United Employees Get to Try Polaris on a Transatlantic Test Run
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United’s new Polaris business-class seat will launch with the airline’s first 777-300ER in early 2017, but business and first-class passengers will experience the Polaris “soft product” — improved meals and service, Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, new amenity kits and a new O’Hare lounge — beginning on December 1.
With that launch now less than three months away, United decided to operate a test run on a flight from Newark to Paris earlier this week. A handful of airline employees got to experience the new service, including celebrity chef meals and even a Bloody Mary and mimosa cart! Many of the employees on board shared their experience on social media.
A United pilot tweeted a picture of the 777-200 being catered:
Catering our Polaris dress rehearsal “flight” #excitedfordecember1 @weareunited #beingunited #polarisbusinessclass pic.twitter.com/XbjB3oxcZk
— Jeff Pelch (@PropilotJW) September 8, 2016
Another employee posted a pic of the 777-200 “Polaris” cabin:
United Polaris 2 Paris! ✈️ @weareunited #beingunited #UAIFS #dreampolaris pic.twitter.com/SiCXHCPn2e
— Marcel Kimbrel (@marcel_kimbrel) September 8, 2016
An inflight supervisor shared pictures of the new seating setup — complete with the Saks bedding, new Champagne glasses and a stuffed polar bear:
#beingunited#UAIFSbaseLHR Enjoying a preview of our fab new Polaris service , it’s truly awesome ? pic.twitter.com/WmkbCiJmWQ
— Paul Garforth (@warsaw2727) September 8, 2016
Another employee post shows the new meal service:
@weareunited– Extraordinary Presentation, Wonderful Food, Amazing Attention to Detail by the Crew! The United Way! pic.twitter.com/z3MSnvixhM
— Max A. Gonzalez (@maxagonzalez) September 8, 2016
Here’s a close-up of the appetizer:
@weareunited Meal time on Polaris Test Flight pic.twitter.com/mONGkLAvcK
— Victor Gonzalez (@vicgon88) September 8, 2016
Moving on, here’s dessert:
It’s dessert time @weareunited #beingunited #dreampolaris pic.twitter.com/uhYBL3oVDf
— Iraida Edye Paz (@Continental1996) September 8, 2016
And the Bloody Mary cart!
The Bloody Mary cart about to go down the aisle for the first time @weareunited pic.twitter.com/lwuUeuU3tg
— Todd Traynor-Corey (@ttrayco) September 8, 2016
Overall, it definitely looks like an improvement. Of course, the new seat is the star of the show, but we’ll need to wait a bit longer for that to launch (and even then it’ll only be available on select routes). In the meantime, a new and improved “soft product” will help tide us over.
Who’s planning to fly Polaris on December 1?
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