If possible bring your own snacks or buy a sandwich or salad. Need to correct my names in my post! Crazy fun United international stopovers to save potentially ~20,000 miles. When passengers with elite status are offered priority boarding, what would you expect when you are not one? No way! It's predictable how bad the US empire airlines were in terms of real quality. I don't fly international any longer so I do not worry about the food. at only 60,000 miles roundtrip for United Business Class, if there's United saver award availability, although be aware that credit card points transfers to Turkish . Wow. I can sense a return to OMAAT normalcy. I had similar experience as AA Plat on nonstop UA DCA-DEN. The answer is to accept, by design, roast chicken that sits in its own delicious sauce in a partitioned dish with the corn and rice having their own sections. The aircraft is used on United's transcontinental US flights and international flights from the US. Find business class flights to Los Angeles on Breeze Airways, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and more. My time is much too valuable to me. Yes OH bins were full :-( All I care about boarding is if I'm inside when the plane door closes . It also is clear that UA has crammed in as many Polaris seats as they can because my space felt tiny compared to other international business experiences. The meal. What does United Polaris business class include? :-) Premium Service. In addition to a large pillow, passengers get a choice between a quilted duvet and a lighter throw blanket. However, no nonstop flights are available on this route so one has to go with connecting flights option only. Above this: the IFE controller, a combo AC/USB power socket and the headphone jack. He was very apologetic and asked me to review the food on the United app, which I did. Sorry for all my negativity. Now that was special! How the hell are Polaris seats no longer cutting edge? . Food-wise and with making Business class feel special in their Boarding process. This is very helpful! UA has the Guam market to its self and charges accordingly. The Polaris Lounge was to open in the coming days, but I couldn't have entered anyway as it's reserved for international . Now they come around with a basket of non-nutritious crap. :(((. My visit happened during the morning peak so the lounge was at full capacity - however you could still find a seat if you looked around. I was expecting the experience to be roughly comparable (American vs. United is like Chili's vs . The Polaris lounge was also very standard, Im not sure what the hype is all about! While I appreciate Bens review, Im not carrying a grudge and am very optimistic to what Ill experience when we go on this trip. Finally! Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. If flying those routes business class, you can access United Clubs at . I cannot follow from this review. Price. To maximize your space, book a bulkhead seat. Simply an illusion. Only one meal on the 7.5 hour flight to Honolulu (HLN). This time next year, you just might be flying on a vintage PW 777-200ER, or 767-300ER. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. 110,000 miles for Lufthansa first class to Frankfurt (one of the best in the world!) Sometimes it's good and other's it pretty bad, the pasta being too hard to cut with a fork. In terms of storage, each seat gets a small side compartment to keep your travel gear and amenities close at hand. Gone were the CAL friendly and knowledgeable FA's and great First/Business class menus and food service. But it really isn't "fairly common." Gone are the days of snack carts sitting out for later if you get hungry. Pushing off the gate and knowing that youre leaving Hawaii sucks. Hahahaha. But Ben making money. I was excited to be on a Boeing 787-9 featuring Uniteds new livery, which has grown on me a lot how gorgeous, especially with the backdrop. See more about our ethics policies here. Behind the business class cabin is a small United Premium Plus cabin. Flew LHRORD a week or so ago in Polaris. That said, even that made up place is better than the Trainwreck that is BER ( possibly the most un German entity in existence). I think a comparison of food between the three major US carriers is like trying to select between choices for how you want to die - ultimately they are all deadly. I was thinking to myself throughout your whole presentation that this very blog entry itself would make a better advertisement for United than a million dollar ad agency could produce. . Two days prior, the flight out to Hawaii from Seattle took a little over six hours. Lame UA. Upgrades to United Polaris business class cost: If there's space in business class, United will sometimes offer travelers the option to pay to upgrade their flight to United Polaris business class. U just dont qualify and wont. Your feet will feel a bit tight unless you choose a seat in row one. I tried ordering a signature cocktail on AA and they said they dont have one. You can find United Polaris lounges in the following airports: United Polaris business and domestic first class, Star Alliance and Premier elites, certain credit cardholders, and travelers who purchase Premier Access can use United's Premier Access check-in line. or Business Class on the B757-200 New York Newark (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX). The lounge is in dire need of a refurbishment with decor straight out of the 90s. Disgusting meal, service. That expressed I don't go into the airline experience with high expectations. Wi-Fi is available as well, though United is extremely stingy with it. My chicken was pretty dry and bread was hard. AND BUGGER OFF TOO ANYONE THAT WONT ARGREE. Featured user comments . it is a nice domestic meal. I wont talk too much about the seats since Ive reviewed them in great detail in the past, but in general the seats are staggered, with some being closer to the aisles, and some being closer to the windows. Wow, it's great to know what kind of crap food you're getting so you can pack your own lunch or dinner. Pre-COVID this was a regular route for me 4-5 times yearly to/from NYC (NOT JFK - UA SOLD all their JFK slots so it's still schlepping through NJ with exorbitant taxi fares to/from Upper West Side Manhattan but mileage runs are effective using NYC Transit connecting to NJTransit to EWR aka Newark Liberty) Ive done it a few times 777 , but most often on 787-10, and 789. JT has written about credit cards and points & miles since 2015. U arent their market. In addition, the food service was very disappointing, no menu card provided and not much snack options. The main dish was simply disgusting, theres no other way to put it. Spending $10 towards F food would be appreciated. if i remember right they cost $25? Many are buying revenue premium class domestic flights/Caribbean as its not that much more than Y many times and pays for itself between buying Y+ and 1 checked bag. Your feet will feel a bit tight unless you choose a seat in row one. 2 stops . And youre just now discovering UA crews are the loudest in the sky? However, it generally still means you'll check in at a kiosk rather than with a United agent. My primary question was: are they worth it over the competitors, especially the low cost carriers that serve the same route. I have stopped flying United 7 years ago, I would rather pay extra to fly with other airlines. United does not publish baggage allowances by cabin. They dont want you. parties. This is nothing new sadly. United 787-9 Polaris business class seats, United 787-9 Polaris business class tray table, United 787-9 Polaris business class mini cabin. The Los Angeles (LAX) Polaris Lounge reopened in March 2022, meaning all six loungesSan Francisco (SFO), Washington Dulles (IAD), Newark (EWR), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), and Chicago (ORD)are now open. Hope someone finds this either helpful, entertaining. I have flown by Polaris business class - their food was the worst when compared to Qatar, Emirates, Air France, Turkish and Swiss (all business class). U arent that style. He has given few reviews complimenting them. Imagine paying almost 1000$ and get this kind of food. Since June 2017, JT and his wife have traveled full-time as digital nomadsusing points, miles, and credit card benefits to reduce the cost of living on the road. It's fascinating to me to read different perspectives. I actually felt well rested when I work up. The mileage costand whether or not you'll need to pay a co-paydepends on which fare class you booked and which regions you're flying between. To me it looks like the takeout teriyaki chicken I order fairly often (though it is usually not served with that kind of vegetable blend). Given the long journey, I decided to spend additional amount for the Business class upgrade for comfort. But, with the food and boarding let-down, it was pretty bad. United should be ashamed. Did you make all those crisp photos with an iPhone? Appallingly disgusting food. third I would highly recommend reserving a car service through Carmel or equivalent (you call on arrival with a reservation, so there's no waiting fees); or, as cbourl says, to take the AirTrain + subway / Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) combo instead. I love that. Very disappointing. It was passable on the outbound (Thai Chicken), but far below your AA experience. Wi-Fi internet was available for purchase, but my work for the day was complete so I decided to unwind, watch a movie, then sleep. Since Uniteds flagship Polaris Lounge at San Francisco is only available to international travellers, we visited the United Club lounge, located on Terminal 3. Champagne, a lot of :). The hard product was comfortable for this overnight flight but the soft product left a lot to be desired. Thank you! How about you dont pay one penny on written taxes thank you republicans. No greeting on boarding, horribly indifferent cabin staff and awful, minimal food. My assumption was that there would be breakfast, not because its really necessary, but because American serves a (light) breakfast on Maui to Dallas flights, which are even a bit shorter. United Airlines business class is one of the best ways to fly when jetting between the east and west coast hubs of New York and San Francisco. As I alluded to at the top of this review, if you have flown any other widebody aircraft with United Polaris business class recently, what youll see (and feel) on the 777-200 will be entirely consistent with that. expand_more. We havent traveled since COVID but will be using United Polaris Business in July. The cheapest flights to Los Angeles Intl. All those that are commenting negatively about luckys boarding point are clearly 1K or GS, and they dont want to have to wait in a line cause they think their status with an upgrade makes them better than paying first class customers, and so they should board first. Im just happy flight reviews are back. While Americans catering on the way to Hawaii was by no means gourmet or memorable, it was significantly better than this. The chicken dish out of HNL to GUM was unbelievably bad. United has several Polaris configurations, but the internationally configured 777-200 aircraft all have 50 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration across 15 rows in two cabins, where each seat has direct aisle access. And you know something? As a side note - my last few AA flights have forgotten the catering. As a frequent traveler, I avoid airline meals since they are rarely healthy or nutritious. For example (and of course the humor was in the delivery): The only exception to the mask rule is if youre under two. All Polaris lounges have now reopened. In addition, having a one of people continually next to you during the boarding process is a little uncomfortable. The aircraft has p.s. Back in the day when you could still ask flight attendants to behave like human beings, almost every UA flight I took in Business I had to ask the FAs to tone it down so I could try to get some sleep. There are many aircraft still flying around with the old BusinessFirst product (which isnt very comfortable IMHO). So I can Flew Continental Airlines for many years before the merger with United. United 777-200 business class review: is it worth the upgrade? The only real winner is United because you paid that amount. 757-222s inherited from PMUA? Great experience! Registration: N78004 Since United retired its international first-class product in 2018, the Polaris business class product is United's most-premium product. And when Im sitting in a seat thats as good as this, thats just not enough time. This is off topic but I would love a post rating American, United and Delta as to how Americans regard their prestige. My thoughtwell maybe United should pour some of their profits back into passenger service, instead of dividends for their shareholders. Theres no way my stomach would be kind to me if I ordered cheese ravioli minutes before attempting to go to sleep, so I selected the chicken. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. I appreciated that there were individual air nozzles, since airplane cabins can otherwise feel pretty warm, especially when wearing a mask. The seats. Leaving from. Your submission has been received! I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. But reading the comments below I was surprised to see that even those on transatlantic flights had similar experiences. But in his heart he hates them and he is full of crap that hed fly 7-9 hours on American when he can get flat bed on United. I know many wealthy people that hate how u changed. Unless, of course, it endangers the passengers and themselves. In October 2021, I was on a 15 hour flight from Delhi to Chicago using United Airlines 787-9, and had booked economy class for the journey. Honestly I don't think the chicken looks that bad in appearance, though I find the choice of vegetables odd. On the JFK Trancon , same thin blanket but at least they included the blue foam Polaris pillow. One question - was the bread roll served warm? He has given few reviews complimenting them. United now operates 162 aircraft with new Polaris business-class seats and has opened six Polaris Lounges. What are the best seats in United business class? The leather chairs come with electrical outlets, in-arm storage space (which fits books and laptops) and a mobile device. All from my iPhone indeed. At least you are offered a pre-departure bevvy, sparkling white included! Solo flyers can opt for the single seat in the middle of the two aisle, but that means you won't get much privacy. Belgium Waffles, and they were good. All airlines have less crew than they did 2 years ago. The pillow was nice, while the blanket was rather scratchy and warm, and not nearly as good as the Casper bedding that American offered on the outbound. Individual controls for the leg rest and lumbar support allow you to work out your optimum position. Therefore I always like to board last. Plastic yes so you can hang onto cup and sip right until take off and so cabin crew dont have to do a glass collection prior to take off. As part of the "departure-to-landing experience for intercontinental travelers," this United Polaris product includes a new business class seat on most aircraft, improved in-flight bedding, pajamas on ultra-long flights, premium in-flight dining and a new network of premium lounges. UA's Polaris catering is simply terrible. I heard it was chicken and rice so perhaps the same as your meal. Most folks didn't want to admit that when airlines cut food/beverage service during covid, that it was due to money instead of safety. The seat map reflects the United Airlines 757-200 used on long-haul intercontinental routes. That food looks like something my dog threw up. Review of American Airlines Business Class . I first unwrapped the entire meal and immediately snapped a picture, to make up for my sins on the outbound flight (where I forgot to snap a picture). Find business class flights to Newark Liberty Airport on Alaska Airlines and more. American boards Executive Platinum members after first class, Delta boards Diamond Medallion members with first class. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Fly round-trip from White Plains from $137, from Washington, D.C. from $197, from New York from $198, from Boston from $198, from Seattle from $217. I despise flying AA and only use them as my absolute last choice. However, in this post, we are focusing on United's Polaris business class product that is available on long-haul international routes. AA all the way. Until this retrofit is complete in summer 2022, you'll find some aircraft with older lie-flat business class seatsparticularly on domestic routes. On a Wednesday. Thats a nonstarter. Offer a snack box for the second service! At least I can fly there private at 34. The foot cubby space in all seats are exactly the same. Just make sure to avoid the few aircraft that still have old United (some 777-200ER) and Continental (767-400ER) business class seats. United's Polaris business class is good all-around product from a US-based airline, and certainly the go-to option for travellers jetting from San Francisco to New York. Many airlines board their high value customers before others in business class. Service on all legs was FINE, but tge food, with the 737 exception, was deplorable. Los Angeles LAX - Honolulu HNL (UA1158) and HNL-LAX (UA534): Until March 26, 2022; . Matthew at Live and Let's Fly would probably disagree with your food comment and might actually say it would be quite good on the other hand. Small portions, only one meal on long, over-water flights, and lousy food. You'll get a massive video screen with loads of movies, TV shows, and audio selections. U just dont qualify and wont. I looked around the cabin and noticed something: I was one of the only people eating. Same experience Newark to Cape Town return in Jan/22. Apparently United's service has reached an even lower low than I thought possible. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm a spoiled Business Class guy only complaining about the small stuff. Any destination. This configuration features Polaris flat bed seats, Economy Plus, and Economy seats. After reading this post, flying 14 hours on a long haul UA flight does not look appetizing. Coffee and biscoffs is a disappointment to what should be something more prior to arrival. And 360 delta is like red carpets at award shows. This is 2021, and they can't seem to get the meals right. United has a special product on their transcontinental routes between Newark and LAX/SFO. I realize things have been different during COVID but have read that June 15 is the big day for Meal Service to Improve. Many airline F and J meals are predictably bad and live up to promise. I wanted to go to sleep, it was a 10pm flight. You can buy miles for yourself or another MileagePlus member. Uniteds inflight entertainment is quite good, and there was a big selection of movies and TV shows. Dessert was an off brand ice cream in a paper carton. , Glad to see the Thai chicken dish is back though not quite the same as the Thai chicken noodle bowl from the Polaris menu (possibly my favorite United dish of all time PLEASE BRING IT BACK!!) United's 767-400 fleet hasn't been retrofitted with new Polaris seating. From 360 on delta last 8 years. It was breakfast, and it was worse than the quarantine meals I got at Guam's Dunsit Thai Resort hotel. Given how empty Y has been on my international flights and the lack of service in J, I'm really questioning the wisdom of booking business class. Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Each way is 16 hours. Hi! And no, I did not ask permission! Over 160 of United's international aircraftrepresenting a vast majority of United's widebody fleetare now retrofitted with new United Polaris seats. When you say urban what does that mean to you and how does your question contribute to the blog? Other terms and conditions may apply. After reading the comments I am sick that I paid for the upgrade from ORD-LAX for my wife and I and back this coming Friday, January 14, 2022. United Airlines 787-10 Business/First p.s. We are in the Star Alliance, but we only fly United partners for reward miles or use Chase for other partners. What was the experience like on this 7hr21min, 4,000+ mile flight? Well send you an email to re-activate your account and enter a new password. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. My meal looked about the same as yours except I had a beef dish. The United gates at OGG dont have a lane for pre-boards but they absolutely should. But, in the years since it's been introduced, United Polaris has at least become the standard for United business class. United business class service bottled water. Yes, you can ruin pasta. And thank you for reminding me what UAs signature cocktail was. Bc u wont pay for it United sucks, but Delta still best. Im a fan of Polaris seats personally I think theyre roughly on par with reverse herringbone seats, as I dont have a strong preference one way or another. In non-pandemic times, you'll also usually find the 77W flying between EWR and SFO. After takeoff, I browsed the in-flight-entertainment library, which included movies, audio, and TV shows. Flew in a 777 with the Polaris seating going. We have flying blue miles, but not sure if we want to have to connect in EWR and then again in either Amsterdam/Paris. I am a 1K member on UA due to business travel on partner airlines, but truly means little knowing what UA had too offer. FYI Domestic Flights are not called Polaris. But, most of United's international business class fliers can now enjoy a premium Polaris Lounge on the ground and an excellent business class seat in the skies. Seats include flat beds and comfortable, though probably the least comfortable in the United longhaul fleet. I knew UAs was whiskey based but could not for the life of me think of it! Are you going to do a hotel review? You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Stop expecting more, you'll always be disappointed. If youd rather a mid-flight siesta, the seat transforms into a fully-flat 198-centimetre bed, with plush Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, mattress pad and comfortable cooling gel foam pillow. Oh and in additionthere is little to compare between DL, UA and AA. I recently had the opportunity to try the new Polaris configuration on a 777-200 from Honolulu to San Francisco, and it was just as comfortable as any other recent United Polaris experience that Ive had.