Skip to content

United just hit another major milestone in its Polaris retrofit program

May 03, 2021
4 min read
United_Boeing_787_8_Polaris_Premium_Plus_Retrofit_Zach_Griff_ZGriff - 27
United just hit another major milestone in its Polaris retrofit program
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

United's top-notch Polaris business-class pods have made their way to another batch of aircraft.

In a few short weeks, every Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will be outfitted with United's latest cabins, marking the end of the guessing game as to what onboard product your flight will feature.

On April 29, the final 787-8 flying with the legacy interiors, registered N45905, landed in Xiamen, China to receive the Polaris and Premium Plus retrofit. (The second-to-last 787-8 with old seats has been in Xiamen since April 17 undergoing the same interior upgrade.)

That means that going forward, all 12 of United's 787-8 Dreamliners will be outfitted with the new cabins, as confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.

You'll find 28 Polaris pods, 21 Premium Plus recliners, 36 extra-legroom Economy Plus and 158 coach seats on these retrofitted jets. I caught a ride on the first reconfigured -8 back in January 2020, and you can read my first impressions of the new cabin here.

Two-row mini-cabin on the Boeing 787-8 (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

While the business-class cabin is downsized compared to the legacy interiors — making awards and upgrades harder to come by — the plane sports two of my favorite Polaris pods in the entire fleet, seats 6A and 6L. That's because they're located in an intimate two-row mini-cabin behind the second exit door, and feature oversized footwells and unrivaled privacy.

With the reconfiguration, United introduced a Premium Plus cabin on the 787-8. It's an intermediate offering between coach and biz that's quite similar to domestic first class. Not much has changed in coach except for a more robust IFE system.

If you're hoping to try United's 787-8 domestically in June, you'll find it flying to a variety of airports in Hawaii, including on routes from Chicago (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL), Maui (OGG) and Kona (KOA), as well as from Washington/Dulles (IAD) to HNL, according to Cirium schedules.

Premium Plus on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

United is the only U.S. airline to operate all three variants of the Dreamliner, the -8, -9 and -10 versions. All "dash ten" jets were delivered with the new cabin pre-installed at the factory, leaving just the old -8 and -9 needing the retrofits.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Now that the "baby Dreamliner" is complete, that leaves just the mid-sized 787-9 as the only Dreamliner type with a mix of new and old seats. Fortunately, United's making significant headway in the -9 reconfigurations. 15 of the carrier's 38 787-9s already have the new seats.

First look: United's retrofitted Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

In a recent webinar with Brian Kelly, vice president of international network and alliances Patrick Quayle said that despite the pandemic, United is "working on a schedule" for the 23 787-9s that don't yet feature the fancy pods. The carrier should have those completed by summer 2022.

As for its other long-haul aircraft, all internationally-equipped Boeing 777-200ERs have the new cabins, though a good chunk of them are parked indefinitely due to the FAA's airworthiness directive regarding the recent uncontained engine failure on a Pratt & Whitney-powered United 777-200.

All 22 of United's larger 777-300ER have the new seats as well.

33 of United's 38 Boeing 767-300s also have the new cabins, with some configured in a premium-heavy "high-J" layout sporting a whopping 16-row Polaris cabin with 46 pods.

None of United's 16 Boeing 767-400 sport the new cabins. Most are still parked in long-term storage due to the pandemic, though at least one is getting reactivated to compensate for the grounding of the Pratt & Whitney 777s.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

Rewards rate
5X milesEarn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2X milesEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
Enjoy a $250 travel credit & earn 75K bonus miles
Annual fee
$95
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
670-850Excellent, Good

Pros

  • Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
  • You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
  • Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners

Cons

  • Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Top rated mobile app