SFO debuts new United Polaris lounge
Unique features inspired by San Francisco
The two-story, 28,120-square-foot lounge located in the International Terminal at SFO was designed with sweeping views of the airport and the San Francisco Bay Area. The lounge offers customers three distinct experiences: an area to relax, an area to recharge and an area to engage. A custom scent, curated music playlist and subtle mood lighting also come together to create a memorable sensory experience.
Spacious seating areas to meet a variety of needs
The space features a variety of seating areas to meet the needs of customers, with 19 different types of seats throughout the lounge. This includes 49 United Polaris signature lounge seats which offer additional privacy for uninterrupted work or relaxation — the oversized chairs come equipped with an integrated work or dining table, large privacy dividers and a personal side lamp. With 492 outlets and 492 USB ports situated throughout the lounge, staying connected has never been easier.
Rest starts here with soothing amenities
Tucked away from the rest of the lounge, daybeds outfitted with a Saks Fifth Avenue blanket and pillow offer a place to rest. Visitors also have the option to freshen up in shower suites, outfitted with Soho House & Co's Cowshed Spa products, which have ample space for visitors to keep their luggage with them so they will have all their personal items at hand. A valet is available to steam clothes upon request.
Regional influences are infused in food and drink selections
Food and drink selections include nods to both the local area and the popular destinations United serves from San Francisco. Visitors can grab something from the buffet before boarding or settle in for a full meal in the private dining space, which sits close to 40 people. The menu by Chef Tritia Gestuvo, a California native, blends international comfort foods, such as a traditional Chinese congee breakfast and hand-cut pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragout, with staples such as the United Polaris Burger, which will be on the menu at all United Polaris lounges.
Regionally inspired cocktails include the Mai Tai, invented in Oakland in 1944 at Trader Vic's after Vic "The Trader" Bergeron returned from a trip to Hawaii, and the Pisco Punch, first seen in the 1830s when San Francisco began to import the brandy from Peru. The lounge also offers a house-made vodka infusion with a blend of garnishes, oolong-steeped bourbon and house-made vermouth.
Additional updates rolling out
In addition to United Polaris lounge openings, customers will also see a few thoughtful updates on board including a cool-gel memory foam pillow to help you relax and a pre-arrival treat to satisfy any sweet cravings before landing. We're also expanding United Polaris seating within our fleet approximately every 10 days.
Visit the new United Polaris lounge at SFO starting on April 30. The lounge is available to customers traveling in United Polaris first or business class on long-haul international flights departing or arriving into SFO as well as customers traveling on a long-haul international flight on a Star Alliance™ partner airline in first or business class. Visit United Polaris to find out when additional lounges are slated to open.
Ready to go inside? Take a look at the new United Polaris lounge at SFO with our 360 panotour below:
Unique features inspired by San Francisco
The two-story, 28,120-square-foot lounge located in the International Terminal at SFO was designed with sweeping views of the airport and the San Francisco Bay Area. The lounge offers customers three distinct experiences: an area to relax, an area to recharge and an area to engage. A custom scent, curated music playlist and subtle mood lighting also come together to create a memorable sensory experience.
Spacious seating areas to meet a variety of needs
The space features a variety of seating areas to meet the needs of customers, with 19 different types of seats throughout the lounge. This includes 49 United Polaris signature lounge seats which offer additional privacy for uninterrupted work or relaxation — the oversized chairs come equipped with an integrated work or dining table, large privacy dividers and a personal side lamp. With 492 outlets and 492 USB ports situated throughout the lounge, staying connected has never been easier.
Rest starts here with soothing amenities
Tucked away from the rest of the lounge, daybeds outfitted with a Saks Fifth Avenue blanket and pillow offer a place to rest. Visitors also have the option to freshen up in shower suites, outfitted with Soho House & Co's Cowshed Spa products, which have ample space for visitors to keep their luggage with them so they will have all their personal items at hand. A valet is available to steam clothes upon request.
Regional influences are infused in food and drink selections
Food and drink selections include nods to both the local area and the popular destinations United serves from San Francisco. Visitors can grab something from the buffet before boarding or settle in for a full meal in the private dining space, which sits close to 40 people. The menu by Chef Tritia Gestuvo, a California native, blends international comfort foods, such as a traditional Chinese congee breakfast and hand-cut pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragout, with staples such as the United Polaris Burger, which will be on the menu at all United Polaris lounges.
Regionally inspired cocktails include the Mai Tai, invented in Oakland in 1944 at Trader Vic's after Vic "The Trader" Bergeron returned from a trip to Hawaii, and the Pisco Punch, first seen in the 1830s when San Francisco began to import the brandy from Peru. The lounge also offers a house-made vodka infusion with a blend of garnishes, oolong-steeped bourbon and house-made vermouth.
Additional updates rolling out
In addition to United Polaris lounge openings, customers will also see a few thoughtful updates on board including a cool-gel memory foam pillow to help you relax and a pre-arrival treat to satisfy any sweet cravings before landing. We're also expanding United Polaris seating within our fleet approximately every 10 days.
Visit the new United Polaris lounge at SFO starting on April 30. The lounge is available to customers traveling in United Polaris first or business class on long-haul international flights departing or arriving into SFO as well as customers traveling on a long-haul international flight on a Star Alliance™ partner airline in first or business class. Visit United Polaris to find out when additional lounges are slated to open.
Ready to go inside? Take a look at the new United Polaris lounge at SFO with our 360 panotour below:
"We were proud to do our part to encourage more Americans to get their shot and were thrilled by the overwhelming response we received. This prize clearly struck an emotional chord with our customers, as the opportunity to travel and connect with people and places that matter most is something that clearly has been missed during the pandemic," said United's CEO, Scott Kirby. "I'd like to extend my personal gratitude to everyone who entered the sweepstakes and more importantly, made the decision to get vaccinated."
United is the only U.S. airline to offer its own one-stop-shop where customers can conveniently get "travel-ready" by uploading and storing their COVID-19 test results and vaccination records directly through the airline's website and award-winning mobile app with the Travel-Ready Center. The airline's easy-to-use travel tool enables customers to reduce stress and save valuable time at the airport right from the palm of their hand.
All of the grand prize winners are already starting to plan out the adventures they and their families will have in the upcoming year thanks to United. Ashley Cronkhite is an advertising professional who began working at a grocery store during the pandemic. She plans to travel to European destinations including Ireland and Italy with her best friend – her mom. Robert Simicak plans to travel to national parks around the U.S. with his wife, who is a frontline healthcare worker in Cleveland. Lauren Aldredge will experience her first time flying in a premium cabin and will be traveling to celebrate her 30th birthday with her partner. Sean Husmoe plans to travel with his wife and daughters to check off the final two continents that they have not yet visited, including South America and Antarctica. Lauren M. plans to travel with her family, including a trip to Tahiti with her husband.
The rest of United's customers will have no shortage of opportunities to plan long-awaited getaways of their own, as the airline has continued to grow its schedule in response to increased travel demand. Since May, the airline has launched new flights to Greece, Iceland, South Africa, Ghana and Croatia, and has resumed service as countries like Italy, Portugal, Spain and France re-opened to vaccinated travelers or travelers with a negative COVID test. For those planning to stay closer to home, United is adding nearly 150 flights to warm-weather destinations across the U.S, just in time for the winter holiday season.
Travel-Ready Center
Since its launch, United customers have been able to easily access testing or vaccine requirements needed for travel destinations, upload country specific required forms, completed testing results and vaccination records as well as have them verified, all within United's award-winning mobile app and website with the Travel-Ready Center. The Travel-Ready Center is an industry-leading digital platform that offers customers the ability to choose from thousands of COVID-19 testing providers across the country, book appointments and receive confirmation whether their test results meet their destination's requirements. Once requirements are validated, customers will see a status indicator informing them that they are "travel-ready" and receive their mobile boarding pass. United is the only airline that offers its customers these services as part of an integrated experience within its own app and website. The airline was also the first to set up an easy way for international travelers to bring a CDC-approved test with them, self-administer while abroad, and return home through an innovative collaboration with Abbott.
Mileage Plus: A 40-Year Legacy
United introduced its MileagePlus loyalty program in 1981 and over the past four decades, it has continued to be a leading airline loyalty program, with a number of industry-first innovations designed to enhance the travel experience for members. United added its Premier® program in 1983 and then its first loyalty credit card in 1987. More recently, in 2019, United announced that MileagePlus award miles never expire, and introduced PlusPoints for MileagePlus Premier members, giving customers more flexibility in how they choose to fly. United has also proudly worked together with MileagePlus members to contribute to the communities it serves, most notably donating 3.4 billion miles to charity organizations since 2003.
MileagePlus was named the 2020 Best Frequent Flyer Program by Global Traveler for the 17th consecutive year and was recently recognized as the Best Overall Frequent Flyer program by WalletHub.
About United
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
SOURCE United Airlines
For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, +1-872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com
