United Airlines preps overhauled Polaris experience debuting in under 4 weeks
United Airlines is about to overhaul the long-haul business-class experience.
This overhaul will initially focus on the "soft product" — all of the amenities that you receive that aren't physically attached to the plane, like the seats or the TV screens.
Over the next few weeks, the Chicago-based airline is expected to debut a slew of new amenities for its premium cabins. This includes new bedding, pajamas, amenity kits and more.
This project has been months in the making, and some elements of the overhauled experience are already flying. In an internal memo shared this week that was viewed by TPG (and confirmed by a carrier spokesperson), the airline wrote:
"Beginning as early as September 20, we’re launching new United Polaris, Premium Transcontinental, Hawaii and International United Premium Plus (UPP) bedding… This change is part of a sustainability initiative to reduce single-use plastics on board. After this change, we will have no single-use plastics on our customer bedding in the premium cabins."
The airline declined to elaborate on these changes, but it did confirm that it's planning a major event in New York City on Oct. 3 to showcase the new products. (Of course, TPG will be there to provide the latest updates on United's premium-cabin changes.)
In recent weeks, the airline has launched all-new amenity kits for its premium cabins. The airline scrapped its partnership with Away in favor of new tie-ups with brands such as Asutra and Ua Body.
United first launched new kits in the domestic premium cabin on Hawaii and premium transcontinental routes. It then quietly debuted new kits for the long-haul Polaris business-class and Premium Plus cabins.
These long-haul kits, designed in partnership with wellness company Therabody, started rolling out late last month, and I even had the chance to pick one up on a recent flight between Tel Aviv and Newark.
The new Therabody amenity kits double as a crossbody bag. To me, this isn't as appealing as the small Away-branded hard-shell cases United used to give out.
Though the new amenity kits are already flying, there are more expeected updates to the premium-cabin experience.
For one, United has been depleting its existing inventory of pajamas. I've heard complaints from readers about the lack of pajamas on recent eligible flights (usually those around 12 hours or longer). Even my flight from Tel Aviv to Newark earlier this week didn't feature pajamas.
Rumors have it that the airline is working on a new style of pajamas that include pockets in the pants — a key feature that was missing with United's existing pajamas. However, the airline has yet to share what, if anything, is planned.
While the details are light, it appears the airline is also crafting a new bedding experience in Polaris. For years, the airline has teamed up with Saks Fifth Avenue to offer one of the best all-around sleep amenities in the skies. This includes fleece-lined slippers, supportive gel pillows, plush mattress pads and more.
It's possible United is planning to retire the Saks-branded bedding, but I sure hope that whatever the airline does, it retains the quality of the existing bedding offerings. After all, sleep is one of the most important factors in choosing a business-class product, and United's current version excels at that.
What we do know, based on the internal memo, is that the airline will no longer wrap the blankets, mattress pads and pillows in single-use plastic. This is a move recently popularized in the U.S. by Delta Air Lines and JetBlue.
Finally, United may also tease some (long-awaited and overdue) upgrades to the inflight catering, but there's no telling yet what we'll see on Oct. 3.
All of these upgrades come as United recently hit a major milestone in the Polaris rollout: seven years after its introduction, every long-haul flight operated by a wide-body jet features the "real" Polaris business-class seats.
Now that we're nearly a decade into the Polaris rollout, the rumor mill has been swirling around what Polaris 2.0 will look like. We'll get a good sense for that — at least in terms of the soft product — in less than four weeks, and it probably won't be too much longer after that until we see upgraded seats, too.
Related reading:
- 6 things you need to know about United Airlines MileagePlus
- The best credit cards for United Airlines flyers
- What is United Airlines elite status worth?
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- How to survive basic economy on United Airlines
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| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
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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)Pros
- 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.