United Airlines unveiled its all-new “United Polaris” business class, the airline’s most significant product transformation in more than a decade, featuring a reimagined, sleep-enhancing, departure-to-landing experience for intercontinental travelers.
Named after the North Star, United Polaris is the shining new star of business class travel that flyers can turn to for a tranquil and restful journey, the airline states.
“United Polaris will change the game in international business travel with an exceptional level of relaxation and comfort throughout our customers’ journeys,” says Oscar Munoz, president and CEO of United, in a release. “This completely reconceived experience exemplifies the new spirit of United and the innovation, excitement, and operational momentum across our airline.”
Path-Breaking Design
In setting out to create a transformative business class experience, United chose to outfit its widebody fleet with a custom-designed, exclusive-to-United seat, rather than select an option already in the marketplace. Designed in partnership with Acumen Design Associates and PriestmanGoode and manufactured by Zodiac Seats United Kingdom, each United Polaris seat will offer direct access to the aisle, 180-degree flat-bed recline and up to 6 foot 6 inches of bed space.
Crafted as individual, forward-facing, suite-like pods, each customer’s personal suite will feature a “Do Not Disturb” sign, mood lighting, one-touch lumbar support, several storage areas, multiple surfaces for simultaneous working and dining, a 16-inch high-definition entertainment screen and, for seats in the center of the cabin, electronic privacy dividers. Complementing the new seats, United and PriestmanGoode have also conceived an all-new look for the United Polaris cabins.
In rethinking the international business class experience, United conducted more than 12,000 hours of research, and sleep emerged as the single most important priority for international business class travelers. United Polaris’ path-breaking design and sleep-enhancing focus was inspired and informed by insights from hundreds of customers and employees, inflight product simulations and more than 100 product evaluations.
Sleep-Enticing Amenities
In addition to the sleep-enticing United Polaris personal suites, several other amenities were designed with our customers’ sleep in mind.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership, United has worked with leading luxury specialty store Saks Fifth Avenue for custom-designed bedding. All designed to provide the best sleep in the sky, the new bedding collection will feature plush duvets, lightweight day-blankets, and a large and small pillow for each United Polaris customer. In addition, mattress cushions will be available upon request.
Slippers will be available on all flights, and customized United Polaris pajamas will be available by request on flights longer than 12 hours. Flyers will also be able to request a gel-cooled pillow. New amenity kits will feature ergonomically designed eye shades, calming lavender pillow mist, and additional products from Soho House & Co.’s Cowshed Spa.
With the introduction of United Polaris, the airline intends to donate tens of thousands of pillows, blankets, and other inflight service items to Fisher House Foundation, which United and its employees have long supported.
United Polaris Introduction
United will begin to introduce United Polaris on Dec. 1, 2016, with a new inflight food and beverage experience, new custom bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, new amenity kits, and a new United Polaris lounge in Chicago. The United Polaris business class seat will first take flight in December on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and subsequently on Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, as well as on Boeing 767-300 and 777-200 retrofits.
How about United stops focusing on business class, and gives some nice things to us in the back of the plane?
Agree, they have taken a great airline into the toilet with them. United used to be a good airline, now they are the worst and customer service has gone from bad to worse.
I mean, the not so pleasant answer is that the “back of the plane” is kinda, by definition, the section for people who aren’t willing (or able) to pay for any nice things. That’s the whole point of coach: it’s just for the ride.
If they started giving some nice things to coach, they’d have to have another section father back where they didn’t give those nice things because people don’t want them, and you’d be right back where you started.
Financially, these upgrades are paltry compared to the markup. You’re paying 5x-10x as much for a moderately larger seat with leg room that displaces maybe 1.5 or 2 normal seats. The other perks cost the airline pennies, but help command this huge markup. In many cases, business and first class are where the flight makes all the money, and coach is just paying for the gas.
If you want things to be nicer in coach, you’d be better off complaining to the FAA or something, because unless it’s mandatory the airline will probably cut it.
Because we aren’t paying the big bucks. Money talks.
Agree. They have taken a great airline like Continental into the toilet with them. Have gone from a good airline into the worst.
No mention of price but the Emirates version is $24k RT.
The airlines lost their high paying first class customers to private aviation when they allowed the TSA to run their business. The airline executives are complicit in the destruction and decline of the airline industry.
Their solution is to keep cannibalizing the first class passengers.