Airlines around the world are placing greater emphasis on premium inflight experiences. From chauffeur services to the gate to private bedrooms to inflight bars, airlines are investing in luxury. This has been an even stronger trend in the US in recent years, as consumers have shown a strong willingness to pay for luxury. The response has been a renewed focus on developing best-in-class experiences for travelers beginning the minute they arrive at the airport. For America’s largest airline, United Airlines, the answer lies with its most-premium cabin offering: Polaris business class.

United Polaris offers everything one would expect in a typical business class seat. It has lie-flat seats, large screens, and amenity kits. But beyond the basics, United has worked towards making the Polaris experience just that, an experience. Dedicated state-of-the-art lounges, elevated dining options, and other perks aim to make Polaris a true competitor in business class travel.

United’s Flagship Experience

Credit: United Airlines

For many people, the name Polaris means the North Star, one of the brightest in the night sky and historically used for navigation. United leaned on this symbolism when it first unveiled its Polaris product in late 2016. The focus at the time was to build a premium product that was more conducive to sleeping, a further nod to the nighttime symbolism of Polaris and the North Star. United aimed to reimagine the business class experience “from Ahh to ZZZ” with Polaris. When the first United aircraft equipped with the new premium seat flew in early 2017, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Today, Polaris remains the flagship experience offered by United. It is purposefully designed for long-haul flights and is only offered on international flights. Although passengers can occasionally enjoy Polaris seats on select transcontinental domestic routes between East and West Coast hubs, and to Hawaii. However, the additional Polaris benefits, such as lounge access, are often only available for passengers with international tickets.

Passengers traveling internationally with Polaris enjoy a long list of amenities that go beyond providing a sleep-centric seat. Together, these amenities create an offering that helps United position itself as a true player in the international business class market.

The Seat And The Fleet

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United Polaris seats are angled in the cabin, and all feature direct aisle access. When lowered, the seat converts to a lie-flat bed measuring six feet and six inches. The custom sleep set made for Polaris by luxury outfitter Saks Fifth Avenue includes a gel foam pillow, blanket, and duvet. For ultra-long-haul flights, United offers pajamas to passengers. This includes all flights to Africa, Asia, India, the Pacific, and the Middle East.

Due to the international nature of Polaris, it is only available on United widebody aircraft. This includes eight variants of the Boeing 767, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 families. Premium Plus, Economy Plus, and Economy classes round out the cabin on these aircraft. While the Polaris seat is standard across the fleet, the configurations are not. The table below shows how United configures each of its long-haul aircraft that contain Polaris seats. Data made available by AeroLOPA.

Source: AeroLOPA

There are two important observations from this table. First, the 777-200 is not present even though United operates it in its widebody fleet. This is because the aircraft is reserved for domestic routes, primarily between United hubs, and is not configured for Polaris. Second, United operates a high-density premium 767-300ER fleet with only 167 seats, dubbed the “High J” configuration (first row). It operates on popular transatlantic flights from United’s Eastern hubs in Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport. The business case is to achieve a high revenue per seat.

United does advertise a Polaris seat on its internationally-fitted 757-200 fleet. However, they are not a true Polaris product (they are a previous business class design) and do not offer direct aisle access to every seat. For an authentic Polaris experience, choose a United widebody aircraft.

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Dining With Polaris

Credit: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

The standard Polaris dining cadence is a meal shortly after takeoff and shortly before landing, with the option for a snack in between. If this schedule does not fit your needs, passengers can also choose express or shortened dining services. This allows meals to be served all at once or at a different, more convenient time. Dining features a menu and china specifically made for Polaris cabins.

The exact menu varies by flight, depending on the time and route, but all drinks, including beer, wine, and liquor, are free in Polaris. United has made efforts to elevate the dining experience and food quality for its premium cabins. For a glimpse into a dining experience on a recent United Polaris flight, check out the following blog post by Gourmet Flyer: Dining and Meal Services on United Polaris International Business Class.

One thing United Polaris has become known for in frequent flyer circles is its sundae cart. This gives passengers the option to build their own sundae with an assortment of toppings directly at their seat. This novelty experience is a great example of how United has worked to make the Polaris experience stand out from others. For those who wish to have a different dessert, there are plenty of options to choose from besides the ice cream on the Polaris menu.

Dedicated Lounges

Credit: United Airlines

If you want to skip the inflight meals and focus on sleep, Polaris passengers can enjoy a wide array of food options in the dedicated Polaris lounges. These spaces are known for being spacious, luxurious, and exclusive. In fact, you can only access these lounges with an international Polaris ticket, or an international first or business class ticket on a Star Alliance member airline. Eligible United passengers can access the lounges at departure, connecting, and arrival airports for the eligible itinerary (those with an eligible Star Alliance member ticket can only access lounges at departure airports). Polaris United offers Polaris lounges at the following locations:

• Chicago (ORD)
• Houston (IAH)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Newark (EWR)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• Washington-Dulles (IAD)

These lounges include full-service restaurants and buffets, vast seating options, private relaxation rooms, and spa-quality showers. The goal is to provide a world-class experience for passengers above what is available at other airport lounges. Across the country, Polaris lounges are regarded as being some of the nicest in the industry.

For those flying Polaris to London Heathrow Airport, there is an additional arrivals lounge exclusively for United Polaris travelers. The lounge is located after immigration checks and also offers private dining, showers, and seating. The only condition is that you must arrive before noon local time. This reflects on United’s commitment to the London premium market. In fact, the high premium capacity 767-300ER is a frequent operator to London, and has become a benchmark in the Polaris offering.

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Amenity Overview

Credit: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

United passengers who fly in premium cabins on long-haul international flights are given amenity kits with products made by Therabody. In Polaris, a cross-body pouch is provided with products aimed at helping you stay refreshed. These products include eye serum, face spray, hand cream, and a number of other products by Therabody. Additional basics like tissues, eye masks, and ear plugs are also provided in the kits.

Beyond the amenity kit at the seat, a Polaris ticket offers a number of perks throughout the entire travel experience. Included with the fare are two free checked bags, and Premier Access status for your trip. This allows access to priority check-in and bag handling. Further, a Polaris ticket often comes with exclusive security lanes when departing from a US airport. And of course, Polaris travelers are among the first to board the plane, enabling them to secure overhead space and start enjoying their seats before pushback. All of these help create an elevated service, and begin the Polaris experience from the first step into the airport.

Source: United

Recent News: An Evolving Experience

Credit: United Airlines

In a recent earnings report, United Airlines announced it is expecting its highest ever quarterly revenue in the final fiscal quarter of 2025. This number is primarily driven by increased demand for premium travel, a trend seen across many airlines. It is clear that luxury travel offerings will continue to drive revenue growth for US airlines for the near future. United has been offering Polaris for almost ten years now, and continues to reevaluate the experience to make sure it is still relevant to current trends. In May 2025, United unveiled its new “elevated” cabin design on its Dreamliners. The new aircraft will feature an updated and refreshed Polaris cabin, as well as eight new Polaris Studio suites at the very front of the plane. The new 787-9 Dreamliners are expected to be delivered in 2026.

“The airline’s new United Polaris Studio suites are positioned in the first row of each business class section and total eight, lie-flat, all-aisle-access seats that are 25% larger than standard United Polaris with privacy doors, an extra ottoman seat for companions, exclusive entrée options, an Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service, new amenity kits with luxury skincare offerings, wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and a huge 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screen – the largest among U.S. carriers.”

– United Newsroom

Overall, United Polaris is a top-of-the-line business class offering, especially among US airlines. The full-service experiences throughout the entire travel period creates an experience that goes beyond a luxurious lie-flat seat. However, United will have to explore ways to lower the price of Polaris fares, as a round trip ticket across the pond is often in the $10,000 range. For passengers who do find themselves in a Polaris seat though, they can expect one of the best business class experiences an airline has to offer.