United CEO Munoz’s Polaris Promise Never Matched Reality
Photo Credit: United Airlines will no longer have a Bloody Mary cart in international business class. The airline may have erred by promising too much to premium customers. United Airlines
Skift Take
A first-time business class flyer might love the dog-and-pony show United Airlines promised with its Polaris service. But your average frequent flyer prefers a more consistent experience, even if it's not as strong.
With its new Polaris business class service, United Airlines has learned a powerful lesson: Sometimes, in the airline business, simple is best.
Polaris had considerable promise in June 2016 when United CEO Oscar Munoz took the stage at a New York theater to describe a complete re-thinking of business class. Over a multi-year period, United would introduce a proprietary all-aisle access seat and build dedicated lounges in key markets.
On board, starting that December, it would provide Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and pajamas for longer flights, and introduce new service elements, including a bloody mary cart. On the ground, flight attendants would greet customers with a champagne flute and a chocolate.
It was never going to be fast to retrofit aircraft and build lounges, but it is taking longer than expected. United has more than 150 wide-body jets, and so far fewer than 20 have new seats, and a substantial percentage may never get them. Meanwhile, United has one Polaris lounge, i
