Archives for January 2020

Aircraft: 77W / 777-300ER
Route: SFO – TPE
Seat: 17D and 17G
Cost: Cash + MileagePlus PlusPoints (upgrade)

Check In

We arrived at SFO nearly 3 hours before boarding. The international hall was mostly empty. Within about 10 minutes, we’d checked in our bag and were through security. About 20 steps past security is the United Polaris Lounge, which the ticket counter agent informed us we’d have access. 

The Polaris lounge 

The agents at the desk welcomed us and scanned our boarding pass. Unlike American’s Flagship Lounge, access to the lounge is one of the more restrictive out there; passengers must be flying same day business class beyond North America on United or a Star Alliance partner. International connections beyond SFO won’t grant access either. For instance SFO-LAX-SYD wouldn’t allow for access until LAX. Premium transcons to Newark also do not allow access. Although restrictive, the lounge was noticeably less crowded than the Flagship Lounge, even at the busiest time of day.

To start, I ordered a Bloody Mary and Leigh a glass of champagne. Although the menu says it “house made”, it’s really just a mix that they’ve augmented. It tasted good, however I’m usually leery of mixes because of sodium content. I drank about half of it and then ordered a glass of champagne.

We perused the buffet, which was fairly picked over. It was 10:30 and they’d just begun the cutover to lunch, so we decided to wait until that was complete. The “official” time for the switch is 11, which is when we made our way to the dining room, an a la carte restaurant in the back. 

We initially had some “drama” with the seating, as we were told half of the dining room was closed. We really wanted to sit by the window, which is not where they wanted us (in between 3 other tables). The dining room is small – probably 30×30 feet – so it wasn’t clear why we couldn’t just sit there considering the table they wanted to sit us at was no more than 5 steps away. We were polite; they recanted and let us sit at our table of choice. 

After about 5 minutes, our server came to greet us. We ordered two glasses of champagne along with the polenta cake and shrimp skewer to start. We also ordered our mains: Leigh had the blue crab Cobb salad while I had the burger. I was asked if I wanted a fried egg in it, to which I replied of course. 🙂 

We noticed several other passengers trying to enter the dining and were turned away by the hostess, though there was plenty of seating. She would give them buzzers, only to then seat “new” passengers minutes later. Anyway, the whole thing seemed incredibly disorganized, leaving visibly passengers visibly frustrated. 

Our appetizers came: the shrimp skewers were forgettable, while the polenta cakes were excellent when a bite had enough of the goat cheese and fruit mix. They definitely skimped. At the time of our appetizer arrival, I let our sever know that I’d like a beer with my burger. Leigh’s salad came first and I was told my burger was right behind it. Nearly 10 minutes later it arrived. It was worth the wait; the patty had tons of flavor while the egg was perfectly cooked. The fries were also excellent. I put in an order for the desert cookie when my burger arrived. Once we had our food, no one ever came back to check on us and my beer never showed before finishing my burger. We waited 5 minutes until we finally decided to get up; beer and cookie-less. 

Overall it was a nice experience to sit down and have a meal, but the execution by the staff left us feeling more stressed and frustrated than we would’ve like before a 14 hour flight. It’s clear the staff is either new, not well trained, or some combination. Hopefully they can get it together since the concept and food are great. 

For the last hour, we stood at the bar. I ordered the signature cocktail; the Paper Airplane. If you like manhattans, then this is the drink for you. I really appreciate having a full bar option with signature cocktails. That idea is one of the areas where the American Express Centurion Lounges shine, so kudos to United for their execution. With that said, I’d would’ve like to have seen a little bit more self service options by way of drinks. Being able to grab something myself beyond a cup of coffee or a soda would be nice. I didn’t even see a self-service option to fill up water bottles, which just added to the bartenders’ workload. Having a self-service espresso machine would also be welcome. In fact, tired to order an espresso from the bar and was told they only had decaf.  According to the bartender, someone forgot to place the order for the week. 🤷🏼‍♂️

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One other thing to mention about the bar is that it appears that they don’t split tips. I heard our bartender ask the other one whether the money on the bar was his or hers. When he told her it was his, she put it in her pocket. Getting beyond my thoughts on tipping culture (hint: not a fan), I firmly believe they should split tips. Case in point, I wanted to leave the person that was helping us for most of the morning a tip. She clocked out, which I didn’t realize until she was gone, so now I’m supposed to tip the other bartender who did little beyond get us water. United (and all US airline clubs for that matter) could do a lot to resolve this issue if they set a strict no tipping policy and subsequently paid their staff better. That would make things more equitable for front and back of the house, as well as remove the awkwardness. Many travelers don’t have cash or are international, so the US’s bizarre tipping norms don’t make sense. Anyway, I digress. 

Based on countless other reviews, I’m guessing the dining service experience that we had that day was just an off day. The lounge itself is a stunning space – well decorated in a timeless fashion. Further, the craft cocktails are interesting and delicious, while the food is high-quality. All in all, it’s hard to find much fault with the Polaris Lounge, especially when you consider that it offers sit down dining (in a business class lounge).

The flight

We left the lounge about 10 minutes prior to boarding and made our way to gate G8. The boarding area was crowded but orderly. They’d just started boarding so we walked straight through, presenting our boarding passes and passports. 

We boarding through the middle aircraft door. We were in seats 17G (Leigh) and 17D. There are two types of seats in United’s new Polaris product: one has a large armrest and storage area on the aisle side, one has it on the interior side. The advantage of the aisle side storage is that it “protects” you from the commotion in the aisle, providing a great deal more privacy. For middle seats, that also means they’re closer together, only divided by a small partition that raises and lowers with an ill placed button. These are ideal for couples, and  luckily we got the last pair of middle seats that were closer together. The close middle seats also allow companions to easily converse, which isn’t as easy to do in reverse herringbone setups like American or Cathay Pacific.

The seat

Pros: Huge improvement from previous business class seats, so the bar wasn’t that high. With that said, the seat is well-designed for the most part, comfortable, with ample storage. The handheld remote was easy to use, and there were plenty of options for lighting. Power, headphone, and USB ports were easy to locate and use. The touchscreen was responsive.

Cons: Leigh and I found the seat harder to get out of than other business class seats, especially once reclined. The video screen wasn’t as crisp as I would’ve expected on a brand new plane/seat. I have mixed feelings on the seat “knob”: it offered an easier way to make micro-adjustments, but wasn’t that responsive.

Side note on the button: it’s on the top of the partition and it’s right in the middle, which meant that every time Leigh or I leaned our arm over it, we hit the button and it went up. If you’ve ever flown United’s DirecTV enabled planes, you’ll know they United is really good with putting buttons in the worst possible place. 😂

Like everything on United these days, everything is Star Wars themed, including the amenity kit. The kit itself was in a leather Star Wars pouch, which was well-stocked and included Sunday Riley products. I was really impressed with the quality of the socks. They actually featured grip on the bottoms, which helped me fish out the provided slippers from under my seat when getting up mid-flight.

At each seat was our bedding kit: a pillow, a throw blanket, and a duvet. Another thing to note is that there are “extra” amenities that are available but aren’t at your seat: a gel pillow and a mattress pad. Definitely make sure you get both of these items. I’d heard how great United’s Saks Fifth Avenue bedding is, and I can now say that the reports are all accurate. United has the best bedding in the sky, including first class. 

The experience

Shortly after taking our seats, a flight attendant came by and offered us water, orange juice, or champagne. Leigh and I both got some champagne, and appreciated is that it was served in a sturdy reusable plastic glass. I know US airlines don’t like serving glass on the ground, so this was a nice compromise. 

About five minutes later, we were asked for our first and second choice on food. Being 1K, we would get our food choices once Global Services members got theirs (there happened to be 12 on board). I appreciate the fact that I’m likely to get the meal I choose, however I’d really like to see United roll-out meal pre-selection. With 60 seats in business, it’s likely that several paying passengers didn’t get their meal of choice, which could be avoided with pre-selection (beyond dietary options). 

Leigh and I both ordered the shrimp and scallop dish. 

We pushed back right on time at 1:35pm, and within about 10 minutes, we were airborne. 

The flight attendants came around with hot towels. I made my way to the lavatory to change into my pajamas, which United provides on flights greater than 12 hours. They come in two sizes: small/medium and large/extra large. At 6 feet tall, I chose the L/XL and their were pretty large in me. Obviously in terms of pajama sizing, too big is better than too small. They also don’t have pockets, which I find to be annoying since it reduces their reusability at home. 

After picking up the towels, flight attendants places table clothes on tray tables. A few minutes later the beverage cart came around and delivered our drinks, along with our appetizers. 

The duck starter was excellent and one of the meal highlights. The meat itself was sliced thinly and cooked perfectly medium rare. The faro salad and pickled carrots added a nice balance. 

Next up was the main course, which was served from the cart. I asked for a white wine with the meal, although I wasn’t sure which one. When United first rolled out Polaris, one of the things were known for were the Bloody Mary carts and wine flights. In an effort to cut costs, United quickly stopped doing both, and has slowly chipped away at the Polaris soft product. Apologies in advance for the blue-tinted photos; as you’ll see, the mood lighting very, very blue on the plane. 😂

With that said, Carrie, the flight attendant offered to let me try all three whites. She went to the galley and returned with three small wine glasses, pouring a taste in each, while arranging them in front of me. A few minutes later she came to see which one I preferred, pouring me a glass of my choice. 

Our mains were then served. The dish was piping hot and once it cooled off, I tasted the shrimp. There were three of shrimp and three scallops, all were large. The seafood was perfectly cooked and while the sauce didn’t look appetizing, it wasn’t bad (though a little on the bland side). Luckily, this isn’t my first flight and I reached for one of my handy packets of sriracha sauce, which turned it from average flavor to really good. 

Next up was the dessert cart; Leigh and I both had the ice cream sundae. The options for toppings include some standards: hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, mini M&M’s, strawberries, and nuts. 

I didn’t use the internet, but did find it to be a little on the expensive side. $30 for the entire flight is a little steep. United also offers the ability to pay with miles, but I can’t stress this enough: it’s a terrible value and should never be done! 🙂

After dessert, I decided to sleep, since it was still the middle of the night in Taipei. I slept off and on for a solid 8 hours, which really made a difference upon our arrival. The Saks bedding really is excellent, and I appreciated the fact that each seat an individual air nozzle. Note that since I haven’t flown all iterations of United’s Polaris seat, I can’t confirm whether every seat across all of their wide bodies have individual nozzles.

Upon waking, it was time for breakfast. I preordered the seafood congee, which was served with fresh fruit and…a biscuit? Although I really enjoyed the biscuit, I found it to be a strange pairing. Also served with it was Chiobani Greek Yogurt, though I really wish airlines would serve plain yogurt since the flavored variety has so much sugar. The congee was unseasoned as is normal, however no soy sauce or other accompaniments were served with it, leaving me with a pretty bland breakfast. Leigh just had some oatmeal, which meant we both had unmemorable breakfasts.

With about 60 minutes left in the flight, I went to the lavatory to change clothes. After a smooth landing, we made our way to immigration, which took a surprisingly long time. There is no fast pass available at TPE – even for business class – meaning we had to wait in line for about 45 minutes at 8pm.

Overall thoughts

Every part of our experience is United’s flagship product, from the Polaris Lounge, to the 777-300ER (77W) plane itself, to the Polaris seats, to the service aspect, and it showed. Now having flown United’s old – dorm style – business-class seats, I can’t overstate how much of an improvement these new seats are. Although the seats aren’t industry leading, I do think they will hold up well over the next decade, however United does risk falling behind when the new business class model being a suite (Qatar, Delta, ANA). Like all US airlines, the x-factor is the crew, and luckily we got a pretty good one. The service was prompt and efficient, but it was by no means over the top like you might get on other airlines. With that said, when coupled with the Polaris Lounge, the overall experience moves into a much higher category than any of the aspects on their own.

Being based out of SFO and United 1K, I will absolutely fly United long haul again. I’m looking forward to when the rest of their wide body fleet is retrofitted with the new seats – especially the 787–8’s and -9’s – which operate some of their longest routes (LAX/SFO-SIN).

Have you flown United Polaris or visited one of the Polaris Lounges? If so, what was your impression?