United Airlines business class deals

Polaris routes from the US

United flies long-haul Polaris from seven US hubs: Newark, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, Houston, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Newark gets most of the new European cities. For summer 2027 it adds Luxembourg, Ljubljana, Olbia, Catania, Ibiza, Valencia, Marseille and Terceira, and brings back the summer-only Split, Bari, Glasgow and Santiago de Compostela flights. Four of the new routes use the A321XLR and Terceira a 737 MAX 8, so check the aircraft.

San Francisco was the first home of the Elevated 787-9, on Singapore, London and Zurich; it adds Okinawa from March 27, 2027, and restarts Tel Aviv on March 28. Houston gets the Elevated jet on São Paulo, Tokyo Narita and the winter-season Sydney flight from October 24, 2026, and on London Heathrow from early January 2027. Los Angeles adds daily Osaka from March 27, 2027, and Denver daily Paris from May 27. Washington Dulles starts A321XLR flights to Amsterdam and Dublin on December 1, 2026, then Toulouse and Milan in spring 2027. United says the new routes are subject to government approval.

Aircraft assignments shift with the season, so the same flight can carry an Elevated 787-9 one month and an older jet the next. Confirm the aircraft, and whether the route is seasonal, when you book.

Polaris lounges and who can use them

United runs Polaris lounges at six hubs: Chicago O’Hare, Newark, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. Denver has had one planned for Concourse A since 2023, but it is not yet listed as open. The lounges offer sit-down dining and a buffet, showers and quiet rooms with daybeds. The Los Angeles lounge, in Terminal 7 beyond gate 73, is well reviewed but small, and can crowd before the evening long-haul departures.

Access now depends on the fare as well as the cabin. Since April 2026 United has sold Polaris as base, standard and flexible fares; only standard and flexible include the Polaris lounge, and base gets the United Club. The same split applies on the select transcontinental and longer Hawaii flights sold as Polaris. From April 14, 2026, partner access narrowed to business and first class on ANA, Air New Zealand, ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group airlines, with some fare limits. Business class on Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and most other Star Alliance airlines no longer qualifies.

Baggage and fare rules

The three Polaris fares share the same cabin and meals; what changes is everything around the seat. A base fare includes one checked bag, charges a fee to choose a seat before check-in, cannot be changed or refunded, and cannot be upgraded, including into a Polaris Studio. A standard fare includes two checked bags, free seat selection and the right to change the ticket. A flexible fare includes everything in standard and is fully refundable.

On standard and flexible fares, recent reviews list two checked bags of up to 70 pounds (32 kilograms) each. United began selling the tiers in select markets in April 2026 and is extending them through the year, so check which tier a quote is, not just the cabin, and ask whether a fare difference applies when you change a standard ticket.

Connecting through a United hub

Most travelers outside the hub cities fly a domestic leg first. A standard or flexible Polaris ticket opens the Polaris lounge at six of the seven hubs; Denver has United Clubs only. United also sells Polaris on select transcontinental flights; the Coastliner A321neo planned for those routes was delayed by Airbus with no new date as of late August 2026.

Coming home, you clear US customs at the first airport where you land, so a connection at Newark, Houston or San Francisco means passport control, collecting and rechecking your bags and a fresh TSA screening before the domestic flight. Leave more time than on the way out. US citizens can use CBP’s free Mobile Passport Control app at all seven United hubs, and Global Entry members can use its kiosks. Flights from Dublin and Shannon are precleared in Ireland, so on arrival you walk straight to your connection.

Abroad, United’s joint ventures with the Lufthansa Group, ANA and Air New Zealand let one ticket continue on a partner beyond Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Tokyo or Auckland.

Choosing your flight and seat

Start with the aircraft. For the most privacy, look for the Elevated 787-9 on San Francisco and Houston routes, accepting that its doors may still be locked open; next come the 1-2-1 777s and 787s, then the 767s, whose 1-1-1 layout suits solo travelers but separates couples. If you want aisle access, avoid a flight shown with a 2-4-2 777-200 or a 757.

On the 777 and 787, window seats in odd-numbered rows sit against the window and even-row windows sit nearer the aisle; couples do well in an odd-row center pair, and even-row center seats offer the least privacy. On the 767, odd-row windows are the most private and no two seats suit companions. On the Elevated 787-9 every window seat angles toward the window, and one reviewer suggests the rear-cabin center pairs, rows 9 to 17, for couples. Seats by galleys and lavatories see the most traffic.

Then match the fare to the trip. A base fare can work for fixed dates and one bag, but it means paying for a seat, no Polaris lounge and no changes. Standard is the safer default when plans might move, and flexible suits trips that could be cancelled. Your agent can check aircraft, seat map and fare tier together.