FLIGHTS
SAN FRANCISCO–HONG KONG
United B777-300ER new Polaris business class
BACKGROUND The new Polaris seating is the main innovation for travellers. United currently has 15 aircraft with Polaris seating – 14 new B777-300ERs and one B767-300 that‘s retrofitted. Most, but not all, Polaris-equipped planes fly long-haul from San Francisco; currently the only European flight with the new seating is San Francisco to Frankfurt, but Polaris is expected to arrive on a London Heathrow route during 2018. To preview this business class, we tried the Hong Kong route.
C H E C K- I N I arrived at San Francisco’s international terminal at 1115 for flight UA869, scheduled to depart at 1300. I had already checked in online. Border security was extremely thorough but 15 minutes later I was airside.
THE LOUNGE The opening of the Polaris lounge at San Francisco has been delayed, but should come into service next year. In the meantime, business class ticket holders can use the United Club lounge.
BOARDING The aircraft was parked at Gate 100, a five-minute walk from the lounge. Boarding had begun when I arrived at 1220. I found my seat tidily stacked with a choice of thick and thin Saks Fifth Avenue blankets, plus a large and small pillow. I was greeted by a flight attendant who addressed me by name, gave me a well-stocked Cowshed amenity kit, took my jacket and offered me a drink with a piece of chocolate. The plane pushed back at 1310 and we took off at 1330.
T H E S E AT The 60 Polaris seats are split between two cabins – rows one to eight and nine to 18 (without 13 and 14) – separated by the galley and washrooms. Seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration (A, D-G, L) meaning direct aisle access for all and a good sense of privacy. The seats alternate by row between facing straight forward or being slightly angled towards the aisle. My 2L window seat was angled – odd-number rows are straight and even numbers angled.
The seats are upholstered in light and dark greys with blue accenting – a sleek, clean look. They have generous width, and are easily moved into the lie-flat position via a side panel. I found the bed firm and comfortable, even for my six-foot three-inch frame.
I was impressed with the variety of storage space, ranging from small to medium-sized options including a shoulder-level cupboard, a narrow shelf under the 16-inch touchscreen TV for amenity kits or glasses, and slots under both armrests that could fit a laptop. Next to a side tabletop was the in-flight entertainment handset, an international socket and USB port. A homely wall lamp and two adjustable personal reading lights offer some variety in lighting, and the electronic “Do Not Disturb” button is useful.
W H I C H S E AT T O C H O O S E ? Rows one, six, seven, eight and nine are close to the galleys and lavatories. Avoid row 18 as the Economy Plus baby bassinet seats are in row 19, behind a thin partition. Seats 16A and 16L have no windows.
THEFLIGHT A flight attendant had taken my order for lunch and breakfast while we were still on the ground. Soon after take-off, a selection of wines was brought around, with the chance for a tasting. I chose the whites, which included a Greek Moscofilero (Domaine Skouras 2015), a French Burgundy (La Chablisienne Le Finage 2015 Chardonnay) and a German Riesling (Robert Weil 2014 Tradition). I liked that drinks were served with warm nuts, a nice touch that only a few other airlines offer.
Lunch was served afterwards. I started with an appetiser of smoked nori-wrapped salmon, radish and edamame hummus (the fish was a bit too chilled). There were four options for the main course: shortrib beef, stir-fried beef, char siu duck and stir-fried shrimp. I chose the shrimp, which was extremely tasty. Dessert was special: a trolley was pushed down the aisle, filled with ice cream sundaes and decadent pastries; I couldn’t resist.
United currently has 15 aircraft with Polaris business class seating – 14 new B777-300ERs and one B767-300 that’s retrofitted. Polaris is expected to arrive on a London Heathrow route during 2018.
With the meal service over, the cabin lights were dimmed and I used the time to work. A paid-for wifi service is usually offered once airborne but there were problems with the satellite connection. I decided to sleep, requesting a set of pyjamas and a cooling gel memory foam pillow, which was very comfortable.
I slept well for three hours, then got up and was asked if I’d like a hot snack. I ordered the tomato basil soup (a bit too sour), a cheese sandwich (delicious), and then visited the business class hospitality area, which displayed snacks and wines.
I checked the wifi again and, this time, was able to connect (on my flight, US$9 for one hour, US$15 for two hours, US$30 for entire flight). The connection allowed me to browse websites and send texts and emails, although sending photos was not possible. Annoyingly, wifi access is restricted to only one device – unless you are a United Mileage Plus member, in which case you can switch between devices on the same data package.
I worked for the following few hours until the cabin lights were turned on again, 90 minutes before landing. Breakfast options were fresh seasonal fruit, Chinese congee or a South-western omelette. I opted for the egg dish, which included cheese, black beans, corn and potatoes.
A R R I VA L We began our descent at 1815. The crew located my jacket, which had mistakenly been hung in the economy cabin. We touched down at 1840 and were quickly through immigration, but had to wait for our luggage.
VERDICT An excellent new seat. I was comfortable both when working and sleeping. The crew were attentive and friendly, and the food was generally of a very high quality. This was a really good overall flight experience on a long-haul route. Polaris will be worth considering when it reaches Heathrow in 2018. Valerian Ho