United Airlines has introduced Polaris and it’s incredible. A massive overhaul and commitment from the airline, Polaris is meant to redefine business class amongst U.S. carriers and put the focus of the cabin on sleep. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, Polaris offers a stellar experience that allows you to fly in luxury, yet not sacrifice on the most important part of getting from point A to point B, your rest.
Polaris is available on all United flights, but the full experience with the new Polaris seat is available on certain routes – with more being rolled-out every day. I flew recently from Newark to Tel Aviv, Israel, which is one of the routes with the new seats. The first Polaris lounge debuted at Chicago O’Hare’s airport, so it’s not yet at Newark, but it’s in the works.
I boarded the aircraft and settled-in to my seat. The new Polaris seats can fit someone who is up to 6 feet, 6 inches in length. It’s comfortable, cozy and offers bedding by Saks Fifth Avenue and amenity kits with spa-like products from Cowshed Spa, a part of Soho House.
Inside the amenity kits are gel-cooled eye masks, lavender calming mist and the seat comes with an ergonomically designed pillow. But, don’t fall asleep yet. There’s ten hours to soak-up the Polaris experience, which starts with champagne, cocktails and pre-flight snacks.
Dinner menus are passed-out promptly and I was very impressed with the options at hand. Food is prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Offerings reflect the route you’re flying, but some things are mainstays. Interested in lobster mac and cheese? no problem. Build-your-own ice cream sundaes? That’s possible. I couldn’t decide which red wine I wanted with my main course, so my very lovely flight attendant built a “wine flight”, which allowed me to sample four options so I could make my final selection.
My flight to Tel Aviv was smooth, comfortable, delicious and restful. After dinner, I put a do not disturb light on and drifted-off. I asked my flight attendant to wake me just 45 minutes before landing for breakfast. She did just that. I landed safely at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and went about my trip. But, the truth was…I couldn’t wait to fly home.