United Airlines is closing in on a major milestone.In just a few short months, every single international wide-body jet will feature the airline’s Polaris business-class pods. The final fleet to receive the Polaris cabins, the Boeing 767-400ER, is finally undergoing a nose-to-tail retrofit project that includes an all-new onboard experience.United’s Boeing 767-400 retrofit projectUnited operates 16 of these planes, all of which the airline inherited from Continental during the merger in 2010. The pandemic sent this fleet into long-term storage, but the robust recovery in demand, coupled with aircraft delivery delays from Boeing, meant that United didn’t have much of a choice in bringing these roughly 22-year-old jets back from the desert.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYWhen the planes reentered service, they brought with them the legacy Continental cabins — an aging 2-1-2 configuration in business class that many frequent flyers avoided.But now, as the carrier plans to keep these jets in its fleet for the foreseeable future, it is finally breathing new life into its 767-400s and the Polaris project. All of these planes will receive new cabins over the coming months — internally referred to as the “76U” configuration — marking the final international fleet to be reconfigured with the “real” Polaris business-class seats.The stars haven’t always been shining so brightly on United’s Polaris rollout. The product was first announced back in 2016, and the ensuing months were nothing short of chaotic for the carrier’s business-class experience. Multiple Polaris Lounges suffered years-long delays, the retrofit strategy wasn’t clear and the onboard service kept getting tweaked.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYWhile there’s still work to do on that latter part (particularly the food), United is nearly at 100% completion for its fleetwide Polaris retrofit project. Two of the airline’s 16 Boeing 767-400s now feature all-new Polaris, Premium Plus and economy cabins, and the entire fleet will feature these new cabins by the end of the summer.With two retrofitted jets flying around (registered N67052 and N68061), I’ve been trying to catch a ride on one of these birds. That opportunity came on Monday night when I flew from Newark to Barcelona on one of the first retrofitted planes.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYHere’s what the Polaris experience is like, and stay tuned for another story on the Premium Plus and economy cabins that’ll be published shortly!Sign up for our daily newsletterUnited Polaris on the retrofitted Boeing 767-400Just like United’s smaller Boeing 767-300, there’s a single Polaris cabin at the pointy end of the retrofitted -400 jet.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYSeats are arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration, meaning that everyone has direct aisle access. That’s a massive improvement in and of itself, considering that the legacy layout was in a unique 2-1-2 arrangement.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe single 34-seat Polaris cabin spans rows 1 through 12, and it occupies the entire footprint between the first and second exit doors on this aircraft.Previous slideNext slide1 of 5ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYIf there’s one group of passengers that may be disappointed with this retrofit, it’s those who frequently upgrade their United flights and non-revenue employees. That’s because the new cabin has five fewer business-class seats than the legacy configuration.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe cabin and seats themselves will likely be pretty familiar to anyone who has flown in Polaris before. (The white United-branded headrest covers were just a special treat left by the cleaning team who knew that I would be flying on this plane.)Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYAll Polaris seats alternate between different arrangements. Pods that are located along the sides of the plane are either adjacent to the window (odd-numbered seats) or facing toward the aisle (even-numbered seats).ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe center seats are either separated from the aisle by a table partition (odd-numbered seats) or directly facing toward the aisle (even-numbered seats). I’ll go through the details of where to sit when flying this plane at the bottom of this post.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThough the highlight of this plane is the fact that it has new cabins, the “bones” of the Polaris seat haven’t changed since it was unveiled in 2016. (A bigger hard product update is expected from United in the coming years.)ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYAll seats convert into lie-flat beds, which measure 78 inches long on the 767-400. The supportive seat padding, 24-inch wide seats and plush Saks Fifth Avenue bedding combine to deliver one of the best business-class sleeping experiences in the sky.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThat said, the footwells on the 767-400 definitely felt narrower than those you’d find on United’s wider jets, such as the Boeing 777. Those with long feet might feel claustrophobic when sleeping in most of these pods, except for the bulkhead — more on that below.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYIt’s also worth noting that the wider United jets have a small side storage shelf that’s a good place to keep some loose items. On the 767-400, that shelf is pretty narrow, measuring no more than three inches, and not really wide enough for anything other than a wallet.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe Polaris seats are supremely comfortable as recliners, and you can easily change positions using the wheel slider in the seat-control panel.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYEach seat features a 15.4-inch touchscreen TV that can also be controlled using the retractable remote that’s attached to each seat.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYUnfortunately, United didn’t update the entertainment software when retrofitting these jets. Newer United TVs have a relaxation mode and other improvements that are missing on this plane. (For what it’s worth, no United Polaris pods feature Bluetooth connectivity.)Previous slideNext slide1 of 4ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYUnited didn’t upgrade the power outlets at these seats to the newer USB-C standards. Instead, you’ll find a universal power outlet and USB-A charging port located next to the remote, along with a single USB-A port underneath the TV next to a small storage shelf.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYEach Boeing 767-400 is equipped with Panasonic satellite Wi-Fi access. Though United rolled out $8 internet passes for all domestic flights, the airline is still charging dynamic rates for international connectivity.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3SPEEEDTEST.NETPerhaps a coincidence, but a full-flight Wi-Fi package on the 7.5-hour flight to Barcelona cost just $8. Download and upload speeds measured 10.15 Mbps and 0.26 Mbps, respectively — not bad for a transatlantic crossing.Each Polaris pod has a side table covered in faux marble and accented by a dimmable lamp. This is a great place to keep your laptop and other larger electronics during the meal service and when napping.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe mirrored side storage cubby is large enough for a bottle of water and some other small items, like a wallet, AirPods case and glasses.The bi-fold tray table pops out from underneath the TV monitor. When fully extended, it measures 18 inches wide and 15 inches long, and it even has a built-in tablet stand if you aren’t flying with one of Apple’s Magic Keyboard cases.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYYou won’t find any privacy doors in Polaris, but each seat — especially those adjacent to the window — really feels like a personal throne. You shouldn’t have to worry about interacting with your neighbor in this new configuration, which is great news compared to the legacy 767-400, where you were essentially on top of your seatmate.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYUnfortunately, it doesn’t appear that United installed larger overhead bins on the retrofitted 767-400. In other unfortunate news, these planes still don’t feature personal air nozzles, so the cabin temperature will be at the discretion of the flight attendants.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThat said, United did add new LED lighting throughout the plane, which features brighter whites than before. You still won’t get any mood lighting on this plane — that’s reserved for the 787 Dreamliners and the Boeing 777-300ERs.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYMy biggest gripe with the Boeing 767-400 is the layout of the two Polaris lavatories. Both are located behind the cabin in the galley near the second set of exit doors.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYNeither restroom is oversized, and I found that the lines got quite long as people woke up during the initial descent. My 10-minute wait for a bathroom was compounded by the fact that some of the 24 Premium Plus passengers were also queuing for these two lavatories.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYAt least United refreshed the bathrooms with blue mood lighting and updated finishes during the retrofit.The soft product is getting betterWhile the new seats shine, United’s onboard experience, namely the food and beverage offerings, hasn’t been up to par in recent months.Thankfully, help is on the way, with the airline opening a brand-new test kitchen in Chicago, shaking up its internal catering team and promising improvements coming shortly.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYMonday’s flight featured one of the better inflight experiences I’ve had with United since the pandemic began. Printed menus were distributed during boarding, and I was curious to see if anything had changed since my last Polaris flight in early January.Service began with thick hot towels, followed by a selection of pre-dinner drinks, which were served alongside some warm mixed nuts. Hot towels have been back for a few months now, but that’s definitely a pandemic-era cut that I’m glad to see back in the sky.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe appetizer quinoa salad was then served on a single tray with my entree (seared turbot fish filet) and a warm pretzel roll. The quinoa salad was surprisingly tasty, and I especially appreciated the pickled dragon fruit topping, even though I counted just about six small pieces of it.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe fish itself was somewhat bland — a bit overcooked and drowned in a buttery sauce, but it wasn’t nearly as tasteless or as visually unappealing as some of the entrees I’ve had with United in recent months.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYAside from the pretzel roll, the highlight of the meal was the return of the dessert trolley, which came rolling down the aisle about 90 minutes after takeoff. United officially brought this part of its business-class dining experience back to the sky as of Feb. 1, and I was excited to experience it during week one.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe two-tiered trolley featured a selection of desserts, including egg custard tarts, fruit and cheese plates and, my personal favorite, a create-your-own ice cream sundae bar.Scoops of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream could be topped with as many of the following toppings as you’d like: M&Ms, hot fudge, caramel sauce, slivered almonds, whipped cream and maraschino cherries. The sundae bar brought back memories of my final pre-pandemic United flight, a premium transcontinental hop on March 3, 2020, which was the last time I saw such decadence in the sky on United.Suffice it to say, I’m thrilled that the full dessert service has returned on United, though my waistline may not necessarily agree.While there’s still work to do, the meal service was notably better than what I’ve experienced during the pandemic. I didn’t bother waking up early for pre-arrival breakfast, which is usually one of the most underwhelming airplane meals. I figured I’d wait to enjoy a real meal on the ground.Aside from the culinary offerings, United’s Polaris product is still the best of the U.S. airlines in terms of the bedding that you receive. Waiting at each seat was a Saks Fifth Avenue duvet and plush pillow, along with a gel pillow and light day blanket.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYOn longer flights, you can request a mattress pad, pajamas and slippers, which together underscore United’s claim that Polaris offers “the best sleep in the sky.” My route to Barcelona featured all of the aforementioned amenities, except for pajamas.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYAlso waiting at my seat were United’s new Away-branded amenity kits, which continue to be a hit with flyers. You’ll find all the usual goodies inside, along with Sunday Riley lip balm, hand cream and face cream.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYI personally have way too many of these hard shells piled up at home, but I know they’ll make a great gift for coworkers when I get back to the TPG office.As for the service itself, I was especially impressed with all eight flight attendants and three pilots. Everyone was friendly, and the captain did a great job keeping passengers informed throughout our short departure delay and aborted takeoff due to a last-minute mechanical issue. (The issue was solved within 30 minutes, and we arrived just under an hour later than originally planned.)ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYIn order to capture better cabin pictures, I informed the crew and ground staff about my presence, but I noticed that all the flight attendants, and in particular purser Stacy, went above and beyond for all passengers throughout the flight.Many Polaris passengers wanted express meals and faster service, and the flight attendants were happy to comply with these requests. For everyone else, the traditional meal service was completed in 90 minutes, not bad for a short transatlantic hop.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYTwo-thirds of the cabin was served from the forward galley, while the remaining passengers were served from the rear galley. That said, I could envision the service taking longer on daytime flights, especially since there are no mid-cabin galleys that divide the cabin into smaller sections.Where to sit when flying on United Polaris on the retrofitted Boeing 767-400With additional retrofitted Boeing 767-400s entering the United fleet in the coming months, odds are that you might be wondering where to sit when flying this plane.Previous slideNext slide1 of 3ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYFor one, you’ll likely want to avoid the last two rows of the Polaris cabin (11 and 12). The two window seats in row 11 are missing two windows, and you’ll likely have a harder time falling asleep in these seats due to the galley noise and the foot traffic at the back of the cabin near the lavatories.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYRow 1 isn’t much better, either. The proximity to the galley will likely be bothersome, especially since you can’t control when the flight attendants turn off and on the lights. Though you don’t have to worry about foot traffic for the lavatories, you will hear lots of dishes clattering around during the meal service.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYThe one (perhaps major) redeeming feature about the bulkhead is that the footwell area is way oversized. If you’re a taller passenger with big feet, this is the seat for you.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYNote that seat 1A is reserved as a pilot rest seat on long-haul flights, so unless you’re flying this plane on a short domestic route, you’ll need to choose between seats 1F and 1L.Otherwise, the remaining Polaris pods are pretty much identical. I’d recommend flying in the middle of the cabin to minimize the light and noise pollution from the forward and rear galleys.Previous slideNext slide1 of 2ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYIf you’re a solo flyer, I’d say that the window-adjacent odd-numbered A and L seats are the way to go, followed by the even-numbered aisle-facing A and L seats.There are no perfect seats for couples in this configuration, and if you both want to maximize your sleep, I’d recommend selecting window-adjacent seats on the sides of the plane and then catching up with each other once you’ve landed.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYPersonally, I was thrilled with my choice of seat 9L and managed to get nearly five hours of sleep — not bad for such a short redeye.Bottom lineThe days of wondering whether you’ll get United’s “real” Polaris business-class experience are coming to an end.With the retrofit project underway for the Boeing 767-400, all of United’s international wide-body jets will soon feature Polaris pods.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYOf course, this represents a massive improvement compared to the legacy 2-1-2 configuration in the pointy end of these planes. With direct aisle access, above-average privacy and an incredibly comfortable bed, United Polaris on the Boeing 767-400 excels in many ways.However, this isn’t the absolute best Polaris experience you’ll find in the sky. There’s no mood lighting, the lavatory situation isn’t ideal, the entertainment software hasn’t been updated to the newer version and there aren’t any personal air vents.ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUYFor some of United’s most loyal flyers, the retrofitted 767-400 may not land the top spot on the ranking of best Polaris products.But, for everyone else, these quibbles likely aren’t all that big of a deal, especially when compared to what the business-class cabin looked like on these jets just a few months ago.For more about United, be sure to check out:
Source: thepointsguy.com
