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Inside United's New Polaris and Premium-Cabin Amenity Kits

June 08, 2017
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3 min read
united polaris amenity kits
Inside United's New Polaris and Premium-Cabin Amenity Kits
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Good news for United premium cabin flyers — new amenity kits are coming your way. To celebrate its partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue, United is launching redesigned amenity kits for passengers flying internationally in Polaris First and Business Class as well as premium transcontinental flights.

Polaris passengers are in for a treat with these new structured Saks bags that resemble a slightly larger sunglass case. Both first and business-class passengers will get similar bags, which comes in two colors — black and white, but with slightly different contents (more on that below).

Both kits contain a signature padded eye mask for improved sleep at 35,000 feet, a calming pillow mist and skincare products from Soho House & Co’s Cowshed Spa, cozy yet fashionable socks, plus many other wellness items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, tissues and earplugs.

Polaris business-class amenity kit.

In addition to the business-class offerings, first-class passengers also get a bottle of mouthwash, a larger tube of toothpaste, a lens cleaner and a tube of Bullocks Soothing Moisturizer. Nothing too different from what's being currently offered onboard.

Polaris first-class amenity kit.

By comparison, here are the previous Polaris amenity kits:

Previous Polaris first amenity kit (left) vs. business class (right).

On transcontinental routes between Newark (EWR) and Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO), as well as Boston (BOS) to SFO, passengers in the business-class cabin will instead get a goodie-filled Saks Fifth Avenue cloth pouch.

The pouch contains an eye mask, earplugs, toothpaste, toothbrush, lip balm and a pack of hand sanitizer.

Business-class amenity kit for passengers flying transcontinental.

While the contents haven't changed much, it's nice to see United shaking things up on the amenity kit front, continuing its collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue, which also provides the much-raved-about bedding that's offered in first and business class. United's planning a soft rollout for the new kits — do expect to see these onboard within the next few weeks as they're progressively introduced across the fleet.

The Polaris rebrand, while it hasn't been a total game changer, has definitely improved the inflight experience for premium travelers. We definitely do recommend booking yourself on United's 777-300ER (77W) to experience their newest lie-flat seats, as TPG Editor-In-Chief Zach Honig did from Hong Kong (HKG) to San Francisco (SFO).

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Experience the new Polaris Business Class onboard United's 777-300ER.

What do you think of these new amenity kits? Comment and let us know, below.

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.