United has been going through an overhaul of their food offering and I would say it’s been hit or miss with many travelers voicing their complaints. I was speechless on one of my Polaris flight from Geneva to Newark at what was served to me and was hesitant to fly them again.

It’s shocking that we have got to this point but after this quick hop across the pond on a daytime flight my mind was set that this was one of the better meals I’ve had on United in any class.

I was departing mid day out of London for a 8 hour flight into Chicago.

It had been a while since I flew United Economy class but I actually really liked how modern the cabin was, especially the IFE. The cabin was laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration and lucky enough it was no where near a full flight.

Set up with the seat next to me free I was really looking forward to this flight.

The flight meal schedule was on display at my seat when I arrived. I really like this feature on airlines since it gives you a rough idea of both meal time and cabin lighting.

There was no menu on this flight so when the cabin crew came around they mentioned the option of chicken curry or vegetable pasta. It was an easy choice as I find most curry’s on airplanes to be a really comforting meal when flying.

Not too long after take off they served the meal and I was pretty impressed. For an economy meal this was definitely a generous serving and I was excited to check it out.

As I unwrapped everything I took inventory. A chicken curry with rice and vegetables, a cous cous salad, bread roll, mini breadsticks, and a strawberry ice cream.

Upon closer look both the cous cous and the chicken curry looked great. I worry sometime when you get a sad looking salad but the cous cous here actually looked pretty good and flavorful.

The additional sides were nothing to write home about. The bread was your typical hard airline roll but I didn’t mind since there was plenty of other food to enjoy.

Now to the main meal the chicken curry. I often add a bit of pepper to most meals I have on airplanes and this one was very flavorful. Typically meals on airplanes taste less salty but this one was just right.

I always find a curry or soup to be one of the most comforting meals to have in flight and this was no exception. I easily finished off this whole plate and I thought it was pretty good portion for an economy meal as well.

I dove into the bread sticks a bit and they had good flavor but I didn’t really eat too many.

It was time for dessert and this strawberry ice cream really hit the spot. It wasn’t overly firm and was plenty soft to dive into right away.

After the meal I took a quick nap and just lounged in the comfort of not having anyone sitting next to me. Of course I was looking forward to the pre arrival snack and wasn’t too sure what it was going to be.

About an hour and half before landing the flight attendants came by with this turkey sandwich on pretzel bread.

The sandwich was served hot but with nothing else in addition to it. I always appreciate a hot snack vs a cold one on arrival so I had no complaints.

The sandwich was actually pretty good but a slight bit oily. It wasn’t the largest but it was good enough for a snack portion.

Summary & Takeaways

Over the past year or so I feel like United has been one of the most inconstant airlines when it comes to food, especially in Polaris. The airline seems to be cutting back and often doesn’t get the food right in both portion and taste.

On the bright side it looks like their economy offering is still pretty solid and I would be happy with this meal on most airlines. I am booked on United a few more times this year so we will see if the food offering holds up or better if it improves.

The post Food Review: United Airlines 767 Economy from London to Chicago appeared first on Travel Season.

However, after a recent flight in United Polaris from Geneva to Newark, and after reading countless threads on Flyertalk about United food, it got me thinking.

United has recently been overhauling their Polaris food offering and I can say people are not fans. You can read countless stories online of people complaining about both the quality and quantity of food being served. There are also some passengers requesting economy meals in business class, something I never thought I would hear happen.

After recent trips of similar length in both United Economy and United Polaris, it got me thinking if the economy food was in fact better.

United Polaris Business Class Food

My most recent flight was from Geneva to Newark in United Polaris. A 9 hour flight that was departing around 9:45 AM.

Frankly I was pretty excited about United Polaris food given the last time I flew it from Newark to Frankfurt was pretty good.

However, this was the entirety of my offering on the 9 hour journey.

The flight started with the “brunch special” an option of an egg wrap or french toast. I was keen on the breakfast wrap and when I received it I was a bit confused.

This is the portion size?

The wrap barely fit in my hand and left me wondering where the second half of it went? Surely this must have been a mistake.

As I looked around the cabin and confirmed with the flight attendant this was in fact the correct portion. Even the fruit looked sad with only a few pieces being served.

This was considered the main meal on our flight and I couldn’t believe just how small it was.

After this meal it was a full 6 hours before another meal was served with the only option being a chip basket in between.

When the pre arrival meal was served the option I select was the burger wellington.

Now this serving was better than the main meal, especially the fruit, it still felt more in line with economy food.

Is this really the best United can do for passengers that are spending a few thousand dollars to fly business class?

United Economy Food

The last time I flew United economy was from London to Chicago. Now this flight also departed early in the morning but they did not serve breakfast as the option for passsengers.

Here is what I was served in United Economy on a flight of similar length and departure time.

The meal included a Thai chicken curry, cous cous salad, bread, and breadsticks. For an economy meal it actually looked pretty good and I always like the comfort of ordering a Thai curry when flying.

The Thai curry was well spiced and with a little added pepper it actually tasted pretty good. The best part of this food offering is there was plenty given the flight time was about 9 hours.

About an hour or so before landing the flight attendants came through with a snack.

The only option was a hot ham and cheese sandwich on a pretzel roll. While this was nothing to write home about it did satisfy my hunger but was very much in line with the burger served in business class.

Summary & Takeaways

I’m not really sure what is up with United recently but their Polaris food offering desperately needs some work. Given these two flights of similar lengths I would absolutely choose my economy meal over the business class meal any day.

Considering business class quality should be better on these trips it was the quantity that left me scratching my head. Compared to other Star Alliance carriers like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, United is far behind in their food offering.

I unfortunately have United Polaris bookings in the future and I’m not sure what I will end up doing. If I had the option to change to another carrier I certainly will or I will pack food just to get me through the flight.

I hope that as more people continue to share their United Polaris food feedback we will eventually see a change but if you have an upcoming flight maybe its better to ask them for the economy meal.

The post Is United Economy Food Better Than Business Class? appeared first on Travel Season.

However, their business class comes at a steep price difference often over 5x as expensive as economy.

From a spacious private seat, to elevated food, and the lounge experience, United may be one of the few airlines where a business class ticket is actually worth the cost.

United’s high-end business class experience is known as Polaris and it offers passengers more than most other airlines. We’ve flown this route multiple times from Newark to Frankfurt, Chicago to London, and again from Newark to Rome (on the older configuration). Another major perk of United Polaris is the dedicated lounge they offer passengers which is an huge upgrade from the typical United Club we’ve experienced many times.

The good news for United travelers is the airline offers the ability to upgrade from a lower cabin at a fraction of the price after you are already ticketed. We’ve seen rates to upgrade from Economy or Premium Economy at about ~$400 and 30k miles.

Compared to the full price ticket that is a steal.

Note that many times the United Business Class upgrade from a lower tier ticket is not guaranteed and you will be put on a waitlist. In our experience as long as there is a seat available your upgrade will clear but there is a chance it does not.

How To Upgrade To Business Class

Once you have a your reservation ticketed there are a few ways you can apply for an upgrade. The easiest will be online but don’t rule out checking once you arrive at the airport.

Here is how you can go about upgrading:

Upgrade With Cash or Miles on United Website

United makes it easy to apply for an upgrade on their website and here is how you can do it.

• Go to the United Airlines website and open Manage bookings section
• Then, navigate to your booking reference and select manage trip

In the manage trip section you will see the third option of “Upgrade Cabin”. Click this to determine your options.

You will be presented with two options when you click the upgrade cabin depending on availability. It will be Upgrade with Money or Upgrade with Miles.

Often times the Upgrade With Money option will be the cash difference of the ticket, which can be $~2,000+. This makes the Upgrade with Miles to be the most reasonable option.

In this instance you can see I am offered an upgrade to Polaris from EWR to BRU for 20k miles and $425. Not bad for a ticket that would be thousands of dollars more if I just paid cash. This is also a waitlist ticket but I can notice many seats in Polaris available so my upgrade will most likely clear.

Upgrade With PlusPoints

United introduced a new way flexible way to upgrade on domestic and international flights known as PlusPoints. This is one of the most flexible benefits offered to United status members allowing them an easy way to upgrade their flights or even family and friends flights.

Earning Plus Points

How you earn PlusPoints varies by status but the general breakdown is as follows:

The benefits kick in when you reach United Platinum and you are granted with 40 PlusPoints. However, there is a huge jump once you reach 1K where you will gain 280 PlusPoints in addition to more as you accrue additional PQP.

Once you obtain your PlusPoints you will see just how flexible they are to use and provide you with a number of options depending on what you are seeking.

Short Haul Flights

Short-haul flights are generally defined as those without United Polaris business class service. These would include flights within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and premium transcontinental service; flights between the U.S. and Canada; Bogota, Colombia; Central America; Caribbean; Mexico and Quito, Ecuador; flights between Guam and Honolulu, including island hopper service; and intra-Asia flights.

The amount to upgrade on one of these routes comes at a maximum of 20 PlusPoints per passenger and only 10 if you are already booked in United Premium Plus.

Note, if you are booked in United Basic Economy you cannot apply PlusPoints to upgrade.

Long Haul Flights

Long Haul Flights are defined as those with United Polaris Business class, which are mainly international flights. This is where PlusPoints can really provide a huge benefit taking you from a standard economy seat into a lie flat bed on a long journey.

The great news is the distance you fly does not affect the amount of PlusPoints needed to upgraded and United offers a standard redemption chart for each class.

You’ll notice the standard rate to upgrade from United Economy to United Polaris Business is 40 PlusPoints. There is also a rate for Discounted Economy at 80 PlusPoints but note this is not Basic Economy, that is still ineligible on long haul flights. United defines Discounted Economy as fare classes: S, T, L, K and G.

Another benefit to PlusPoints is the ability to upgrade from United Economy to United Premium Plus for only 20 PlusPoints. This is a great deal that will give you a more comfortable seat and better food on a plane that has that cabin available.

Upgrade By Calling United Airlines

If you are having trouble upgrading online you can always call United to execute your upgrade. United Airlines reservation number is 1 (800) 864-8331.

Upgrade At Airport Check In

You can also upgrade when you are checking in at the airport and see if there are any last minute seats available. Given the easy options United allows we suggest checking in advance online to increase your chances. Typically the airport upgrade option is the same price as what you see online, unlike upgrading on Air France when we got a ticket for $300 from Paris to New York.

Although this is last minute, if you are not expecting an upgrade then getting one at the airport is one of the most satisfying feelings. Make sure to be polite to your check in agent as they will be more inclined to help you score the better seat.

Summary & Takeaways

Paying to upgrade to business class after you purchase a ticket is often a significantly cheaper alternative than buying a business class ticket outright. Note in recent years United has moved to a dynamical pricing model that can sometimes charge the actual fare difference making it not worth the upgrade.

We have still seen many travelers still score deals between $250 – $500 + 20,000 – 50,000 miles to upgrade to business class so we would say it’s still worth a shot. Keep your travel plans flexible and don’t bank on getting a reasonable upgrade offer but it’s always worth a shot in our opinion.

The post How To Upgrade To Business Class on United Airlines appeared first on Travel Season.

I’ve flown Polaris a number of times including from Newark to Frankfurt and Chicago to London. Not all Polaris is equal as United still flies their old product that I also tried out from Newark to Rome. Each time I did get to check out the United Polaris Lounge, except for my Chicago departure when I stopped into a sub bar United Club due to the Polaris lounge remaining closed.

I always regard food as being one of the most important part of the flying experience, especially on long haul international flights. In the past United Food was actually better than I expected, especially dinner service I received from Newark to Frankfurt.

However, things seem to be going downhill at United especially with the food they are currently offering.

My flight today was a 9 hour flight departing Geneva at 9:45am heading to Newark. I knew the food offering was going to be breakfast, which is not always the best, but at least flying in long haul business class I would get enough food. Or so I thought.

Meal service kicked off shortly after departure with a choice of Breakfast Burrito, French Toast, or Coconut Chia Smoothie. I went for the breakfast burrito, which I figured would be the most popular choice amongst passengers.

Prior to food arriving I received warm nuts and a drink. I was happy the nuts were actually warm, as sometimes United cuts corners and doesn’t bother. However, it was downhill from here for the remainder of the flight.

My “breakfast burrito” arrived and as soon as I saw it I thought there must be a mistake.

Was this a real portion for the main meal on a 9 hour flight? A slim half wrap, few pieces of fruit, and a side of bread?

I was convinced they were missing the other half of my burrito but the flight attendant assured me this was the correct portion.

Just take a look at the size of this wrap. It appears smaller than half of a wrap you will receive in a Pret and thin enough that there was barely anything inside.

This was not a business class “meal”. This was more in line with a snack you serve before landing. Even for that I would think the portion was too small.

I couldn’t really believe this is what they were serving. I dipped the burrito into the sauce and about 5 bites later it was all gone.

In comparison here is a breakfast I received on United Polaris in the past.

Not only was this breakfast much larger but it was considered the “snack” on my flight to London, with the main meal being even larger than this.

In addition the sides to my tiny burrito were equally lacking.

The bowl of fruit looked sad with only a few pieces provided. Couldn’t United at least give me a full serving of fruit with the tiny burrito.

After the “meal” service they came around with dessert. I went with the cheese, which tasted ok but again looked like it was being served in economy.

Unsurprisingly I sat on the flight for 9 hours making frequent trips to the snack cart just to make it through this long flight.

About an hour from landing, and 7 hours since the last “meal”, United came around with their pre arrival snack service.

The option here was the “beef wellington”, which is by far the most generous name you can give this meal.

It’s basically a heated burger enclosed in a bread / pastry with cheese. It was served with at least a bit more fruit this time and a stale cookie.

I know this burger is a United staple but I actually had never had it before so was intrigued to try it.

The bowl of fruit was actually the highlight of this meal and less skimpy than the previous serving.

I cut this burger open to check out how it looked on the insight. In all honestly it wasn’t the worst thing I had but it felt right in line with another economy snack level of food.

The burger was extremely hot but the taste of it with the pastry all just mashed together. It was similar to something you find in the freezer aisle of your grocery store that you nuke in the microwave.

At the end of the meal service I sat there thinking was this really business class food? Especially on a long haul flight?

The short answer is absolutely not. Given a ticket on this flight is about $1,300 each way United should be embarrassed this is what they are serving customers.

With travel roaring back from the pandemic it’s clear United is taking advantage of pushing profits as much as possible. The theory is they believe their hard product is so good they can cut the soft product to a bare minimum and people will still flying.

Honestly, this flight turned me off to United and I’m not sure how much I’ll keep flying. With the lackluster food service, overcrowded lounges, and constant delays they are making it very hard to be a loyal flyer.

Am I entirely giving up on United Polaris? Of course not. However, I will be reconsidering future trips to shift to partners like Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish, and others that have a substantially better onboard experience.

Maybe United will realize that cutting corners will hurt their bottom line one day. But until that comes expect the bare minimum from United even in a premium cabin.

The post Food Review: United 767 Polaris from Geneva to Newark appeared first on Travel Season.

This was our experience the last time we visited a United Club at Newark Airport and was no different this time around. I was departing on a flight from Chicago to London in United Polaris and was disappointed to find out the United Polaris Lounge in Chicago was still closed. The last time I visited the United Polaris Lounge in Newark it was one of the best lounge experiences I have ever had.

I understand travel is not back to it’s peak so I understand clubs were not open but nowadays United is operating back to full force.

I made my way to the close by United Club and decided to spend some time before my flight to London.

I arrived to the United Club and check in was pretty smooth. There was no one in line at the main desks but I could tell they were concerned about crowding given the sign that they are not accepting one time passes. This would upset me if I was planning to use one since it’s basically making that perk useless.

As soon as I got into the lounge I could instantly tell how crowded it was. A line was already forming at the bar and every seat was occupied from what I could tell.

I made my way over to the back of the lounge and decided to wait to see if a seat opened up. Luckily I found a single one right in the middle of the lounge and while not the best I definitely needed to sit for a bit.

Now that I was settled in it was time to look at what I like best, the food.

Upon entering the agent acknowledged my United Polaris ticket and apologized that the dedicated lounge was closed. She ended up giving me these little cupcakes instead.

The food in the lounge was set up in a small section with a feature of snacks, very few prewrapped hot items, and some cold sandwiches.

The hot items included a hot dog and some sort of wrap I didn’t really look to closely at.

On the cold side there were wraps, fruits, and sandwiches. Maybe I came at a wrong time since the supply was very low when I went to see it.

Later in my stay they did restock a few and I find the benefit of these prewrapped containers to be easy to carry with you onto the flight.

In terms of snacks they had a lot of chips selection but sadly no hot nacho cheese to go with it. This is something Delta does right giving you many more options throughout their lounge network.

I decided to take some chips and select a sad container of overly smooth guacamole. I ended up eating 2 before I realized this wouldn’t cut it and shortly put them away.

I wanted to try some hot food and decided to go for the hot dog. It’s pretty hard to mess this one up and although I couldn’t find any toppings laid out I ate it anyway. This was actually not bad from what I remember unless it was my hunger overpowering my taste buds. Although it doesn’t look great the bun was steamed and the hot dog had decent flavor, especially for in a lounge.

I decided to depart a bit earlier than I normally would given there wasn’t much to this lounge. On my way out you could see the bar line never went down so I decided to also skip the drinks this time around.

In my experience United Clubs seem to always be overcrowded and have a lackluster offering, excluding Polaris Lounges. There really is a world of difference between the two and I sometimes consider if the United Club is even worth visiting.

Maybe this is still reduced service due to the pandemic and things will get better. Or maybe this is the new normal? Only time can tell.

For now, in my opinion United holds the title for best US Business Class lounge and the most mediocre regular lounge. I’ll probably keep giving them a chance to redeem themselves and see how things shake out in the future.

The post Review: United Club At Chicago O’Hare appeared first on Travel Season.

When flying United Polaris you need to make sure your plane is one of the retrofitted ones. United still flies older planes dubbed Polaris, like we flew on a 787-9 from Newark to Rome, that is no where near as nice as the new planes. In fact, unlike most Polaris routes, we don’t recommend this as the best airline to fly to Rome.

I was originally booked on this route in Economy but decided to pay for an upgrade to Polaris a day before. The upgrade cost me 30,000 United Miles and $400, which was well worth it for an 8 hour red eye flight.

There was no immediate space available so I decided to be put on the waitlist.

A few hours from being on the waitlist I got confirmation of my upgrade. Unfortunately as soon as I saw the seat map there was no much availability this last minute.

On this plane Polaris is configured into a 1-1-1 layout, giving each seat direct aisle access. Not all seats are created the same with the odd rows positioned nicely against the window for more privacy.

Although not ideal for couples traveling, these new Polaris seats have a pod like structure and provide well above average privacy.

I arrived at Chicago O’Hare a few hours early for my flight excited to check out the Polaris Lounge. I visiting the United Polaris Lounge in Newark a few months back and it was one of the nicest I’ve ever been in.

I quickly made my way through security and made my way through the International terminal.

Unfortunately, at this time the United Polaris lounge was still closed. I was greeted by a disappointing sign as soon as I got there.

I decided to make my way to the United Club that was located close by. It was very crowded at this time and was no where near the experience of a United Polaris lounge.

All United clubs tend to be similar in my experience with the Chicago one mirroring the United Club in Newark. If you are there early make sure to scout a seat because they can be hard to come by but keep your expectations low as there isn’t much to offer but a space to try to realx.

I ended up leaving a bit early and eager to get to my gate.

There was a decent line at the gate but there is nothing like boarding in business class group 1. I made my way onto my plane and eager to see my seat.

The cabin was entirely full on this flight but the layout was as nice as I imagined it would be.

Lucky for me I was able to snag a tucked in window seat 7L. This is exactly the seat I wanted but was not open when I was first upgraded.

I kept checking each hour leading up to my fight and on my way to the airport I was excited to see one open. I quickly grabbed it and was set.

This is a reminder that even if you don’t get the seat you want definitely keep checking as things can often move around especially on the day of departure.

The seat was comfortably next to the window and had plenty of space. If you compare it to the seat in front of me facing the aisle you can see just how much more private mine is next to the window.

The seat features a large screen and I had no neighbors in sight when seated.

The seat also has a convenient set of controls right along the side making it easy to adjust into any position. This is best seat layout, unlike one I flew on Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Newark, that forces you want to flip down when you want to go into bed mode.

I got my amenity kit and was situated ready for the flight.

The seat has decent storage with a headphone compartment featuring a water bottle. However, once I closed it I had some trouble opening it but it eventually gave.

The flight was projected at 7 hours and 20 minutes of flying time with a total time of 8 hours. Not bad from Chicago to London.

The wifi on this flight was also pretty good with almost 20 mbps download speed making it easy to get some work done.

Now came the part I’m always most excited for, the food. I don’t usually get seafood when flying but I decided to try the salmon served with veggies and grains on this route.

United did not have a menu on this route and instead the crew mentioned each dish. Also notable is plastic drink ware, which has been common throughout the pandemic.

All meals are still served on a single tray and the salmon dish was accompanied with a side salad, nuts, a pretzel role, and mango sorbet.

The salmon was actually better than I expected and not overly dry. It accompanied well with the sauce, which I couldn’t put my finger on.

I found the meal to be pretty good but nothing over the top. It sure beats other food I’ve had flying so I had nothing to complain about.

A few hours before landing we were served breakfast. This time I went with the eggs, potatoes, and sausage.

Breakfast is one of the hardest meals for airlines to execute well and is usually a sore subject. This meal was served with fresh fruit, a not so good croissant, and a yogurt.

While the breakfast didn’t look the best I still found it pretty decently done. These eggs were similar to the egg bites you get at starbucks and I certainly finished it all before landing.

All in all the flight was one of the most comfortable ways to fly to London. I got plenty of sleep and arrived early at Heathrow to get on with my day.

United Polaris is one of the best ways to fly to Europe and this cabin especially is one of the most comfortable. If you are deciding between United and other airlines make sure to confirm the aircraft to snag on the new Polaris seats and hopefully you’ll be able to check out the lounge too now that they are reopening.

The post Flight Review: United Airlines 767 Business Class from Chicago to London appeared first on Travel Season.

Historically the company did not put much emphasis on their food offering but with other partners like Delta taking food more seriously United has noticed.

Unfortunately the airline doesn’t make a lot of information available on their website but we’re here to breakdown the food experience and let you know what to expect next time you fly.

Cuisine Overview

United has a in house chef team that focuses on creating specialized menus for both lounges and flight routes around the world. The company has greatly expanded their food offering, especially in their redesigned Polaris Business Class, to give premium passengers a truly stand out experience.

Culinary Partners

United doesn’t traditionally partner with outside food companies, unlike Delta does by selecting famous restaurants to collaborate with. However, they do have a team of in house chefs that are more than capable of coming up with delicious meals on any route.

United’s executive chefs are Gerry McLoughlin and Gerry Gulli and they orchestrators of distinctive inflight dining at 35,000 feet. The team works closely with corporate chefs to continually evaluate evolving food trends in an effort to bring the best inflight dining experiences to customers.

Chefs will also occasionally hop on a United flight just to get the customer and crew feedback to see if what they are doing is working.

Along side chefs United also employs Doug Frost, their very own in house Master Sommelier. Frost is an expert wine aficionado and works with the beverage committee to craft a balanced selection of wine on every flight.

Pre Departure Selection

United offers a pre departure selection to certain passengers and you will be notified if you are eligible 5 days in advance of your flight and you must make your selection at least 24 hours in advance.

If you are eligible here is how you can pre select your onboard meal.

• Step 1: Follow the link in your email notification or visit united.com/preordermeals and log in with your reservation information.
• Step 2: Browse the menu and make your selection. Note if you are traveling with additional people on your reservation you will be able to select everyones meals.
• Step 3: Save your choice and you’re done! When you board the aircraft a flight attendant will confirm your choice and then it’s time to enjoy your meal.

A few reminders to note that once you make a selection you won’t be able to change your meal choice once you hit save. So make sure you make your choice carefully.

An added plus is if you are not feeling up to what you selected once you get onboard the flight attendants will accommodate serving you something from the set menu. Although note nothing is guaranteed and they are subject to run out of certain selections.

Note the process for “special meals” is a bit different but this can be requested at the time of booking or by adding a request to an existing reservation. To do so manage your reservation on either United’s website or app to make your selection.

United Lounge

United operates two major lounge networks known as their Club Lounge and the Polaris Business Lounge. These two are vastly different, especially when it comes to the food offering. We will let you know what you can expect before you enter.

United Club Lounge

United Club Lounge is open to United Club members, Star Alliance Gold members, and other eligible customers. To see if you are elegible for access see the United access policy.

We visited the United Club Lounge in 2021 and the offering was still a bit scaled back. There was no real hot food being served the selection ranged from cold wraps, instant noodles, and various snacks.

We are hoping the food selection was just due to the scaled back nature of reopening since we would rate this a definite skip.

A small plus was we were traveling in business class and got access to the premium beverage selections at no added cost. Give the wines they serve can retail for over $60 a bottle we would say this was a great perk.

United Polaris Business Lounge

The United Polaris business lounges are extremely popular with travelers and when we visited the lounge Newark Airport in 2020 we can see why.

The lounge was like no other airline in the United States we have seen before. First off the decor was modern, inviting, and there was plenty of space available in the lounge.

The food offering was downright incredible though with United having two major serving styles including a full sit down restaurants and a self service buffet.

The sit down restaurant doesn’t feel real at first. When you browse through the menu you will be shocked to realize that everything is complimentary. The servings sizes are moderate so the staff will encourage you to try a few and we would agree with that recommendation.

For those with less time in the lounge or just want a more quiet experience United has a huge buffet selection. This ranges from various hot past dishes, cold sandwiches, salads, and a large dessert bar.

There is no shortage of good things we have to say about United Polaris Lounge and in our opinion it is the most generious lounge offering we’ve seen in the states.

Onboard Dining

If you don’t offer indulge in the lounge offerings you can look forward to United’s on board experience. In our opinion unless you are flying International Polaris Business class you may get an inconsistent experience making you wish you brought something onboard in advance.

Domestic Economy

United Domestic Economy dining varies greatly depending on your route. You can mostly expects snacks being served on board for the time being as meal services have been cut back since 2020.

Here are the latest guidelines to keep in mind.

• Flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes: No snacks or meals available.
• Flights over 2 hours and 20 minutes: An “all-in-one” snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks is served.
• Premium transcontinental or Hawaii: An “all-in-one” snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks.

We know this reduced offering is due to COVID regulations and we expect United to improve their offering over the coming months.

For drinks you can expect non-alcoholic beverages to be complimentary and available on all flights. United is not currently selling alcohol on board but that is subject to change. Coffee and tea are available all day on all flights.

Domestic First Class

Typically you can expect a meal on domestic first class but since 2020 United has also been cutting back in this area.

Here are the latest guidelines.

• Flights under 1 hour: No snacks or meals available.
• Flights between 1 hour and 2 hours and 20 minutes: An “all-in-one” snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks.
• Flights over 2 hours and 20 minutes: A choice between a selection of sandwiches and one of our snack boxes.

While the offering in 2020 is reduced we do expect to see United prioritize bringing back more food on domestic first class as travel begins to rebound.

International Economy

With all the change in rules on airline food offering, a positive is if you’re flying in United Economy on an international flight, you’ll receive an entrée, a salad and salad dressing, a snack and a sealed, single-serve cup of ice cream.

Wine and beer are complimentary in United Economy® on long-haul international flights.

International Polaris Business Class

United Polaris Business class is the companies flagship product and is also where you get by far the best food. We’ve noticed the experience can vary where on our Polaris Flight to Frankfurt the food was amazing but on a Polaris Flight to Rome it was so so.

Upon boarding a Polaris flight you will be greeted with a welcome beverage, nuts, and the menu for your current route. A plus is that United offers all dinners an express option if you would like everything to be served at once so you can maximize time to rest.

On this flight we had a number of different meals to select that included two starters, a choice of 4 entrees, and 3 different dessert options. United also makes a number of snacks available in the galley on long haul flights so passengers can just walk on over to get something to eat.

We would rate the entrees highly on United as you can tell they took a lot of time and effort to serve you a satisfying meal.

An added plus is the cutlery and dinnerware United uses that definitely elevates the experience.

When it comes to breakfast we’re not usually huge fans of airlines offering but United does a pretty good job with the omelettes. The one being served as actually quite tasty and if you have a chance to fly this cabin we would recommend getting breakfast.

Given Polaris Business is United’s best offering you know you will be in for a treat if you get to fly. We recommend coming hungry and not overindulging in the Polaris Lounge prior, although that will be difficult.

Wine Selection

United touts a Master Sommelier on their staff and seems to offer some fairly premium wines on board and in lounges. Unfortunately they don’t make a drink menu available on their website.

However we know from the menu’s we have seen the wines are pretty impressive.

We recommend using an app like Vivino when going through the United offering. Like us you’ll be pleasantly surprised their wines are often high quality, expensive, and paired well with the meals being served.

Special Meals

United has been cutting back in 2021 on the availability of special meals. Make sure you check your flight to see which options are available but the table below contains all the offerings United typically makes available.

Note: Due to Covid 19, United has decided to discontinue special meals except for Kosher meals on flights between the U.S. and Tel Aviv, New York/Newark and London Heathrow (starting July 1), and San Francisco and Sydney (starting August 1). We will update the note when they return.

Conclusion & Take Aways

United being a major airline is knowing investing in their food to keep up their share in the market. It may seem though they are heavily prioritizing premium and business passengers while keeping their economy offering fairly basic. This is great news if you are a premium passenger but not so much for everyone else.

Still United seems to have a decent food offering that won’t make you go hungry on your next trip. We hope that with added competition from airlines like Jetblue and increased offerings from Delta, United will continue to improve their onboard food and service.

The post A Complete Guide To Food and Wine on United Airlines appeared first on Travel Season.

On this trip I was making my way across the pond for the first time in over a year. Naturally I wanted a get away with amazing food but also a city that needed tourists to bring back its vibrant life.

I decided on making my way to Rome and next came the fun part. How should I get there?

Three of the major carriers including Delta, United, and American all fly nonstop to Rome from Newark Airport. After considering the options a few weeks out I found a relatively affordable business class ticket on United and decided to snag it before prices went up. This was a great call because as soon as Italy eased restrictions a week later prices went up significantly.

Read: The Best Airlines To Fly Into Rome, Italy

I was all set to fly on United 787-9 Polaris Business Class from Newark to Rome at the beginning of July. The last time I flew United was on the 787-10 from Newark to Frankfurt, which was one of the best flights I’ve taken on an American carrier. Easy to say I was excited about this flight especially the on board meal since I weirdly missed airplane food after so much time off.

Upon doing some research I knew this would not be the same experience I had in early 2020. In July of 2021 the United Polaris Business Lounges are still closed and the hard product on my flight was still the old business class product. With my mind on Italy I didn’t mind at all and looked forward to seeing what this plane was like.

As I arrived to the airport a bit early I made my way through security in minutes. I was flying on July 4th after all, usually a slow travel day.

Give the business lounge was closed I made my way to the United Club in terminal C to check it out. Now I know we are still in a pandemic but the club was nothing special, especially the lackluster food offering.

Again, this was not normal times so I didn’t have much to complain about and was just glad to be back on the road.

We boarded the flight with no issues and we were off.

On this particular flight United was still not passing out menus. The cabin crew came around and briefly explained the options. Sadly, no welcome drink was offered either.

I decided to go with the short rib and my partner the butternut squash ravioli (vegetarian option).

The meal arrived all on one tray and had a rather “economy” feeling to it. However, upon opening it ended up looking better than I expected.

All in my dish didn’t look half bad. The short rib was paired with rice and veggie, also some type of sauce that was actually delicious.

Upon closer look I could tell the short rib would be tender but I had yet to cut into it at this point.

The side salad was not bad either and had a few welcome pieces of mango inside.

The short rib was easy enough to eat with just a fork as it pulled apart rather nicely. The the pairing of simply white rice and veggies didn’t overpower the main source of meal and the sauce also went well with the whole dish.

For dessert United served this mango sorbet, which was welcome since I’m not usually a huge fan of eating too much ice cream. However, the sorbet was just ok and I didn’t end up eating much of it.

After the meal I decided to catch some sleep before we arrived into Italy. I made sure to set an alarm so I didn’t skip breakfast since I couldn’t miss out on reviewing what they served.

The breakfast options were simply an egg dish or a box of yogurt with cereal. Of course I opted for the hot option since I’m not a huge fan of cold breakfasts. Eggs were especially what I was looking for since I didn’t expect to get much in Italy with their traditional sweet pastries for breakfast.

I couldn’t exactly tell what type of eggs I was being served but it reminded me of the a Starbucks sous vide egg. These were paired with sausages, tomatoes, and a marinara sauce.

Breakfast on airlines is usually a bit underwhelming and I would say this dish fit right in that category. It filled me up and dare I say I would order it again but it was nothing to look forward to.

Lastly, I got some fruit with my meal that I happily finished before we landed into Italy.

Overall, the food was a bit too basic for what I expected in business class. Especially when I compare it to the dishes I got served on my United Polaris flight to Frankfurt, this wasn’t much of a highlight.

In the week leading up to my flight Italy announced an easing of restrictions allowing vaccinated Americans to enter without testing again. While I was initially skeptical about how smooth this will go to my surprise immigration would be a breeze.

Again, this was a very early post pandemic flight so I didn’t really care much about the food. I was just happy to be back in Rome and traveling again!

As more and more travelers get back to the sky I expect United will continue to up their food game. Until then we can all cut the airlines some slack and enjoy the ability to move around once again.

The post Food Review: United 787-9 Polaris from Newark to Rome appeared first on Travel Season.

United Club is located in Newark Airport terminal C near gate 74 and provides access to premium cabin members, Star Alliance gold status, and united club members.

On this trip I am flying United Polaris Business Class from Newark to Rome, so unfortunately can’t access the United Polaris Business lounge and made my way to the United Club.

While I don’t expect the United club to be as good as the Polaris lounge I expected a somewhat decent place to spend a few hours before boarding. And knowing Covid cases are down but still relevant, I knew I should cut the lounges some slack in the offering.

It took me a second to spot the lounge up a nondescript staircase but once I did I made by way upstairs to check in.

As soon as I saw this notice my expectations were a bit in flux. Maybe this was a good sign and United was reserving the lounge for a more exclusive experience? Or maybe it was overcrowded and this was their way of reducing the headcount.

Unfortunately it was most certainly the later.

Upon entering the lounge I had a hard time spotting even a single empty seat. I decided to make my way to the bar, where as holding a Polaris business class ticket i was granted free premium drinks as a plus.

Much like the rest of the lounge the bar was crowded with a considerable line in order to get a drink. Luckily it actually moved rather quickly, thanks to the bar staff that were really friendly and moved quick.

I took a look at the drink menu while I waited and was quite shocked. Usually my go to is a glass of red wine and United did not skimp here.

I wasted no time ordering the Sta’s Leap Artemis after a quick look on Vivino knowing it would be excellent.

I was kind of shocked United would serve such good wine in their club but I guess this is the definition of premium wine.

Wine in hand, delicious by the way, I was ready to make my way over to the food.

If you can’t already tell from the pictures, the food was underwhelming. Now I know we are still in the midst of Covid but I would’ve expected a bit more effort on lounge food. This was most definitely snacks and ones that are easily worth skipping for a better meal on board.

I parked up with the carrots, which weren’t half bad, and lasted me the hour in the lounge.

While I thought United could’ve done better here I know we’re still in the midst of reopening and the offering is playing catch up. Regardless I was excited to board my next flight and if it was anything like the food I had on Polaris from Newark to Frankfurt I was definitely in for a highlight.

I expect over the next few months the lounges will come back better than ever and with airline traveling looking to rebound we are in for a whole new travel experience in 2022 and beyond.

The post Food Review: United Club at Newark Airport (COVID Edition) appeared first on Travel Season.

US based airlines have never had a glamorous long-haul business class offering. United especially has old and dated offerings with a 2-4-2 configuration that they to run on many routes.

But the United Polaris 787-9 is on a different level.

Everything from the pre-departure lounge, design of the cabin, and especially the United business class food have all been seriously upgraded.

My day started at the United Polaris Lounge at Newark Airport which completely blew me away.

After that, I couldn’t have been more excited to board the plane, and I was first in line to get to my seat.

United Polaris did a great job turning a business class seat into what feels like an enclosed suite. Granted there is no door but the amount of privacy is unmatched on most other business class products with a large controllable divider in between the two middle seats.

I also really appreciated a quick schedule of the flight waiting on the screen as soon as you sit down. Especially the call out on lighting.

The pre-flight started off like any other with a welcome drink.

I decided to go with champagne. The glass wasn’t but favorite but I didn’t really care.

The food menu looked well balanced and there were actually a lot of options. It provides an option between two starters, and a choice of four different main entree options. They also provide a standard vegetarian dish (cacio e pepe ravioli) as a staple, so if you miss the pre-ordering window you should be ok. Vegans may not be as lucky.

Upon suggestion from a friend, I went with the Ginseng chicken bowl, although it wasn’t an easy call to pass on the short rib.

Let’s start with the appetizer. A smoked duck, farro salad, and side of greens to kick off my meal.

I’m not usually a huge fan of smoked meats, especially on airplanes. But the duck here was delicious. It was tender to cut into and paired exceptionally well with the farro salad, which came with nuts and berries inside. Served with a small spoonful of mustard (which I didn’t really touch) I was actually surprised how much I liked this.

The salad was nothing to write home about, but was still refreshing and simple. Especially when paired with all the flavor that came from the duck.

My girlfriend ordered the Asian Vegetarian meal, which came with a spring roll appetizer. It wasn’t half bad despite being unevenly heated.

Now onto the main course. I was expecting the entree to be a very light dish, something that would leave me hungry even after finishing. When it arrived I breathed a sigh of relieve as it looked extremely appetizing.

What arrived was chicken and lemongrass potstickers mixed in a ginseng chicken broth, served with an additional helping grilled chicken, carrots, and celery.

The flavor of the broth was well balanced and refreshing. The potstickers were the highlight of the meal, and provided a nice lemon grass flavor that paired very well with the broth. The strips of chicken were tasty, but seemed a bit out of place in this bowl. Almost like it was just tossed in there for the sake of it, or to add a touch of extra protein. However, being hungry at the time I didn’t mind.

After the meal I had to get to sleep. Since it was one of the shorter long haul flights at 7 hours, it was a time crunch to get enough sleep.

I had planned to wake up just in time for breakfast, and I timed it perfectly.

For breakfast I went with the rustic omelette, which was served with a croissant, breakfast sausage, potatoes, and a side of fresh fruit. This was a classic a western breakfast option, and while I wasn’t too starving at the time I still ended up eating most of it (sans the sad looking croissant). It was decent enough, and the fresh fruit was a terrific palate cleanser after the meal.

As we were about to land I tried to order a pre-landing espresso, but the cabin seemed too chaotic at the time. I decided to just hold off and get one in the lounge after landing.

Overall I was impressed with United’s food quality, although the selection was restricted and can certainly be expanded. A few inconsistencies here and there with dish temperature, but overall it was a quality food experience nonetheless.

The post Food Review: United Airlines 787 Business Class from Newark to Frankfurt appeared first on Travel Season.