Continental eliminated first class in the 90s and leapfrogged their domestic competition by improving their business class and renaming it BusinessFirst.
United kept that moniker after the merger, but their business class has lagged behind the competition. They’re also in the process of eliminating first class, which will leave American as the only domestic carrier with international first class service.
Today United announced that United business class will soon be known as United Polaris. It will feature Zodiac 1-2-1 direct aisle access 6’6″ lie-flat seating and will launch when they receive their first Boeing 77W in December. Existing 767, 777, and 787s will be retrofitted and new A350s will also feature the new seating.
United is also adding Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, memory foam pillows, and will provide pajamas on Polaris flights longer than 12 hours. That would unfortunately exclude the Newark-Tel Aviv route, but would include the San Francisco-Tel Aviv route for example.
United will also open Polaris lounges for Polaris class passengers starting with Chicago in December and then in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York/Newark, Washington Dulles, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong, and London Heathrow next year. The lounges will have sleeping rooms, spa showers, and premium drinks.
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16 Comments On "United Rehauls Their Business Class Experience"
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Is it confirmed that United chase cards have the 5/24 rule ?
How much more points you think Polaris will be in miles let’s say Newark -lax?
@Anonymous:
1. There are still mixed reports.
2. Polaris will operate internationally.
Excited for the 1-2-1 configuration.
United Polaris? OK that’s just a super dumb name. doesn’t anyone smart work in marketing anymore?
Any thoughts on whether saver award availability might start opening up once this route becomes daily?
@matovu:
Me too.
@SFO – TLV:
I’ve seen several SFO-TLV dates open in saver business. I post them on DDF when I see them.
Any idea how many seats in total? Will it be the same 50 on the 777’speaker?
what other airlines use the same seat and configuration, i want to get a better idea of what it’s gonna be, it kinda looks like a cross between herringbone seating such as cathay and staggered seating such as emirates and old etihad
EVA has the 1-2-1 and its great .
question what will happen to the united lounge as i have the credit card for access ? will this go away ?
@Ephraim Yurowitz:
They haven’t announced retrofired seating yet.
I’ve seen talks of 60 Polaris seats for the 77W. Might see the 77W on the EWR-TLV route in the future.
@dave:
It’s 1-2-1, not staggered like Emirates.
@yaakov:
There will still be United Clubs in addition to Polaris lounges.
@Dan: Dan Thanks , i am sure the service will down grade once they have both .
So ther will be business and polaris? Or first and polaris?
@Yaakov:
I doubt it.
@Nachman:
International Business will be called polaris.
International First will be phased out as they retrofit the new seats.
It says Global First will be replaced with Polaris First. Where did you hear First Class was going?
@CG:
From United.com,
“As we update our fleet over the next several years to incorporate our signature United Polaris direct-aisle-access seating, we will be phasing out the first class cabin and moving toward a two-cabin experience for international travel.”
No new planes will be delivered with First and as planes are retrofitted with Polaris business they will remove the first class cabin.
Is this yet another new feature that United is adding to lure business passengers?
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/05/22/united-is-offering-high-paying-customers-their-own-airport-terminal.html