Nine Hours on a 767: United Polaris Business Class Between Venice and Newark
by Krish Patel
United operates an all-Boeing widebody fleet, with 767 aircraft primarily based at the carrier’s Newark hub. Majority of the 767s operating for United are of the -300 variant, which are the smallest widebodies (by size and number of seats) operating at United. However, the airline operates 16 of the slightly larger 767-400s. These jets mostly operate transatlantic flights between the East Coast and Europe. A recent flight on a seasonal route from Venice to Newark was the perfect chance for me to put United’s 767 Polaris product to the test.
Venice Marco Polo Airport Check-in, Lounge, and Boarding
VCE only has one terminal that’s used for both domestic and international flights. Since I was staying on the lagoon of Venice, I had to take a boat to the airport. There’s a separate area of Marco Polo Airport with a dedicated dock for arriving and departing boats.
The first floor of the terminal serves as the departure level, with check-in areas for international airlines to the left of the airport hall.
Polaris Business Class passengers can use the dedicated Premier Access line to drop off their bags, which wasn’t long and very efficient to pass through. I had my boarding pass printed in a few minutes and was informed by a friendly agent about the gate and lounge access information.
The airport only has one lounge appropriately named the Marco Polo Club. It’s accessible to those with Priority Pass and all departing Business Class passengers. After clearing security, you’ll need to follow the signs for the escalator and take it up to level 2, where the lounge is located.
Making your way past the lounge entrance, you’ll find yourself in the main seating area, which has plenty of comfortable seating options. Most of the seating was occupied during my visit since there are many international departures in the late morning. However, it was nice to see that the lounge features floor-to-ceiling windows allowing for plentiful natural light, as well as side table space at nearly every seat. The ambiance of the space is somewhat cozy, with a mix of wooden and carpeted flooring.
Amenities in the lounge include work pods, showers, and an outdoor terrace. The showers can be found near the bathrooms, but the wait times for one can be long given the number of people using the lounge. My favorite of the amenities is the outdoor terrace, where I was able to do some planespotting ahead of my transatlantic journey and managed to see my aircraft arrive from Newark.
There’s a single buffet station in the Marco Polo Club offering pastries, fruit, salad, cheese, yogurt, bread, and cold cuts. The cut fruit, salads, and yogurt were all packaged, which didn’t feel very premium in an airport lounge. Assorted pastries and cold cuts were all laid out for guests to take. Overall, it’s a basic airport lounge with typical offerings and amenities aside from the outdoor patio.
Meanwhile, if you’re departing the U.S., you’ll have access to United’s Polaris Lounges. Found at six of the airline’s seven transatlantic hubs, they offer restaurant dining, luxurious showers and nap rooms, a full-service bar, and exclusive seating options that create a sense of privacy. The Polaris Lounge in Newark (EWR) is easily one of the top lounges in the U.S.
After clearing passport control, I found myself in the crowded gate area. It was filled with passengers and the queues for priority boarding were all packed. United Polaris passengers receive boarding in Group 1 after pre-boarding. Most people who were waiting to board were standing since virtually all of the seats were occupied.
United Polaris Seat Comfort and Cabin on the 767-400
Between the first and second set of doors is a spacious 34-seat Polaris Business Class cabin. Since the 767 is a narrower aircraft compared to the 777 and 787 Dreamliner, the seats are arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration, with three seats per row opposed to four. Odd-numbered window seats are the best seat choices for travelers seeking privacy since they’re positioned away from the aisle. Meanwhile, seats in even-numbered rows face the aisles and those in the center section look towards the left side of the aircraft.
Overhead bins can be found above every seat, even those in the center section, meaning that passengers have plenty of space for storing their carry-on items.
Each of the seat shells boasts elegant light gray finishes with blue accents that give travelers a great sense of privacy and comfort without a door. The seat is practically designed with intuitive features and even handle bars above the IFE monitor to help you get into and out of the seat.
The chair itself is composed of textured blue padding and an adjustable leather headrest. Built into the seat fabric is a shoulder strap necessary for takeoff and landing.
All seats come with a large side console positioned closer to the window or aisle depending on where you’re sitting. The console features a marble-like side surface, built-in storage locker, sconce lamp, and adjustable flip-out reading light. Found in the storage locker is a vanity mirror, as well as a set of headphones (more on that later). There’s also an IFE remote, headphone jack, universal outlet, and USB-A charger.
In front of you is a touchscreen entertainment system, adjacent to which is a coat hook. Right below the screen is another USB-A charger, storage cubby, and bifold tray table. It offers a great surface area for either a laptop or if you’re looking to dine. Built into the table is a small device holder that can accommodate a tablet or cellphone.
The ottoman can be found beneath the tray table and includes a leg rest, as well as space to store shoes or a small carry-on. In the bulkhead, the ottoman is slightly larger and comes with a bit more underseat storage.
The Boeing 767’s interior really showed its old age. My window shade would get stuck when I tried to pull it down and it also had a few minor scratches. The other overhead reading lights didn’t work, unlike the one built into the side console.
Polaris doesn’t even have its own lavatory on the 767-400 since the two bathrooms at the back of the cabin are also shared by Premium Plus. There might be a long line for one of the bathrooms inflight. Compared to most other lavatories on narrowbody aircraft, this one wasn’t the most spacious. It’s also worth noting that there’s no diaper-changing table.
Once over the Atlantic, I made my bed. In lie-flat mode, the seat measures at 78 inches long. I found the room around my head and shoulders to be enough, but the footwell was a little tight. If I had to pick between the Polaris bed on the 767-400 or 777-200ER, I’d pick the 777 every time. Both beds are very similar in terms of comfort around the upper body, but I just wasn’t impressed with the tighter footwell on this flight.
The Dining Experience in United Polaris Business Class
Upon boarding, a Polaris-branded menu was waiting for me at the seat, which highlighted the food options for the flight. Two meals would be served, with lunch after takeoff and a light pre-arrival dish before landing. Additionally, you’ll also find the beverage selection and wine listed printed on the menu.
The entree choices on my flight included:
Pan seared beef fillet
Garlic roasted chicken breast
Pan roasted salmon
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
About five days before my flight, United sent me a meal request asking me to select my entree. I decided to pre-order my meal since the galley usually tends to run out of vegetarian food options and went for the cannelloni pasta.
Pre-departure beverages were served prior to pushing back in Venice, with a choice of champagne or water. Unfortunately, the drinks were served in blue plastic cups opposed to proper glassware.
In the air (35 minutes into the flight), service commenced as flight attendants offered hot towels and warm nuts. The beverage cart was also rolled through the cabin, and I opted for an AHA sparkling water.
Twenty minutes after being served my beverage, I was served lunch. The lunch service felt rushed because everything was served on one tray. Served alongside the entree was buffalo mozzarella, a mixed greens salad, bread roll, and an assortment of condiments such as butter and dressing. Certainly, the presentation of the meal didn’t appear as if it were Business Class catering.
I felt that there was more sauce than actual pasta on the main plate and the mozzarella tasted bland and watered down. Even the salad wasn’t exactly fresh, and the provided vinaigrette did little to help.
Flight attendants rolled a dessert trolley through the Polaris cabin, with three choices:
Artisan cheese plate
Dark chocolate delice
Classic ice cream sundae
I went with the ice cream sundae and chose to sample a little bit of each topping. The ice cream had slightly melted by the time it reached my row and was a little too sweet for my liking. I didn’t end up eating the entire sundae and only ate a little less than half before ordering a cup of chamomile tea.
At the front of the cabin, a bowl of fruit and packaged mid-flight snacks were laid out. The bananas were not even ripe and still somewhat green.
90 minutes before landing, a pre-arrival meal was served. There were three choices listed on the menu:
Tagliatelle with braised beef ragout
Chopped salad
Paneer makhani
I chose to have the paneer makhani, which came with cumin rice and lentil dhal. It was tastier than the main meal served after takeoff, but still not super memorable. Provided on the side was a salad, whole grain bread roll, and chocolate brownie. The salad was my favorite item of everything on the tray and tasted somewhat fresh. For my beverage, I got myself another sparkling water.
Amenities in United Polaris Business Class
There are several goodies waiting for you at the Polaris seat upon boarding, including Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, a Therabody amenity kit, water bottle, and noise-cancelling headphones. United doesn’t have the best headphones in Business Class since they’re quite flimsy and don’t block out the sound that well.
United’s bedding in Business Class is very high quality with several pillows and blankets, including a full-size Saks Fifth Avenue pillow and a cooling memory foam one. You’re also provided with a comfortable duvet and lighter day blanket.
United has two versions of its Therabody amenity kit in Polaris Business Class, which are meant to snap together and come in the form of either a dopp bag or travel case. The amenity kit provided at my seat was a dopp bag and came with several essentials for a long haul flight, including:
Eye mask
Socks
United-branded pen
Dental kit (toothpaste and toothbrush)
Soft tissues
Earplugs
Therabody Arrive Revived bag (eye serum, lip balm, face mist, cleansing towelette, hand cream)
The entertainment system on this aircraft is slightly outdated compared to most other planes in the United fleet. It still features the older home screen and is lacking a relaxation mode. But nonetheless, the IFE system offers an extensive range of movies, TV shows, and Spotify playlists, including new releases. You’re still able to choose from numerous languages and the entertainment display comes with accessible content options for travelers with visual and hearing needs.
Service in United Polaris Business Class
The flight attendants working in Polaris on my flight were friendly and professional, but not super engaging. The crew kept to themselves for most of the flight after the first meal service and it seemed as if they disappeared mid-flight.
Booking Details/Cost for United Polaris Business Class
One-way fares for United Polaris Business Class between Venice Marco Polo Airport and Newark EWR start at $3,510 and exceed $5,800 on select peak days. For the same one-way route in Polaris Business, United will charge an insane 163,300 MileagePlus miles, which is highly priced for a transatlantic award flight. You’ll get much better value by booking through a partner airline, such as Air Canada, who will charge closer to 80,000 miles one-way for Polaris from VCE to EWR.
Overall Thoughts
The Polaris seats are some of the best Business Class offerings from a U.S. airline, offering high levels of comfort, privacy, and personal space. United also fares well when it comes to the amenities, with luxurious Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and Therabody amenity kits with several essentials. However, the inflight dining experience doesn’t feel premium, with poorly presented dishes and food lacking the right quality of flavor. If United could make improvements with its dining and make the service more consistent on each Polaris flight, then this would be a very solid and well-rounded Business Class experience comparable to the likes of other U.S. and European airlines.