United Airlines decided to invest in its international business class experience by offering a dedicated upscale business class lounge, above its regular United Club level. United Polaris business lounges were designed and intended for United Airlines international business class customers. The United Polaris Lounges offer a more exclusive and featured environment, design to set the airline apart from it’s competitors. Read on to see what our experience was like taking in the United Polaris Lounge in San Francisco International Airport.

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This post is one chapter on a trip with my 82 yr old mom from Canada to Singapore. For informaton on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, Air Canada Aeroplan and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: United Polaris Business Lounge, San Francisco International Airport – International Terminal, California, United States of America

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This review is of the United Polaris Business Lounge at San Francisco International Airport; the best lounge that United Airlines has to offer. If you’re visiting the San Francisco International Airport, you may also have access to these other lounges that we’ve previously visited:

• American Express Centurion Lounge – San Francisco
• Air France / KLM Lounge – San Francisco International “A” Gates
• United Club – SFO “E” Gates
• United Club – SFO “F” Gates Rotunda
• United Club – SFO “G” Gates International Terminal

We arrived into San Francisco International Airport on an Air Canada Business Class Vancouver – San Francisco flight. After an overnight at the Westin San Francisco International Airport hotel, we were departing on a Singapore Airlines Business Class San Francisco – Singapore flight.

Locating the United Polaris Business Lounge San Francisco:

The United Polaris Business Lounge is conveniently located in the departure area of the San Francisco International Terminal “G” Gates.

Immediately after passing through security, you’ll find the United Polaris Lounge located immediately on the right. The lounge location is exceptionally convenient for international flights departing from the SFO “G” gates.

The path to access the United Polaris Lounge is a hard right from the main concourse. After navigating across the spacious international departures concourse you’ll find yourself in a slightly compact lobby reception for a high-volume international business class lounge.

There is a pop-up display outside of the Polaris lounge indicating that it is an international long-haul business class lounge. This space was frequently lined up during our visit.

With the lounge being located right after security, I can’t think of a more convenient location for an international business class lounge. The lounge’s easy to find location will appeal to most business travellers who are looking to immediately catch up on work prior to their long-haul flight.

Accessing the United Polaris Lounge:

The United Polaris Business lounge is United Airlines version of a premium international business class lounge. United marketing describes it as “an exclusive space created for long all travellers in United Polaris Business class and premium Star Alliance cabins“. They’re pretty much on point with that recommendation, as it was an enjoyable space.

Access to the United Polaris Lounge is permitted under the following circumstances:

• United Polaris Business Class
  • Same day boarding pass, at departure, connecting and arrival airports
• First Class on a Star Alliance Member Airline
  • Lounge departure at airport, one guest permitted
• Business Class on a Star Alliance Airline
  • Same day boarding pass, departure airport only
  • Long-haul international flights include those from the U.S. to Asia, Australia, Europe and select South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru.

If you don’t fall into these restrictive access requirements, you may have access to the United Club lounges located throughout the airport that offer a much less restrictive access policy. Specifically, there is a United Club – SFO “G” Gates International Terminal just down the concourse that is also pretty reasonable.

Access to the more generic United Club’s are permitted under the following circumstances:

• A boarding pass for travel in United Polaris or United Business Class (international) business class at departure, connecting and arrival airports along their eligible same-day routing.
• Customers traveling to and from Canada in United First are eligible for United Business access.
• Customers on premium transcontinental flights may only access United Club locations at the origin and destination of their premium transcontinental flight (only between New York/Newark and Los Angeles and New York/Newark and San Francisco).
• A boarding pass for travel in first class on a Star Alliance member airline, only at the departure airport for their international first class flight
• A boarding pass for travel in business class on a Star Alliance member airline, only at the departure airport for their international business class flight
• A valid Star Alliance Gold membership card and a same-day boarding pass for travel on an international flight operated by a Star Alliance member airline are needed to access United Club locations at departure, during connections and upon arrival, along the eligible same-day itinerary 
• A same-day boarding pass showing Star Alliance Gold status, for travel on an international flight operated by a Star Alliance member airline is needed to access United Club locations at departure, during connections and upon arrival, along the eligible same-day itinerary
• A valid Star Alliance Gold membership card and a same-day boarding pass for travel on a flight operated by a Star Alliance member airline and departing from the same airport
• A same-day boarding pass showing Star Alliance Gold status, for travel on a flight operated by a Star Alliance member airline and departing from the same airport
• A boarding pass for same-day travel with a valid United Club membership number listed 
• A valid United Club membership card and boarding pass for same-day travel 
• A valid United Club membership number and boarding pass for same-day travel
• A valid mobile or paper United Club one-time pass and boarding pass for same-day travel 
• A valid 15-digit one-time pass number and boarding pass for same-day travel
• Active duty military members with a valid military ID, boarding pass for travel within 24 hours on a United- or United Express-operated flight and one of the following: Dressed in uniform, Leave orders, Rest and recuperation papers
• A valid Air Canada Maple Leaf Club membership card and a boarding pass for a flight operated by a Star Alliance member airline and departing from the same airport 
• Maple Leaf Club North America members can access United Club locations in the U.S. only. 
• Maple Leaf Club Worldwide members can access all United Club locations.

We were able to get access to the United Polaris Business Lounge courtesy of our Singapore Airlines Business Class San Francisco Singapore.

Inside the United Polaris Lounge San Francisco:

After confirming access, we were directed upstairs. The escalators were found shortly after reception. In a slightly ironic twist, the sign marketing the United Polaris Lounge as the “Best Business Class Lounge in the World” was right next to a broken escalator that didn’t appear to be worked on. As a result, we took the elevators up one level.

Arriving to the upper level, we found ourselves in a long rectangular space that ran along the airport windows.

I wanted to put ourselves on the United Polaris Lounge restaurant seating list for breakfast. As a result, we headed towards the far end of the lounge to locate restaurant reception. We wandered through some lounge seating, the bar area and the buffet area.

The lounge seating area near the bar would become the focal point of the lounge. While it was nice and quiet when we arrived, it eventually got to be quite busy and congested. The bar area is decorated and appointed in a nice modern theme, with plenty of counter space, spirits and freshly poured bar drinks.

Shortly after the bar we encountered some tables and chairs seating adjacent to the buffet. This area ended up getting to be quite busy throughout our stay with lounge visitors looking to get a quick bite.

We made it to The Dining Room at the far end of the lounge. We added our name on the waiting list for a table.

We were quoted a wait time of 30 minutes for the restaurant at about 10 o’clock in the morning. I left my cell phone number and reception promise to send a text when our table is ready. My mom went to take a seat while I wandered around the rest of the lounge.

Heading back to the escalator arrival area, I passed by the United reservation agent help desk. Heading towards the right hand side of the lounge, there is a completely separate and quieter seating area.

The right hand side of the lounge was remarkably quieter than the food service area of the lounge. Most of the lounge seating was empty, with ample space available in a tables and chairs combination.

Getting to the end of the lounge space, the lounge seating wrapped around the right hand side of the space. There was a quiet area along with a second small food and drink space.

As a result of the shape of the San Francisco international Airport “G” concourse, this back part of the lounge offered terrific apron views of wide-body aircraft parked in the G Gates. While I was plane spotting, I was able to spot our Singapore Airlines A350-1000 parked at gate G5.

The United Polaris Lounge offered a whole variety of seating spaces from busy to quiet. Even more impressive is that all of the lounge seating offered natural light thanks to giant floor to ceiling windows.

Food and Beverage:

I’ve never typically been super impressed with the food offerings in United Lounges. The United Polaris Lounge San Francisco has a few options when it comes to food, which will examine in turn.

Lounge Buffet:

Just past the United Polaris Lounge bar there is a self-service lounge buffet. The buffet occupies a pretty spacious area. However United hasn’t done a whole lot of catering in this zone and the food selection looks a little thin, as a result of the excess amount of space.

In terms of drinks, there are a few water juice and tea stations. Tinned pop is also offered, in addition to fresh brewed coffee.

The buffet food contained some fairly simple items such as home-fried potatoes, scrambled eggs and egg whites. You’ll find fancier food at an American Express Centurion Lounge. The food is fairly straightforward and perhaps that’s exactly what United airlines is aiming for.

The food presentation was spacious although I couldn’t help but think that at times the food looked more attractive in the United Club.

The Dining Room:

The United Polaris lounge offered a waiter served sit down restaurant. This is an excellent upscale touch for an international business lounge. Unfortunately, the dining room has capacity for only 100 seats, making it exceptionally small.

After a 20 minute wait, that turned out to be only 13 minutes. I received a text message requesting to claim my reservation within five minutes. After presenting ourselves to the podium, we were seated in “The Dining Room”.

The dining room was much busier than you might expect from a comparable first class lounge that offered a sit down restaurant service. It was much busier than the last first class lounge restaurants that I had been fortunate enough to have visited such as the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal – Frankfurt, the Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney and the Qantas First Class Lounge Los Angeles.

With all tables in the United Polaris Lounge booked to capacity, the lounge had a busier feel to it. Our table for two was against the window. As a result of the curve of the building, we didn’t have a great view of the aircraft on the apron. Despite this, mom didn’t seem to mind at all.

the united Polaris round dining room offered a breakfast menu on the left-hand side and a lunch dinner menu on the right hand side. We visited during breakfast hours and unfortunately we could not order lunch before noon.

Despite that, there was ample breakfast items to enjoy. I ended up ordering a big breakfast sandwich with avocado spread, gouda cheese, with bacon & scrambled egg over ciabatta bread.

The dining room portions, like many first class lounge meals, were quite small. As a result, I ended up ordering a huevos rancheros which was presented with corn tortilla, pulled pork, black bean, egg and salsa verde. It was quite tasty.

The Dining Room in the United Polaris lounge wait staff were also pretty prompt. They were frequently by with coffee refills and ice water refills, which was much appreciated.

Bar Service:

After enjoying a tasty breakfast in the dining room, we retired to the lounge area. I took this opportunity to check out the bar for a drink.

The bar offered a number of premium wines by the glass presented on a complementary basis. I was impressed to see Orin Swift “The Prisoner” among the red wine offerings.

The wine list contains many Californian and American options, in addition to several European wines.

I was impressed to see the lounge offering Lanson Père et Fils Brut Champagne from France. As a result I went for a glass which was served in a large open bowl flute

We would enjoy at stay at this lounge, prior to heading off on our Singapore Airlines Business Class San Francisco – Singapore flight.

My Thoughts on United Polaris Lounge San Francisco:

I was pleasantly surprised with a United Polaris Lounge San Francisco.

United Airlines has made a solid mark by delivering an upscale international departure lounge the lounge offers everything that you might expect from an elevated business class experience.

With comfortable seating, a waiter table restaurant and a bar serving elevated spirits / cocktails, the lounge represents the best of business class and encroaches on first class territory.

If you have access to this lounge, make sure you leave yourself a little extra time to experience it, before your international flight.

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If you travel through San Francisco International Airport, do find the United Polaris Lounge to be the best business lounge in the airport?

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