Initial Thoughts: United Polaris Tokyo-San Francisco
Intro
I recently had the opportunity to fly United Polaris from Tokyo Narita to San Francisco, and I wanted to share my first impressions of the flight. Eventually, I will get around to the full review, but this is a brief synopsis of what you can expect when flying United Polaris between the two cities.
Ana Lounge Narita
Upon check-in, a very friendly United agent issued me a boarding pass and informed me that I was eligible to use the ANA Lounge on with a Polaris ticket. Yes, I, of course, already knew this, but I appreciated the agent going above and beyond.
The ANA lounge is far superior to the United Club on almost every level but one: the location. Due to the gates that United uses at the other end of the terminal, it is about a 10-minute speed walk each way to the ANA lounge. However, if you do have the time, the lounge is fantastic, with plenty of space, lovely food, and even those cool-looking beer machines that tilt.
A couple of hours passed in the lounge, and it was time to make that 10-minute trek back to the gate.
The Seat/Cabin
United largest jet features 60 Polaris seats across 2 cabins in a 1-2-1 configuration. While I have reviewed this product in 1A to Manila (which was one of my first reviews), as well as the Polaris 787-8 experience to Lagos, it was nice to review Polaris in the second cabin behind door 2L.
The one fantastic aspect of United Airlines in business class is consistency. Stepping onboard, you know what you are going to expect (unless you are flying to Hawaii or around the US on a 772).
My preferred seat when flying United Polaris on the 787-9/777-200/777-300ER is seat 9L for a number of reasons. For starters, I love being on the right-hand side of the plane as I seem to sleep better. Secondly, the extra footwell space in the bulkhead allows me to toss and turn throughout my rest.
The other lovely part about United Polaris is the bedding. The bedding onboard might just be the best in the western hemisphere, and in my opinion, it beats ANA and JAL when flying TPACs. Having two comfortable blankets, a mattress pad, an ordinary pillow, and a gel pillow is fantastic for a business-class experience.
I managed about 5 hours of sleep on this flight, which was absolutely perfect.
Mandatory cockpit visit. The United captains are almost always welcoming when it comes to visiting the flight deck!
IFE
United Airlines shines brightly when it comes to its IFE offerings. It's a simple system to work out, displaying what to expect on the flight that day, a fantastic map, and a multitude of movie/TV show options. Unless you fly United weekly, you will not get bored with their offerings.
One thing I have noticed is that United goes above and beyond to get new movie releases, even before other major airlines haven't.
Lunch? Dinner? Breakfast?
The peculiar but wonderful aspect of this flight is that you aren't really sure what time it is. You take off at 5:10 pm Tokyo time and land 7 hours before in San Francisco, making for a great flight to beat jetlag. United caters to it like a redeye, with dinner being served after takeoff and breakfast served before landing.
Seeing as I fly United Polaris quite a bit, I tend to just skip out on the whole dining experience and go with the express service. It's nice to have a full meal and drink in hand 35 minutes after takeoff.
I had pre-ordered the short ribs 5 days prior to my flight, and this was one of the best short ribs I have ever eaten on United Airlines. The meat was tender and flavorful, while the glass of Pinot Noir was the cherry on top.
Another fantastic part of Polaris is that they serve San Pellegrino...
For desert, I decided upon the cheese platter. Call me crazy, but those ice cream sundaes are heavy!
The cheese platter is a bit of a letdown presentation-wise, but it is functional.
Service
The service on this flight was exactly what you would expect on a business class flight and generally what you would find on the top carriers. Obviously, United decided to put Japanese flight attendants on Japan's legs, which I think helped, but everyone was very friendly. Not over the top, but there was a welcome onboard, re-fill of pre-departure beverage, and just smiles all around on faces.
Moments after waking up, a flight attendant came around to offer me breakfast. The only breakfast I need is champoffee 😉.
The best part: we touched down 20 minutes early in San Francisco!
Polaris Lounge SFO
Okay, so I could have taken the direct flight from Tokyo Airport to Los Angeles, but I decided to throw in SFO for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to review the Polaris Lounge more thoroughly. Secondly, I need more PQF to hit 1K for next year!
Isn't it nice that United offers Polaris Lounge access upon arrival? Even if your connecting ticket is on a different carrier.
Final Thoughts
United offers an above-average product when flying from Tokyo to San Francisco. While the airline will never compete with the likes of Singapore and Qatar, they don't have to for the markets that they serve. In some ways, I prefer flying United across the pond if I can get a bulkhead seat. Quick meal distribution, very comfortable bedding, and good service make for a great flight. Although, perhaps I would change my mind if it was the room😉.
Stay tuned for the full report soon!
Comments