United Polaris business class is a great way to fly. If you’re just looking for validation that your experience won’t suck, there you go. Off you go!
With that said, it’s not the world’s best business class, and depending on what you value in your air travel and where you are flying, there may, or may not, be alternatives worth considering.
Travel is personal, and so are preferences with business class. So, to paint the full picture, here’s a wholistic look at United Polaris, including what it gets right, and what United Airlines could find ways to improve. Hint: the bedding is swoon worthy, but the food is often worth a pass!
Also, like most airline seats, which seat you choose can make or break an experience, and this Boeing 767-300ER packed in a “Super J” configuration — which translates to “lots of business class seats”, for non airline nerds is no exception.
United 767-300ER Polaris: Selecting A Seat
United regularly boards and deplanes from the front of the aircraft with its Boeing 767-300ER, which makes aiming for the back of business class for a swift exit upon landing a bad strategy.
If you want to be speedy off the plane and zip through immigration or to your next big meeting, the first row will almost undoubtedly be your best bet.
For the utmost privacy in the cabin, window seats in odd numbered rows, think 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17 are the seats to go for. These Polaris seats have the actual seat nearest the window and away from the aisle. Even numbered rows on this aircraft have the seat-seat next to the aisle.
In my opinion, the middle row is just awkward. Unlike most planes with 1x2x1 seat setups, this aircraft features 1x1x1 across and the middle is basically the same seat without a window to look out on.
The United Airlines Lounge Experience
United Airlines operates some fantastic lounges, some decent lounges, and some downright dingy lounges. It’s the same with most airlines, to be fair!
Out of London Heathrow, where I originated my journey, the United Club in T2 is somewhere mid table. The food is passable, the views are ok, the bar is fairly nice and there are a few nice amenities like shower suites.
“Inspired” would be the word lacking here, but that’s why it’s a United Club, and not a designated “Polaris” lounge, which is reserved for travelers actually flying business class. The Polaris Lounge at Newark, where my journey ended, is lovely.
United Polaris: On Board & The Seat
I’ve gotta start by qualifying that I have a growing “beef” with old planes. I’ve been spoiled to fly primarily on newer fleets, on Boeing 787’s and Airbus A350’s, and the air quality, cabin humidity and pressurization is noticeably better.
This 767-300ER felt loud, and the old style lighting — as opposed to cooler and more colorful lighting temperatures — felt dated.
Now that-that’s out of the way, this is a great seat. It’s not ANA’s “The Room” or the Qatar Airways “Qsuite”, but it’s very good. There’s no door, or big screen TV but it’s got everything else.
Power ports are plentiful in United Polaris, with both AC power for standard plugs and USB. Storage is also aplenty, with eye level storage and space below the seat for bags and other items you may need. I particularly like the storage sleeve just below the TV screen, perfect for a phone or iPad.
The entertainment selection onboard was phenomenal. So many movies, box sets and contemporary releases for all genres and interests. That’s a big “tick box” ticked. I had plenty to cue up for a 13 hour flight, let alone this 7 hour joy ride.
Sadly, the screen feels small in comparison with newer seat launches in recent years, such as the British Airways Club Suite, Virgin A350 Upper Class and the rockstars like ANA’s The Room. It’s plenty good, things are just going…