Flying Coast-to-Coast in Style: United 787-9 Dreamliner Polaris Business Class from San Francisco to Newark
by Krish Patel
Polaris, United’s premium flagship Business Class product. As of May this year, the airline has expanded its Polaris service to certain domestic routes, including transcontinental itineraries and long haul flights to Hawaii. While the service on coast-to-coast flights remains roughly the same as before, with lie-flat seats and elevated onboard amenities, a significant change is that travelers can access the exclusive Polaris Lounge rather than be stuck in a basic United Club. I was very excited when United announced this change, as it gave me the perfect opportunity to experience SFO’s Polaris Lounge and then hop across the country onboard a 787 in an international Business Class seat.
Departing from San Francisco with United
The vast majority of United’s domestic flights from SFO depart from the airline’s hub in Terminal 3, which includes premium transcontinental flights to Newark. I arrived nearly three hours before departure and checked in at the dedicated priority check-in area for Premier 1K status holders and United Polaris passengers.
Check-in was smooth, with short lines and minimal waiting times for bag drop-off. Polaris customers are permitted up to two free checked bags that weigh 70 pounds each and can enjoy access to a dedicated Premier security queue at SFO, which wasn’t packed while I was there around 7 o’clock in the morning.
Once airside, I walked to the International Terminal G, where United’s signature Polaris Lounge is located. This walk takes about 10 to 15 minutes, so I’d recommend allotting some time to walk back to Terminal 3 to board your flight.
As mentioned previously, United updated its lounge entry requirements to allow certain domestic travelers to access its Polaris Lounges. The change was implemented around the same time when United banned long haul Business Class passengers on most Star Alliance airlines from entering these exclusive spaces. Besides United itself, travelers can only access the lounge if traveling in the premium cabin on a Lufthansa Group member, Air New Zealand, or ANA.
I was immediately mesmerized by the marble finishes, which provided a luxurious flair to the lounge’s entrance. All six of United’s Polaris Lounges have fairly similar design aesthetics, which includes white marble touches and darker finishes that create a calm feel of exclusivity. However, each of these lounges has a slightly different layout. The San Francisco outpost is the only Polaris Lounge to span two stories, with the first level being dedicated to relaxation areas, spa-like shower suites, and the quiet rooms.
The lounge’s lower story also houses several of the signature Polaris Lounge cubicles, designed for convenience and getting work done. Folks can also take in the views overlooking the various United tails parked across the terminal and enjoy a hot or cold beverage from one of the self-serve drinks stations. Showers and quiet rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. During the morning hours, there wasn’t a long waitlist for either of the facilities, and I was lucky enough to take advantage of both during my stay.
Travelers will be drawn to the escalator that ushers guests to and from the second story. Hanging from above is a striking chandelier, which seamlessly provides a luxurious touch to folks transiting through the lounge.
Upstairs are additional seating areas with armchairs, couches, and more of the Polaris Lounge cubicles. I’m impressed how travelers have access to charging outlets and side table space from most of the seats, as it allows for convenience while eating something from the buffet and preparing for an important business meeting.
While it has a lovely selection, I’d highly suggest skipping the buffet, especially if you’re visiting during the morning hours. SFO also offers The Dining Room in its Polaris Lounge, making for the perfect spot to enjoy a light bite or full meal. It’s worth putting your name down for the restaurant early so that you don’t encounter a long waitlist to secure a table.
Breakfast was delicious. I enjoyed a yogurt parfait, which included toasted granola, honey, and roasted peaches. This paired wonderfully with an iced coffee and a non-alcoholic paloma from the bar. If I wanted something more substantial, I also could’ve ordered a salmon benedict, French toast, or custom omelet.
After an enjoyable visit to what I can officially declare as United’s best lounge, I walked all the way back to gate F22 in Terminal 3. United’s Polaris customers board the aircraft in Group 1, which is held after pre-boarding. Even with access to priority Group 1, the boarding experience doesn’t feel as smooth as American Airlines, which lets its Flagship customers board before status holders.
United Polaris 787-9 Cabin & Seat
There are a total of 48 Polaris Business Class pods on United’s standard 787-9 Dreamliners. The seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration and are a variant of the Safran Optima seat, which can be found on the vast majority of United widebodies in the Polaris cabin. Odd-numbered seats are positioned closer against the window or directly next to each other in the center section, while even-numbered seats feel more exposed to the aisle.
United chose a very fitting color palette for its Polaris pods, featuring stylish blue accents and a sophisticated mix of light and dark grays. The outer wall of the seat has a brushed metal effect that blends nicely with the rest of the cabin finishes. Thanks to the Dreamliner’s sky interior, passengers also have access to spacious overhead bins and enjoy the relaxing mood lighting and electronic dimmable windows. My home for the 4 and a half-hour flight was 10L, a slightly less private even-numbered window seat. Despite having flown Polaris Business Class many times, this was my first time sitting in one of the even-numbered seats.
All seats offer 20.5 inches of width and convert into 78-inch lie-flat beds. However, the footwells are not created equal and can feel tight if you sleep on your side. The seats in rows 1 and 9 offer a more spacious ottoman area because there is no seat in front. Even if you are not sitting in an odd-numbered row, the seat walls still feel private while you’re sleeping, as they shield your head and upper body from the aisle.
A large touchscreen monitor is located at the front of each seat, beneath which is USB-A charging and a small cubby for storage. The bifold tray table comes out from below the IFE screen and includes a device holder for your personal tablet or cellphone. You will notice that pods in even-numbered rows feature a coat hook directly next to your personal monitor.
My side console is found to the right and houses the faux-marble table, IFE remote, universal outlet, headphone jack, flip-out reading light, and side locker. The locker is where you’ll find the set of noise cancelling headphones by Meridian Audio upon boarding.
Across from the locker is an illuminated lamp. The seat controls are found below the side console and includes an easy-to-use dial to adjust the seat into bed mode.
The opposite side of the seat houses an adjustable armrest, which doubles as a small rack for the safety card and a credit card advertisement.
The Business Class lavatory on the Dreamliner is spacious and includes skincare products from Perricone MD, such as facial hydrating mist and refreshing hand cream. Since this is onboard a 787, the flush for the toilet is a contactless button, and there’s a footpedal to open the trash.
After returning from the lavatory, I reclined my bed for a short nap. The width around the upper body is fairly spacious, but the area around your feet can feel cramped if you’re not in a bulkhead row. I slept incredibly well for a domestic flight thanks to the provided Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and woke up just under an hour before our arrival in Newark.
Food and Drink in United Polaris Business Class
Pre-departure beverages were offered before pushing back in United’s new paper cups. Options included orange juice, champagne, and water. I opted for a cup of water.
Since this was a domestic transcontinental flight, no menus were offered. Passengers could pre-order their meals anywhere between 5 days and 24 hours before their flight’s departure. Meal service commenced shortly after takeoff with a hot washcloth, nuts, and a drink of choice. I simply went with water again.
For my entree, I had selected the mushroom risotto with spinach and polenta. If there is one word I could use to describe this meal, I’d say inedible. This meal is definitely the absolute lowest peak of United Airlines catering. Even when departing a flagship hub like San Francisco, the quality of this meal was just sad. There was also a hard bread roll, salad, and burrata with asparagus on the tray. The bread roll was solid as a rock (doesn’t surprise me), and the burrata tasted bland and tired (again, doesn’t surprise me).
United doesn’t offer its signature sundae cart on transcontinental itineraries. Instead, passengers can customize their sundae with an assortment of toppings such as blueberry compote, hot fudge, caramel, almonds, chocolate chips, and whipped cream. There was also a choice of fruit and cheese or pecan pie. Alongside the dessert, I ordered a mug of lemon ginger tea.
Prior to landing, a second light meal was offered. Delta and American both serve warm cookies on premium transcontinental flights, but United serves another meal. This time, I went for the cheese plate, which came with a side of fruit and two bread rolls. As expected from United, both were served stale and came with a side of butter. The cheese course was a much better meal than my earlier lunch, but its presentation was still lacking.
Amenities and Service in United Polaris Business Class
At each seat, travelers will find noise-cancelling Meridian headphones, a Saks Fifth Avenue blanket, cooling gel pillow, standard bed pillow, and Brooks Brothers amenity kit. The Saks Fifth Avenue bedding is comfortable and makes for a wonderful treat on a domestic flight. I particularly loved the memory foam gel pillow and appreciate how United offers something extra than just a typical pillow or blanket.
The amenity kit includes several basic essentials such as a dental kit, earplugs, and 100th-anniversary edition eye mask. There are also vitamin C skincare items provided by Perricone MD, such as a face towelette, hand cream, and lip balm. While the contents were nice, I found the bag’s material to feel cheap and not super premium.
United has an impressive inflight entertainment system, offering hundreds of movies and TV shows, which includes curated new releases. Guests can also access dedicated tabs about connecting flight information, the inflight map, and even enjoy the ‘relax mode’ feature. It’s found on the vast majority of United’s planes that include seatback screens and offers multiple ways to customize your sleep or relaxation experience with visual and audio tracks.
The service on this flight was friendly and engaging, with a professional cabin crew working the Polaris cabin. A major issue is that the service on United can feel inconsistent, with a hit-or-miss crew. However, I’m happy to report that the team of flight attendants on my flight were kind and seemed to care for passengers throughout the journey.
Booking and Pricing for United Polaris Business Class - Transcontinental
One-way United Polaris Business Class fares between SFO and EWR start from $1,800 and can exceed $2,700 for itineraries on peak days. Travelers can also expect round-trip tickets to originate at $3,300 and rise above $4,000.
For the same route, you can find one-way redemptions from as low as 80,000 MileagePlus miles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees. However, this is only the case if you have flexible dates and Premier status with United, which allows travelers exclusive access to lower redemptions. I paid 88,000 miles for this one-way flight plus $5.60, which I could find thanks to my United Airlines elite status.
Having a co-branded Chase credit card also unlocks access to expanded saver award availability, including lower award pricing. Those who don’t have status with United or one of the airline’s credit cards will notice that awards are priced incredibly high at 120,000 miles on this route, with cardmembers receiving a discounted price of 108,000 points.
Overall Thoughts
United Polaris Business Class makes for a comfortable way to cross the country on a daytime flight, with access to their excellent Polaris Lounges, lie-flat pods offering direct-aisle access, and comfortable Saks Fifth Avenue bedding that lets passengers get some much-needed rest. Flying an internationally-configured widebody plane on a domestic transcontinental flight is always a treat, as this lets travelers experience a proper Business Class seat within the U.S. rather than having to travel overseas with United. While chic lounges, comfortable seats, and luxurious bedding are all included in your ticket, a major flaw in the Polaris experience is United’s inflight catering. United has had a poor reputation for its dining experience, which especially matters on a daytime flight when many travelers will not be sleeping for the duration of the journey. If maximizing sleep on a daytime flight is your biggest priority, then Polaris is a solid way to fly between these two hubs. However, those who value inflight dining and more consistent service should look to American Airlines Flagship First or JetBlue Mint.