We flew United Polaris business class from Chicago O’Hare to Frankfurt, Germany, on a Boeing 787. We’re going to answer the question: “Is it worth it?”
Maddy: Do you think this was worth it?
Scott: Yes, I think it was worth it. There are some pros and cons that we’ll tell you about (from a spoiled point of view).
Maddy: You get to lay down in the lie-flat seat, and we’ll talk about the food and the service, but the thing that shined most for us, I would say, is the friendliness of the staff and the comfort of the seat.
This was a 9+ hour flight, so being able to lie down fully was really important to us.
Scott: And we’ll tell you the secret to getting a more comfortable bedding experience.
Let’s start with the check-in process.
Table of Contents
Check-in Process
Maddy: We did have a shorter line when we checked in, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. One thing that stood out was that we got priority baggage. That means that our bags came out first at baggage claim, which saves you a ton of time.
Scott: Let’s talk about the lounge, which I know was one of Maddy’s favorite parts of the flight. I really enjoyed it, too.
Airport Lounge
Scott: How was the food in the lounge?
Maddy: We had a special experience because we were flying on Thanksgiving Day. At the buffet, they had turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. The buffet food was delicious. I was really glad to get my turkey fix.
Now the restaurant, on the other hand…
Scott: So I thought it was cool to actually have the option of having table service with a waiter.
You don’t always get that in a lounge. So we put in for a reservation because we were there for a while.
Service was fine, but the food wasn’t great at the restaurant based on what we had.
I definitely liked the buffet food better.
They also have a bar with a real bartender. Some people appreciate that. For me, it just meant it took longer to get drinks, so I didn’t love that aspect either.
Maddy: But it was a nice touch, depending on what you’re interested in. We were in the Chicago Polaris Lounge at O’Hare, and we should mention that the lounge was under construction. It was pretty crowded when we walked in. We actually had to wait a little bit to find two seats
together.
There was a line for the bathrooms. They were unisex bathrooms, one person at a time. That is something to keep in mind when you are looking to maybe pay extra for this Lounge experience.
Another part of the lounge was overcrowded, which I think is unlucky for us — there wasn’t really a separate work area if you were planning on getting work done while you were sitting in the lounge.
There wasn’t really a separate quiet area that you usually see in these lounges.
Scott: You do get free Wi-Fi, and still, it beats the terminal 100 times.
Maddy: It’s a beautiful Lounge. They did a great job aesthetically, but it was tight and cramped.
Scott: Let’s talk about boarding the plane.
Boarding Process
Scott: We got a little unlucky because the flight kept getting delayed, and one of my big pet peeves is having to ever leave the lounge. I like to leave the lounge, and boom, you get on the plane.
We were spoiled with Emirates because you got to leave from the lounge. That was pretty dope. In this case, you walk through the terminal, and so we had to give up our comfortable seats and drinks and food.
Maddy: And the flight kept getting delayed. But that was just kind of bad luck. We did have priority boarding with these business class seats, but it looked like a lot of people were also priority boarding, so it didn’t really get us on the plane any faster.
Although since we had the business class seats, you still had an overhead bin to yourself, and you weren’t fighting for that space.
They weren’t doing drink service while you were boarding, so you did have to wait a little bit if that’s something that you’re looking forward to. It did take them after we took off to serve the welcome drinks.
Seating Layout (Best seats to choose)
Scott: If you’re flying on your own and you want a window seat, you should look at the map, and you can see there’s some that are angled away from the window and some seats that are angled straight with the window.
Maddy: The seats parallel to the window would give you more privacy and are better for a single person.
Scott: If you’re a couple like us flying together and you want to be close together, try an odd number row. We sat in seats 9 G and 9d. The even number rows they’re angled apart, so if you’re flying on your own, and you don’t want to interact with the stranger or someone else there, you would choose those.
How was the legroom?
Seat / Bed
Maddy: Really nice. These United Polaris business class seats fully recline. They come out to 6 feet 6 inches long when the seats are completely flat. We’re both pretty tall; I’m 5’8”, and Scott’s 6’2”, and we were both able to comfortably lie down.
Scott: So here’s the secret to making the seat more comfortable.
When you lie down, they don’t automatically hand you a mattress pad for some reason. And for us, we like it more fluffy and soft. Instead of lying on a seat, you get to lie on a mattress pad.
Just ask for one, and they’ll bring it to you. The staff are super friendly and willing to help.
Storage Space and Entertainment Options
Maddy: The counter space was nice because you did have this little cubby with a door on it that closed if you had personal belongings that you wanted to keep near you.
Scott: How was the entertainment?
Maddy: The entertainment was really nice. I watched “The Holiday,” so that got my Christmas fix.
And the screens were big enough at 16 inches. They had nice headphones and a remote that you could control everything from, so you didn’t have to constantly lean forward to touch the screen.
Amenity Kits
Maddy: They also provided Therabody amenity kits. These little cross-body bags are perfect if you’re traveling.
They came with socks and an eye mask. We didn’t get any pajamas or slippers. United only gives those out if your flight is at least 14 hours long.
Scott: How were the pillows and blankets?
Maddy: The pillows and blankets were really fluffy. Everything was really clean.
Scott: Let’s talk about the food!
Meals / Food / Liquor / Wine
Maddy: We had the smoked duck as an appetizer that they serve cold. And you had the seared flat iron steak, and I had the spicy chicken for the main course.
We both had creamy scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Scott: How’d you feel about the food?
Maddy: The food wasn’t my favorite. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t that great.
Scott: Yeah, I would say it was okay. It wasn’t a standout. You’re not going to remember the flight for the food. Maybe you’ll have a different dish on your flight.
Was it Worth It?
Maddy: The main thing on this flight that made it worth it was service and comfort. They did have a lot of good drink options. They had this Taylor Fladgate Port, which we really like.
Scott: Name brands of alcohol like Titos, Jack Daniels, and familiar brands. They’re pretty good about bringing out the drinks, too.
Maddy: So, was the United Polaris business class flight worth it?
Scott: Yes, it was definitely worth it using points. To me, when you can lie down and fly across the Atlantic Ocean, it’s going to be worth it. And if you paid money, then you may want to think about whether you want this flight or if you have an option from your airport — maybe a different flight for your money.
United Polaris Business Class beat my expectations, although admittedly, my expectations weren’t the highest. But I enjoyed the flight.
The only thing I would improve would be the food and maybe make the lounge less crowded, but it could just be that there was construction.
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