In recent times, I’ve taken the 9pm Chicago to London flight a few times in United Polaris and I thought I would comment on my experience.
United offers an excellent hard product, featuring luxurious Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, a cooling gel pillow, and a large Saks Fifth Avenue pillow. The charging port is conveniently located, as is the storage area. The cabin is typically maintained at a cool temperature, ideal for sleeping in business class, though it might feel uncomfortably cold in economy.
If I were told this hard product was the only one I could fly for the rest of my life, I’d actually be fairly content. Unfortunately, that’s about as generous as I can be about the overall experience. The amenity kit United used to provide in partnership with AWAY was far superior to the current offering by Therabody. While the new bag might function as a waist pouch for carrying valuables, it feels outdated—like a 90s traveler broadcasting, ‘Here are all my valuables, please steal them.’
I must also point out that the 767s United operates on these routes have seen better days. The cabins show noticeable wear and tear and were not as clean as one would expect.
On both occasions, I was seated in 15L. Seats alternate in their positioning within each row. Some seats are positioned closer to the aisle, while others are closer to the window. There is no doubt that seats closer to the window are superior.
The service on my initial flight back in February on this route was disappointing. Despite the cabin having only 15 passengers in total, the crew largely ignored me and many of my neighbors. Since I had already eaten at the Polaris lounge, I went straight to sleep, but there was no effort from the crew to inquire about my preferences. I personally know what United food is like so I didn’t care, but for people that pay for this ticket, you would expect better service.
On the second occasion in April, the flight was somewhat more full, but service was better. The FA was very polite and quite friendly. Unfortunately, the meal service took way too long and ate into sleeping time. It was 4 hours into the 7 hour journey by the time dinner service actually happened. I hadn’t eaten anything all day so I gave the menu a chance:
I must say that the Cheese tortellini was very decent, though it was nothing to write home about in presentation or taste. The ice cream sundae was great on this flight and I thought it was pretty standard for United until I experienced it on the return flight.
Breafast service on both my flights was downright pathetic. It was pretty much what would be offered in economy presented on a larger tray. No US carrier at present moment offers a worthwhile breakfast on board their transatlantic flights and United somehow manages to set the bar lower. I mean what a joke.
It was a good thing flying into London offers awesome views on the starboard side of the plane (the right side facing forward). Otherwise, passengers might find themselves in a foul mood with the breakfast offering.
On the flight back to Chicago out of Heathrow, service was of the indifferent sort and super slow. Diet Coke and nuts arrived almost 2 hours after take off and were presented on a rather dirty table cloth to say the least.
The menu read as follows:
I did not order an Asian Vegetarian Meal, but was served someone else’s. They didn’t have enough of the pasta option apparently. Let me just say that it was among the worst airline meals I’ve ever had, in any class. The rice and lentils were super bland, the bread stale, and the dessert was a vegan brownie presented on the tray.
I asked for an ice cream sundae, and the flight attendant grunted, responding, ‘You already got a dessert.’ Despite this, they eventually came around and offered one. However, their lack of care was evident—even in the sundae they served. It looked like two blobs of ice cream sitting in a puddle of caramel syrup and whipped cream.
Bottom Line:
My flights were three months apart, yet the outcome was the same: a great hard product, but lackluster service and food. It’s interesting how service varies with U.S. carriers. Either the flight attendants are overly friendly to the point of seeming unprofessional, or they adopt an indifferent attitude, as if questioning why they should serve you. There’s no real balance. I don’t mind the former honestly, but for the most part on United (in my experience as of late) it is the latter. If you are paying top dollar for these seats, I would seriously consider non-US carriers.
