The Details

• Flight: UA959
• Aircraft: B767-300ER
• Class: Polaris
• Seat: 9A
• Route: London Heathrow (LHR)-Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
• Distance: 4,100 miles
• Duration: 7hrs 59 min
• Departure: 3:46 PM
• Arrival: 5:46 PM

The Preflight

After a great weekend in London visiting my sister, watching the Europ Championship final, and enjoying a Sunday Roast, it was time to head home to Indianapolis. I took the Elizabeth Line from central London and arrived to Terminal 2 two hours before my departure time. United has a massive operation at Terminal 2 with a whole wing of the check-in area. At the end of the check-in counter were counters dedicated to Polaris class passengers and Premier (elite) passengers.

Terminal 2 also has a dedicated Star Alliance Gold Fast Track security line which took about 15 minutes to get through. Once airside, I took the underground walkway to the B gates where most long-haul flights depart from. There are two lounges in Terminal 2B including an Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge and United Club. I decided to use the United Club across from B46.

The lounge was one large rectangular room with a separate room with a buffet and the bar arranged along the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was crowded with only a few isolated seats to spare in the entire lounge.

There was a decent selection of wines, spirits, and beer.

Additional beverage options included soda, tea, and a few self-serve espresso machines throughout the lounge.

The buffet was in a circular room immediately to the left of the lounge entrance. Lunch selections included a variety of sandwiches, wraps, cheese, meat, and salads.

There was also a small salad bar with various sauces.

Hot options included rice, roast chicken thighs, a Bavarian “hamburger” patty, Thai green curry, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and penne pasta.

Dessert options included two types of cookies, rice crispy, muffins, and fruit.

20 minutes before boarding I headed to the gate area where we had a partial view of the B767-300ER flying us to Chicago. The B767, registration N675UA, was a 24-year-old aircraft delivered to United in August 2000. Despite being over a quarter of a century old, the aircraft looked and felt brand new with the new United livery and updated Polaris interiors.

Boarding began at 2:27 PM through door 1L.

The Flight

United Airlines operates 37 B767-300ERs in their fleet with two different cabin configurations. One cabin configuration of the United B767 has 30 Polaris business class seats while the other has 46 Polaris class seats. This aircraft was the latter with 46 Polaris seats between the first and second set of doors in one massive cabin.

The United Polaris seat is a modified version of the Safran Optima seat which was 20.6″ wide. The 46 seats were spread across 18 rows in a 1-1-1 configuration with seats along the window alternating between closer to the aisle or window. I was seated in 9A, one of the window seats closer to the fuselage.

The seat had a large 16-inch HD touchscreen and a USB port underneath. There was also a small cubby perfect for phones or wallets. Next to the screen, there was a coat hook. While there was an incredible amount of privacy thanks to the staggered configuration of seats, I did find the seat a bit narrow.

Underneath the storage cubby was a well-designed bi-fold tray table with a built-in personal device holder.

Due to the narrow fuselage of the B767, the footwells were narrower than the Polaris seats on the B777.

Along the left side of the seat were the controls. The wheel controlled the recline while there were separate buttons for the lumbar support and legrest. There was also a button to turn on the mood lamp at the seat and the “Do Not Disturb” feature (the seat number outside would turn red).

Although United did not install doors on their seats, I could not make eye contact with other passengers thanks to the staggered seat configuration. There was a mood lamp at each seat along with an elegant white marble countertop space.

Each seat had a small storage cabinet with a mirror and a headphone rack.

Each seat had an additional USB port, 110V outlet, headphone jack, and IFE remote control.

Adjacent to the headrest there was a small read light.

There was an armrest on the right side which could be lowered to create a wider seat. There was also a tiny shallow storage space.

Awaiting each passenger the seat was the enormous amount of Polaris amenities and bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue.

United provided each passenger with a cooling gel pillow and a larger Saks Fifth Avenue branded pillow.

There was also a small Saks branded day blanket with a larger and thicker duvet. On request, United also provided mattress cushions.

The new amenity kit showcased United’s partnership with the Wrexham AFC football club. Contents included Therabody creams, facial mist, face wipes, lip balm, eye mask, socks, ear plugs, dental kit, tissues, and a pen. This was definitely one of the better business-class amenity kits that I have been given.

Unisize slippers were also provided on request.

Additional amenities included a pair of average-quality noise-cancelling headphones and a bottle of water.

The food and beverage menu was also provided.

Predeparture drinks were also provided. Options included sparkling wine or water served in plastic glasses.

We pushed back at 3:24 PM and took off from runway 27L twenty minutes later.

Service began promptly with a warm towel.

Next was a beverage service with a ramekin of cold nuts. I had an excellent glass of Lanson champagne.

The appetizer was served on a tray with a Caesar salad and a bread basket. I went with the smoked salmon with beetroot tartare. This was a delicious dish.

For my main course, I had terrible halibut with lemon butter sauce. It was bland, flavorless, and overcooked. The portion size of the halibut was generous though.

For dessert, I had the signature ice cream sundae. The sundae arrived smothered in hot fudge which was not very appetizing.

A variety of snacks were set up in the forward galley after the meal service.

One area where United excels is their inflight Polaris bedding. I found the entire set including the two pillows, duvet, and day blanket one of the best, if not the best business-class bedding I have experienced.

There were also two lavatories at the front of the cabin. There were Therabody amenities including hand cream and hydrating mist available.

Between the meal services, I enjoyed a few movies while watching us fly over the Atlantic and Northern Canada.

Ninety minutes before landing, flight attendants started the pre-arrival meal service. Warm towels were provided again.

I decided to try the beef Wellington burger which was served with a side of crinkle-cut fries and a chocolate chip cookie. The fries were surprisingly well done and very crispy.

Despite the appearance, the beef Wellington burger was delicious, likely due to the high amount of fat. The breading was incredibly buttery, the cheese gooey, and the beef salty. Incredibly unhealthy but satisfying.

We approached O’Hare from the east into runway 28C with clear views of the Chicago skyline.

We landed at 5:46 PM at O’Hare 36 minutes ahead of schedule. Eight minutes later we pulled into gate M25 and I was off to the Global Entry kiosk. I enjoyed this United Polaris flight from London Heathrow to Chicago. The amenities were top-notch, the beverage menus were above average, and the service was pleasant.