United Polaris: America's BEST Business Class | Washington to London

WELCOME to Wandering Scholar, a college frequent flyer from Shanghai
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My Polaris flight is perhaps one of the most anticipated trip in 2021. Not that I am expecting fabulous service but because I was eager to take the step forward in flying a U.S carrier on an international flight for the first time in my life.
The seven hours flight from Washington to London matched my expectations and convinced me that Polaris may be the best commercial air travel experience in the United States. From the immaculate Polaris lounge with a la carte dining and free flow alcohol service to the masterfully appointed “suite”, United is embodying a robust foundation of becoming the most premium air carrier in North America.
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It has been a pleasure and I cannot wait for our next departure

[@menteachmen8756]

Being a United Frequent Flier myself and having status with them I would say this review is pretty spot-on. The Polaris Lounges are pretty much a First-Class level experience and always have amazing dining and are usually not too crowded. However, I have to say I believe that the US Carriers have much better seats compared to their European Counter parts. Sure service is not all there, but lets be real. I would rather sit in a Polaris individual seat with direct aisle access then on Lufthansa's 2+2 or Swiss's layout without having a throne seat. Would you all agree? The food quality NEEDS to improve on board though. Service I can deal with LOL.

[@jamesmoninger1982]

I stopped agreeing when you said that the Polaris Lounge is a "first-class level experience." Have you ever been to a real first class lounge, such as the LH First Class Terminal in FRA, or the CX First Class Lounges in HKG, or the SQ First Class Lounges in SIN? They are nothing like United's lounge. Nothing.

[@Bellasie1]

I have to agree European premium cabins are not all that superior, neither is the hospitality. Meal service is superior, though (product - most of the time - as well as presentation - always -). I really wish the US still had competitive airline products like in the golden age of aviation. Could someone bring Pan Am back, please?!! Of the surviving big three, I believe UA is the most appealing anyway, my all-time favorite in the US.

[@dantove963]

@@jamesmoninger1982 Please, speak for yourself. The Polaris lounges are top notch and I've seen them all.

[@jamesmoninger1982]

@@dantove963 ha ha ha !!!

[@dantove963]

@@jamesmoninger1982 right back at ya.

[@Trektrendy]

Flight looked lovely but what really shone through for me was the stunning Polaris lounge. You're so right, generally speaking lounges are quite the let down within the US - this is a refreshing change. I'll certainly be incorporating a long haul Polaris flight into my travel schedule in the coming months. Safe travels my friend :)

[@ShanghaiFlyer]

Polaris lounge is definitely worthy of a visit. In my opinion the best lounge in the U.S aside from AA's Flagship Dining ! Safe travels and I hope you'll enjoy your time there :)

[@themalavegroup6202]

The Centurion Lounges are all very nice. Probably the best options at most airports for domestic flights.

[@Trektrendy]

@@themalavegroup6202 Centurions in my experience suffer overcrowding. They're certainly great but a nightmare at peak times

[@hanj31]

polaris lounge is the best the US has to offer. I've had two experiences once in SFO and recently LAX. It is truly one of a kind and really a first class lounge as opposed to a business class lounge

[@Grit_Szn]

The Polaris Dreamliner is Sweet , Good Plane , Good Service.

[@arneb3818]

I will be flying United Polaris class to Munich in two months. Your video has provided me with an updated idea of what to expect, both in the lounge and onboard. I will enjoy a preflight meal on the ground so I will not need to depend on the inflight meal service as much.

[@dustydogonthemoon]

Pretty honest review. I usually go for the international airlines because of the poor service on America's big three.

[@dantove963]

Good. More room for me on America's big three.

[@dustydogonthemoon]

@@dantove963 enjoy your your non top 20 airline flight.

[@dantove963]

@@dustydogonthemoon As long as you are not on my flights, then it is indeed tops.

[@alvexok5523]

@@dantove963 America's big 3 is United, American, and Delta, right? We used to have alot more than that. On top of those 3, we also had Continental, TWA, USAir, Northwest, Eastern, Pan-Am, and Braniff

[@alvexok5523]

I have found in recent years that flight attendants on US carriers are not the most friendly and helpful anymore. But, I've also thought that's been the case with what I've seen because I've always been in economy. I thought that FAs in business class gave customers better attention and service. In economy, they just have so many people to attend to in those cramped cattle cars, often have difficult passengers, you get all types of people in economy sections today due to tickets being cheaper,, and there's tighter security servailance in airports and aircrafts in general today.. US economy FAs today have to act more like instructors and security personnel than like waitresses and servers.. And as a result to all of this, many of them likely just really don't like their jobs anymore

[@rauldelgado5020]

United is simply the best US carrier... go stronger united!!!

[@chosenone5536]

No, delta is. Delta, United, then AA.

[@djtexas4993]

Agreed. I think UA wins overall- from new planes and cabins and upgrade availability to their (really great) App, to the frequent flyer program - all things considered, yep!

[@muhammadsiddiq7499]

Perfect😊

[@peterzhou372]

Well I would probably consider United one of the best airline for a shorter transatlantic flight 😉 Great lounge, amazing seat and comfy bedding. What I would do is probably having a proper meal in the Polaris lounge, bringing my pajamas and slippers with me and changing into them even before taking off, declining all the meal service and just turn my seat into a bed and catch my most needed sleep cuz I wouldn’t have the FOMO like if I’m flying Singapore Airlines, Austrian or Swiss. I’ve done SQ’s JFK-FRA a few times and even though I was really a fan of their food, crew service and seat, I’ve never been able to sleep well. Their meal service can easily be dragged until 2 hours into my flight, which left me with literally only 3 or 4 hours of sleep even if I’m skipping my breakfast. I’ve had a much better sleep on United’s 787-8 from San Francisco to Dulles by declining all meal/drink services, changing into pajamas and making my seat flat immediately after the aircraft reached its cruising altitude. Oh and I took a piece of melatonin which helps a lot 😂 So yeah, TBH I’m probably really gonna choose United over Singapore for a transatlantic flight 😜

[@adamrozlilek]

Great content man! Just discovered your channel since I have been bindge-watching airline reviews on YT and your content quality is among the best. Keep up the great work)

[@GregCurtin45]

Loved every second of this. I am pleasantly surprised by your positive review considering most American airlines tend to focus on budget travel for the Walmart type customer. Thank you #WanderingScholar for the time taken to film, edit, write, and post to share with all of us.

[@TheFZY_YDrawsThings.0930]

Hi, can you make a trip report about Xiamen Airlines Boeing 747-800? Because your videos are so good I can't find any other better videos than yours! Thank you very much!

[@ShanghaiFlyer]

Xiamen air doesn’t operate 747-8 though I do have reviews of Air China 747s on my channel !

[@Red_Ryan_Red]

Taking well aimed shots there at the end of the video.

[@dantove963]

Shots yes, well aimed no.

[@chicagolc7022]

I didn’t quite catch what you meant by one of your comments. Something about hospitality workers being relegated to fast food, which is why airline service is lackluster in the States? Any chance you can expound?

[@MarkMarquez]

Enjoyed your presentation. Gained a subscriber!

[@ttrivett2000]

spot on review thanks!

[@Bobrogers99]

I've just watched a couple of other Polaris transAtlantic flights, and yours was generally a little better. The airport lounge experience gets praise from others, though one reviewer found the service to be poor due to a staff shortage. The seating gets points from everyone. Apparently the food can range from so-so to good, and the presentation lacks the touch of elegance one used to get in Business Class. However, overall it looked like a good experience.

[@mbaldwin973]

Just put the bedding in the overhead bin like everyone else does.

[@cela-ho2hy]

I really like your videos. The way someone wondered if you were young there was because you had such an advanced and cultured expression. Alcohol on the plane after leaving the US area is fine. Somehow I do not understand this law - drinking alcohol from 21 years (legal).

[@amikailua9504]

You are spot in to recognize the flight crew is unmotivated by seniority. I believe they are the LEAST friendly crew as compared to other major airlines. Let's fact it ... we can forgive the airplane food being mediocre, but the unfriendly service is what leaves us wondering why we fly United.

[@djtexas4993]

I’ve had some of the best and most amazing service on United, and some of the most…comical.. on American. Delta isn’t a surefire win either when it comes to service, even though people like to think it is.

[@russlee6086]

You should try Virgin Atlantic Upper Class and the new jet blue mint studio

[@dantove963]

On JetBlue the seats face AWAY from the window. Horrible arrangement on a tiny A321. No thank you. Never again.

[@mba0005]

Great presentation and review of UA Polaris. The Polaris lounge looks very nice, especially for typical US standards. I loved the Scholar Briefing facts during the video. I'm glad the flight was great. Unfortunately, you are spot on in regard to service on US airlines. Overall, there isn't the passion for customer service that you see on foreign carriers, especially those in Asia. Ihope I'll be able to jump on Cathay or JAL soon. I hope your travels were safe over the holidays. Looking forward to a 2022 with more travel.

[@ShanghaiFlyer]

Thanks for coming back again Michael ! I hope you’re staying safe wherever you may be. It was definitely a decent flight in US standard though after flying with ANA a month after this trip I don’t think I can willingly fly with UA while paying the same fare again.

[@airlight7173]

As always loved your video! Just one question, have you ever considered making video reviews for hotels you have stayed at?

[@andifuture2825]

United is my main carrier. Luckily they got the best upgrade options of all all airlines. The Polaris class could be better, but it's alright

[@Red_Ryan_Red]

6:27 This was honestly hilarious, but also I can understand if you're paying the premium to expect certain things.

[@HelloOnepiece]

He is aware of it, so that makes it a solid criticism for me

[@JH-dp5gm]

In USA, the best things are always private, private university, fly private

[@Cdclark1900]

When I flew united Polaris food was good but the serving trays felt out of place. Lounge is great however.

[@terrapins]

hey, how did you get ATC recordings? i thought United channel 9 was long gone

[@KENOGoodVibesOnly]

Yes, the inflight service even in the business class cabin feels like a fast food chain compared to other airlines around the world. Flight Attendants are trained more for safety rather than service :)

[@dantove963]

Could not disagree more. The inflight service I received on United Polaris was superb and I fly them all.

[@dantove963]

@X Try it. It's the best. Pricey, but worth it.

[@themalavegroup6202]

I'm going to be flying from Chicago to London. What is the best option in your opinion?

[@parthkadakia3350]

Hey Mate.. just a quick question.. I will be flying Business class EWR to Zurich soon.. United Polaris Boeing 767-300...The only seats available are 1L and 15A, 15L, 17A, 17L.. since i do not have any options left, what would you recommended the seat I pick? would 1L be better for privacy with window or too close to bathroom.?? or the 15 or 17 A would be better? Much appreciated!!

[@ShanghaiFlyer]

I’d strongly recommend 1L. It’s helpful to sit in the front on a short transatlantic so you’d receive meal service first instead waiting for the entire cabin of 50+ pax on 767.

[@NoneNone-zg9ds]

这个商务舱至少达到了世界其他地方航空公司的水准，很难想象没升级之前是啥样😂

[@chuanqima913]

How can you drink under 21?

[@maukamakai6924]

Does UAL know they’re serving a minor alcohol? 🤔 ✈️

[@rfrover]

The glorious People’s Republic of China must truly be a wonderful place to have produced such a privileged princeling! As KZbin is only available to “authorized” i.e., government sanctioned, viewers in the PRC, you may want to keep a slightly less ostentatious profile, lest you or your parents fall afoul of some future “reform”.

[@standartenfuhrerhanslanda343]

Not the best. Tried it and I was utterly disappointed. Their SFO Polaris club was nice but that was it.

[@Love2Cruise]

"frugal hospitality and lackluster airport infrastructure" Wow. That's a very polite description. I'd have said "sh!tty service and third-world country airports."

[@dantove963]

I would disagree with you. You obviously don't fly much. Enjoy the bus with your oriental friend.

[@Love2Cruise]

@@dantove963 No, I don't fly much. The few times I flew to Europe, Asia and Mexico, all the airports I'd been to are in much better shapes compared to the dumps we have in the USA. And the few times I flew on Japanese airlines, the service was much better than what I had experienced from any US airlines. Yes, even in the cattle section. I also don't understand why you feel the need to call out my and the content creator's ethnicity. What does that have to do with poorly designed and maintained infrastructure and bad service?

[@dantove963]

@@Love2Cruise We must be going to different airports, because the airports I've been to in the United States are on par or better than anywhere I've flown internationally.

[@colinrenfrew48]

If that’s the best…..that’s bad! Try JetBlue.

[@ShanghaiFlyer]

JetBlue would definitely be number one if they have lounge and more mint routes

[@dantove963]

@@ShanghaiFlyer Jet Blue's seats face away from the window. Terrible product. Virgin made the same mistake, but wisely switched out those terrible upper class seats.

[@jamesmoninger1982]

That meal is part of "America's Best Business Class??" A roll in a plastic bag, a cheap carton of ice cream, and a meal in a plastic casserole dish. Very classy; I can see why you are so impressed.

[@mikeplayz6980]

I'm wondering how you keep talking about wine and it seems you are drinking it at 19 years old? Just wondering because the legal age is 21, which you know too obviously.

[@ShanghaiFlyer]

I had studied wine related classes in college as my passion with wine and dining are what motivated me to study hotel administration as a major. One of the reasons I’ve largely avoided US carriers and always preferred leaving the country during every holiday I have is exactly so I can do wine tasting without all the drama in the US :)

[@danieledwards6032]

@@ShanghaiFlyer no matter how you slice it or dice it, your still a minor being served alcohol. FA’s can be reprimanded and punished if it was ever discovered

[@jc-tc6ei]

@@danieledwards6032 Asian people always look younger that their actually age😕.

[@tuolumne9]

@@danieledwards6032 it’s quite OK Sir- this is not enforced with any zeal, which you’d know if you worked in the industry.

[@HelloOnepiece]

Arent airlines operated by international law in this case? Meaning 18 is old enough

[@tatyanagolubeva9440]

He cleanse his teeth by napkin 🤦‍♀️🤢 awful

[@Freebird67]

Omicron and face mask really what’s with all the political nonsense

[@aikezim]

Sorry, I just couldn’t watch the entire video. This review is just a little too snobbish in my opinion. But I agree, Polaris is a great product. But it’s certainly not the best. catering and service is hit or miss.

[@aikezim]

Also Canadian here and a Star Alliance loyalist through AC. Unfortunately, there are certain routes where AC or UA are my only primary options. But I agree BR has superior products and services, although I’m not a fan of TPE layovers. I quite like ANA as well. But SQ is my preferred Asian carrier.

[@_w_w_]

He is definitely too snobbish. UA is the worst and Polaris barely edged out the old service. DL leads the pack and AA is actually better than UA. When it comes to food, it's hard to beat SQ, ANA, JAL... BR food is too pedestrian and merely served in nice dishware. Dulles hub is not bad due to all the politician and deep pocket traffic. Most of UA's other hubs are way worse.

[@dinogoulet1829]

He’s just another rich Chinese being spoiled by his parents

[@_w_w_]

@@dinogoulet1829 Agreed. He is very young and it sounds like parents is putting him through school perhaps like MBA program of some sort that have him travel allover. It's almost always in J or F. It's a bit too much. In my circle of well-off friends, they would never let their young kids do this of travel as a way to teach them value of money.

[@dinogoulet1829]

@@_w_w_ I guess he's lucky to be put in this position but it seems like he's pretending to be someone he is not. He should stay humble and appreciate what he has in life. That is the problem with his videos.

[@mdxfl7011]

那岩，是你吗那岩？O(∩_∩)O

[@ianhamilton396]

Well, you can put a dress on a pig but sadly, it will still be a pig. Appreciate that you made this look better than it actually is. Well done.

[@michaelm5852]

Never stop sharing, I'll always be watching. Don't get left behind - P R O M O S M!

[@kildli]

United offer that exact same croissant to economy class as well and it was the most disgusting I've ever tried on an airplane. I love Polaris product, but I've had better meal on long haul flight to asia from east coast while sitting in economy.

[@azbelguerra6278]

Snob

[@skypirate6278]

2 glasses of wine, really? Please, act like you’ve been here before.