Comparing United’s Polaris Products: Which Aircraft Provides the Best Experience?

Not all planes are the same, and not all United Polaris seats are the same. While much about United’s business-class cabin is equal across the airline’s various plane types — the color scheme, layout of the seat and items around it, and inflight menus, for example — much is different, as well.

That’s especially true when you consider the airline has tried to fit the same seats into its various aircraft, even though some are larger than others. This leads to smaller spacing at your seat or reduced length for the bed when your seat is in the lie-flat position, for example.

Which United plane has the best Polaris product? Let’s compare them.

Overview of United Airlines Polaris Seats

United Airlines introduced its Polaris business class in 2018. Since then, the airline has installed Polaris seats on its new planes and also retrofitted many of its older planes with Polaris seats.

However, United hasn’t installed Polaris seats on all of its planes — despite the fact that it sells these seats as “Polaris business class.”

Since the merger with Continental in 2018, United has taken over multiple planes from Continental and continues to fly some of them with the old seats. You’ll see these with a 2-4-2 layout on the seat map — something incredibly rare in business class these days.

These cabins have seats facing both forward and backward.

United also has Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 777-200 aircraft with a 2-2-2 layout. While these are lie-flat seats and better than the 2-4-2 layout, these seats technically aren’t Polaris. However, United markets and sells them as Polaris anyway.

And that same logic also applies to the 2-2 layout with lie-flat seats on United’s remaining Boeing 757 aircraft.

Today, we’ll only compare true Polaris business-class products. If you see a 2-2, 2-2-2, or 2-4-2 layout on the seat map for your flight — or see something other than the trademark blue and gray palette when you board the plane — those seats aren’t technically Polaris seats.

Here’s an overview of the Polaris cabins United is currently flying, all of which feature a 16-inch entertainment screen:

Hot Tip:

Airlines can and will swap aircraft for things like maintenance issues, passenger numbers, and other factors. Just because you’re booked onto a certain plane type doesn’t guarantee that’s the plane you’ll fly. If United switches your plane from a type with Polaris business class to another with older seats, it’s unlikely that you’ll qualify for a refund, but the airline may allow you to change to a different flight with Polaris seats if you ask.

Comparing the United Airlines Polaris Business Class Seats

United Polaris on the B767-300

United has 2 versions of Polaris cabins on its Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The first has 46 seats in business class.

The second version has just 30 seats, making it quite obvious which version you’re flying by the loss of 8 rows and 16 seats. You also might get a wider seat on the version 2 aircraft (the type with 30 seats), as seats go up to 22.7 inches of width.

And now, for the bad news: United’s B767 aircraft — both the 767-300 and 767-400 models — have the shortest bed length across all Polaris seats. With either version, you have 77 inches of length when the seat is in the lie-flat bed position. That’s an inch shorter than what you get in other Polaris cabins.

Additionally, with the cabin’s staggered layout, some seats are true window seats, while others are closer to the aisle with less privacy and minimal access to the window. True window seats are in the odd-numbered rows.

United Polaris on the B767-400

United currently only flies one type of B767-400 aircraft, which holds 39 Polaris seats in a 1-1-1 layout. The seat width is variable between 20.36 and 22.18 inches, and the lie-flat bed is 77 inches — tied for the shortest bed of all Polaris cabins.

As with other Polaris cabins, window seats in the odd rows (1, 3, 5, etc.) are true window seats with more privacy than those in even-numbered rows.

The middle section on United’s B767 planes (both 767-300 and 767-400 layouts) doesn’t have 2 seats next to each other, creating a bad layout for those traveling together who want to sit next to each other. Instead, there’s a staggered 1-1-1 layout, as you can notice in this picture of the cabin.

Additionally, the entry space into your seat on United’s B767 aircraft is tighter than you find on other planes. I wear a U.S. 11 1/2 shoe, and passing through the narrow hallway into and out of the seat felt cramped.

United Polaris on the B777-200

United has 3 versions of its Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Only 1 variant out of the 3 has Polaris seating, as the others have the older business-class cabin with a 2-4-2 layout and some seats facing backward. You’ll instantly know the difference in the plane (because of the layout and backward seats) or when looking at the seat map before your flight (because of the 1-2-1 layout).

Polaris seats on United’s B777-200 and B777-300 planes are the same, offering 22 inches of width and 78 inches of pitch, making a bed that’s 6 feet 6 inches long when lying flat.

United Polaris on the B777-300

While the B777-200 planes have 50 seats in Polaris, the B777-300 variant has 60 seats. You’ll notice that the 777-300 series has Polaris seats through row 18, while the Polaris cabin ends at row 15 on the 777-200 planes.

Beyond this, the cabins feel very similar, using a 1-2-1 layout in which odd-numbered rows have middle seats that are closer together — ideal for people traveling in pairs who want to talk to each other during the flight.

Middle seats and window seats in even-numbered rows are less preferable, as the middle seats are separated by the storage compartment, making them farther apart, and the window seats are closer to the aisle than the window, creating less privacy.

United Polaris on the B787-8

United uses the same Polaris seats and the same layout on all 3 versions of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The only difference is how many seats are in the cabin. The 787-8 version has the fewest seats, with just 28 Polaris seats.

Beyond the number of seats, United’s 787 planes have the same 1-2-1 layout and the same seat size: 20.5 inches wide and 78 inches in the lie-flat position.

United Polaris on the B787-9

United’s 787-9 planes have the most Polaris seats of any Dreamliner model, holding 48 Polaris passengers.

The cabin uses the same 1-2-1 layout as other models, with the same preference for seats in odd-numbered rows as discussed previously.

Window seats in even-numbered rows once again have the storage and controls against the window, putting the seat closer to the aisle and creating an exposed feeling that many passengers try to avoid the next time they choose a seat in a Polaris cabin.

United Polaris on the B787-10

The newest Dreamliner model has 4 fewer Polaris seats than the previous model, offering just 44 Polaris seats in the same 1-2-1 layout.

As with the 787-8 and 787-9 models, the seats are 20.5 inches wide and extend to 78 inches long in the bed position.

As discussed previously, seats in odd-numbered rows are ideal for couples because the divider between seats can be lowered. This makes it much easier for passengers to talk to each other during the flight than passengers experience in even rows. That’s because the storage units and controls are between those passengers, making their upper bodies farther apart.

Which United Polaris Seat Is the Best?

It’s worth first highlighting the things that are the same across all United Polaris flights. You’ll enjoy the same screens for entertainment, the same headphones, the same amenity kits, and the same color schemes. Flight attendants also rotate across aircraft and should provide the same experience, no matter which plane type you’re flying that day. Additionally, meal service and menus should be the same whether you’re sitting in older or newer seats.

With that in mind, there are differences between United’s different Polaris cabins.

Many seats offer 78 inches of length when laying the seat down into the bed position. However, United’s B767 planes have a shorter bed length at 77 inches. That loss of length can be noticeable when passengers stretch out.

Seat width also varies. Interestingly, the B767-300 with the shortest bed length also has the widest seat across all Polaris seats at 24 inches. Typically, you’ll get 20.5 or 22 inches of seat width in Polaris, so an extra 2 inches at your hips and shoulders can feel roomy.

Why can’t the airline just make all seats the same size and reduce space elsewhere? Some elements can’t be changed. Lavatories need to be a certain minimum size to accommodate passengers. Aisles must be a minimum width to accommodate passengers in wheelchairs and the airline’s drink carts. Safety considerations also play a role, ensuring passengers can get off the plane quickly in an emergency. When you take into account the different planes’ sizes (especially their width), the lost space typically comes from seat width since the aisles can’t get smaller.

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Final Thoughts

At this point, I’ve flown nearly every plane type with United Polaris business class. Far and away, the Boeing 767 plane types provide a more cramped experience than the other aircraft, given its smaller size, which leaves less space for your seat. Getting in and out of these seats also feels less comfortable than the other Polaris models, due to the size of the entry space between the seat and the aisle.

United’s B787 and B777 planes have longer beds when lying down, but the greatest combination of seat width and seat pitch (the space from your seat to the one in front of it) is the Boeing 777 aircraft. Unfortunately, United is still flying some 777 planes with old business-class seating, but those with true Polaris seats offer 78 inches of lie-flat bed and 22 inches of seat width.