Spacious suites and fine wines: A review of United's new Elevated Polaris business class
Quick take: United's new "Elevated" Polaris business class represents a sophisticated step forward for the airline. Hopefully the closing privacy doors will be certified soon.
Pros
- There's decent award availability for United cardholders.
- Seats are spacious and have closing doors.
- Upscale food and beverage service with pre-order is available.
Cons
- Privacy doors need to be certified before they can be used.
- Wi-Fi isn't free and is slower than Starlink.
- The sound systems in the seats seem to have a few bugs.
TPG got the first peek at United's swanky new "Elevated" Polaris business class in March when the airline showed off the fancy new suite-style pods at an event in Los Angeles shortly after flights went on sale.
Senior aviation reporter Sean Cudahy was also among the first to actually fly in the new suites when he boarded the inaugural flight from San Francisco to Singapore in April.
Sean actually flew in the enhanced "Studio" version of the suites, which are in the bulkhead row and cost a premium. So I took it upon myself to be TPG's guinea pig and fly the standard version of the seat on my own way from Singapore to San Francisco a couple of weeks ago.
The new Elevated Polaris feels like a timely step forward for the airline, with amenities and other soft touches that loyal United flyers have come to expect.
Here's what it was like flying nearly 16 hours in United's new business class and how to book it for yourself.
How much does it cost to book United's Elevated Polaris business class?
The cost of a long-haul, business-class ticket in United's new Elevated Polaris business class depends on the route, dates and whether you are flying round-trip or one-way.
My one-way flight from Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) cost me 90,000 United MileagePlus miles plus $74.23 in taxes and fees instead of a paid fare of $4,148. That yielded me a value of about 4.5 cents per mile, soundly beating TPG's September 2026 valuation of United miles.
It was free to choose a regular Polaris seat, but upgrading to a Studio seat would have cost $599 in advance. However, the price dropped to $499 when I checked in. Other passengers must have taken that offer since the five empty Studios I could see on the seat map had filled in by the time we departed.
My 90,000-mile award ticket was the lowest level I could find for this route for the entire next year. What's more, it was only available to me because I am a United cobranded credit card holder. Without a United credit card or United Premier status, I would have needed a whopping 250,000 miles.
The best way to increase your number of United miles quickly — and to unlock that preferential redemption rate — is to apply for one of the following cobranded credit cards:
- United Gateway℠ Card (see rates and fees): 2 bonus miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- United℠ Business Card (see rates and fees): 2 bonus miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- United Club℠ Business Card: 2 bonus miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees): 3 bonus miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- United Quest℠ Card (see rates and fees): 4 bonus miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees): 5 bonus miles per dollar spent on United purchases
The information for the United Club Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The good news is, there seems to be plenty of availability on this route, especially in the direction I flew, for that same 90,000 miles — even if you tag on another leg to your final destination within the U.S.
Checking into and boarding United business class
United Polaris business-class passengers can enjoy the following services at the airport.
| Priority check-in | Yes |
|---|---|
Luggage allowance | Two checked bags up to 70 pounds (32 kgs) each |
Lounge access | Yes |
Does the airline participate in TSA PreCheck? | Yes |
Priority boarding | Yes |
My flight departed from Singapore Changi's Terminal 2. There were dedicated check-in lines for economy and Premier Access, which I could access thanks to my business-class ticket. I checked my bag, cleared immigration in a matter of minutes, and then made my way to Singapore Airlines' business-class KrisFlyer Lounge.
I only spent a few minutes there getting a coffee since it was rush hour and nearly every seat was taken, but you can expect a variety of seating areas and an extensive buffet with live cooking stations for items like egg dishes and soup.
Just over an hour before departure time, I made the 15-minute walk to the gate, which was just opening up for security checks. Boarding began right on time, 55 minutes before departure, and I was the first on board.
How comfortable is United's Elevated Polaris business class?
You can currently find United's Elevated Polaris cabins aboard a handful of newly delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Each plane features an enormous premium section spanning the front half of the aircraft, with a total of 64 Polaris seats, including eight premium Studios. The business-class section of the plane is split into two large cabins, each with eight rows of four seats.
Here's a quick look at the layout.
| Number of seats | 64 (8 Studios and 56 regular seats) |
|---|---|
Cabin layout | 1-2-1 |
Seat recline | 78 inches fully flat |
Seat width | 21 inches |
Screen size | 19 inches |
All the seats along the sides of the plane are angled out toward the window, so you're not really looking at other passengers.
What's interesting is that in the forward cabin, the center seats are angled toward one another with their seatbacks farther apart, while in the back cabin, the center seats have their seatbacks closer to one another and their footrests toward the aisle. For that reason, those back seats might be better for companions traveling together. All the center seats have huge privacy partitions that can be raised, though.
| Best seats for solo travelers | Best seats for couples |
|---|---|
A and L seats along the sides | Rows 9-17 F and D seats |
The biggest evolution of this new Elevated Polaris product is the fact that the seats have substantial sliding doors for privacy, so you can cocoon yourself away from the activity on the aisle.
Unfortunately, the plane I was on had only been delivered recently, and the doors had not yet been certified, according to the crew, so they were locked in the open position. I guess I'll just need to test them out on another flight!
Jokes aside, I found the footprint to be roomy and provide plenty of privacy.
The new Polaris seats also look more sophisticated than their predecessors, thanks to a moody palette of textured graphite-gray exterior shells with navy-blue interior walls, silvery-gray seating upholstery with accent cross-stitching, faux-marble shelving and caramel-colored woodgrain paneling. The aesthetic feels more sultry and elegant than the old Polaris' cheerier sky-blue and brushed-chrome combination.
The Studios comprise the four seats in the two bulkhead rows and have a roomier footprint, larger entertainment screens than the regular seats, an ottoman that can double as a companion's dining perch and some extra amenities and food and beverage options on board.
The regular seats have a few stowage options, including a small compartment next to the seatback with a mirror where you can tuck in provided noise-canceling headsets and amenity kits. There is another small compartment with a water bottle holder in the aisle-side armrest that can be raised or lowered up to 11 inches.
As I mentioned, these seats have doors that will eventually close, and I measured them at 54 inches from the top to the floor. The gap between the armrest and the preceding seat shell is 9 inches. So, it can be a tight squeeze, but it's pretty standard.
The ledge next to the seat on this side has a glossy faux-marble shelf and a wireless charging pad for phones that juiced my iPhone 17 Pro by about 1% every five minutes. Next to that is a corded remote for the entertainment system.
Beneath this shelf and labeled with helpful icons, there is a universal power plug and two USB-C ports (so if you have older devices, you might need to bring a USB-C to A converter).
Now for the fun part: In addition to buttons for preset seating positions, you could control the individual components of the seat using a touchscreen pad near the armrest. It took me a while to get the hang of it since it's sort of like a scrolling scale, but it was fun to use. This pad could also control the lights and even change the color palette to suit your mood. I spent way too much time playing with that feature.
The seat's 19-inch OLED 4K entertainment system is also a touchscreen, and the massive tray table deploys from below that. It can be unfolded to a whopping 24-by-16-inch surface with plenty of space for a meal service tray and my MacBook Air at the same time.
When it came time to rest, I reclined the seat to its full 78-inch lie-flat length, which was plenty long for me but might not be quite enough for taller travelers. The foot cubby is 12 inches tall and 16 inches wide at its opening, so that was enough space for me to roll over from one side to the other without knocking my toes; however, if you have really large feet, you might feel constrained.
Business-class passengers share four lavatories (one per 16 passengers). Two are behind the flight deck near the front galley, and the other two are by the second galley. Given the length of this flight, they only really got busy just after meal service, and the crew did their best to keep them clean. There was a mix of Perricone MD and Therabody products included.
Finally, I appreciated the overhead air nozzles, as they kept my seat cool when the cabin was otherwise a little too warm for me. Most passengers were also considerate and kept their windows' electronic shades set to the darkest mode for most of the flight so that everyone could rest.
Amenities in United's Elevated Polaris business class
These may be new seats, but passengers will still find the airline's signature (and beloved) Saks Fifth Avenue bedding on board. Each seat came stocked with a bedding set that included a firm cooling gel pillow for lumbar support, a soft medium-size pillow, a lightweight blanket that I used as a seat pad and a more substantial duvet wrapped in plastic. The only thing I would have preferred is for the larger pillow to also have a wrap so I could stow it until I needed it. I just kept it down in the seat rather than try to stick it in the overhead, though, so I could keep it clean.
I also found a pair of soft slippers on the seat's ottoman and donned them for most of the flight rather than wearing my own shoes.
There was a colorful blue-striped Brooks Brothers amenity kit stocked with the following products, including skincare items from Perricone MD:
- A toothbrush and toothpaste
- Ear plugs
- Eye mask
- Socks
- Tissues
- Pen
- Perricone MD Vitamin C cleansing wipe
- Perricone MD Vitamin C eye gel
- Perricone MD Vitamin C hand cream
- Perricone MD Vitamin C face mist
- Perricone MD Vitamin C lip balm
The inclusions were nice, and I actually appreciated how compact the kit itself was, making it easy to stow in the seat-side compartment.
The entertainment system felt very advanced. It was a 19-inch HD screen with accessibility options, and it was very easy to navigate. Luckily, it also had Bluetooth capability, so I could connect my own earbuds when the seat's headphone jack was not working properly. (Apparently, this has been a widely reported issue.) Once I did connect, though, the sound was good, and I appreciated the selection of movies and TV shows.
Among the new releases were "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and "Project Hail Mary." The television shows included selections from HBO, including "House of the Dragon" and "Rooster."
United is currently rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi, which is free to MileagePlus members on equipped planes. Unfortunately, this Dreamliner wasn't one of them. MileagePlus members could select a free messaging plan for phones that worked well enough on my iPhone for texting and WhatsApp, but not for email or any other apps.
Instead, I sprung for the full-flight paid Wi-Fi plan, which was available for a mere $8. It was sufficient for email and some light browsing, and it was easy to swap service between my laptop and phone.
How was the food in United's Elevated Polaris business class?
After most of the business-class cabin boarded, flight attendants came by offering a choice of water or Gambino prosecco, which retails for about $10. I stuck to water since United has recently upgraded its inflight wines, and I was waiting for the good stuff.
The airline allows you to preorder your meals in business class up to 24 hours in advance, and there was one main course choice of salmon available exclusively for preorder. I ordered one of the other dishes in advance to be sure they would have it.
Service began about 20 minutes into the flight with a choice of beverages and a little ramekin of warmed nuts.
About 20 minutes and another beverage service after that, the staff brought out the first course, which included a choice of:
- Spiced seared prawns with chorizo dukkah and cauliflower puree
- Mozzarella with charred grapes and balsamic vinegar cream
- Baby greens salad with cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and marinated artichoke hearts
They served entrees about an hour into the flight. Options included:
- Beef tenderloin with rosemary Parmesan Hasselback potatoes, ratatouille and demi-glace
- Frenched bone-in chicken breast with creamy polenta, broccolini and caramelized onion demi-glace
- Orechiette pasta with white fava bean puree, sundried tomatoes and sauteed mixed vegetables
- Seared salmon with braised lentils, asparagus and lemon-thyme butter (the preorder option)
I had the beef, and while the piece of meat was well-cooked, the potato that came with it was more like a plain baked potato; the ratatouille was mainly chopped bell peppers in the semi-sweet demi-glace sauce, so I mostly scraped that off.
For dessert, there was a choice of:
- Made-to-order ice cream sundaes
- Lemon pound cake
- Cheese plate with fresh fruit
I couldn't resist the sundae with the works, and the flight attendant assigned to my row made it expertly.
Among the wines on offer were:
- Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut Champagne
- Stony Hill SHV chardonnay from Napa Valley, California
- Chateau Guiraud G Bordeaux Blanc from France
- Whispering Angel Rosé from France
- Shafer One Point Five cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley
- Lingua Franca Avni pinot noir from Oregon
- Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port
There was also a variety of sodas, juices, Illy coffee, Twinings teas and beers like Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois and Bell's Two Hearted IPA. As you can see, United has really stepped up its wine game with that Champagne and the cabernet sauvignon, in particular, which retails for well over $100 a bottle. It tasted great in the air, too.
Between meals, there were oranges, bananas and potato chips in the galley, and you could also request instant noodle soup.
However, the most interesting meal choice was actually the light option, which you could order up to two hours before arrival. It was dubbed a "Tapas" selection and included up to four of the following dishes to mix and match:
- Hainan chicken and rice with bok choy and carrots, inspired by Singapore's Maxwell Hawker Centre
- Vegetarian curry puff
- Laksa with noodles, prawns, fish cake, hard-boiled egg and sambal
- Soba noodles with goma dressing, chili oil, edamame and enoki mushrooms
I ordered one of each, and the flight attendant came back with the tray around three minutes later. Honestly, I should have just had this as my main meal since the dishes were light, fresh and flavorful, providing a little taste of Singapore.
After that meal, I snoozed a little longer and then worked for a few hours. About 90 minutes before arrival, the crew turned on the cabin lights and began serving a prearrival meal. The choice of main dishes included:
- Poached shrimp with chicken broth congee, ginger and scallions
- Chive scrambled eggs with chicken sausage, potato rosti and roasted tomatoes
- Ricotta pancakes with caramelized banana, honeycomb butter and toasted walnuts
I had the poached shrimp in congee, and the ginger and scallions lent the dish some much-needed flavor. The tray also came with a bowl of fresh fruit and a croissant.
All the meal services were efficient and well-executed. I would rethink my main meal order, and perhaps just go for the tapas course since it was much tastier and more interesting than the two regular meal services. If it's available on your flight, I recommend trying that.
One piece of advice: If you're interested in what's on the food and beverage menu for your flight, you can check your flight's status on the United website, click on the button for "inflight menu" and select your class of service to see the options listed.
Would you recommend United's Elevated Polaris business class?
United's new Elevated Polaris business class is an exciting new option for flyers on the airline's long-haul routes. Hopefully, award availability will continue to be good as more freshly delivered Dreamliners with the new seats on board come online.
I also hope to fly the seats again to try out the roomier Studios and to test out whether closing doors improve the experience. For now, though, the new Polaris product is a great way to fly from San Francisco to both Singapore and London, and I'll be on the lookout for more opportunities to try it out.
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