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Airlines

United Launches Its New Much-Hyped Polaris Business Class

Brian Sumers

Photo Credit: United's new Polaris Business Class is now flying. At first, United's planes will not feature new seats, but Polaris does have improved amenities, including pajamas for longer flights.  United Airlines

Skift Take

From a public relations perspective, United has had a near flawless rollout of its new Polaris Business Class. But with it now flying, can the airline meet customer expectations? Or did the carrier over-promise what it can deliver?

Since United Airlines operates globally, flying as far as Sydney, Singapore, Paris, and Xi'an, China, the carrier often uses a soft cutover when it changes services it offers passengers. Even with items as simple as the recently-changed economy class cocktail napkin, United has used old and new versions simultaneously. It has done the same for business class amenity kits, switching over time, rather than at once. That means less waste, and it also ensures it's not a disaster if new items fail to reach caterers in Beijing or Hamburg by a specific day. But that's not the case with United's new Polaris Business Class, which launched Dec. 1. Every flight departing after 12:01 a.m. local time needed new napkins, silverware, plates,

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