United will begin flying newly delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with its new Elevated interiors — including larger business-plus pods called Polaris Studio alongside regular Polaris suites — on long-haul routes SFO–SIN starting April 22 and SFO–LHR starting April 30. Before settling into those routes, United plans short domestic familiarization flights so crew can work out service flow with the new cabins.
Which domestic flights will have Polaris Studio?
Social media sleuths have identified a Dreamliner deployment between San Francisco (SFO) and Houston (IAH) starting March 29 and running through April 29. The schedule so far:
– UA 2498 SFO → IAH, departs 9:10 a.m., arrives 3:05 p.m.
– UA 382 IAH → SFO, departs 4:45 p.m., arrives 6:58 p.m.
Fares and award pricing
One-way fares currently found SFO→IAH start around $394 economy, $528 Economy Plus, and $789 first class (the new Polaris). Prices are higher on some days during the first two weeks. IAH→SFO fares for the first week price about $499 economy, $633 Economy Plus, and $894 first class, then drop the following week to roughly $304 economy, $488 Economy Plus, and $744 first class. MileagePlus redemptions start near 21,800 miles economy and 64,500 miles for first class in either direction.
Polaris Studio reservations and fees
On these short domestic hops, booking first class does not appear to carry an additional fee to reserve a Polaris Studio in bulkhead rows (1 and 9) versus other Polaris seats. By contrast, United has previously charged an upcharge (about $499 each way) to reserve Polaris Studios on some long-haul flights. Note that service on these brief domestic flights will match typical domestic first class and won’t include the full long-haul Polaris Studio amenities.
How to confirm your flight has the new Dreamliner
To confirm a flight has the new interiors, check that the aircraft type is a Boeing 787-9 and view the seat map on the booking page. Dreamliners with the new cabin layout show two Polaris sections: a forward cabin (rows 1–8) and a rear Polaris cabin (rows 9–17). Middle seats in the forward cabin angle toward one another; those in the aft cabin angle away. Aircraft swaps can occur, so recheck your flight in the days before departure if you’re booking specifically to try the new seats.
What’s new in United’s Elevated interiors
The Dreamliner Elevated interiors include:
– Eight Polaris Studios (about 25% larger than regular Polaris suites)
– 56 Polaris suites
– 35 Premium Plus seats (listed as Economy Plus on these domestic flights)
– 123 main cabin seats, including 33 extra-legroom seats
Polaris Studios feature 27-inch 4K OLED touchscreens with Bluetooth; six per jet have ottomans that allow another passenger to sit with you on long-haul flights. Long-haul Studio bookings also include enhanced amenities such as hoodie pajamas and Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ skincare kits. Regular Polaris suites have 19-inch screens and closing doors (United says doors will not be operable initially). Premium Plus seats have larger winged privacy dividers and 16-inch 4K OLED screens; economy seats have 13-inch screens. Cabin finishes include quartzite surfaces and dark woodgrain paneling.
If you book and fly one of these familiarization hops, keep in mind service will be similar to other short domestic first-class flights, but you’ll get an early look at United’s new seating. Double-check aircraft type and seat maps before departure, and be aware that deployments can change.
