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United’s finally opening the doors to its second Polaris Lounge this coming Monday, April 30, at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — nearly a year and a half after the first location opened at Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
Fast-acting frequent flyers are getting an early look on April 27, but the airline’s also hosting a media preview today, giving us a chance to take a peek at the gigantic new space before it opens to the public.
And boy is it big. To put this space into perspective, Amex is opening the world’s largest Centurion Lounge at New York-JFK in 2019, measuring a whopping 15,000 square feet. United’s latest business-class lounge is nearly twice the size of that.
Given that record-breaking stat, I decided to dig into a few other key figures.
Number of daily Polaris-eligible departing flights: 17
Hours open each day: 18.5 (6:30am-1:00am)
Number of floors: 2
Total square feet: 28,120
Different types of seating: 19
Total seats available: 440
Number of dining tables: 16
Total wines available: 14, including 7 from California wineries
Power outlets: 492, plus another 492 USB ports
Number of shower suites: 8
Total daybeds: 5
I’m most impressed by the lounge’s size, though. The Chicago location fills up quite easily, and that lounge measures in at an impressive 16,292 square feet, with a total of 277 seats. And, that’s not even close to what’s available at SFO, and given the strict access restrictions, I’m hopeful that overcrowding won’t become an issue in San Francisco.
To get in, you’ll need to be traveling in one of the following cabins:
- United Polaris first class
- United Polaris business class
- Star Alliance long-haul first class
- Star Alliance long-haul business class
First-class passengers may also bring a guest, but access is restricted to long-haul intercontinental travel — if you’re flying between the US and Canada, Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean, you won’t have access, unfortunately.
Know before you go.
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