TheDesignAir –United Starts To Roll Out Polaris, With Focus On Chicago’s ORD New Polaris Lounge

This might not be a ‘partridge in a pear tree’, but December 1st saw United start to give it’s premium passengers a new gift, in the form of Polaris – the newly redefined Business Class experience. At 12.01am this morning, the airline started to roll out the new Polaris service across all of its markets.

The reimagined, sleep-enhancing experience for intercontinental travellers includes an elevated inflight food and beverage experience, tranquil custom bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue and exclusive amenity kits with products from Soho House & Co’s Cowshed Spa.

But the most impressive element to the launch could be seen in the first of nine airside Polaris lounges opening in Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

“In our quest to be the best airline in the world, we are rethinking and reimagining all we do. United Polaris offers an elevated customer experience and redefines the meaning of premier business travel,” said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United. “The high quality of amenities United Polaris provides is matched only by the service and care our employees demonstrate from lounge to landing.”

The first United Polaris lounge is open from 7.15am to 9pm daily, and situated near Gate C18. At almost 13,000 sq ft it’s not exactly small and caters for up to 170 passengers.

Signature elements of the Polaris lounge concept includes a personalised dining experience, spa-showers, secluded day-bed areas and the most frequent of travellers will have access to specialty wine lockers offered by invitation. These ‘By Invitation’ Guests will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne with the locker.

For full details on the new Polaris inflight product, check out our article here. Lounges in eight other locations – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York/Newark, Washington Dulles, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong and London Heathrow – will follow.