The ONLY Polaris-Configured Narrowbody: A Review of United’s 757-200 Polaris Business Class from San Francisco to Newark
When you think of United’s Polaris Business Class, there is one aircraft that usually doesn’t come to mind at first. It’s a narrow body aircraft, which doesn’t feature a typical Polaris seat expected on most international routes. However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t exist. At the front of the flying pencil, United’s 757-200 features 16 Polaris Business Class seats laid out in a 2-2 configuration. This isn’t the most ideal configuration for long haul international travel, however, the seat is very spacious and comfortable for five to six hour flights
Ground Experience at SFO
On the ground, United’s Business Class passengers are given Premier Access, which includes priority check-in and boarding. I arrived off a connecting flight, so I didn’t have to re-check any bags. However, if you’ve checked in on the United mobile app, there is a bag drop shortcut lane available at certain airports, including all United hubs. At certain airports, Premier Access gives you access to use dedicated priority security lanes at certain airports, however, the experience is no different from regular security. While the lines are usually shorter, you still have to remove shoes, belts, and large electronics.
Typically, a domestic premium cabin ticket on United won’t grant access to the United Club Lounge, unless you have a credit card that grants entry, a certain level of elite status, or a paid membership. You can access the lounge if you’re flying short-haul international Business Class to the Caribbean or Latin America. Of course, long-haul international Business Class customers can access the Polaris Lounge, which is a step-up from the United Club. However, if you’re flying Business Class between Newark and Los Angeles or San Francisco, United Club access is included in your ticket because these routes offer a more elevated service level and are marketed as “premium transcontinental”.
SFO has two United Clubs in terminal three, one of which is located in Concourse F. The lounge is quite old and shows its age, though it still has a cozy ambiance and feels well-lit. During the day, the large windows allow for plenty of natural light and offer some pretty good views across the airport.
The lounge offers plenty of seating options, such as plush chairs, chairs that swivel, and couches, as well as private work cubicles, which feature universal charging outlets. The main seating area features plenty of space for your food and beverages.
United Clubs don’t offer as many hot food items compared to the Delta SkyClub or Amex Centurion Lounge. The club also offers a variety of light and cold snacks, as well as salads, sandwiches, and a few desserts. You’ll also find a small selection of hot soups available at the buffet. At self-serve beverage stations, you’ll find a soda machine and an espresso machine with illy coffee, which United partners with for the coffee they offer both in lounges and on flights.
This club did not offer as many amenities compared to some of United’s other lounges. Free Wi-Fi and a full service bar are the only two notable amenities in the lounge. The bar seemed quite crowded during my visit to the point where every seat was taken. Disappointingly, the United Club doesn’t offer showers. Instead, you’ll find bathrooms which aren’t even that modern.
As boarding commenced, the gate area was packed. It was impossible to find a seat and most people were standing. Polaris Business Class customers are given priority boarding in group one. When I arrived, it was the boarding time for group two, which meant that I was able to cut straight ahead because my group had already been called.
United 757-200 Polaris Business Class Cabin and Seat
There are just 16 lie-flat Polaris seats in Business Class on United’s 757. The seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration, meaning that the window seats don’t offer direct aisle access. With slightly smaller overhead bins and flimsy parts of the seat, the 757 showed its old age. United also deploys 777s and 787 Dreamliners on this route, so try to fly Polaris on one of the wide bodies if you can. Those aircraft have more spacious seats in Business Class
The seats are comfortable to sit in for any travel that’s up to six and a half hours, though our flight to Newark was only four hours and 20 minutes from takeoff to touchdown.
Located in front of you is the IFE system, which can be controlled by using the touchscreen or IFE remote located at the side of the seat. United has one of the best IFE systems out there, with a robust selection of movies and TV, including live television. As far as movies, there are plenty of genres to choose from and you can view new releases. If that’s not impressive enough, you also have a variety of music, games, and audio podcasts to choose from. My favorite feature of United’s entertainment system is the relax mode feature, where you can listen to soothing music or watch videos of scenic destinations. Considering that this was an overnight flight, I found the feature to be useful.
Beneath the screen is a large storage cubby that can accommodate a laptop, as well as a leg rest, under which you can store shoes or carry-on bags. The inner armrest houses the seat controls, a side table for beverages, and the tray table, which is composed of two pieces.
Near the inner armrest is a seat pocket for literature and the IFE remote, both of which are located at an inconvenient spot. The remote shows its age and appears outdated.
The headrest is adjustable vertically and folds out for additional support. To the left of the headrest is a storage area, which also houses the charging outlets and a headphone jack. There’s also a second set of seat controls and a reading light. Both are inconveniently located because you’ll have to reach over if you want to charge your device, which can be uncomfortable.
Located above the seat is an individual reading light, which was adjustable with difficulty, a flight attendant call button, and a personal air vent. What a treat to have individual air vents on an aircraft that’s more than 20 years old!
The lavatory isn’t outdated and feels quite modern. It’s stocked with amenities supplied from Therabody, who has a partnership with United. You’ll find face mist and lotion. The lavatory offers plenty of space for your legs and knees to stretch out, as well as space for your head. While the 757 has a more spacious lavatory than the tight ones found on the 737 MAX, the ones on the MAX, at least in First Class, offered more counter space.
After having dinner, I decided to test out the seat modes. It’s possible to customize the seat to your desired position, including lie-flat bed mode. The Polaris seat on the Boeing 777 offers a more spacious bed length and width, but it’s still somewhat spacious for a transcontinental flight on the 757. There’s a good amount of space for your legs and knees to stretch out, as well as a fair bit of space for your shoulders and head to rest comfortably. Whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach, this is a comfortable bed for four hours.
United’s Food in Transcontinental Polaris Business Class
Pre-departure beverages were offered prior to pushing back at SFO, with a choice of champagne or water. I opted for a cup of water, which was disappointingly served in a plastic cup. For a premium-heavy route, I was expecting a proper glass from United.
However, that wasn’t an issue after departure because hot towels and a choice of complimentary beverages were offered, for which I chose water again. This time, however, it was served in a real glass.
Of the three choices available, I opted for the vegetarian breaded eggplant, which was served in a tomato sauce along with mozzarella cheese. United really needs to improve with its catering in Business Class. The entree was one of the better meals I’ve had on United, but still just average. The salad and bread roll served on the tray were both sad. Despite the fact that there was dressing, the salad still tasted uninspiring. Unexpectedly, warm nuts were served with the meal rather than with my post-departure beverage. Earlier this year, I flew in Delta One and American Flagship Business, and both meals I had on both flights were much better than what was served on this flight.
As this is a transcontinental flight, dessert has its own course and isn’t served on the tray. I opted for the ice cream sundae, with a choice of strawberry or vanilla ice cream and a choice of toppings. I noticed that the selection of toppings was limited on this flight. Unlike long haul flights, where a dessert trolley is rolled out, flight attendants prepared this sundae in the galley.
Despite the fact that transcontinental routes offer a second pre-arrival snack, there was unfortunately none on this flight due to our shortened time in the air.
Amenities in Transcontinental Polaris Business Class
Upon boarding, each Polaris seat is stocked with noise-canceling headphones, a water bottle, an amenity kit supplied from Asutra (UA provides Therabody pouches on longer flights), and the signature Saks Fifth Avenue bedding. United’s bedding is the best inflight bedding offered by any North American carrier. You’re given a thick blanket and two pillows, including one cooling gel memory foam pillow. On longer routes, United also provides a mattress topper and a day blanket in addition to the other bedding items.
The amenity kit’s contents consist of an eye mask, a dental kit, a set of earplugs, and a self care bag, which consists of lip balm, hand cream, and a face towel. The kit is well-stocked for a flight of this length, but could use some more skincare items.
Wi-Fi is available on transcontinental flights, with a variety of packages available for purchase in either cash or MileagePlus miles. However, you can pay less for the same Wi-Fi package if you’re a MileagePlus member. For a flight less than five hours, I figured purchasing Wi-Fi wasn’t worth it, especially on an overnight route.
United is one of a few airlines to still offer an inflight magazine. The Hemispheres Magazine contains information about the United Airlines fleet and network, information about Star Alliance partners, and news articles. Besides the magazine, you’ll also find the safety card, a paper that contains information about co-branded credit cards, and a sickness bag.
Service
This flight had some of the most friendly and professional crew I’ve encountered with United. Flight attendants were proactive and they offered beverage refills to those who wanted them. The dining experience wasn’t rushed on this flight, nor was it slow. I’d say that having a proactive cabin crew made the overall experience a lot better.
Booking/Pricing
For a one-way Business Class fare from SFO to EWR on United, prices can start at around $1,000 nonstop. The ticket price tends to vary, so there are no guarantees on how much you’ll pay until you book. Taking a stopover when flying between SFO and EWR tends to cost a cheaper price, as ticket prices only start at about $800. When booking, select the “show calendar” icon at the top of the screen and United will show you the best deals you can get for your route. However, this only works if you have flexible travel dates.
If you want to book using miles, nonstop one-way prices for the route typically start at around 120,000 miles in Business Class. United doesn’t publish an award chart, so you can expect the prices to vary. You can sometimes expect the prices to significantly come down to about 80,000 miles and less. In addition to paying in miles, you’ll have to pay $5.60 in fees and taxes. To maximize your purchase, it's best to book using a co-branded credit card, such as the United Club Infinite Card ($525 annual fee). Until August 7, 2024, new cardholders can earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Several points currencies, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio) and World of Hyatt points (2.5:1 ratio) transfer to United directly. Credit card sign-up bonuses are a valuable way to accumulate points and miles needed for a trip, flight, or vacation. The World of Hyatt credit card ($95 annual fee) has a sign-up bonus of 30,000 points if you’ve spent $3,000 in the first three months of your card opening. If you open the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 annual fee), you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of your card opening.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, United’s Polaris Business Class is a comfortable way to cross the country. Free lounge access is a benefit of flying transcontinental, but I wish that United provided access to the Polaris Lounge rather than the United Club, while Delta and American give access to their premium Delta One and Flagship Lounges. The hard product on the 757 can use some improvement. Having a 2-2 configuration in Business Class is outdated in 2024, but the seat’s quality comfort makes up for the tight layout. United’s entertainment system is one of the best in the industry, with cool features that set it apart from what’s found on other carriers. However, the airline’s catering is uninspiring. My eggplant embraced the flavors of typical airplane food and tasted average, but the side dishes were quite tasteless and sad. A proper dessert course made up for the bad side dishes. If I were desperate to get some sleep, I would certainly fly United’s Polaris Business Class because of the luxurious Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, which comes with a cooling gel pillow. Going forward, if I were to fly United transcontinental in Business Class, I would try to seek a flight operated by a wide-body aircraft to enjoy a better experience in the friendly skies.