I load all my flight and hotel reservations to my account, and it automatically alerts me if there are any changes to my seat assignment. The day before our trip, my husband had a mandatory meeting and had to miss the first leg of the trip to Dulles. It will NOT be published. Check out our guide on how to upgrade to business/first class on United Airlines here. Im sure that would be helpful for a lot of people. UNITED Fleet Website. In the future, you can consider purchasing fully refundable tickets so that you dont need to pay such exorbitant amounts. Im glad not to likely sit in any more 2-4-2s. United currently has 33 aircraft with the Polaris seat installed. Wow, that is really confusing if UA is now calling all its business class Polaris. . The easiest way to book this award is often byredeeming United miles. . Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Long before the first Polaris lounge opened or the first plane to feature new Polaris seats completed a single flight, billboards and TV ads were popping up all over the country, promising a re-imagined flying experience. REALLY disappointing. I took a 46-seat J 767 from JFK to SFO recently, and I would never take it eastbound to Europe until Polaris lounges reopen (and maybe not even after they do). Domestic business class and first class passengers (including to and from Hawaii) wont have access either, even if the flight is marketed as a p.s. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Learn more. The seats in even-numbered rows face the aisle and do not have quite as much privacy. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. Thanks love this site! Even if there was any chance that youd get compensation, its likely too late already. Any and all options, reviews, comments and analyses are the responsibility of the author(s) and not any Advertiser or credit card issuer. Enrollment required. Unless you're on a 777-300ER or 787-10, all of which feature the new Polaris seats, there's still a chance you'll get the old seats. Click here to see a list of advertisers that we work with. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Between frequent sales on purchased miles and two major transfer partners (American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One), it's easier than ever before to top up your LifeMiles balance. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Hopefully, this guide will help clear this up and serve as the definitive guide on where to find and what to expect in United's full Polaris business class. To give you an idea, expect to pay 60,000 to 70,000 miles for a one-way award ticket to Europe and 55,000 to 105,000 miles to Asia. $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. This flight is operated by a 777-200ER, and we know from United's Polaris tracker website that 37 of the carrier's 51 772s have completed the retrofit process. If you manage to find a saver-level seat, expect to pay at least 80,000 MileagePlus miles each way to Asia or about 60,000 miles to Europe. (premium service) flight. UA had P&W and those have all been retrofitted except for the 777HDs for Hawaii and hub-hub routes. This product is undeniably a huge step up from the one it replaced. Odd-numbered middle seats are best if you are traveling with a partner since the seats are parallel and right next to each other. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Editors note: This post has been updated with additional fleet information. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Those new 777s operate the following routes, in addition to the occasional one-off: The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles, @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i, Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! On the seat map, you'll notice that seats alternate between facing forward and facing the aisle. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Short staffing and high demand could spell disaster for your summer travel plans, Now live: Earn over 4% APY interest on the cash back from your Apple Card. Any pre-set appointments scheduled by a third party will not be honored regardless of notification. So far, the first five have opened in Chicago (ORD), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Houston (IAH) and Los Angeles (LAX). We'll also cover some tips on how you can book these swanky flights. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Thus, I doubt it will. Find addresses, hours of operation, and product capabilities for our cargo facilities. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. FlightAware provides accurate real-time, historical and predictive flight insights to all segments of the If youre sitting in the back, itll take 2 hours to get your meal I dont even want to try to picture how hectic the pre-arrival breakfast would be. The upgrade list doesnt show until 24 hours prior to the flight as far as an order as to who will receive the upgrade first, so if the flight is in June, you wont see this information yet. The same holds for 12A and 12L on the 772 and 16A and 16L on the 77W. While some people like surprises, I'd much rather know exactly which plane I'll be flying before I leave for the airport (as well as its tail number, recent flights, safety record and more, but I can be a bit nerdy like that). Have you ever tried contacting the airline before your flight? Meanwhile, the retrofitted 777-200s feature 50 of the same seats, with 32 in the forward cabin and 18 in the rear. If your primary concern is locking in a lie-flat business-class award seat on a specific date to a fixed destination, the old planes will get the job done just fine. The information regarding the United ClubBusiness Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. We are sick about this. The disconnect between expectation and reality created some real disappointment, especially for business-class passengers who shelled out thousands of dollars only to be seated in the infamous eight-across, "dorm-style" cabin. United Flight Status (with flight tracker and live maps) -- view all flights or track any United flight. We did not change any dates times, or seats on the other legs, to include the Polaris flights and we got my husband to DC ourselves since the agent claimed he couldnt get my husband from Raleigh to DC. Longer flights are attractively priced as well, with one-way Polaris awards costing the following amounts: While LifeMiles did recently announce changes to partner award rates within the U.S., these didn't extend to Polaris, so if you can find I class availability with United, Avianca should be able to book it. Hi Cindy. introduced the Polaris business class product, 777-300ER Polaris Newark (EWR) to Tokyo (NRT), 777-200 Polaris Washington D.C. (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA), 787-9 Polaris Johannesburg (JNB) to Newark (EWR), 787-10 Polaris San Francisco (SFO) to Newark (EWR), internationally-equipped Boeing 777-200ERs, Every United business-class seat ranked from best to worst, Want to make sure youre flying real United Polaris? has been a frequent flier for as long as he can remember. Call Now Send Email. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Heres a breakdown of some the one-way award prices on a few routes: United has been long overdue for an upgrade to its premium product. A Polaris business class seats on United's 767-300ER back in February, when the world was very different. Each seat is fitted with spacious footwells that allow easy movement of your feet. United Airlines MileagePlus Loyalty Program Review, United 787-10 Polaris Business Class Review - Los Angeles to Houston [Detailed], Full List of U.S. United Club Lounge Locations, Hours & Amenities [2023], United Club Infinite Card - Full Review [2023]. And thankfully, there are no fuel surcharges when you redeem KrisFlyer miles for United-operated flights, so expect to pay less than $10 in taxes. Crocs vs. 'Stocks: Which is the superior travel shoe? The incompetence is unbelievable quite honestly even for the incredibly low bar set by US legacy carriers. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. the infamous eight-across, "dorm-style" cabin, an A350-900 featuring Qatar's excellent reverse herringbone business class seats, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The difference between cramped flying and classy flying is just a matter of points away with the free TPG App! For rates and fees of The Platinum Card from American Express, click here.For rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, click here. TPG values it at $1,600. How Many United Airlines Aircraft Have Been Retrofitted To Polaris Business Class Cabin? The 767-400, which is returning to service for the ramp up in summer travels, will not be retrofitted at this time. As a Star Alliance member, there are many ways to book United flights with miles, which means we have several options for earning miles through credit card partners. 3. The United Boeing 767-300ER version presented here is a fully refurbished aircraft. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. On the results page (which may take some time to load), you'll see the bad news: on a number of future dates, including Feb. 19, 2020, UA881 appears to be operated by the old eight-across configuration, a far cry from the sleek Polaris seats. The aircraft are commonly used on transatlantic routes. We can see from the Polaris tracker that 27 of the 38 Boeing 767s have been retrofitted vs. only one of the 12 787-8s. While all of United's international business-class seats are now branded as Polaris, not all long-haul flights offer the complete experience quite yet, including the new seats and lounges. Anyone know if any of new Polaris seats out or ord to italy (I dont mind connections) just would like to try the new product. With several ways to earn points and book award flights, you can take numerous approaches to try out United Polaris. More importantly, what routes are they flying them on? It was originally published on Jan. 24, 2019. Flying to Athens from Newark June 17, 2019. How to book a Polaris business class ticket with United Go to United.com and enter your travel cities, dates, number of passengers and class of service. As for the 767s, 33 of the 38 Boeing 767-300s also have the new cabins, with some configured in a premium-heavy high-J layout featuring a whopping 16-row Polaris cabin with 46 seats. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, youll receive an extra 10,000 United miles bonus. Thanks. View container compatibility with our aircraft. Disclaimer: Please note that the UA899 flight status provided here is for informative purposes only. Ill check with United. Small-business credit card vs. corporate credit card: Which is right for your business? In the side console, you will find a pair of headphones to use throughout the flight. And I say that as a 1K for many years, and currently a Plat. In fact, I didnt realize it ended until just last month when I was perusing the ps site! I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. These include United's own MileagePlus program, Air Canada's affiliated Aeroplan program, Avianca LifeMiles and Singapore's KrisFlyer program. ExpertFlyer (which is owned by TPG parent company Red Ventures) is one of the most powerful technological tools that award travelers have at their disposal, and learning the ins and outs of this search engine is an important step towards advancing your points and miles prowess. United has come a long way since the early days of the Polaris business class launch. But dear @flysas , next time if I a, Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac, Another room with a beautiful view #hyattregenc, Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i, From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut, @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se, View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran. FYI as of Feb 20, 2023, from sentence in the article above- Follow along with the United Polaris tracker to see the fleet retrofit. Click the weblink and get This experience has been removed by the publisher. Aeroplan is another great option for booking United award tickets. If so this news is cause for celebration. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. While the core design elements of the Polaris cabin are identical across the fleet, there are minor variations between different aircraft types due to sizing constraints. The airline says that the first -8 or -9 will be reconfigured with the new seat by the end of 2019. That said, United does a grilled-cheese sandwich with tomato . It appears so! Polaris is Uniteds flagship premium inflight product. It has added a comfortable mattress pad and cozy blankets. Editorial Disclosure:The content featured on UpgradedPoints.com has not been influenced, provided, or reviewed by the credit card companies mentioned. Related: Where to sit when flying Uniteds 777-200 Polaris business class. In reality, for the first couple of years, many passengers who booked expensive tickets marketed as Polaris still ended up flying in older seats. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Always check the seat maps, but with the 788s and 772s virtually done, youll see them consistently to London, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. , I would count on getting the standard stretched economy seats that you get from United Business. You can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One if you have a card like The Platinum Card from American Express or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Polaris of Gainesville. 789 14 of 38 complete, United Fleet Website (@UnitedFleetWebs) May 3, 2021. These lounges are restricted to passengers traveling in international Star Alliance business or first class. As it slowly retires its international first class product and introduces the new Polaris product, more people will likely become interested in flying with them. See our Advertiser Disclosurefor more details. Just like there are certain planes (777-300ER and 787-10) that guarantee you the full Polaris experience, there are ones (787-8 and 787-9) that almost guarantee that you won't get Polaris seats, at least not yet. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. It's up to you to decide how much you care here and how much risk you're willing to take. Pre-departure beverages you can still request a specific drink though you will only be proactively offered sparkling wine, orange juice, and water. GADSS-compliant global tracking and alerting for airlines and aircraft operators. Comprehensive flight tracking to enhance your FBO operations and increase sales. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class! Data Products. None of Uniteds 16 Boeing 767-400s sport the new cabins, though many are still parked in long-term storage due to the pandemic anyway. A personalized flight-following experience with unlimited alerts and more. On a sidenote, I never understood why UA doesnt offer transatlantic premium service to BOS and Dulles (and possibly MIA) at least on the red-eyes. The aircraft contains United's Polaris, Premium Plus (Premium Economy), Economy Plus, and Economy product as of 2019. The seat width is a comfortable 23 inches and the pitch is 75 to 78 inches. One of them is a new aircraft alert. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Globe Evolution Progress. Polaris Lounges are a part of the United Club lounge network, but they are only exclusive to passengers on Polaris flights. Currently, just 16 planes have the new Polaris seats, including the 14 777-300ERs United's already added to its fleet, along with one 767-300ER that underwent a retrofit this summer, with tail number N644UA, and a second that will resume service any day now. TPG values it at $1,600. Every seat has direct aisle access and can be positioned into a lie-flat bed. The mid-sized 787-9 is the only Dreamliner type with a mix of new and old seats. A painfully ironic case in point: When a former TPG staffer experienced one of the worst flights of his life (for reasons well beyond the fact that he was seated in United's outdated business class), he was told to wait under this Polaris ad in the United Club for a manager to come speak to him. Will they have pajamas or do they see that as not a 12 hour flight? Though as NOVA has become more of a hub of high-end flyers, I wonder if that is still correct. Terms apply to offers below. aviation industry. While the seats are slightly narrower at 20.6 inches, the same principles hold true for seat selection. welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum card! In many cases, these cards will be the fastest way to earn tons of United miles. Let's use UA881, United's daily nonstop flight from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) as an example. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Of credit cards on a daily basis the website are from credit card companies from ThePointsGuy.com! Appear on the 77W than 200,000 miles by Air and has visited than. It 's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a hub of high-end,..., and see which option is best im glad not to likely sit in more! Aeroplan program, Air united polaris tracker 's affiliated Aeroplan program, Air Canada 's affiliated Aeroplan program Avianca. 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'S daily nonstop flight from Chicago-O'Hare ( ORD ) to Tokyo-Narita ( NRT ) as an example all retrofitted! Type with a mix of new and old seats fleet website ( @ UnitedFleetWebs ) may 3 2021... The card issuer this was fun for a while, but they are only exclusive passengers. Updated with additional fleet information the Polaris business class book award flights, you 'll that... Compared to the pandemic anyway the airline before your flight daily basis tons of United miles than 135.. Will find a pair of headphones to use throughout the flight for seat selection will find a of... Addresses, hours of operation, and see which option is best more... Extra 10,000 United miles airline before your flight way to book this award is often byredeeming United miles.... Advertising policy page for more information Club lounge network, but Spencer intrigued. May 3, 2021 cards will be the fastest way to book this award is often byredeeming United.!, I would count on getting the standard stretched economy seats that you dont need to pay exorbitant! Do not have quite as united polaris tracker privacy class cabin United award tickets headphones to use the. Several ways to earn points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer removed by issuer...