A Review of United Airlines 777-200ER Polaris Business Class from Newark to Milan
by Krish Patel
Known for its rich culture in fashion, history, and cuisine, Milan is a popular destination in Northern Italy. Among the airlines flying from the New York City area to Milan, you have Delta Air Lines, American, and Emirates from JFK. Meanwhile, United and La Compagnie fly nonstop from Newark to Malpensa International Airport (MXP). A trip in mid-August from Newark to Milan gave me the perfect opportunity to experience United’s Polaris Business Class on the 777-200.
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The Ground Experience and Newark Polaris Lounge
All of United’s long-haul international departures from Newark are out of Terminal C. You’ll find the check-in area for Polaris customers on level 2, which is also shared by MileagePlus Premier 1K members.
Checking in at the Polaris counter was very efficient and seamless. It took less than five minutes from standing in the queue to having my bag on the belt. I had my boarding pass online and was ready to clear security.
Unlike the bag drop queues, the security check was crowded, with long lines. Even the queues for Premier Access and TSA PreCheck were packed with travelers. A lot more people have been traveling post pandemic, and many major airports have been witnessing long lines, with Newark being no exception. This is especially the case during the peak summer travel season.
To the left of the security checkpoint is the entrance to United’s Polaris Lounge. Polaris Lounges are a step above United Club Lounges, the latter of which can be found almost everywhere in the U.S. and even at select airports abroad.
The access policies for the Polaris Lounge are also very strict since there’s no credit card or level of elite status that will get you in. Instead, you’ll need to be traveling on a long-haul international flight in United Polaris Business Class or in the premium cabin (First or Business) on a Star Alliance partner. The lounge’s entrance makes a great first impression, with an eye-catching art installation and stunning marble finishes.
To the left of the front desk, the lounge really opens up, with plenty of comfortable seating options. Measuring at over 30,000 square feet, this is by far the largest lounge in Newark Airport. Each seating area is really beautiful, with inspiring artwork, soft textures, and gorgeous designs.
Throughout the lounge, there’s plenty of signage that directs you towards each of the amenities. You’ll find the phone booths, showers, and quiet rooms in the back seating area.
In the quiet rooms and showers, several amenities such as earplugs, a duvet, toothbrush, and hair dryer are available upon request. Depending on the time of day, there’s a waitlist to get either a nap room or shower.
The quiet rooms feature day beds, which are perfect for taking a short nap. You’re already provided with plenty of side table space, a bottle of water, eye mask, and pillow.
Several luxurious shower suites can be found along a single star-lit corridor. Each of the shower rooms are very spacious, with excellent water pressure and temperature. In the shower suite is also Therabody hand soap and body lotion, as well as a pair of slippers.
Making your way towards the front of the lounge, you’ll find several plush armchairs, communal seating nooks, and semi-private work cubicles. Almost every seat in the Polaris Lounge includes side table space and charging outlets. Separating every few seats in the lounge are tall black partitions meant to create a sense of privacy. Best of all, there are incredible views of United aircraft parked across the airport terminal.
You’re not going to go hungry in the Polaris Lounge. With an extensive buffet selection including various salads and hot entrees, as well as a sit-down restaurant, there are several food and drink options to enjoy. Every dish at the buffet is presented beautifully and can be paired with an assortment of condiments.
The Dining Room is the lounge’s á la carte restaurant, where all of the dishes are complimentary. There are several high-quality tables and furniture, whether you’re dining alone or with other travelers. Recently, United expanded its Dining Room in EWR and refreshed the seating. Note that the wait for a table can get very long, sometimes exceeding 35 minutes.
I didn’t have a lot of time in The Dining Room and only ordered an appetizer and dessert. The mushroom bisque was very good thanks to the crunch of the fried mushrooms and creamy soup. Of course, I couldn’t resist the signature Polaris Lounge dessert, which is a chocolate chip skillet cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. It certainly made for a wonderful dessert and is one of the best sweets I’ve had in a lounge.
Depending on where in Terminal C your flight is departing from, I recommend leaving some time to walk to your gate. My flight was departing from C98, located in Concourse C1 (gates C70 to C99). Polaris Business Class passengers receive priority boarding in group 1 after pre-boarding. Even before group 1 was called, the gate area was super crowded, with nearly every seat taken up. Long lines had already formed for groups 2 through 5.
Polaris Business Class Cabin and Seat
United’s 777-200ER features 50 seats in Polaris Business Class spread across two cabins. The seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration and offer direct aisle access, with those in the odd-numbered rows being positioned away from the aisle and more against the window, making them more preferable for complete privacy.
Polaris is a visually striking and well-designed seat, with gray finishes, dark accents, and touches of signature United Airlines blue. The soft, textured fabrics that make up the seat are very plush and comfortable. Each Business Class seat offers 22 inches of width and converts into a 78-inch lie-flat bed.
All of the seat features are well-placed and easy to find. In front of you is the seatback entertainment system (more on that later), USB-A socket, storage unit, and tray table. The tray table folds out into two panels and comes with a built-in device holder. Beneath the table is a leg rest and underseat storage for either shoes or a small carry-on.
Found right adjacent to the seatback screen is a coat hook. It’s built into the seat’s inner gray wall.
The outer end of the seat is where you’ll find the preset of seat controls, which are all very practical and intuitive. My favorite among them is the easy-to-use dial to raise or lower the seat. There are also controls for the brightness of the seat’s lamp, a “do not disturb” indicator, and lumbar support.
The seat itself is backed by a grey adjustable headrest. It can be raised up or down to your preference. Necessary for takeoff and landing is the shoulder strap found near the headrest and can be attached onto the seatbelt.
At the side of the seat is the seat console and adjustable armrest that doubles as a pocket for literature. The side console includes a fake marble table, sconce lamp, and storage locker with a vanity mirror. Found right below the storage locker is an IFE remote, headphone jack, and universal plug. Tucked away behind the compartment is an adjustable reading light.
Three lavatories can be found on the 777-200 for Polaris Business Class passengers, one of which is at the front of the aircraft and the other two between the forward and aft Polaris cabins. The bathroom is somewhat spacious, with decent shoulder room and adequate space to stretch out. It was kept clean with Therabody lotion and face mist provided by the sink.
After the dinner service, I converted my seat into a bed. Saks Fifth Avenue mattress pads are available upon request, and I was able to get one for my Business Class bed. After laying down the mattress, I put down the day blanket and duvet and slept for three and a half hours. The bed offers plenty of width around the upper body, however, the footwell was not the most generous. I recommend selecting a Polaris seat in the bulkhead (rows 1 and 9) if you’re someone that prefers slightly more room, since they come with larger footwells.
Food and Drink in United Polaris Business Class
A Polaris-branded menu was waiting for me at the seat once I boarded. The wine list consisted of red and white wines, as well as champagne, dessert wines, beers, and spirits.
The starter choices included:
Watermelon radish
Lemon zest prawn confit
Baby red oak leaf arugula salad (served as a side salad with one of the starters listed above)
Several main courses were also listed on the menu, such as:
Seared Asian short rib
Roasted bone-in chicken breast
Pan-seared halibut
Stir-fried vegetables with Thai-coconut curry sauce and noodles
Shortly after settling into my seat, I was offered a pre-departure beverage and opted for a glass of water. United has started using new porcelain glassware since May of this year for its food and beverage service, with this being my first flight having the updated dinnerware. I appreciated the modern glass, on the bottom of which was the United logo.
In the air, the dinner service commenced with warm snack mix (nuts and pretzels) and a drink of choice, for which I had a pineapple-passion fruit AHA sparkling water. Hot towels were also distributed by the crew.
United serves a three course meal in Polaris Business Class, starting with a light appetizer. I went with the watermelon radish, which was served alongside whipped lemon ricotta. Provided alongside the appetizer was a fresh salad with artichoke, some bread, and various condiments. The salad, bread, and radish were all quite tasty and definitely one of the better starters I’ve had on a United Business Class flight.
Unfortunately, the entree was not as great as I was hoping for. I had pre-selected the stir fried vegetables with Thai noodles after receiving a meal request from United. The presentation and taste were both lacking in this dish. I found the noodles to be very slippery and bland, while the sauce felt more like a jelly.
Choices for dessert included an ice cream sundae, fruit and cheese plate, or lemon curd cheesecake. I selected the cheesecake when the dessert trolley was passed through the aisle. The cake was really fluffy and creamy thanks to the lemon curd and mix of cream cheese.
Once the dessert plates were collected, flight attendants turned off the cabin lights so that passengers could sleep. I ordered a mug of lemon and ginger tea and tried to relax with a movie before bed.
In the galley, a selection of mid-flight snacks was on display at the snack bar. I only grabbed a bottle of water and stretched my legs before going back to sleep.
An hour and a half before landing, hot towels were served to commence breakfast, which was a banana bread pudding. The pudding was sweet thanks to the mix of banana bread and vanilla anglaise. On the side was a bowl of fresh fruit, greek yogurt, and two croissants (one chocolate and the other plain).
Amenities in United Polaris Business Class
The touchscreen IFE monitor measures at 16 inches across and can also be controlled with the entertainment remote. United has a robust selection of movies and TV shows to choose from across several genres, including new releases. Entertainment is available in 15 languages and even comes with accessibility features for passengers with visual and hearing needs.
Upon boarding, each Polaris seat comes provided with a Therabody amenity kit, the Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, bottle of water, and noise-canceling headphones. The bedding consists of a duvet, day blanket, and two pillows, one of which is a memory foam gel pillow. I found each of the blankets and pillows to be very comfortable and all essential items for the perfect Business Class bed.
The headphones were waiting in the seat storage locker and not of the best quality for completely blocking out the sound.
United’s Polaris amenity kit comes in a sleek gray leather pouch and is well-stocked for a transatlantic flight. Its contents include each of the following:
Dental kit- toothpaste and a toothbrush
Tissues
Earplugs
Socks
Eye mask
Therabody Arrive Revived kit- eye serum, lip balm, hand cream, face mist, cleansing towelette
Service in United Polaris Business Class
The flight attendant working my aisle was extremely friendly and professional. She was proactive and always kept a great attitude when checking on passengers. I’ve flown with United many times and have had good service, but none of my flights with the Chicago-based carrier have had exceptional service that comes close to what I had on this flight.
Booking Details for United Polaris Business Class
One-way Polaris Business Class fares on United from New York to Milan begin at approximately $3,990. Note that cash fares can sometimes get very expensive and cost over $7,000 on certain peak days.
For the same one-way flight between EWR and MXP, United will charge 157,500 MileagePlus miles plus $5.60, which is a lot higher compared to what partner airlines will charge. As an example, Air Canada will charge closer to 70,000 Aeroplan points for one-way United Polaris redemptions between the U.S. East Coast and Europe.
Overall Thoughts
United Polaris Business Class is a great way to cross the Atlantic on a seven and a half hour flight, especially if you’re departing a major United hub. The experience is solid in the air with luxurious bedding and a great hard product, but it was also exceptional on the ground. The Polaris Lounge is by far the nicest space in EWR, with luxurious amenities and seating options that you won’t find in many other U.S. airport lounges. However, inflight catering is an area where United is still behind compared to the others.