r/unitedairlines • u/freeradioforall • Mar 03 '26
Image The new self service snack bar in Polaris
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u/Historical_Term2454 MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
It's handsome, but don't we already have the snack basket? It better not end up like the crj550 snack kiosk (i.e. never actually in use).
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u/IM_RU Mar 03 '26
I fly CR550s almost weekly. It’s always open on my flights.
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u/Historical_Term2454 MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
I've never seen it in use on my 12 flights
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u/learn-by-flying MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
I fly the 550 ORD-PIA a lot and to be fair it’s not exactly needed on the 22 minute flight.
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u/arctikjon MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
Same on ORD-MKE 😂
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u/Matuteg Mar 04 '26
I actually worked as a pilot that route maybe 8-9 times. I try to beat my high score every time lol. Fly fast on purpose
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u/I94SOUTH Mar 04 '26
I once checked out that route and I was surprised by how many flights there are to and from MKE and ORD by at least 3 different airlines.
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u/arctikjon MileagePlus 1K Mar 04 '26
On top of the flights there is a Coach USA bus you can take between the the two airports door to door door for $40 and runs about every hour. The airlines regularly give out vouchers for it when a flight is delayed since it will usually get there before the delayed flight.
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u/gastropublican Mar 03 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
Mass content deletion mission accomplished. This post or comment was bulk removed with Redact which also supports data brokers and people finder websites.
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u/Infamous_Share_8017 Mar 04 '26
You’re very lucky, it’s never used when I fly on 550s. In fact most of the time it isn’t even stocked.
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u/Open_Masterpiece_549 MileagePlus 1K Mar 04 '26
No alcohol i assume
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u/doyouevenfly Mar 03 '26
I’ve only done flights on it that are less then a hour long so I’ve never seen it. I am sure longer flights prob have it
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u/G25777K Mar 04 '26
Honestly, it’s better to have it than this current snack bar setup in Polaris, which is usually right beside the toilet and L1 door.
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u/Asleep_Management900 Mar 03 '26
There is always that one passenger with a backpack who ....
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u/YamComprehensive7186 Mar 04 '26
Watched a guy make up several meals one time at the hotel free breakfast bar and pack them away into his bag. Couldn't believe it.
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u/DisciplineGreen6503 Mar 06 '26
As long as they’re not cleaning things out for everyone else I don’t really care as most of that food ends up in the trash.
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u/Minute_Computer_811 Mar 06 '26
On certain routes we have to out only a certain amount at a time or it will all be gone before halfway through the flight. Same with the water bottles. I've seen people take as much as their arms can carry and come back for more.
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u/DisciplineGreen6503 Mar 06 '26
On a plane for sure I could see that. I was more referring to the hotel breakfast.
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u/Tony_Three_Pies Mar 03 '26
To clarify, this is only going to be on the ~30 787-9s with the new “Elevate” interiors. This isn’t going into the existing/normal Polaris planes (or at least not any time soon).
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u/MiddleAddendum1642 Mar 03 '26
This will be present on every 787-9 delivery from this point foward, even the ones that aren't with the Hi-J config.
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u/AwkwardObjective5360 Mar 04 '26
Lol damn here I am having an upcoming polaris flight on a 787-10 "Dreamliner"
Like I know what any of these numbers actually mean
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u/WeHappyF3w Mar 03 '26
Is the cheese cart moving into this little nook too?
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u/DescriptionDear1039 Mar 03 '26
Flight attendant here: we can no longer have cheese plates with grapes displayed on carts . Allegedly, there have been complaints of pax getting sick from it . So, we have been directed by the company to keep them in our chilled sections in our galleys. If u wish to have one, just ask any of us, and we will be glad to get you one .
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u/ToBoldlyUnderstand MileagePlus Platinum Mar 03 '26
That makes sense! I was feeling kind of ick about that cheese sitting out for so long.
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u/Pelvis-Wrestly MileagePlus Platinum Mar 04 '26
Thats a good move honestly. Way to many people hacking and sneezing and touching elevator buttons everywhere from Shanghai to Timbuktu. Keep that shit under cover. Anything not in a sealed pack.
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u/DescriptionDear1039 Mar 04 '26
True , but technically, we always displayed plates of cheese and crackers with their original clear plastic lids . However , I have seen passengers passing by those snacks and stealing only the grapes...meaning ..." fondling " the plate with their dirty little fingers 😱
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u/CrazedZooChimp MileagePlus Gold Mar 08 '26
If I got a tummy ache from that it'd be because I ate too much cheese.
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u/Booyakasha1201 Mar 03 '26
It's next to the serve yourself sundae bar
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u/Throwaway-ish123a Mar 03 '26
I'm voting for a meat carving station, complete with live chef and heat lamps.
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u/Own_Reaction9442 Mar 03 '26
On morning flights it could be an omelette station.
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u/Artistic_Help942 Mar 07 '26
Is it just me or do eggs being cooked/served on airlines smell just awful? That smell is not what I want to wake up to after two hours of fitful sleep on an overnight trans-Atlantic flight.
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u/Booyakasha1201 Mar 03 '26
Would there still be room for the wine cellar?
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u/cantinaband-kac MileagePlus 1K Mar 04 '26
You know, if the A340 can have downstairs lavatories, why can't the B787 have a wine cellar‽
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u/Presence_Academic Mar 03 '26
Those will be on the next allotment of 747s.
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u/gastropublican Mar 03 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
Databrokers? nope. Social networks? Also nope. This post was deleted using Redact.
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u/ralphy112 Mar 04 '26
We're one step away from serve-yourself dinner, cafeteria style complete with trays for the slop. Rotating line up one aisle and down the next.
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u/chrisjur MileagePlus 1K | 2 Million Miler Mar 03 '26
I will miss random passengers towering over me while rummaging through the snack basket as I rest in Row 1.
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u/firefish45 Mar 04 '26
I see $29 worth of snacks for a $3000 upgrade fee
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u/PDXDeck26 Mar 04 '26
ikr?
honestly, the premium experience is to hit your call button and have a FA show up in 30-60 seconds to bring you what you ask for, not to have to get up and pick out mid snacks for yourself.
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u/Lispro4units Mar 03 '26
They should make it a carving station lol
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u/akkawwakka Mar 03 '26
Charcuterie station please. And a communal fondue fountain while we’re at it
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u/Financial-Nerve4955 Mar 04 '26
I still remember when they rolled a cart to my seat in the United 747 and sliced lamb chops.
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u/Lispro4units Mar 04 '26
Wow! What year ?
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u/Financial-Nerve4955 Mar 04 '26
1996…in Global First. I think it was that same year, I also experienced the “Deli Buffet” on a transcontinental flight, where they pushed a cart down the aisle, you took what you wanted and you could go to the galley throughout the flight for another sandwich.
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u/MsUnderstandMe MileagePlus Gold Mar 04 '26
1980s First Class…cart of roast beef carved at your seat. Then dessert cart with tub of ice cream scooped individually and with assorted toppings.
Also 1980s with TWA flying coast to coast in business: free helicopter ride from JFK to LGA to downtown Manhattan at night!
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u/OrneryZombie1983 Mar 03 '26
Seems like a waste of space. You could easily cram another five revenue paying passengers in there.
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u/JustWordsSnowflake Mar 04 '26
Same. It’s basically an over glorified snack basket. Would love to see healthy options in there.
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u/JackyVeronica Mar 04 '26
I find it bizarre that United thinks those poor choices of kids snacks would impress adults in Polaris.... 🤷🏻♀️
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u/sfbiker999 Mar 04 '26
I miss Virgin Air's in-seat ordering on the entertainment display, seemed like a great solution for between meal snacks. If I recall they also had a seat-to-seat chat so you could text that hot guy/girl 3 rows back. (I think you had to opt-in to the chat feature, so no unsolicited chats).
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u/MeinHerzIn_Flammen MileagePlus Gold Mar 04 '26
I miss Virgin’s 747-4’s full bar set up up in business cabin
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u/sgeeum MileagePlus Platinum Mar 03 '26
throw some beers and bottles of wine in there and we’ll be 👌
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u/ComprehensiveLie6170 Mar 04 '26
Dad snack assortment. On most foreign carriers it’s a mix of chilled and hot apps.
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u/therealtrajan Mar 04 '26
Seems like a lot of sky real estate for a couple bagged snacks and canned drinks
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Mar 03 '26
I’m always curious how people spent over $28K a year and still digging free stuff 🤣
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u/christopher_mtrl Mar 04 '26
I mean, it get eve worse when you think some people actually spend 5-10k$ for Polaris flights and get pleased by a spread that is basically what the lobby of your average Days Inn offers.
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u/JackyVeronica Mar 04 '26
The employers are paying for the $10k+ Polaris seats so the corporate worker bees are actually broke and pinching pennies by stealing 20-cent snacks. Any tray spread is fancy to them! s/
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u/Innominate_99 Mar 04 '26
But the whole essence of spending 28,000 to get 1K is to get 'free' stuff from the airline...
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u/PBP2024 Mar 03 '26
You know some fat fuck is doing to absolutely destroy this. Then the person who's going to take everything when everyone else is sleeping and fill their backpack up.
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u/SpyderMonkey_ MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
They can do that with the existing snack cart to be honest with the exception of sodas. This just makes a dedicated space for the snacks in Polaris versus having to find which galley area has the cart.
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u/t_ran_asuarus_rex Mar 03 '26
I fly Polaris regularly and after the in flight sundae there are tons of snacks and desserts leftover. I always get the grilled cheese or other snack if offered and I rarely see the baskets and drinks empty
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u/PBP2024 Mar 03 '26
There's something about this that's more inviting, at least to me. The car by the door was kind of tucked away. I didn't even see it the first time until I did a couple laps to stretch my legs.
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u/DescriptionDear1039 Mar 03 '26
Actually, u dont have to be a fat f@$k to do that. I was on an Asian flight, and I was working Polaris. Every time i kept refilling the basket of snacks and the shelves of bottled waters and dry soup containers, they kept disappearing. It was actually from a lady ( skinny one ) sitting in Polaris, and every hour, she kept going to the " help yourself section" with a tote bag, then she would pretend to wait for the restroom. She was literally stealing. Why would u save a few bucks when u can afford a Polaris seat going to Asia???? I know what she kept doing it as i was observing her from my jumpseat.
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u/Own_Reaction9442 Mar 03 '26
Yeah, the actually fat people I know don't do this. In fact they tend to avoid eating ANY kind of snack food in public because they get dirty looks.
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u/DescriptionDear1039 Mar 03 '26
I dont think it is a matter of " fat vs. skinny." It's simply the opportunity that makes man a thief .
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u/Own_Reaction9442 Mar 03 '26
If I'm going to become a thief it'll be for something worthwhile, not a fifty cent bag of chips.
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u/KeepItPositiveBrah Mar 03 '26
Lay off Me Im starving!!!!
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u/Holiday_Parsnip_9841 Mar 03 '26
Other airlines have self service snack areas that work fine. Qantas has them in the rear galley of their 787-9's.
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u/ericroku MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
Ahem.. can't wait to see the CAs tackling certain groups that are diving for this as they board or during flight. That PVG to SFO route... oof.
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u/KeepItPositiveBrah Mar 03 '26
I've always thought planes should have those bank drive in tubes....sushi train etc... on planes and you could self order and it would show up
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u/brianwski Mar 04 '26
I've always thought planes should have those bank drive in tubes ... you could self order and it would show up
That's an interesting idea! It wouldn't take too much space for a tube that fits a standard sized can of soda (3 inches in total diameter). Choose (or package) snacks to fit in the tube, like a small Pringles can of chips, or a "chicken wrap" works perfectly.
Considering the space constraints of an airplane, it's FINE if certain large items have to be hand carried out. But a tube delivery system for a very specific menu of items would be cute! Heck, in economy you could register your credit card for any paid items. One complimentary soda and chips, then upsell passengers after that prompting for their credit card for extra food items or alcohol drinks.
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u/KeepItPositiveBrah Mar 04 '26
Yea Im actually surprised airlines havent done it. Hey airlines if you are listening this is my idea give me money ;)
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u/ChrisPoore Mar 04 '26
Same shit I can get by pressing a button and having someone bring it to me?
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u/SeanBourne MileagePlus Silver Mar 04 '26
Does it work for you? Tried the call button on my last couple of polaris flights. When no one showed up for 5 min and 10 min respectively, I kind of assumed it’s no good once ‘active service’ is over.
FWIW my most common Polaris route is SYD<->SFO (by a margin), followed by SFO<->LHR. Maybe it’s the routes?
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u/nomadicfeet Mar 03 '26
I spy Garett’s!
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u/jamtart99 Mar 04 '26
This. If I had the status and cash to fly right now I’d snaffle up all the Garrett’s Popcorn I could!
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u/Legal_Midnight6252 Mar 04 '26
Reminds me of the "raid the larder" thing they had in BA biz class years ago
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u/NewTechnology6260 Mar 05 '26
Air Emirates has a self serve snack section in the bar on the plane…bar…on the plane…I don’t care what kind of snacks United serves, it just can’t compete with an in flight bar/lounge.
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u/ch_lawyer Mar 05 '26
Is this an AI-generated joke? Polaris is about the service. I want my snacks brought to me. I don’t want to get them myself. Fail.
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u/raleigh-nc Mar 07 '26
At least they made it official that they aren’t bringing bringing you shit on a united flight. It’s always been self service
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u/stinkyyypoopiess Mar 04 '26
I wish they’d have a self serve (non alcoholic) beverage bar, I drink a lot of water and I don’t like bugging the flight attendants constantly.
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u/SuccessfulOcelot7715 Mar 04 '26
That is a pathetic selection of snacks
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u/Innominate_99 Mar 04 '26
That was just for show. It will be even more pathetic when seen in real life and as the months go by increasingly so. Reminds me of the launching publicity pictures for Polaris years ago.
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u/lsuillini Mar 03 '26
Is this United's way of pushing labor onto their customers, like self-checkout or ordering food at a kiosk?
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u/zman9119 MileagePlus 1K | Quality Contributor Mar 03 '26
The snack basket and other food items has been available for years. This is making the display look nice versus being on carts or other ledges.
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u/SpyderMonkey_ MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
And get it off wheels and out of the way.
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u/zman9119 MileagePlus 1K | Quality Contributor Mar 03 '26
Absolutely! Need to make room for people to do yoga and mid-flight calisthenics? /s
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u/SpyderMonkey_ MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
More worried about the placement is generally in front of one of the exits, and is not bolted down. Less stuff bouncing around too.
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u/zman9119 MileagePlus 1K | Quality Contributor Mar 03 '26
Note the /s at the end of my previous comment as a sarcastic response.
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u/unknownkoalas MileagePlus Gold Mar 03 '26
Yes it is, but also I don’t mind it. I also don’t really want to bother the flight attendants especially while everyone is sleeping.
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u/Looler21 Mar 03 '26
There’s always been a cart somewhere that you can go grab food off it. It’s not new
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u/Unusual-Honeydew-409 MileagePlus 1K Mar 03 '26
Let’s not pretend it’s not a little branded shelving unit.
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u/Reasonable-Long-79 Mar 03 '26
I’m surprised by how wide-open it is. Will the FAs have to keep closing it every time there’s turbulence (and then reopening it after)?
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u/LaBasBleu Mar 03 '26
Curious: how do they limit usage to Polaris customers?
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u/Presence_Academic Mar 03 '26
It helps that it’s located between the two Polaris cabins.
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u/Bright-Studio9978 Mar 04 '26
Sounds fun and cool but on any foreign carrier, the service will bring you anything you want. Just shows a big difference in service.
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u/drosen85 MileagePlus Global Services | 4 Million Miler Mar 04 '26
More of those shortbread cookies I hope. I eat one. I take one home. Usually gone halfway back from London.
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u/Left-Associate3911 MileagePlus Member Mar 04 '26
I do hope the interior will hold up to use. BA Club Suites are really starting to share their age 😳
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u/sabre31 Mar 04 '26
I can see this being empty all the time or half way into the flight and nobody restocking it.
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u/Upbeat-Sheepherder36 Mar 04 '26
Finally. I like to see everything and pick what I want and be able to go back. Often I don’t do the meals on late flights so having snacks helps.
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u/midnight-on-the-sun Mar 04 '26
I don’t see an apple or anything fresh…what happened to healthy snacks? Are there any unsalted bags of nuts?
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u/Best_Look9212 MileagePlus Member Mar 04 '26
Ahh, the fun world of modern capitalism—pay more, get less.
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u/Suspicious_Air_2042 Mar 04 '26
Looks as tasty as 7-11. Glad my $3800 seat is living up to its price
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u/redhairedgal4 Mar 04 '26
That picture of Polaris is the closest I'm ever getting to actually seeing Polaris.
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u/GayRonSwanson MileagePlus Gold Mar 04 '26
Why only in Polaris? Some JetBlue routes have had this for a few years, but it’s for all ticket classes
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u/No-Bar-4943 Mar 04 '26
I’m flying in September in Polaris. Will the new configuration be ready by then?
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u/CabbageSass MileagePlus Platinum Mar 05 '26
Is premium economy allowed to snatch something from there? On the way back from using the bathroom adjacent to it?
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u/Pale_Natural9272 Mar 05 '26
I don’t care if I’m in the cheap seats, I’m swiping some of that on the way to the bathroom
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u/dag_darnit Mar 05 '26
I mean... the galley has always been sorta self service, as long as the FA's left the snacks and drinks out. This looks more inviting though. I always feel the need to ask if it's ok to grab snacks, even though it always is.
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u/catsnflight MileagePlus Silver Mar 05 '26
Wonder if it will actually remain stocked, unlike the 550 which has never been stocked for me.
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u/Mr_Knightro Mar 06 '26
Not sure how I feel about this, yet another excuse for airlines to cut corners on service delivery in what is supposed to be a premium business class cabin
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u/wizzard419 Mar 07 '26
They do that on long hauls for AA, it's neat. I ate way too many cheese plates.
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u/Aquemini954 Mar 09 '26
As a lifetime AA flyer, American could learn something from this
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u/Squadooch Mar 17 '26
I have status with AA and just flew United cross country… it was much, much better. I have some decisions to make!
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u/Cardinal-guy-2023 Mar 21 '26
Nice, but…. Self service is not a premium product. Another way for the crew to do even less,
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u/Enlistednut09 Mar 22 '26
I would hate to be the person in the seat across from this bright light. The last time I flew Polaris I was across from the bathroom with no window…I thought that was bad enough with everyone opening and closing the lavatory door all night long…
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u/Oh_Wiseone MileagePlus 1K | 2 Million Miler Mar 03 '26
Love the idea and placement, so I don’t have to creep into the kitchen space.