I’ve flown business and first class on several airlines, but I didn’t know what to expect on United Polaris from Newark, New Jersey, to Rome.
I’d seen online that the “reimagined” business class had comfy seats and great perks. When it first debuted seven years ago, it was even a finalist for the Crystal Cabin Awards, an international award for cabin design innovation.
Still, I wanted to try it out for myself and I’d scored a discounted rate. My eight-hour flight on United Polaris cost $2,049 — about half of what it typically would have.
Here’s what my flight was like.
United Polaris had everything I needed for a long flight
After boarding the plane, I learned my flight was delayed. I didn’t mind since I had a glass of wine and could get cozy.
My pod contained Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, including a lightweight blanket, comforter, full-sized pillow, and small memory-foam cushion.
Polaris seats lie flat and have aisle access. A set of controls reclines the seat, raises the leg rest, and adjusts the lumbar support.
I’m 5’7″ and had plenty of space to sit comfortably and lay fully flat.
A cabinet next to the armrest contained bottled water, a noise-canceling headset, and a large mirror. I also had USB ports, outlets for electronics, and a pop-out hook in case I wanted to hang anything up.
My ticket also came with an amenity kit designed to look like a small piece of luggage. It contained socks, tissues, a sleep mask, a toothbrush, and a few other items.
For entertainment, I had a 16-inch screen with United’s international selection of movies, TV shows, podcasts, and music. Plus, my seat had a personal lamp and mini spotlight that were perfect to use for reading a book in a darkened cabin.
The bathrooms for Polaris passengers were large and stocked with specialty toiletries
There was never a line to get into one of two reserved Polaris bathrooms. Each had a sizable vanity with a full wash basin instead of the thin slice of sink found in most airplane toilets.
A countertop held a trio of bottles filled with hand cream, face mist, and a fabric-refresher spray — a now-favorite amenity I never knew I needed.
The food was not as good as I’d hoped
In Polaris, food was delivered on real plates — not disposable ones — alongside flatware and glassware. Fortunately, my pod’s foldout table had plenty of room for my meals and free-flowing drinks.
I had an overnight flight, so a multicourse dinner was served about an hour after takeoff. I could choose one of four entrées: braised beef short rib with mushrooms, chicken and potatoes, turbot fish with kale, and spaghetti squash with zucchini.
I chose the short rib, and unfortunately, I felt it was overheated and got a little tough as it got cool enough to eat. It tasted like typical, salty airplane fare to me. I’d hoped my business-class dinner would be more impressive.
For dessert, I got a vanilla ice-cream sundae with chocolate fudge and brownie crumble that was pretty good.
My final meal on board was breakfast, about two hours before landing. I had a choice of an open-faced bagel with salmon, cream cheese, and chives or Belgian waffles with nuts and fruit.
I chose the bagel, and I appreciated getting a hearty meal before deboarding and starting the next step of my journey to downtown Rome.
My flight was great, but only trips over 10 hours justify the cost of Polaris
I enjoyed my flight on Polaris, but even with a delay, it didn’t last long enough. With a strong tailwind, I was in Rome before I knew it, still feeling the wine I had upon boarding.
Between dinner and breakfast service, I had about three hours to wind down and relax. I enjoyed the comfortable seats, luxurious bedding, specialty toiletries, and superior service from the staff.
But although the upscale perks were nice, I wouldn’t upgrade to United Polaris on a relatively short, eight-hour flight like this again.
It’s a luxury I’d reserve for flights over 10 hours — and probably only if I could get another discounted rate.
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