Nearly a decade after United Airlines first launched its Polaris business-class product, the carrier is back with version 2.0. It’s part of United’s efforts to elevate the in-flight experience across all cabins, with a nose‑to‑tail makeover for incoming Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner planes.
For now, most of the attention is on investments at the pointy end of the plane. That’s because United is packing a total of 99 upgraded seats across business class and premium economy (8 Studio suites, 56 Polaris suites, and 35 Premium Plus seats) in the new aircraft, meaning that nearly half of the plane (45 percent of the total 222 seats) will be premium seats.
The first international passenger flights with these new interiors are scheduled to take off in early 2026, with service from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Singapore Changi (SIN) and London’s Heathrow (LHR). United has 30 Boeing 787-9s on order through 2027 but currently has no plans to retrofit existing aircraft.
The expanded Polaris Studio space includes an ottoman where a guest can join for a chat or a card game with United-provided playing cards.
Courtesy of United Airlines
New Polaris Studio suites
At the heart of the revamp are the new United Polaris Studio suites, eight extra‑large berths at the front of each business‐class section. Besides sliding privacy doors, travelers in these “business class plus” pods will have an ottoman where companions can sit during the flight. Each of the eight suites will boast a large, 27‑inch touch screen, Bluetooth audio connectivity, and wireless charging.
Compared to standard Polaris, passengers here will receive a nicer line of Perricone MD skincare products and an Ossetra caviar amuse‑bouche paired with Laurent‑Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne. (Not to mention little touches like United-branded playing cards.) On the ground, travelers have access to the private Global Reception check-in area, typically reserved for United’s highest-tier elites.
Pricing for the upgrade to these Studio suites has yet to be announced.
The new standard Polaris business-class configuration will better accommodate couples and traveling companions in the center aisle and will offer the ability to lower the divider between the center seats.
Courtesy of United Airlines
Polaris 2.0 and beyond
Standard Polaris business-class suites aren’t left behind, either. On these upcoming Boeing 787‑9s, each of the 56 “regular” Polaris seats will gain sliding doors and a 19‑inch screen (three inches larger than existing Polaris screens). United will also offer center suites that allow couples and traveling companions to sit closer together when the divider is lowered to bed height; currently, center seats don’t let the divider lower to bed height, and there’s a greater distance between the adjoining head areas. (While the finishes will be different, our review of Hawaiian Airlines’ new business class provides a sense of what the Polaris suite will ultimately be like.)
In the 35-seat Premium Plus cabin, United’s premium-economy class, passengers can expect 16-inch screens (versus 13 inches now) and a privacy divider with a built-in reading light (versus no divider now). Even travelers in economy get 13-inch monitors (versus 9 inches now)—the largest economy-class screens in the world.
Some of the upgraded amenities that will be provided to passengers booked into United’s Polaris Studio suites.
Photo by Dave Rentauskas/Courtesy of United Airlines
Why it matters
These days, discerning premium travelers expect more than lie‑flat seats and a glass of bubbly. Even among the major U.S. carriers, long-haul international passengers are spoiled for choice when it comes to business-class options.
American Airlines is set to debut its Flagship Suite on 787-9s this summer, with privacy doors, more personal storage space, and chaise-lounge seating with an adjustable headrest pillow. Delta Air Lines, meanwhile, is launching a new cabin design across all aircraft that will feature updated seat materials and wireless charging on the Airbus A350.
Notably for United, the upcoming Polaris Suites will be among the first widebody planes to also have free, ultra-fast Starlink connectivity. The carrier is promising reliable internet access around the world, including over oceans, polar regions, and other remote locations.
Let’s just say the bar is high for business class, and United is trying to raise it. This all comes while United has been in the news lately as it has had to reduce capacity at Newark Liberty International (EWR) due to an ongoing air traffic control crisis. At the very least, the planned aircraft interior enhancements offer a welcome distraction from the mayhem at one of United’s most important hubs.
