Review: United Polaris Lounge San Francisco Airport

Lucky- to be clear, do you have access to the Polaris lounge if only arriving off International Business Class that same day? Meaning, do you have to have a flight after that out of SFO? I guess the answer is yes because otherwise you couldn't get access through security. But it seems like that flight has to be on United or a Star Alliance partner.

Sorry! Seems like that flight DOESN'T have to be on United or a Star Alliance partner.

Thanks for another great review Lucky! Do you remember about what time the breakfast to lunch changeover occurred?

I absolutely love the Polaris Lounge at SFO. I've been able to use it on 3 occasions. I've done both the buffet and a la carte restaurant. I agree that the food quality in both are exceptional. The space is so large, that even when its busy it never feels like it. And I've been able to relax and enjoy it. I've not had the opportunity to visit any of their other lounges, as SFO is my starting and stopping point most of the time. But I'd find it hard to top SFO

My experience was early in the morning at 6 ish, it was busy but didn't feel crowded at all. The nap rooms are stocked with Saks bedding, eyeshades, earplugs, chocolates, and an aromatherapy pillow spray for relaxation! I didn't use it to nap but used it for a quick yoga stretch session before boarding a long flight instead. Walked by other nap rooms and people were passed out so that lounge chair must be super comfy. For those that are flying long haul business on Star Alliance (paid or award) definitely consider SFO because the lounge is worth it.

Having been to the Polaris lounge twice now, the service level was completely different within the restaurant. The first time was excellent, the second was indifferent at best to downright awful. The whiskey/bourbon selection at the bar beats anything I have seen for a business class lounge.

If you are flying United metal, you have same day flight access, if you are flying Star Alliance metal, you only have access if SFO is your last point of departure to Asia, Europe or Southern South America

Have business class award ticket on AC: SFO-YYC-LHR. Access eligible?

@ Kevin -- Nope, sadly not. If flying a Star Alliance partner the longhaul flight needs to be out of SFO, and you can't be connecting.

@ Kyle -- Thanks! 🙂 I want to say it switched over at 11AM, but don't hold me to that.

@ DCJoe -- You actually don't need to be flying United, you just need to be able to access the airside. So I was flying Qantas that evening to Melbourne, and could use the Polaris Lounge based on my inbound boarding pass.

Bring your own newspaper. They dont have any when I last was there.

Hey Lucky, it's International terminal and G gates. There is no such terminal G at SFO .

Asiana and morning EVA leaves from the A wing... but technically you can clear security twice to access Polaris.

Last time I fly out at night the sit down al la carte dining was closed. Around 9:30 or 10pm I think. Very sad.

I was at this lounge on Sunday flying UA863 from SFO to SYD, departing at 10.55pm

Lounge was jammed pack, The dining room was closed by 9pm and there was hardly any choices on the buffet selection

For revenue paying passengers, this is unacceptable.. compared with EK or SQ lounges, the new Polaris lounge was a let down for me

@mon
My experience 3x, also. Arrive in Polaris SFO but the sit-down dining is closed. The sit-down dining menus never change (at least in EWR and IAH) so it's good we can't use it too often. I'm in EWR often enough to not look forward to the sit-down dining option, but it's the only way to get a low-carb main dish (I have diabetes). Really appreciate the SIZE of all the Polaris lounges!

I found the SFO lounge to be a bit cold. It was pretty dead during the late evening I was there. The long narrow seating area felt disquieting to me. I realize we are all different but I choose to walk a block or so over to the Amex Centurion lounge and preferred it (both are accessible without going through security a second time). On the plus side the Polaris lounge stays open later.

Just going off the people above me who have commented they have visited the lounge x amount of times and have different opinions. It's an interesting opinion because they are repeat visitors. The restaurant while it looks great should rotate the menus and have more flexible hours for people on the super late departures. Unfortunately, I can see how service varies especially for an US airline. I do believe that the Polaris lounge are excellent quality and can't wait to experience one for myself!

While the a la carte dining is nice, the wait and speed of service can be very hit and miss. My main issue with the Polaris Lounges is the buffet. While the quality of the items are good, it's not very substantial and varied. I much prefer the buffet at Flagship Lounges. It would be nice if they allow people to order items off the a la carte menu (maybe a simplified version) from other areas of the lounge rather than just the dining area.

Ben Could you clarify? You said you had access to Polaris based on inbound *UA* flight which makes sense according to the rules. But your outbound flight does not have to be UA? In other words, how did you get back to terminal g airside with Qantas? Aren’t their flights from Terminal a? I thought terminal g was only * a +Aer Lingus.

And so essentially as a stretch, if you were flying LHR-SFO Polaris business and then later that night SFO-TPE on Eva in economy you could access Polaris lounge?

@ flyingrohit -- You're allowed to access any terminal at SFO with a boarding pass departing from any terminal, so I could get through security at the G gates. And yep, in your example you could access the Polaris Lounge same day before flying SFO-TPE based on your inbound flight.

Agree with Dennis Deew. Their decision not to carry newspapers is very disappointing. When I asked the lady at the desk said that no one reads them (that's probably why they don't have newspapers in the plane either). What a contrast from say Kris Flyer Silver lounge in Singapore which has newspapers from all corners of Asia Pacific region.

Wow awesome thanks!!

Given all the delicious food and drinks you describe, would be interesting to hear some discussion of how you work exercise into your travel life, to keep weight under control.

This lounge used to be the best United Club in the US until they closed it to elites and made it for business class only. Now the other United club in the international terminal is permanently crowded, a huge mess, and standing room only no matter what time of day. UCs are truly a disaster nowadays and you have Polaris to thank for that.

Thanks for the great review and all the photos. I've used the Polaris Lounge a few times at ORD on long-haul flights to NRT. Could I access both the ORD and SFO Polaris lounges if I took a business class flight from ORD with a same-day connecting flight at SFO to NRT? When the Polaris Lounge opens in NRT, I guess I could use three Polaris Lounges on a NRT-SFO-ORD-BOS flight. It might be worth breaking up the flight like this just to try out all the lounges. 🙂

My wife and I flew LAS/SFO/SYD a week ago and I gotta say, we were pleasantly surprised by the SFO Polaris lounge including the facilities, food and service. I’d give it an 8 from 10.

More importantly, the UA B789 flight SFO/SYD was one of the better international flights we have experienced. It departed on time, arrived almost on time and the food and service exceeded our expectations. It departed at 23:05 and even though we were both pretty tired we stayed up until around 21:30 Sydney time. We both managed around 8 hours sleep/dozing and the higher humidity/lower atmosphere resulting in much less jet-lag.

I’ve crossed the Pacific (LAX, SFO to SYD, BNE, TYO, ICN, KIX nd HKG) and this was one of my better flights.

So if I fly United economy RSW to Dalas and Dalas first class to Japan I can use the Polaris lounge no problem ?
But on my way back 1st class Hong Kong to Newark and have a 6 hour wait to go back to go business to RSW I can NOT use the Polaris lounge?

Dining room was open ‘til 11 pm on the Wednesday I passed through; interesting that isn’t always the case (esp given so many 10-11-12 departure times).

At least the bar will be open and the drinks are fantastic!

@Lucky...are you able to login to Facebook.com yet?

Does anyone know if the lounge can be accessed using United Club passes?

Can't be accessed with UC passes or UC memberships.

JAN: No Polaris lounges in RSW, DFW or NRT Japan, so puzzled by your first question. On your return, you can use the Newark Polaris lounge, so long as your flight back from HKG-EWR is on United.

Can you access the Polaris Lounge from SFO to Toronto, Canada, with an Air Canada Business Class Ticket?

Jan mis spoke In Sept 2019 Out we fly...rsw econm to iah..iah first class to nrt with 2 hr layover
Home we fly..hong kong to nrt 6hr layover then nrt to RSW bus class
All flights UA
can we use Polaris lounge both ways??

Hi! Flying SFO to DEL via YVR. SFO to VYR on United First Class and YVR to DEL via United Business operated by Air Canada. Am I eligible to use the Polaris Lounge? Thanks!

Hi, do you know if I will be allowed access to the Polaris lounge arriving to SFO from Zurich on Swiss. I am a Star Alliance GOLD. I have a 4 hour layover and will continue onward with United flight?

I would like to shower during my layover as I will have traveled 14 hours.

I am asking, as last time I traveled OUT OF SFO on long-haul to Zurich, I was told I couldn't enter the Polaris lounge with Alliance Gold, but I think you comments lead to a different conclusion?

Can you help clarify?

I visited the Polaris lounge last week and I felt the quality degraded. My memory was right. Now it is all thin paper plates and disposable cutlery in the buffet area.

The picture here shows real china plates and cutlery. The dining room menu used to be more substantial too. Now the dishes are small and simple. The Polaris Burger is still on the menu though.