United’s new Polaris Suites business class comes with caviar service

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, Ossetra caviar and mid-flight tapas are all part of United Airline’s new 787 Polaris business class proposition arriving later this year.

The US carrier’s second-generation Polaris business class suites come with now-mandatory sliding privacy doors and high walls to cocoon high flyers.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

And taking pride of place in the front row are four oversized Polaris Studios with companion seating.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

United’s all-suite approach is intended to close the gap against suite-fleeted rivals American and Delta, with a range of evolving ‘soft product’ initiatives to keep its competitive edge sharp.

“We never stand still and are always looking for more ways to set ourselves apart from other carriers,” says United’s Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella.

“And we’re confident this elevated experience will take international flying to new heights.”

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

Launched today in New York, the highly-anticipated ‘Polaris 2.0’ suites will arrive on almost 150 factory-fresh Boeing 787s, the first of which is due by year’s end.

United’s second-gen Polaris suites are based on the Elevate Ascent (formerly Adient Ascent) platform – which is also used by American Airlines for its new 787 Flagship Suites, along with the Boeing 787s of Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

United says the all-new Polaris Studios and suites will debut on the flights from its San Francisco hub to Singapore and London routes, with other San Fran routes – including Australia – tipped to follow as more jets arrive, while a second wave of Dreamliners will be based at Newark.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

30 of what United calls its “Elevated 787s” will join the Star Alliance member’s fleet by 2027, and in a show of confidence for the premium travel boom they’ll be ‘front-heavy’ with 64 flatbed Polaris business class suites – up from 48 in the current Dreamliners – followed by 35 also-new premium economy recliners (up from 21).

To make room for all those high-revenue passengers, United has slashed the size of its economy cabin from 188 seats to 123.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' premium economy seats include AC, USB-C and wireless charging.

United has also taken an innovative approach to the layout of its new Polaris business class, which will be split into two cabins of 32 suites each.

The first cabin has the paired middle seats facing out towards the aisle, which the second sees the centre seats angled inwards towards each other.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

While there’s always a sliding privacy panel between the middle seats, United says this unique dual-cabin layout allows maximum choice for passengers flying solo or with a partner.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

However, United says it currently has no plans to upgrade its older Boeing 787s or 777s with these new Polaris suites, which will be exclusive to the flagship ‘Elevated 787’ fleet. 

United’s new 787 Polaris Studio

The front row of each Polaris business class cabin contains four Polaris Studio suites, for a total of eight suites on each plane.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

The Polaris Studio suites are 25% larger than standard United Polaris suites and include an extra ottoman seat for companions, although the close quarters could make this better suited to a game of cards than starting a meal.

(And yes, United’s special Polaris Studio amenity kit includes a deck of cards, along with ‘hoodie-pyjamas’ and amenity kits featuring Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ skincare products.)

United Airline's Polaris Studio amenity kit.

The massive 27” 4K OLED screen comes with Meridian noise-cancelling headphones, although as with every Elevated 787 seat from tip to tail there’s also Bluetooth audio streaming to your own headphones or earbuds.

United Airline's Polaris Studio amenity kit skincare products.

United will also cosset its Polaris Studio passengers with a pairing of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne and an amuse-bouche of Ossetra caviar, a “post-dessert” specialty snack box.

United Airline's Polaris Studio caviar and Champagne.

Of course, all those creature comforts will come with a higher price tag, and United hasn’t yet revealed how much extra a Polaris Studio booking will attract compared to a regular Polaris business class seats.

However, a survey which the airline sent to selected members of its Mileage Plus loyalty program in mid-2024 which flagged the concept of a ‘Polaris Plus’ suite suggested a US$300-$650 surcharge on top of a US$2,500 ticket.

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

United’s new 787 Polaris suites

Behind the sliding door of each of the 56 ‘standard’ Polaris business class suites is a 19” 4K OLED touchscreen.

In common with the Polaris Studio, the standard Polaris suites include AC, USB-C, USB-A and wireless device charging, and “breathable, wool-blend covered seats.”

United Airline's new 'Elevated 787' Polaris business class.

There’ll also be a mid-flight tapas service on long-range flights, while Aperol Spritz lands on the drinks menu.

And to keep passengers connected above the clouds, the Elevated 787s will all feature free super-fast Starlink WiFi to deliver what United describes as “living room speed” to every seat.

Executive Traveller travelled to New York as a guest of United Airlines