Does United’s upgraded and rebranded business class product ‘Polaris,’ and its signature Polaris Lounge, live up to the hype? I was about to find out, with an award flight from New York to Tokyo in January 2019.

What’s a business-class award flight? It’s one of those luxury experiences available to budget travellers. Collect miles and points, and travel in style for a pittance.

The Polaris gift

Award travel doesn’t always deliver the most convenient itineraries. I lucked in with the route that offered up Polaris. Getting out of Halifax in the dead of winter (or anywhere in Canada for that matter) is always a tricky proposition. I’ve learned to build in a comfortable cushion between the first and second flight segments to allow for possible delays and cancellations. So an afternoon flight from Halifax to Newark with an overnight stay before the flight to Tokyo suited me down to the ground. One of the cheaper hotels in Marriott’s stable offered complimentary airport shuttle and I was good to go.

The overnight stay also meant I could enjoy several hours in Newark’s Polaris Lounge before the 11:00 am departure for Tokyo. For me, waiting for an alarm is a recipe for a sleepless night. That, and anticipation of the ‘Polaris experience’ meant a very early start. Fairfield Inn’s 24-hour shuttle put me in the lounge at 5:30 am.

Was the early morning arrival at the airport worth it?

It’s about the journey, AND the destination

What makes the miles-and-points hobby so addictive is that it leads to experiences I could never enjoy otherwise. Travel to the other side of the world is exciting, but getting there in economy class is a test of endurance.

Travelling in business class adds a layer of anticipation, enjoyment, and luxury to an otherwise gruelling trip. Look at a seat map at aeroLOPA and imagine the differences between economy and business class cabins. Experience both, and returning to long-haul economy is excruciatingly difficult.

Only those who invest hours administering their miles-and-points portfolios understand the insanity of arriving at an airport at 5:30 am for an 11:00 am departure. Spending several hours in an airline lounge is one of the rewards of the hobby. Not every lounge, mind you, is worth the effort. But Newark’s Polaris Lounge certainly warranted exploration.

Polaris Lounge, Newark

In June 2018, Newark joined Chicago and San Francisco as the latest in United’s impressive fleet of Polaris Lounges. Since then, Houston, Washington DC, and Los Angeles have been added to the list.

It’s an immense space, 27,000 square feet if that means anything to you. Areas are delineated by function. There’s a reception area, dining room, buffet, bar, seating areas, washrooms, showers, and quiet suites.

After a quick cruise of the lounge, I settled into one of the work cubicles for the usual jumpstart to the day — morning coffee. The barista seemed to be attached to the bar/dining room so I headed to one of the self-serve machines at the end of the buffet for a quick cappuccino. With the super-high-speed Wi-Fi available throughout the lounge, I checked a few emails and made a start on this blog post. Each seat had AC and USB ports, so I didn’t need to search for one with access to power.

Members of the staff were setting up the buffet but I was anxious to enjoy the sit-down service in the dining room. I checked in to the dining room at 6:30 am. Feasting on the benefits of business-class travel requires strategic staggering of mealtimes. The in-flight Polaris service was a few short hours away so there was no sense dawdling if I wanted to squeeze in both.

The service was impressive. I was immediately offered still or sparkling water with a choice of ice, lemon, or lime, and a variety of tea or coffee options. The “enjoy your STAY” message on the latte added a nice touch.

The breakfast menu proved to be a challenge. I had a choice of made-to-order potato latkes with paper crème fraîche.

Or, I could have toasted mini bagels tartine with smoked salmon and caper chive cream cheese.

The eggs Benedict with smoked duck was served on grilled rye bread with chipotle hollandaise.

What the heck, go for it!! The next meal was 5 or 6 hours away, and the menu did say “light bites.” When Banesa took my order, she didn’t seem phased by my extraordinary appetite. In fact, she asked if I wanted bacon on the side of the eggs Benny. Why not? The lounge was certainly large enough that I could get in a few laps before heading to the gate.

The breakfast experience was divine. I savoured every bite and wallowed in the overindulgence of it all. While gazing out on the tarmac, I reflected on my many years of flying economy class before stumbling on the magic of miles and points. But, it was time to revel in the moment, and an overwhelming mixture of privilege and gratitude washed over me.

Following breakfast, I ventured into the area housing the suites and showers to ask if I could take a few photographs.

I didn’t try one of the ‘quiet suites’ but they featured day beds, Saks Fifth Avenue pillows, and a small collection of amenities.

There have been times I’ve taken an airport lounge shower only because I could. On other occasions, especially on long-haul routes Down Under, a shower has been rejuvenating. Had I not showered a few short hours before, it would have been tempting to enjoy one of the well-appointed shower suites.

I wasn’t going to have one of the much-touted aviation-themed cocktails until a friendly group of workers suggested it. While chatting to the attendants managing the showers and suites, Brunilda, Yanilka, Kateryn and Celine insisted I try ‘The Paper Plane.’ In fact, Yanilka said she’d personally make me one!

What’s a gal to do? It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

According to the Signature of the Sky list, ‘The Paper Plane’ contains oolong-steeped bourbon, Amaro Nonino Quintessentia, Aperol, chamomile honey and lemon, garnished with a paper plane. Oh, the joys of travel and new experiences.

Overall, the Polaris Lounge experience earned top marks in my books. It was extraordinary. It lacked some of those interesting extras found in other business-class lounges such as on-site massage, games tables, and screening rooms. But, frankly, they’re not needed in Newark. The Polaris Lounge was right up there with other outstanding lounges I’ve had the good fortune to visit thanks to the miles-and-points hobby. Credit goes to the design, dining area, and last but not least, the staff for making it so.

The Polaris in-flight experience

My previous experience with United Airlines’ business class was a short award flight from Toronto to Chicago. It set such a low bar that at the time, I was curious to find out the cash cost of a business class ticket. A slightly larger seat, a complimentary beer and early boarding and deplaning didn’t seem worth the difference in price.

Despite my previous United Airlines’ exposure, I had very high expectations of the in-flight Polaris experience.

The layout of the Boeing 777-300 cabin was appealing with its 1 – 2 – 1 configuration. The design of each pod was impressive, with a large personal lamp, storage cabinet with lots of space, a functional side table, and a good-sized in-flight entertainment screen. The Saks Fifth Avenue bedding oozed luxuriousness and suggested a very comfortable sleep.

I was pleased with my seat assignment of 9A, a bulkhead seat next to the washroom. Concerns regarding its proximity to the washroom were unfounded. It worked out to be an advantage; I had more room in the foot well than non-bulkhead seats.

Odd-numbered window seats are closer to the window than the even-numbered window seats that are closer to the aisle. As such, they offer a little more privacy and have an extra window.

The meal service was good, but not exceptional if I compare it to offerings from other airlines. I can only speak to the western menu, and not the Japanese.

The chilled appetizer of seared tuna was replaced with smoked salmon, accompanied by a salad of cabbage, carrot and mango.

The entrée choices were seared beef short rib, ginseng chicken bowl, and seared turbot. The seared beef short rib was accompanied by grits, shallot, fava beans, cherry tomato, and shitake mushroom.

The Polaris in-flight experience: my review

Overall, I was underwhelmed, and somewhat disappointed, with the in-flight Polaris experience compared to what I’ve experienced on other airlines. 

The basic structures were in place. I appreciated the attractive herringbone configuration, comfortable pods and bedding, and decent in-flight entertainment. In other words, what some refer to as the ‘hard product,’ United’s Polaris cabin has what it takes to compete with the world’s best.

It’s on the follow-through where United came up short. The airline invested heavily in its structural upgrades but seems clueless on how to inject the kind of personal interaction and selective touches that could make the Polaris experience one of the best in the market.

Polaris in-flight service

What stood out for me as deficiencies were magnified by what I experienced on my next flight with Air New Zealand from Tokyo to Auckland. Air New Zealand exemplified what I’ve come to expect of a world-class airline and those extra touches that separate the best international carriers from the rest of the pack.

Take the welcome-aboard service. With Air New Zealand, the attentiveness of Air New Zealand’s flight attendants was obvious from the moment I stepped on the plane and entered the business class cabin. As I settled into my seat, a flight attendant carrying a tray of drinks welcomed me on board with an introduction and offer of a drink.

“Welcome aboard Ms Betts. My name is __ and I’ll be looking after you today. Can I interest you in a drink? I have orange juice, champagne, or water.” He reappeared for a top-up, but not before two other flight attendants came by. One introduced herself with a handshake, and the other asked if I needed any assistance finding my way around the pod. I was also asked for my drink selection for after takeoff. The friendly service-oriented welcome created a very strong first impression.

With United, there were no introductions and for the welcome-aboard drink I had to strain to see what was on the tray. The hasty and somewhat curt “Would you like a drink?” might cut it at the local fast-food joint but not in a premium cabin on a world-class airline. Moving through the cabin as quickly as possible to get the job done (and reappearing to collect empties) seemed to be at the heart of the flight attendant’s work ethic. It was not a welcoming experience and set a poor tone for the rest of the flight.

Also, towards the end of the flight, visiting the washroom was most unpleasant. It was dirty, and there was no evidence of staff attention beyond replenishing supplies.

These kinds of inadequacies leave a blemish on what has the potential to be a top-class experience. Can they be fixed? Perhaps. I think the issue transcends individual workers and has more to do with the service culture of the airline. It relates to whether or not the company provides its crews with the necessary training, tools, and staffing levels that enable them to take pride in their work and allow service-centred principles to shine.

Final verdict

United has a winner in its Polaris Lounge.

Would I fly United’s Polaris class again? Maybe, if it’s a qualifying long-haul international flight providing access to a Polaris Lounge. (Excluded are flights to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean).

However, if I had a choice, there are other Star Alliance airlines such as Air New Zealand, Eva Air, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines that offer a superior in-flight experience.

The good news is that United’s Polaris Lounges are open to passengers travelling in international business class or first class on United or a Star Alliance airline. When travelling on future Aeroplan redemptions, I’ll be sure to consider layovers in locations with Polaris Lounges.

If you’re interested in a more detailed review of Newark’s Polaris Lounge, Prince of Travel has a comprehensive post with lots of photographs from June 2019. For a more recent review of a Polaris in-flight experience from August 2023, see the Points Miles and Bling post, Review: Disgust and horror on United Business Class from EWR to LHR.  

 

If you found this post helpful, please share it by selecting one or more social media buttons. Are you a miles-and-points enthusiast? Have you visited a Polaris Lounge or travelled in United’s Polaris class cabin? If so, what was your experience? Please add your thoughts in the comments. Thank you.

Might you be interested in my other miles-and-points posts?

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• Travel the world on miles and points by meeting Minimum Spend Requirements
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• Is the BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard a good deal?
• Is the TD Rewards program worth it for travelling the world on miles and points?
• What’s the best use of Scene+ when travelling the world on miles and points?
• When travelling the world on miles and points, is the Aventura program worth it?
• What is the best credit card with trip cancellation, trip interruption, and flight delay insurance for trips on points?
• Why the Best Western loyalty program is good for travellers

 

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