UNITED Polaris B767-400 BRU-EWR
- KGO
- Mar 8, 2018
- 4 min read
On the 8th of March I finally flew United's 767-400 in Polaris as it only operates on Newark-Brussels-Newark for a short period during winter season as they use the 777-200 during summer. The trip started a bit rough as the plane came in late due to heavy snowfall the day before.
Luckily for me this meant I would be able to have an empty seat next to mine as some passengers decided to jump on the Washington in stead which left later than 10 AM. Once the plane came on stand the gate staff made an announcement that they would clean, fuel and cater asap to minimize the delay. Around 1130 boarding started with the usual groups. Traveling in Polaris gives you the opportunity to board in group 1 and to board after Global Service guests.
Once on board I found myself on the last row of Polaris 08L which is a window seat but I could switch to the other seat during the flight as it was empty. On their 767-400 UA offers 39 seats in Polaris business, 70 in Economy plus and 131/133 in economy as shown below.
Once I was settled I was greeted by a steward and offered me a welcome drink, opted for a glass of champagne to start my 7h30 flight and got a small box with 2 chocolates with it. A little later the Purser came by to introduce herself, on this flight it was the very friendly "DQ Deborah". The thing I really liked was the fact she was making this approach very personal. Fair enough she had all the info on her IPhone but I really liked that approach and it made you feel really special and welcome. It was more than the usual introduction, it really was the 'if you really need anything I'm here for your' approach. Later I found out that this new approach was newly introduced at United.
As the economy pax were still boarding I had plenty of time to discover my seat already. This is one of the latest interiors similar to the 787 and 777-200 cabin. Everything you need is within reach. power ports behind you which makes it easier to recharge your devices and keep the cables out of sight when sleeping, eating or watching a movie. I was also lucky they still had the 747 farewell kit as I was missing some number still :-).
Furthermore United still offers their Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, and additionally a memory foam pillow and slippers on this 'short' flight.
At 1200 the doors were closed and a little while later the plane got pushed and started to taxi towards runway 25R to make a right turn to avoid the city of Brussels.
Takeoff from a cloudy rainy Brussels towards snowy Newark, as soon as the plane reached its altitude the service started with a perfumed hot towel. When they started the service you could see who was working in your section of the cabin. As they divided the cabin into 4 sections, the meal service consists out of an aperitif, a starter (salad and cold starter) main meal, cheese, dessert and the United Sundae.
After all the meals there's the signature sundae with all sorts of toppings you like and whipped cream and snacks available throughout the flight in the galley just behind row 8. I really like the fact they never use a meal cart in the business cabin unlike other airliners. They use this small service cart with the drinks and dessert/ice cream. All the rest from tray till cheese is given by hand like in a restaurant. The other thing I really liked is that's it 's all in the details, everything is signed with the UA globe from bowls to salt and pepper to napkins. Once the service was finalized and everything was cleared away I took the opportunity to sleep a little bit for the remainder of the flight. If you still would be hungry or thirsty they have a cart with sweet and salty items at their mid galley just behind row 8 and in between Polaris business and economy plus.
On board United you can connect to their WIFI for a fee depending on the time you want to use it which I didn't do this time. If you use the free WIFI you can access the United App and even stream the entire inflight entertainment on your own device which is handy if you want to use your own earphones as the ones on airplanes are not always the best quality + you'll need a adapter as it's a 2 pin outlet on the plane.
With roughly more than an hour to go until Newark Liberty, the 2nd service started with again a nice perfumed hot towel. As the flight time was only 7h30 today and still being stuffed from the main meal service I've skipped this one and just had a drink before arrival. A little later the crew came around with the necessary documents for the entry into the USA. As soon as the plane started its descent the wintery landscape became visible.
Before the final descent the Purser made her final tour in the Polaris cabin to thank each passenger individually for flying United that day which again was a really nice personal touch.
Overal the Polaris product is constantly changing, where you had cardboard bowls for the ice-cream last year or the whole introduction of Polaris against the basic menu this year. It shows they listen to the feedback of their travellers to optimize their inflight experience and adapt it straight away. Another thing is that the inflight experience also depends on the crew, as it's one airline but you still have the Continental and United side.
I'm really looking forward to see the new refurbished 777-200's Polaris cabin (same as the -300) as from next year but in the meantime I'll try to catch the 767-300 which already has the Polaris cabin on some planes installed.
If you want to know more about United don't hesitate to visit www.united.com or www.united.com/polaris for more information about the Polaris product.
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