Initial Thoughts: United Polaris 787-9 Sydney-Los Angeles
Intro
I recently had the opportunity to try out United Polaris from Sydney to Los Angeles on their 9th longest flight (the outbound) and wanted to share some insights into the flight itself. While I will look to have a full review in the next month, the thought is fresh in my mind, so I thought it would be nice to share.
I've gotta say, this was an exceptional flight onboard United Airlines. After almost missing my flight due to the weather in Australia, I somehow managed to make it, and I am so glad I did. With fantastic service, delicious food, comfortable pajamas, and fantastic bedding, I felt rested going into the long day ahead.
For those curious, I paid 85,000 United Miles Nadi-Melbourne-Sydney-Los Angeles.
The Lounge
Even if the largest internation operator out of Sydney happens to be Oneworld, flying out of this airport in Australia is very pleasant for Star Alliance passengers. Customers with either Star Alliance Gold or a same day business class ticket, has the choice between the Singapore SilverKris Lounge or the Air New Zealand Business Class Lounge.
Personally, I prefere the Singapore SilverKris Lounge, but both are pleasant lounges to spend some time in. If you happen to have a bit of time at the airport, check out both!
Passengers flying on a Star Alliance flight will be happy to know that both of these lounges are located right next to each other, upstairs on floor 2.
The Seat/Cabin
After spending a whopping 20 minute lounge hopping, it was soon time to get on board for the long flight to Los Angeles.
Personally, I love these flights, as you get to have breakfast in Sydney, a full nights sleep, and get in early enough in the morning to have a full day in Los Angeles.
Stepping onboard, I was welcomed to an all too familiar business class cabin: Polaris. You have to love the Polaris experience, as you know exactly what you are getting (hard product wise) when getting onboard. Whether it be the 777-300, the 777-200, or the 787-8/9, it's all relatively* the same.
The Polaris cabin features two cabins of business class. The first cabin, between doors 1L and 2L, feature 8 rows of business class in a 1-2-1 configuration. However, the second and better cabin, features 4 rows of business class in a 1-2-1 configuration. My seat for the marathon flight was 9L, a bulkhead in the mini cabin.
Later on during the flight I put my seat into bed mode. The bedding that United provides is from Sax Fifth Ave, and it is nothing short of exceptional. I managed about 6 hours of sleep during this flight, which is pretty good for a daytime flight.
Amenities
United offers a multitude of amenities on these Ultra Long Haul Flights (I like to call LAX-SYD a ULR). For starters, United is one of the few airlines that offers passengers in business class in pajamas. These are exceptionally comfortable, and I currently have 7 paris at home hanging up 😅.
Of course, amenity kits were provided as well; more on that in the full review 😉.
Moving on, I decided to browse the selection of movies on todays flight. I have reviewed their IFE offerings many times, and it is also nothing short of exceptional.
However, what I was most curious about was how much the WIFI would be on this 13.5 hour flight. For 23.99 it's a little bit on the high side, but not out of the equation for me. Considering I had a lot of work to do and worked 7 hours, I value my work at more than 3$ per hour.
Meal Service
Due to a late inbound aircraft, we ended up pushing back about 5 minutes behind schedule.
Once airborne, it was time to tuck in the for the first meal of the flight. United offers an interesting concept on this flight as after takeoff, passengers are served lunch, and before landing, passengers are served breakfast. However, between the two meal services there are snacks such as a beef melt, or grilled cheese sandwich to indulge in.
Onboard I found a menu, but seeing as I had pre-ordered by meal, I already knew what to expect going in.
For the appetizer, I started with a salad and some warm bread. For the main I enjoyed the beef short rib, and for dessert I stumbled upon both a cheese plate and an ice cream sundae. All in all, a very solid meal. United has been slowly improving the quality of its catering, and it has shown over the past 8 months I have flown. Combine that with the extensive wine list that they offer, the airline does a decent job.
Just don't get chicken 😒.
I did choose to skip breakfast, as I was heading to the Polaris Lounge after landing.
Service
The aspect of this flight which truly blew me out of the water was the service onboard. Some might disagree with me, but United has the best flight attendants out of all of the US carriers.
For example, I had gotten into deep conversation with one of the flight attendants who was planning a trip to Bali with her husband. I offered to help her with some recommednations and we got into a long conversation about life.
Of course, my champagne was topped off constantly. I have one issue with United, I have too much fun flying with them 😂.
The flight attendant even came over to give me a little card saying thank you for flying. As a lowly silver at the time, this was a really thoughtful touch.
We ended up landing onto 24L 5 minutes late onto 24L, and arrived into Tom Bradley at 6:10 am local time. Keep in mind that these morning flights arrive into the International Terminal and not Terminal 7, as customs doesn't open until later in the day.
Polaris Lounge LAX
Upon arrival, I headed over to the Polaris Lounge to do some work and to wait out the rush hour traffic. With class at 10 am, I killed a couple of hours in the lounge by enjoying cocktails, and getting one too many emails done. If you aren't aware, passengers in Polaris are allowed access to the Polaris lounge up to 24 hours after the inbound flight lands. Yes, you can even access the lounge a day after the flight...
I have reviewed this lounge in the past more extensively if you are looking for a full review.
Final Thoughts
Another fantastic flight with United Airlines, this time from Sydney to Los Angeles. For 85K United Miles, I couldn't have asked for much more. My favorite seat on the 787-9 (seat 9A), incredible service, decent food, and quality bedding, it made for a memorable flight. Flying between Sydney and Los Angeles you have plenty of options to choose from such as American, Qantas, and Delta, but I think United might take cake here.
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