United's New Elevated 787 Dreamliner - Polaris Studio & Premium Economy Review

Overview / Premise

• Reviewing United's brand new "elevated" 787 Dreamliner — first-ever flight on this aircraft, London to San Francisco
• 99 premium seats total — less than half the plane is standard economy
• Two reviewers: one in Polaris Studio (United's newest, top-tier business class), one in Premium Economy
• Goal: rate seats, food, amenities, entertainment, and sleep, then determine if the upgrades are worth the cost

Polaris Studio – First Impressions

• 1-1 configuration, every suite has direct aisle access + a privacy door
• Studio seats are 25% bigger than the regular Polaris suites just behind
• Cabin design: wood trims, soft blue/grey accents, calming and "airy" feel despite being dark-toned
• Massive legroom — enough space for a guest to sit and dine across from you
• Cost to upgrade to Studio: $490 one-way (or via miles)

Polaris Studio – Seat Features

• Electronic seat control panel
• Multiple storage cubbies (armrest, ottoman, side mirror cubby with bottled water)
• Wireless charging panel
• 4K screen — roughly double the size of the regular Polaris suite screen
• Large, sturdy pull-out tray table (no wobbling)
• Fixed console area for extra storage/workspace

Regular Polaris Suite (Comparison)

• Still very comfortable, but noticeably smaller
• Screen about half the size of the Studio's
• No wide bench foot area — feet tuck into a cubby instead

Premium Economy – First Impressions

• Smallest cabin on the plane — only 5 rows, 2-3-2 layout
• Feels intimate and private; new "privacy wing" creates separation between seatmates
• Big step up from both economy and previous United premium economy seats
• Strong recline — good for sleeping
• Reviewer was at the bulkhead — extra legroom + storage

Premium Economy – Seat Features

• Pop-out tray table with sliding/flipping functionality
• Shared armrest with small storage compartment (held headphones)
• IFE remote + seat controls (recline, footrest)
• Marble-finish countertop accent for drinks/phone
• Minor issue: slight wobble in the armrest (possible new-plane fitting issue)
• Charging socket + drink holder included

In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)

• New screens feature live flight-radar style tracking — shows real-time positions of other planes on the ground/in the air
• Economy cabin has new ultra-responsive touchscreens, described as "best economy IFE screens in the world"

Economy Cabin (Quick Look)

• 3-3-3 configuration, single economy cabin
• Extra-legroom section vs. standard section
• Standard seats would feel tight if the cabin were full

Pre-Departure Notes (Premium Economy)

• No pre-departure beverage offered
• No physical menus — accessed via QR code (reviewer preferred a physical menu)

Amenities

Polaris Studio:

• Saks Fifth Avenue bedding — large pillow, memory foam, soft blanket, plus an extra plush velvet cushion (Studio-exclusive)
• Elevated amenity kit (box format) with Pericone MD products — compared to first-class quality on other airlines
• Nicer slippers and premium noise-cancelling headphones

Premium Economy:

• Fluffy pillow + blanket
• Amenity kit: flight socks, eye mask, earplugs, dental kit, tissues, Pericone toiletries (cleansing wipe, lip balm, hand cream)
• Large over-ear Meridian headphones — good sound quality, possibly not true noise-cancelling
• Bluetooth connection to IFE available for personal headphones

Food & Drink

Polaris Studio Service:

• Warm nuts, Laurent-Perrier Rosé champagne, and caviar amuse-bouche (Studio-exclusive)
• Appetizer: choice of prawn (crunchy slaw, fresh) or mozzarella, plus salad, warm bread basket, hummus dip
• Wine flight option — choose 3 wines to taste; red recommended by crew and praised
• Main: salmon with couscous risotto (salmon slightly fishy, risotto excellent, broccoli/artichokes good)
• Bonus: chili flakes included in the salt-and-pepper set
• Dessert: French cacao truffles (described as underwhelming for the cabin tier)
• United's classic ice cream sundae cart — fully loaded, called the highlight of any United flight
• Studio-exclusive snack box: cheese biscuits, chocolates, licorice, champagne gummy bears, nuts — compared to Emirates first class

Premium Economy Meal:

• Choice of chicken or pasta (beef short rib available if pre-ordered)
• Chicken: described as one of the best plane meals reviewer has had — juicy, served with roast potatoes and parsnip
• Side salad: artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, lettuce, vinaigrette — well received
• Michelob Ultra beer included
• Also received the same ice cream sundae as business class

"Corbell Challenge" (Crew Response Time)

• Polaris Studio call button test — crew arrived in about 4 minutes (described as "not the fastest, but solid")

Sleep Experience

• Polaris Studio bed setup includes a plush mattress pad
• Described as one of the best business class sleep setups the reviewer has experienced — soft, spacious, comfortable

Final Verdict

Premium Economy (Economy → Premium upgrade):

• Big improvement over United's old premium economy product
• Worth it if upgrade/ticket price is $1,000 or less
• Value diminishes significantly at $3,000–$4,000 price points

Polaris Studio (Regular Polaris → Studio upgrade):

• Reviewer would buy again
• The 25% extra space alone justifies the $499 one-way upgrade cost (framed as ~$50/hour on a 10-hour flight)
• Extra perks (snack box, caviar, champagne, cushion) are nice but wouldn't justify the upgrade alone — the space is the deciding factor
• Miles can be used for the upgrade — recommended as a good redemption if available
• Crew service throughout was friendly and attentive (specific tea-service anecdote highlighted)