United Employees Get to Try Polaris on a Transatlantic Test Run

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:

Another employee posted a pic of the 777-200 "Polaris" cabin:

An inflight supervisor shared pictures of the new seating setup — complete with the Saks bedding, new Champagne glasses and a stuffed polar bear:

Another employee post shows the new meal service:

Here's a close-up of the appetizer:

Moving on, here's dessert:

And the Bloody Mary cart!

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?