eat in the club lounge BEFORE boarding so I can shut my eyes upon getting seated. Will keep you apprised of Polaris as it rolls out … By the way … THIS is why you should have – and use – an airline affinity card —- the UPGRADES!!!!
Thanks for your comment, JW. The seats in the mock up reclined partially, not all the way to lie-flat position. Regretful that you feel it is biased and paid for…we worked very hard on this series and took quite a lot of time doing so for the benefit of our readers.
Hard to tell from the photos, but I hope the vibe feels a little more upscale than the pictures convey. The new A330 experience from Qantas has a great natural feel with neutral colors and wood accents, but it sounds like United might have a leg up with a less violent tray table and seat controls that are easier to use.
I agree with other commenters that it seems pretty weird for them to say that the product will launch on Dec. 1 when the real product, the seats, will be phased in over time.
Sounds interesting but there is no way the cabin crew culture is going to change. Not a chance. For some reason airlines believe they are the only industry that deals with problem people. If they are want to do it right the flight attendants for this will all be under 33 so they still have energy and excitement. But that will not happen. It is why I enjoy the Asian/Middle East/Virgin product so much. I have stated this previously but I will fly coach from ATL on KAL than business on DAL to ICN. DAL has upped its flight attendant game and they are great compared to the other Legacy USA carriers but there is a consistent issue with “I’m here for you Safety First” attitude that is like “you’ll put your eye out”. It becomes very off putting.
Also, the seat IS the new product, for all intents and purposes. As with their last J roll-out, it will take a minimum of three years. The seats appear to be similar to the new American J suites, though with a smaller foot well. They even copied the “do not disturb” sign.
Good to know that they’re training staff to not verbally or physically assault passengers. Improving service might actually be enough to get me back on a United plane.
Their new lounge offering seems primarily aimed at passengers from their Chicago and Newark hubs.
Amazing that they would roll out Polaris on December 1st with more expensive fares but with no new seats or lounges, two of the main selling points of this. Again United ripping us off.
Mark,
I agree with you that the big question is the cost. Three years ago you could fly business class from Washington to London for btween $2,600 and $2,800. Now it’s over $4,000 and climbing making it impossible for me to spend that money.
What I see happening is that United is going after the high, business traveler whose company will spend the money. For folks like me who can’t stand coach and find it inhumane the price is out of reach.
I find it more interesting what airlines like Virgin is doing with Premium Economy which is not as comfortable as upper class but more humane and a better option than coach. While coach is nine seats across on a 787 and 3 across for Upper Class, premium economy is 7 across and can be done for about $2,300 round trip. Again it doesn’t have the lie flat seats but is at least not uncomfortable.
One other thing that United is hiding is the fact that this Polaris will roll out on December 1st but it could take three years for the seats to be on the planes. That’s the whole reason your paying for such an expensive ticket, the seat not the upgraded service and the fact that they offer bloody mary’s on monring flights. Again United finding a way to screw the public, they should start talking about it when the seats are in place, two to three years from now.
Aww man, I work in Dogpatch, I wish I could’ve come to check it out! Although I’m not sure I would call the neighborhood edgy, at least not these days :).
Pre-flight dining is a good option – BA have had this for years.
The Bloody Mary bar in the morning is a nice idea. I always feel a little weird asking for alcohol in the second half of a long-haul flight.
The ability to sleep is good although, if the service and entertainment is good enough, I don’t need to sleep so much. My definition of good service is where I’m having a sufficiently good time that I don’t want to sleep.
All considered, I might consider United again having avoided them for over a decade. Assuming they execute on this, of course.
Thanks a lot for this post.
I’m an only United Flyer, mostly int’l from SFO to FRA, always on the upper deck in 747-400.
It’s still the best privacy I know up there (travelling with my wife),
so I’m a bit wary of Polaris and the upcoming phase-out of the Jumbo.
But: here’s the big question about Polaris …: Pricing !! ??
My usual ticket price has gone up by $1500.00 per head for next year.
That’s hefty!
Any comments, anyone …?
Thanks,
Mark
Great post! FYI, you wrote that “All of the features of the new Polaris product will roll out system-wide on December 1, except for the new seat, which will be retrofitted to the fleet over a 3-year period.”
One important aspect of the Polaris experience won’t be rolled out systemwide December 1 though, and that’s the lounges. AFAIK, UA has only committed to having the ORD C-16 lounge ready by December 1.
United’s claims about how space-efficient this is relative to other J seats are exaggerated. The Zodiac Cirrus seat used by AA and CX (among others) doesn’t take up much more space – CX fits in 26 seats in the front J cabin (in front of the doors), whereas United’s Polaris will have 28 in the same space. That might be a difference of 3-4 seats for the entire J cabin, not 6-8 as United claims. Between the two the Cirrus certainly seems the better balance in terms of privacy and space, although Polaris is certainly a big improvement for United, especially compared to the pre-merger UA forward/backward seats.