Gourmet Flyer While I have already written quite a few reviews on United Airlines’ Polaris Business Class, this flight that I took in late November of 2024 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG) on a Boeing 787-900 features a few relatively new improvements that I am excited to write about. They include the return of a multi-page menu booklet, the availability of an online menu with pre-order functions, an enhanced appetizer dish served separately, as well as a few other updates that I’ll discuss along the way. I am also including a tour inside the Polaris Lounge that is exclusive to UA’s International Business Class passengers.
Table of Contents
- Online Menu and Pre-Ordering
- Pre-Flight
- Polaris Lounge
- The Seat
- Amenity Kit
- Seatback Entertainment
- Beverage Service
- Menu
- Dinner
- Mid-Flight Snacks
- Pre-Arrival Meal
- Conclusion
Online Menu and Pre-Ordering
Beginning near the end of September 2024, United made all of its on-board menus available online. On UA’s website, from “My Trips” click on “Manage Trip” and you’ll find a link to the menu among all your flight’s details.
On the United App, go to the “flight status” tab as shown in the screenshot above.
Above is a sample of the online menu. Note that if your flight is still several weeks away, you might only see a generic version of all the offerings and not the actual entrées. In that case, don’t worry. A more detailed version will appear as it gets closer to your departure date.
Five days before your departure, you’ll get an email with a link to place your pre-orders. As of this writing, only the main course can be pre-ordered. You will choose your mid-flight and pre-arrival options with the flight attendant. If you did not get a chance to pre-order or if you’ve missed the window to do so, no worries, you’ll just order your dinner the good old-fashioned way — with the FA upon boarding.
Pre-Flight
In LAX UA’s international Business Class passengers should get dropped off at United’s Premier Access area in Terminal 7 which is immediately adjacent to Terminal 6 (the economy check-in area is adjacent to terminal 8). There should be a dedicated lane marked for Polaris passengers. You will also have access to UA’s exclusive expedited security lanes; however, I do not recommend using this if you have Clear or TSA PreCheck. United’s Business Class passengers enjoy Group One boarding, but you will still be boarding behind a sleuth of people, including people with disabilities, military personnel, families with young children, and the airlines’ top two tiers of frequent flyers.
Polaris Lounge
United’s International Business Class passengers traveling to Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Oceania, and parts of South America have exclusive access to the Polaris Lounge if you are departing from Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles. Please go here for complete rules and policies on access to the lounge.
While the PL at LAX is probably the smallest among its peers, it is also the least crowded, especially if you are taking the redeye to Hong Kong. When I arrived around 7:30pm there were plenty of tables and seats available. I got a beer from the bar and grab one of those very nice window seats and enjoyed watching the actions on the tarmac.
There was no wait in The Dining Room which was a full-service restaurant. However, I was not hungry, and I have already pre-ordered a steak, so I opted not to eat there. For those who are interested, I’ve posted the menu above.
Instead of a full dinner, I decided to grab some snacks from the buffet, which was quite nice. A Charcuterie board contained a blend of cheeses and meats garnished with a sprinkle of dried fruits. I took a few pieces of salami and Gouda cheese to go with my beer.
I also savored a few shrimps that were cooked in a garlic white wine sauce with sautéed peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It was a delicious dish. Sitting next to it on the picture above was a tray of vegetable quinoa. Another delicious entrée was a creamy Mediterranean chicken with white wine and olives served with steamed rice.
The buffet came complete with vegetable dishes such as grilled broccolini, a soup and salad bar, and of course, desserts. I quickly found myself indulging in a variety of sweets which included vanilla mousse, black forest trifle, and snickerdoodle cookies.
The Seat
When I arrived at my seat a pile of goodies was already awaiting me. They included an amenity kit, a regular soft pillow, a gel pillow, and two types of blankets. However, the trendy, blue designer blanket that I liked the past couple of trips was no longer available. It appeared that they have reverted back to the plain old blankets. Well, I guess as long as it kept me warm while I was sleeping it’s fine.
United’s Polaris seat is a full lie-flat which extends to 6’ 6” in length when it is completely horizontal. I was in seat 8L which was not the best solo seat, as the seat was next to the aisle and far from the window. The best solo locations are the true window seats which are the odd-numbered rows. Those seats are farther from the aisle and closer to the window for more comfort and privacy.
These seats are versatile, well-designed with multiple functions, and very comfortable for a good night’s sleep. Please go here for a comprehensive review of every component of the seat itself.
Amenity Kit
I was happy to see the same fanny pack amenity kit that I really liked. It’s a small pouch that can be worn around the waist like a belt or cross body and always comes in handy. I have quite a few of these already so I usually just give them away to friends and family and they really appreciate them. They come in two colors – black and white.
The contents are nothing too fancy but probably contain everything that you might need to spend a night almost 40,000 feet up in the air. I am displaying all the contents in the picture above. My wife really appreciates the cleansing towelette and eye serum. The air was sort of dry this particular flight, so I ended up using almost all of the tiny tube of hand cream. I was not a fan of the lip balm that came in a can though. I am hoping to see a lip stick version sometime in the future.
Seatback Entertainment
I enjoyed a 16” seatback entertainment screen, which was almost twice the size of those in economy class. The system came with a remote control which was essential as I was leaning back so far from the TV that touchscreen would not be feasible. The programs that were available were literally numerous – from both domestic and international blockbusters to a library of classics through the decades. There were plenty of TV shows, concerts, relaxation music as well as games to keep me entertained and occupied even if I could not sleep at all the entire 16 hours of the journey.
But, of course, the lie-flat was so comfortable that I slept like a baby for more than eight hours. During the time that I was awake, I enjoyed the movie Twisters, a Billy Joel concert, and two episodes of Top Chef.
Beverage Service
Shortly after we’ve reached the appropriate altitude, the flight attendants circulated the cabin with hot towels before beginning the beverage service. Since I’ve pre-ordered steak for dinner, I asked for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. It was served in a wine glass accompanied by a small ramekin of warmed nuts.
Menu
I am a fan of the return of the multi-page booklet seen during the early years of Polaris, which was quickly replaced by the cheap-looking one page menu that lasted for many years – until late 2024. I am sharing all the pages with you below.
Dinner
A recent enhancement in the United Polaris Business Class dinner service was that the appetizer was served separately alongside the salad but before the main dish. This change was a result of customer feedback preferring a multi-course and more leisurely dinner. I really enjoyed having the appetizer separately as I can slowly savor it while sipping my wine and not having to worry that my entrée would get cold. I also preferred a slower-paced dinner when I was going to be up in the air for about 16 hours.
The app for the night was two generous pieces of boneless smoked duck breast served with a wedge of green apple and a side of parsnip purée. The meat was tender and flavorful, and it went well with the cab that I was drinking.
The flat iron steak the I pre-ordered came with roasted potato wedges and sautéed vegetables. It was covered with a rich and delicious mushroom gravy. The steak was a lean cut as I had expected, but the meat was tender and had a savory beefy flavor.
Since I’ve already indulged myself in plenty of sweets in the Polaris Lounge, I passed on the ice cream sundae for dessert. Instead, I opted for a cheese plate to finish off my second glass of wine.
Mid-Flight Snacks
The lie-flat was so comfortable that I slept through the snack service. When I awoke, about six hours after the conclusion of dinner service, I asked the flight attendant if I could still have the meal, and he happily heated it up for me. Kudos to the FA for his great service with a smile! The snack was a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. Nothing fancy but it hit the spot after waking up hungry. I then fell soundly asleep again for a few more hours.
A cart was set up next to the emergency exit in the galley area between rows 8 and 9. It contained plenty of packaged snacks, some leftover cheese plates from dinner, a few ramekins of mixed nuts, some fruits, as well as cups of instant noodles.
Pre-Arrival Meal
My choice for the meal before our final descent was chicken congee. This wasn’t really authentic Chinese congee if that’s what you are expecting. It’s a watery congee probably made with chicken broth and topped with crispy fried red onion, shitake mushrooms, and a few pieces of grilled chicken meat. The congee itself was rather light, but the meal included a bowl of fruits, yogurt, and a croissant, so there was enough food for me.
Conclusion
My recent flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong in United’s Polaris Business Class cabin was a pleasant surprise as there were quite a few enhancements. I really enjoyed a more leisurely and slower-paced dinner on a long-haul international journey and appreciated the appetizer being served as a separate course. The quality of all the food in general was reasonably good and it appeared to me that UA has been elevating their food service recently. The return of the multi-page menu booklet was another enhancement. The availability of an online menu and its pre-ordering functionality also puts UA on par or even ahead of some of its international competitors. While there is little debate that the Polaris seat is one of the best in the business, the airlines’ soft product has not been stellar. I am so glad to see United slowly enhancing its soft product to hopefully one day place it among the top of all the players.
