United’s online store now stocks Polaris items. So now flight attendants won’t have to monitor passengers stealing all the amenities, and can just direct folks to United’s online shop instead.
Say that United’s rollout of new seats has been slow. Say that their crews are inconsistent. But they really do have excellent new amenities in business class, especially the bedding.
The duvet runs $60. The day blanket is $40. You can get a gel pillow for $28. They’ll retail an amenity kit for $15 (which really does make Singapore Airlines look cheap, not offering one of those in business class, though they do tell me they’re considering it).
Two things are notably missing from United’s Polaris online shopping experience though. First, the seats. They can’t sell Polaris seats since they have so few of them.
Second, where’s the Polaris bear? Those were going on eBay for as much as $175 a year ago. Even now here’s one that sold for $60 and one listed for $75.
Prior to departure on United’s pre-inaugural Boeing 777-300ER media flight I told Oscar Munoz that United should stop flying passengers, just sell Polaris bears online, the margins are better.
United’s shop is definitely a place to bookmark for all your avgeek holiday gift giving needs.
Hi Gary,
I too have been looking forward to try polaris. I’m planning a trip to Thailand for the very end of December, and would like to stop in London along the way for a few days. I want to use miles (as flights in business are super pricey $5000+ and at this point even *buying* miles is better–and united is doing a 100% bonus until Nov 20 for any miles purchased, so I could get enough miles for the trip for ~$2600).
Was seeing some United business flights (90k miles) which stop in Frankfurt, but not sure how I can jut out at Frankfurst for a few days (can fly to london and back on my own) in order to make that work.
Any advice on where to use miles (not attached to united, I have other miles too, and the amex biz plat 50% rebate–though even with that cost seems prohibitively high) for this type of itinerary?
Many thanks!
The gel pillow would come in very handy for other flights, but as it’s gel would it get past security? Probably not.
And although you can’t buy a Polaris seat in the store there may still be a couple of lie flats available from the charity sale of the 747 insides. 🙂
Am I missing something about Polaris? It looks roughly like the seats Cathay has had for 10 years and the ones AA has in all their 777 and 787 now or is this just an amazing PR job by United?
I’ve been carrying one of those gel pillows around the world for 6 months. It’s a really nice little pillow. The case is really soft fabric.
“They can’t sell Polaris seats since *they have so few of them*.” Hahahaha, nicely done, 10/10.
All you want for Christmas?
You (inter)married a Shiksa didn’t you Gary!
And you can already experience all elements of Polaris you need to be selective of which flights and aircraft.
United Polaris is a huge bait and switch phony piece of junk. United puts the Polaris name on planes that are either not new or have not been retrofitted to the fancy YouTube video. Big surprise for some people who don’t obsessively research seating. It’s very misleading advertising. How many planes are currently operating that look like the roll out video? Less than 10? Come on United, you can put a fancy name on a pig (four seats in a row in business) and it more crowded than a college dorm room quad.