In May 2025, United Airlines unveiled its new Polaris business class. These seats are being installed on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s, which are in an uber-premium configuration. United is just taking delivery of the first of these planes, and the expectation is that they’ll enter service in the coming weeks.
In this post, I want to focus specifically on the United Polaris Studio, which is the carrier’s “business class plus” concept. That’s because the first flights with the new product are now on sale, so we know what pricing will be like. Let me recap the basics, and then I’d like to analyze this product a bit…
In this post:
Basics of the new United Polaris Studio concept
On newly delivered Boeing 787-9s, United is introducing Polaris Studio seats, offering an elevated business class experience. While the new 787s feature 64 Polaris seats, eight of those are Polaris Studio seats.
United is following the industry trend by introducing a special business class experience in the bulkhead rows (given the size of business class, it’s spread across two cabins, which is why there are two rows of these special seats). The idea is that bulkhead seats have a bit more space to work with, so United is bundling a special experience, in hopes that people will pay extra to sit there.
The Polaris Studio seat is 25% larger than the standard Polaris seat, with an ottoman, and a 27″ 4K OLED touchscreen monitor (compared to a 19″ monitor in Polaris). On top of that, United is offering an elevated soft product. Polaris Studio customers will receive:
- The Global Services ground treatment, from access to Global Reception check-in, to boarding with Global Services members, to surprise and delight tarmac transfers by car
- Upgraded food and beverage, including a caviar amuse bouche, Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, a premium snack box, and an expanded selection of main courses
- Upgraded amenities, including hoodie-pajamas and slippers on all flights, noise canceling headphones from Meridian, amenity kits with Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ skincare products, United branded playing cards, and a plush velvet throw pillow
The problem with United Polaris Studio seating
I have to give United credit for creating a thoughtful “business class plus” product. The hard product is exactly what you’d expect, while the soft product is a bit more elevated than I was anticipating.
While this all sounds great, there are also some serious downsides to this product. The most significant is that you’re seated at the very front of the cabin, right by the galleys and lavatories. On some foreign airlines, that might not necessarily be a huge deal, but:
- US airlines don’t generally have “real” curtains between the galley and cabin for safety reasons (or whatever), so you can expect a lot of light pollution from the galley
- US airline crews aren’t exactly great about keeping their voices down in the galley, and I’d be worried about noise from the galley, whether it’s flight attendants talking, or just loud meal preparation
- Being near the lavatories is never ideal, but especially not on US airlines, given that they aren’t properly cleaned, and these planes will be operating United’s longest flights
So United Polaris Studio might not be a dream product in terms of the sounds, sights, and smells. I mean, just look at the first picture in this post, at how close the seats are to the lavatory. Maybe United hopes that special noise canceling headphones and better champagne will make people overlook that?
The additional issue is just United’s service delivery. Much like American, United has some great flight attendants, but also has some not-so-great flight attendants. The airline doesn’t have a culture of great service (at least not yet), so it’ll be interesting to see how crews do with delivering this elevated service.
I imagine there’s going to be quite a bit of back-and-forth between management and the union over staffing these flights. As we all know, management always wants as few flight attendants as possible, while the union wants as many flights as possible. But if you want flight attendants to actually be able to deliver decent service to 64 passengers, with eight of those being premium seats, you also need to invest in staffing.
United Polaris Studio pricing & how to book
United’s new premium Boeing 787s are now bookable for travel as of late April 2026, for flights from San Francisco (SFO) to London (LHR) and Singapore (SIN). So, how will United go about monetizing the new Polaris Studio product?
Based on the flights that are now on sale, it looks like upgrading to Polaris Studio will be similar to just paying a seat assignment fee after booking any Polaris seat, so you can access the product for a fixed cost on a particular flight, regardless of whether you paid cash, redeemed miles, or whatever.
So, what’s the pricing like? As of now, it’s rather straightforward — if an international flight has the Polaris Studio for sale, the price is $499 per segment. It doesn’t matter if you’re flying to London or Singapore, or whether you choose a window or center seat.
If you ask me, that pricing is fair, and is probably on the low end of what I was expecting United would try to charge (not necessarily the same as what I think it’s worth). When you consider the improved soft product being offered, both on the ground and in the air, I couldn’t see it being much lower.
Even so, I maintain that this might be a tough sell, simply because of the proximity to the galleys and lavatories. So I imagine that factor is already sort of “priced in,” or else United might try to charge even more.
With eight of the 64 business class seats being Polaris Studio seats, that means 12.5% of the inventory in the cabin consists of these special seats. I’m sure people will book this for the novelty, though I’m curious how long term demand evolves, and if United formalizes some sort of process for upgrading to this (either using PlusPoints, or even on a space available basis for Global Services members, for example).
Presumably any leftover seats will go to employees with travel privileges traveling on a space available basis, since they’re entitled to the best available seats, once all other passengers have been processed.
Bottom line
United is rolling out a new Polaris business class experience. That’s not all, though, as the airline is also introducing the Polaris Studio product, which will be front row business class seats with 25% more space, bigger entertainment screens, and improved amenities.
I’m impressed by the amenities that United is including with this product, as this more of an upgrade than you’ll find on most airlines with a similar concept. The catch is that sitting so close to the galleys and lavatories, especially on a US airline, isn’t necessarily desirable.
With the first flights with the new cabins now on sale, it appears that United is treating the Polaris Studio the same way as a premium seat assignment fee, and the cost is $499 per segment. I’d say that’s reasonable pricing, all things considered.
What do you make of the United Polaris Studio concept, plus the pricing? How popular do you think it will be?
Bathroom odors? So you might have to smell that passion fruit themed hand wash? Or what ‘scent’ is their usual soap?
1) Love how they don't have a row 13, but are flying to SIN with both 4 and 14.
2) Playing Cards! That will be worth the extra price! /s
I love it how this post is essentially saying Americans are all loud, obnoxious and reek of body odour/faeces.
Bathroom smells/noise will affect all carriers doing a Business Plus concept at the bulkheads, even those with solid curtains.
I recently flew AF on the A350 in J, and there was a congregation of FAs chatting away.
Probably best for all of us to figure out how to manage life on aircraft with occasional noise disturbance since it's unavoidable.
I'm sure this has been brought up many times before (over the course of this announcement/rollout) but the two main things re. the experience that I question (and worry about) as a 1K and/or passenger are:
1) how can you elevate and provide better food & bev when you can't even deliver on an existing Polaris product. Having an expanded menu of different entrees (that you can select in advance) has not improved the...
I'm sure this has been brought up many times before (over the course of this announcement/rollout) but the two main things re. the experience that I question (and worry about) as a 1K and/or passenger are:
1) how can you elevate and provide better food & bev when you can't even deliver on an existing Polaris product. Having an expanded menu of different entrees (that you can select in advance) has not improved the overall quality of what's being served. And even if they have improved their selection of wines, the fact that there seems to be a systemwide 'policy' or rather lack of one to keep wines chilled during the flight is beyond me. Nothing like having some room temperature Chardonnay or Savion Blanc.
2) crew service and attention. We already know that when the airline cut one of the Polaris FAs (working in the cabin), service took a step backwards and remains that way to this day. On 2 of my last 4 trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights, the FA failed to wake me up for the 2nd meal despite having my monitor on to say 'WAKE ME UP FOR MEALS.' Each time, the FA failed to look, forgot, or just wasn't paying attention. Additionally, on multiple flights, the ONLY time I'm ever asked if I wanted something more/else to drink was at the end of the meal when they were serving dessert! The drink came with the nuts, then starters and entrees/mains, then they collect the trays. Never do they ask or offer me something more.
So, we are going to ask understaffed FA's who may or may not be in turn with their customers service wise to do even more as far as delivering additional elements to the soft product? Can't wait for the warm Champagne. :)
Row 1 of Polaris is always my favorite. Being near the galley or bathroom has never bothered me as I appreciate the larger footwells and space in front of the seat. So not a tough sell for everyone.
I flew AA’a 789-P between ORD and LHR in Feb 2026 and in both directions I was in the first row in a flagship preferred seat. The extra room and amenities were nice but I would never choose to sit there again due to the noise from the galley. In both cases it was flight attendants opening and closing compartments for hours, very loudly, or talking at a volume that could be heard several rows...
I flew AA’a 789-P between ORD and LHR in Feb 2026 and in both directions I was in the first row in a flagship preferred seat. The extra room and amenities were nice but I would never choose to sit there again due to the noise from the galley. In both cases it was flight attendants opening and closing compartments for hours, very loudly, or talking at a volume that could be heard several rows back. I don’t know how they expect people to pay extra for these seats when you can’t even sleep.
To be fair UA actually does a decent job of cleaning their lavs on long haul flights. Not to a Japanese level of cleanliness, but honestly they are better than BA or NZ for example.
Recently on AA A321 in business LAX -> PHL
Econ passenger was quite ill in the biz lavatory
Some FA from the back of the plane (low seniority is my guess) spent 1/2 hour cleaning the lavatory
Well done AA
US carriers need to instruct their FA's to go chat "quietly" at the back of the plane. Perhaps dim the galley lights on overnight flights. People are spending thousands of dollars...allow them to enjoy the first row.
I'm sure unsold first row seats will be comp or reduced upgrades to GS and 1K. Which it should be, and if employees can snag it...good for them!
Knock wood, I've been very pleasantly surprised by how clean the bathrooms stay on my recent long haul Polaris flights (mostly to and from MEL/SYD/AKL). Even at hour 12 there's no water on the floor or basin and it's generally been tidy.
1K is my favorite mostly because I don't like all the people walking past during boarding like with 9 A/L. I have a nice black silk eye mask and custom-molded sleeping ear...
Knock wood, I've been very pleasantly surprised by how clean the bathrooms stay on my recent long haul Polaris flights (mostly to and from MEL/SYD/AKL). Even at hour 12 there's no water on the floor or basin and it's generally been tidy.
1K is my favorite mostly because I don't like all the people walking past during boarding like with 9 A/L. I have a nice black silk eye mask and custom-molded sleeping ear plugs and have never found the galley proximity annoying.
One thing they might want to add to the Polaris Suite amenity kit is that ANA First scent card. Like you're supposed to squeeze it to release the essential oil and then put it inside your pillowcase. It has lavender and chamomile and is supposed to help you sleep but i'm guessing it could mask any food or bathroom smells pretty well.
On overnight flights in Polaris, I usually try to get a bulkhead seat as the footwells are much bigger, which will no longer be an option in the new cabin (at least not without having to pay more for it).
PREMIUM snack box?
Oooooohhhhh, tell me more!
Regarding the lights/smells etc. How is that any different from the seats installed today? Or from any other carrier that has this exact same arrangement?
Right? This is how other carriers are all typically doing their Business Class "Plus" concepts.
Honestly, whenever I've flown bulkhead in business class, I haven't noticed lav smells so that hasn't been an issue and light and sound pollution are controllable factors by using eye masks and ear plugs. I have to use those no matter where I sit in the cabin so it's not really a big deal imo.
In the article title , there is a reference to "bathroom odors" . Not a bid deal for those who throw away the big bucks . Their areas in the big cities also have similar "bathroom odors" .
United should do something about the amount of caviar. From the pictures, it appears to be a bit too much.
none of it will be there in a couple months. In the midst of rising fuel costs and FA opposition to trying to create a "customized" experience for a few passengers in a large cabin, UA will cut it.
The extra space created w/ new generation seats is enough of an incentive for some people to book the first row(s) at an upcharge
as usual, UA tried to show up AA's service at the exact same seat but will end up w/ bigger monitors. and. that. is. all
Yeah, I'm guessing the caviar will end up going the way of the Polaris wine tasting flights within a few weeks of launch. I'm also very curious about the expanded menu options for preorder. Are we talking a Book The Cook style thing or is there just going to be one more crappy main to choose from? And if I preorder one of the exclusive items, what are the odds it actually gets loaded onto my flight?
The lack of opaque curtains on US carriers is reason enough not to pay up to these seats. That's not a rule that United (or Delta or American) can do anything about, but it's a huge disadvantage. The thing they COULD change is the stunning lack of courtesy many of their cabin crew display in the forward galley - talking loudly, slamming cabinets shut, clanking cutlery and crockery together - but they simply don't want...
The lack of opaque curtains on US carriers is reason enough not to pay up to these seats. That's not a rule that United (or Delta or American) can do anything about, but it's a huge disadvantage. The thing they COULD change is the stunning lack of courtesy many of their cabin crew display in the forward galley - talking loudly, slamming cabinets shut, clanking cutlery and crockery together - but they simply don't want to invest the time and energy to hold their staff to any kind of professional standard. Throw in sub-par catering, dirty lavatories and the "service roulette" where you have to hope your FA woke up on the right side of the bed, and the ROI for these seats becomes very risky indeed.
Other than the convenience of nonstop service on certain routes, there's absolutely no reason to spend J-class money on a US airline when you can fly a non-US airline and essentially be guaranteed a more pleasant experience.
Since it’s been done as a seat assignment fee and not sold as a separate class… What happens if a flight is full in the regular seats in business class and you book last minute ? Can you then assign those for free?
@MAX - Presumably if someone was in that position, they just wouldn't be able to assign a seat (unless they want to pay for the studio) and UA will hold off until at the gate for the possibility that one of the other J passengers with a seat assignment may choose to pay for the upgrade (and then their seat becomes available for the other passenger)
From a complete outsider’s perspective, any improvement to U.S. airline products will be welcomed. The next big challenge, by all accounts, is to improve both the inflight catering and staff performance. The latter being the most difficult to achieve.
Considering all aspects of the soft product, some might think of it as First Class - Minus as opposed to Business Class - Plus when compared to British Airways. Not necessarily the well-informed. But, the average person will "feel" it. To me, this is a smart move. Ben, I'd be interested in your comparison of United's execution of this concept versus AA's execution of this concept.
I feel like it may give off a weird vibe when the FAs hand the special Polaris + products to customers to basically less than a handful of the cabin to most uninformed customers.
And also, just talking about logistics, it’s only 1/8 of the cabin and they’d need to ensure they have and continue to maintain those soft products at all times.
Spot on about the downsides. I had a client fly from SFO to India last week on UA and apparently the crew never dimmed the lights in the galley and were there talking so loudly and even watching videos from their phones without headphones (the irony, considering UA's new rule). Multiple J pax went and asked them to please keep it down, to which they got outright nasty at the requests and never changed or...
Spot on about the downsides. I had a client fly from SFO to India last week on UA and apparently the crew never dimmed the lights in the galley and were there talking so loudly and even watching videos from their phones without headphones (the irony, considering UA's new rule). Multiple J pax went and asked them to please keep it down, to which they got outright nasty at the requests and never changed or apologized. She said it was so bad that several people mentioned they will not fly UA internationally again as they were disembarking.
Ahh yes the best UA route- SFO-India (which doesn’t exist). While I do agree with you, at least be accurate with your response.
Perhaps it was the SFO-EWR leg which is much more common that ULH flights IME.
Volume and an elevated experience don't go hand in hand. Americans don't understand that. They never will.
Without a dedicated loo that’s unavailable to the pax in biz it’s not that special.
Hey ben - small correction. Under "As we all know, management always wants as few flight attendants as possible, while the union wants as many flights as possible." I believe flights should be flight attendants! :)
Too bad you will never review this product personally coz you banned from UA for trying to muck about with their FFP (MileagePlus program).
Would you care to respond to this comment?
Hmmm... Is it worth replying to? Would you like to respond to this query?
What are you taking about? Don’t you see all the United flights he takes?
I believe there was an issue with Mileage Plus a while back, but he’s still welcome to fly United while crediting to another program.
That will all be in his last tell all book before he retires.
Good point. I think it’s hard to be totally objective when he knows by now he would be a lifetime GS.
Just banned from MP not United for stealing from them back in the day.
There are very few routes on which I would want those seats given the difficult sleeping situation (and sleep is the primary point of business class). Maybe a day flight back from Europe might be a good experience since sleep is unimportant and the big TV and better food/beverages would be nice.
If you want to try the new Polaris Studio without the extra charge, they are operating a domestic route where there is no price difference. However, I suspect it will lack all the features you get with the upgraded soft product. I personally care most about the hard product because US airlines are so far behind in that area. Soft product they will never catch up to anyone like Singapore or Japan. Maybe not even Emirates or Qatar.
I understand these concerns in theory, but slightly less so in practice.
9A/9L are my favorite seats on the 48J 789 and I don't personally find the proximity to the lavs all that noticeable. The D/F seats might be more exposed since the lav door opens in the direction of those seats, but A/L are well insulated by the bulkhead and existing privacy shield — I imagine even more so with higher walls and...
I understand these concerns in theory, but slightly less so in practice.
9A/9L are my favorite seats on the 48J 789 and I don't personally find the proximity to the lavs all that noticeable. The D/F seats might be more exposed since the lav door opens in the direction of those seats, but A/L are well insulated by the bulkhead and existing privacy shield — I imagine even more so with higher walls and a closing door.
Of course given the option of a seat further away from the galley/lav I'd take it, but I wouldn't hesitate to fly these.
what happens if the cabin is full and those are the only biz seats available?
I’d assume they’d upgrade the most valued flyer with status and flying in a regular business seat and give the last minute booking the regular seat.
I assume they’d upgrade the highest status pax who paid the highest fare, just as they used to do with first class.
My opinion on Business plus seats has always been the same, I find it as an unnecessary expense, as I'm perfectly content with the standard business class seats, especially considering all carriers with Business plus seats already have a great seat.
However, I have a flight coming up on the new polaris, booked with points, and honestly just out of the curiosity, I'm considering trying it out. It'll give this 1K the ability to feel what its like to be a GS for once
Also the screens look too far away to touch, compared to the non-bulkhead seats.
I don’t find the upgrades particularly compelling - are high value customers really going to get excited about bigger screens and a bit of food/drink upgrade which will be inconsistently prepared and served at best, especially when paired with the noted downsides of lavatory and galley proximity? Do we really care about headphones and a couple of mini lotions and potions? Extra footwell room is nice but I only do the bulkhead seats on shorter...
I don’t find the upgrades particularly compelling - are high value customers really going to get excited about bigger screens and a bit of food/drink upgrade which will be inconsistently prepared and served at best, especially when paired with the noted downsides of lavatory and galley proximity? Do we really care about headphones and a couple of mini lotions and potions? Extra footwell room is nice but I only do the bulkhead seats on shorter domestic flights or day returns from Europe to avoid just the sleeping issues mentioned.
On a different but related note, will the new seat product (all business) have doors? Also, it appears from the pictures that all business side seats are “head out” or head next to the aisle, as opposed to next to the wall. Personally, I dislike those seats now and I think most agree as the current odd number rows (head closest to wall, away from aisle) seem to always be filled first.
I guess UA is doing the seat selection fee so they don't have to add a new class. Wonder if GS get a discount? Or get upgrade if unsold? Flew on AA's 789P in the front seats - but I think AA plans another fare class - hence they are giving it away for free for now. I am guessing AA will start charging when F is gone - maybe pick up that fare bucket.