United Polaris Business Class Review

We recently flew with United Airlines on a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in United Polaris Business Class from Los Angeles to Newark. Prior to departure we relaxed at the United Club in Los Angeles.

The Boeing 787-10 has 44 United Polaris seats located in one cabin at the front of the aircraft in a 1-2-1 layout. All seats have direct aisle access however the seats are alternating with either the seat or table next to the aisle. I was seated in the middle section in 2D with the seat on the aisle and table on the right. For couples travelling together, it would be better to choose the middle seats with the table on the aisle so when they drop the divider, they will be seated closer together. 

Being in a middle seat located on the aisle, it felt a lot less private than those with the alternating layout. In future, I’d look to book a seat with the table located on the outside of the chair for a touch more privacy.

Located to the right of the seat is a TV controller, charging points and a storage cupboard with headphones. Due to the angle of the seat, reaching these items all required you to twist in your seat. To accomodate this you can pull the tray table under the screen and rest items here instead, to avoid turning around in your chair.

The seat controls are located along the rim of the bench which are easy to access and use. While my seat had two arm rests, those with the alternate layout lose the second arm rest as it’s replaced with the table located on the aisle.

There is also a magazine holder and small storage section on the left down the side of the seat, as well as a small flat storage section under the screen with additional charging points.

With no menu being offered, I was asked by an attendant if I wanted chicken or pasta. Limited information was provided around these meals and he also warned these could change depending on availability.

Waiting on the seat as I arrived was a large cushion and blanket (both from Saks Fifth Avenue), along with a memory foam pillow and amenity kit. 

The amenity kit included a dental kit, eye mask, earplugs and Sunday Riley lip balm inside a vinyl zip case. I have seen United Airlines talk heavily about their collaboration with Sunday Riley so I was hoping to see more of these products, but maybe there is more of a selection on international flights.

The tray table sits away under the screen and can be pulled closer for meal times, a nice feature to have. 

Prior to take off, the option of sparkling wine or juice was offered and provided in a plastic cup. 

The TV screen is a 16 inch touchscreen which can also be controlled by the remote. There were good movie and TV show options along with a ‘wellness section’ that included calming sleep videos.

The meal arrived on one tray that included a serve of almonds, ravioli, bread roll and salad. Although my food was hot, it needed a touch more flavour to be considered Business Class standard.

New up was the famous United Airlines Sundae Ice Cream Cart. Only recently returning after pausing during the pandemic, it involves and attendant wheeling around a cart with bowls of vanilla ice cream and a range of toppings including syrup, slivered almonds, chocolate and cherries. Shortly after, they offered the choice of a cheese and fruit plate.

When it was time to sleep, I converted my seat into a flat bed and used the Saks Fifth Avenue bedding provided. While the bedding was very comfortable, the bed itself was fairly narrow and made it difficult to move around. 

Wi-Fi is usually offered onboard United Airlines flights, however we were informed by the crew that it wasn’t currently working.

Overall, the service and product was average for what you would expect in a Business Class product. However, only being a transcontinental flight, I would expect the experience to be a higher standard during a longer international flight.

As a member of Star Alliance, United Airlines can be booked on a Star Alliance Business Class Round the World fare.

Read More Reviews from our Round the World Airfare

Flights
Sydney to Los Angeles with Qantas A380
Newark to Frankfurt with Lufthansa B787-9
Helsinki to Singapore with Finnair A350
Singapore to Sydney with British Airways B777

Lounges
Qantas International Business Class Lounge Sydney Airport
United Club Los Angeles Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Newark Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Schengen Lounge Frankfurt Airport
Finnair Business Class Lounge Helsinki Airport
British Airways Business Class Lounge Singapore Airport