Business class at new heights
United pampers international travelers,
United unveiled its new international business class cabin Thursday, a revamping that it hopes will help it win back coveted corporate travelers who may have turned away from the carrier as its performance struggled in the wake of its bumpy merger with Continental.
The new Polaris business class will ferry passengers traveling on long-haul intercontinental flights starting Dec. 1.
In an interview, United CEO Oscar Munoz said that the upgraded service, from a new custom designed seat to exclusive airport lounges, marks the carrier’s biggest product overhaul in a decade. It also builds on a series of other moves, from upgrading the overall fleet to bringing back free snacks in coach, meant to restore confidence in the airline.
In order to win “back the trust of not only our employees and our customers ... we have to make some serious investment,” Mu- noz said. “And we’ve been doing that. ...You’ve got to put your money where your mouth is.”
Business travelers and others who buy seats in the front of the plane play a vital role in bolstering an airline’s bottom line, potentially accounting for 25% to 45% of a flight’s revenue, according to travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. United hopes this new offering will boost its share of that segment of the traveling public.
“That is of course the obvious intent,” Munoz said. “I want to win back customers and have that revenue share perk up. But at the same time we want to provide a win for the customer, and that’s the reason for the focus on sleep.”
The Polaris experience is designed to be restful, from the lieflat seats inside suite-like pods, to the “Do Not Disturb” signs to the lavender pillow mist and gel-cooled pillows available if a passenger wants one. Flight attendants will receive special training and expedite the serving of meals to ensure passengers can rest without interruption.
Before takeoff, international business-class fliers can grab a shower or a nap inside one of nine new airport lounges, the first of which is set to open at Chicago O'Hare on Dec. 1. Unlike typical airline clubs, including United’s, which are open to members who pay an annual fee, buy a day pass or anyone with a first or businessclass ticket, the new lounges will be exclusively for those traveling in the Polaris cabin.
Many of the offerings, whether it's the pajamas that passengers can request on flights lasting more than 12 hours to the lie-flat seats or the seasonal in-flight menus, can be found on other airlines. But Munoz says that United's emphasis on rest, along with heightened service and perks will add up to a distinctive experience.
“The individual components may be like others, but at the end of the day, it’s the way you deliver the product that has us excited,” he says.
The new offering could also help United better compete with international carriers such as Etihad and Emirates, which are known for their luxe service, and have been expanding their presence in the U.S. Those overseas carriers are engaged in a battle with several major U.S. airlines who argue that they receive unfair subsidies from their Gulf-region governments.
“It clearly provides the frequent traveler an option,” Munoz says.