My review of United Polaris business class, Boeing 789
I’m hoping to top off my U.S. trip with a United flight, which is a first for me. My original plan was to depart from Houston due to inventory issues, but at some point San Francisco suddenly opened up, which works perfectly to my plan.
To redeem for a flight from U.S. to Europe, United miles work out so much cheaper than any European airlines. Here is an exemplary comparison for a one-way flight from San Francisco to London in business:
- United miles: 62.4K + £5
- BA Avios: 90K + £225
- Virgin points: 67.5K + £721
It’s simply insane how much BA or VS are trying to charge here, especially for taxes and fees. The only hurdle is how to accrue United miles in the UK – I exchanged my Marriott points, the ratio of which is decent but I had to wait 8 days for the miles to arrive. Some people reportedly waited up to three weeks.
Having spent some quality time in the Polaris lounge, it is time to board my flight. The flight is operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamline, with the reputable United Polaris business class. United’s old business class configuration is eight abreast, which looks like to total disaster.
The Polaris cabin is divided into two parts by the gallery. The front cabin has 32 seats and the rear 16, but they don’t feel any different to each other.
The Polaris seats are all staggered. Odd middle seats are the “lover seats”, which offers the best intimacy and privacy for a couple.
The even middle seats are for single travellers who failed to grab a window seat.
Windows seats in odd rows are forward-facing and semi-enclosed, which is no doubt the best option if you are travelling by yourself.
Window seats in even rows are angled and aisle facing, which isn’t as ideal unless you want more open space.
The Polaris gives me a great first impression. The cushion, pillow, sheets and vanity bag are ready on my seat.
Unlike most other airlines, the inclination of your seat is adjusted by a scroll wheel instead of a button, which in my opinion is a better user experience.
I think it’s the first time I get a hard-shell amenity bag, which is very cute.
This is a conventional design for storage:
The seat converted into a lie-flat bed:
Although it doesn’t feature the door, my window seat feels much closer to a proper mini-suite than Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Suite. The Do not disturb sign lights up when you’ve pressed the button which is fancy.
The IFE:
This is probably the simplest menu I’ve ever seen on a long-haul business class flight, which is only one page. It doesn’t say what drinks they offer, and you need to enquire the flight attendant.
They serve hot nuts which is a plus. I ordered braised beef short ribs for my main:
Which is incredibly good! The beef is very well cooked so you barely need to chew and the seasoning is great. It is one of the best dishes I’ve had on any flight.
The service is a bit lacking (which I think is normal for a U.S. airline?), but I love the Polaris seat design, and catering is amazing, which makes it one of the best flights I’ve had in the last three years or so. I’m flying from New York to London on American Airlines later this year (thanks to a “flash sale”), and that should tick all three major U.S. airlines for me.
Use CheckMyTrip to retrieve your flight PNR
PNR, sometimes also called confirmation number or record locator, is a unique identifier generated when you make a flight booking. You need the PNR (and usually your last name) to manage you booking online, for example to select your seat, choose your meal or purchase additional services.
PNR is generated by the airline’s designated Global Distribution System (GDS), which could be Sabre, Amadeus or Travelport to name a few. Thus different airlines may have different formats for the PNR: sometimes they are five characters, other times six. Sometimes they are alphanumeric, other times alphabetical only.
It poses a problem when you book an itinerary involving Airline A on Airline B’s website. The scenario happens more often than you think. We all book partner reward tickers using our miles, and it’s very common for a multi-segment ticket to include more than one carrier.
If both airlines share the same PNR, or Airline A is able to recognise and resolve Airline B’s PNR, it’s not an issue. However it’s very often not the case, as I was troubled three times recently:
- Alaska Air doesn’t recognise BA’s PNR (Avios redemption)
- American Airlines doesn’t recognise Finnair’s PNR (codeshare)
- Gulf Air doesn’t recognise Air Canada’s PNR (Aeroplan redemption)
It’s usually not a big deal, as you can simply call the respective airline, provide your e-ticket number and proceed from there. However, if you don’t want to make that phone call, CheckMyTrip comes to your rescue.
CheckMyTrip saves your flight itinerary and can also show you some useful information. The most important feature that we’ll discuss today is PNR linking. When you add a new trip using the reservation number, CheckMyTrip can show you the alternative PNR with the operating carrier, which you can use to manage the booking online.
It doesn’t always work, but out of the three attempts I had two worked out. It didn’t seem to work with American Airlines, although my seven-leg itinerary might be a bit too complex!
You might have used similar products, such as Tripcase, to track your travel history. The aforementioned feature is unique with CheckMyTrip, but otherwise it’s not as good a product as Tripcase in my opinion.
Virgin Australia’s status match: benefits with United, Etihad, Singapore and more!
Virgin Australia launched a status match program last year, which might entitle you to special benefits with them and partner airlines for up to 15 months!
- Elite members from select airlines can apply for a status match
- If granted, you commence a three-month Gold trial
- Fly one qualifying sector and earn 80 tier credits to extend your Gold status for one year
In general, S* Gold, Skyteam Elite Plus and Oneworld Sapphire / Emerald qualify, excluding Virgin Australia’s partners. Some minimum requirements include:
- British Airways Silver
- Lufthansa Senator
- Air France Gold
- Finnair Gold
- Delta Gold
- American Airlines Platinum
- Emirates Gold
The list is very extensive so you have high chances of being eligible. There is no direct link to apply – you need to click Member Support and submit a feedback form to apply.
Even if you don’t fly Virgin Australia, the Gold card is still useful with a bunch of other airlines.
| Priority Check-in | Priority Boarding | Additional Baggage Allowance | Fast Track | Lounge Access | |
| Hainan / Tianjin / Capital / Hong Kong Airlines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Singapore Airlines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| United Airlines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Air Canada | ✓ | ||||
| Virgin Atlantic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Etihad | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Qatar Airways | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| South African Airways | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Details of the lounge access policy is here, but in general you need to be on a flight operated by the partner carrier and can bring one guest.
If you are based in the UK, there’s a good chance that you’ll fly Virgin Atlantic some day, as well as some of the other partners. I value Priority Check-in and Lounge Access the most in terms of the aforementioned elite benefits.
80 tier credits are very easy to accrue, but you can’t possibly accomplish the one qualifying sector unless you travel to / within Australia. According to the program rules, your status will be re-evaluated at the end of the three months, which normally means you’d drop to a non-status member.
However, from the reports we’ve seen so far it seems that everyone has been downgraded to Silver instead post the Gold trial. It comes with two lounge passes for VA’s domestic lounges, and more importantly most of the partner benefits (barring lounge access) still apply for another year!
If you plan to fly Virgin Australia or their partner airline soon, it’s worthwhile signing up for the Gold trial beforehand.
My review of Palace Hotel, San Francisco
I spent my first two nights in San Francisco at the InterContinental hotel, and for a change of scenery I’m moving to the Palace Hotel from Luxury Collection for the third night. Thanks to the $200 credit from my U.S. Amex Platinum card, I paid just over $100 for the FHR stay.
The general manager sent me a few emails before my stay to ask for any special requests and offer some general information. He sent me another email to ask for any feedback on the day I checked out. Although many people may find it unnecessary, I think it’s a nice touch to show that the hotel cares.
Palace hotel is not far from the InterContinental, and right next to the Montgomery metro station. However, I find its location more handy than the InterContinental, as it’s closer to the metro station, and walkable to more local attractions including the Chinatown.
The building and its lobby have an ordinary look. The agent who checks me in is very familiar with the FHR benefits. In fact if you are Marriott Platinum or above, the main add-on is just the $100 on-property credit. Some hotels (especially in the U.S.) refuse to honour Marriott benefits when you prepay your FHR booking because it’s backed by Expedia, but this time she explicitly offers me the 1,000 welcome points since breakfast is already included.
A truffle chocolate box is offered to me as a welcome gift, then another two white chocolates at the turndown service.
The serenity of the guest room areas is reminiscent of my stay at St Regis New York.
I fared a free upgrade to the Junior Suite. I had thought about using a suite night award here, but then the so-called Superior Suite is only 480sqt, so I backed off.
When you enter the room, there’s a walk-in wardrobe on the left.
Overall the room looks very classy, and the (oversize) bed is quite comfy. The bathroom has no tub, but does have a Washlet seat which isn’t commonly seen even at five-star hotels.
Slippers are quite fluffy.
I assume it’s a board game?
The hotel has only nine floors and I’m on the fifth. If you expect a view, then the InterContinental hotel is a much better option.
You have to give some credits to their guest room, but the most prestigious thing about this hotel is far more than that. Right next to the lobby there’s an extensive and glamorous gallery:
And there’s some memorabilia on display, which tells the history of the Palace Hotel. It may remind you of museum – and there is indeed a small museum, named Landmark 18, in the gallery.
When it opened in 1875, the Palace Hotel was the biggest hotel in the world. Unfortunately the hotel was hit by a fire in 1906 and it took three years’ restoration for the hotel to reopen. In 1954 it became a Sheraton hotel and a lot of its original features were lost to accommodate the brand standard, which was then reverted in 1973 when the hotel was finally purchased by the Japanese Kyo-Ya group.
The most stunning piece of the hotel has to be the Garden Court restaurant, which became a landmark of San Francisco in 1969.
Many people come here for the afternoon tea experience, and I’m here for breakfast. FHR comes with $30 credit per person, and as I’m travelling solo that’s $60 for myself. I thought it would buy me loads of food until I saw the menu:
Yogurt for $6 and orange juice / coffee for $8, so $60 doesn’t really get you far at all, and don’t forget the tips. I didn’t notice the buffet option at the top for $43, which is probably what I should have gone for.
The $100 FHR credit can be spent at the Pied Piper restaurant, which is famous for that painting. I ordered some chicken wings and a steak, which came to 90-odd dollars including taxes and tips. If you are travelling with a partner, the $160 credit is just enough for the breakfast buffet plus a couple of drinks.
The swimming pool is on the fourth floor. Similar to the Garden Court it has a nice glass dom.
But the pool is only 1.2m metre deep, so more like a children’s playground.
The jacuzzi is broken, although the water is still warm…
Sadly there’s no sauna or steam room.
The Palace Hotel is a landmark of San Francisco, full of history, and a hotel well worth experiencing. If you happen to be in the city, I recommend popping in and have a look even if you don’t stay at this hotel.
Marriott’s dynamic pricing starts to bite (hard)
Marriott introduced Flexible Redemption Pricing for stays commencing this year, and per our recent observation it didn’t hit us that hard. It turns out that we were being too optimistic though, as some properties have seen a massive hike in redemption price overnight.
According to a Wechat tracking application that my friend maintains, JW Marriott Shenzhen has just broken their original 20K cap by a huge margin:
The property has gone up to 51,000 points on certain nights, which is a 155% increase overnight. It sets a precedent in the Marriott Bonvoy program and I won’t be surprised to see more properties joining the league very soon.
It’s saddening to see how Marriott has decided to follow Hilton’s path. You may want to make some speculative bookings if your destinations have outsize redemption opportunities.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic relaunches Shanghai with great reward availability
After being absent from China’s market for three years and having permanently discontinued Hong Kong, Virgin Atlantic is resuming its daily service between London Heathrow and Shanghai Pudong on the first of May.
Reward availability was released this morning, and you can book literally any single day, although seats over China’s festive periods are selling fast.
Here is a reminder what a one-way ticket in Upper Class costs, and the respective fees from Shanghai / London:
- Economy: 12,500 points + 833 RMB / £208
- Premium Economy: 22,500 points+ 1,565 RMB / £360
- Upper Class: 57,500 points + 1,719 RMB / £411
You need to add another 10,000 points if flying at peak. Shanghai is operated by the older B787 aircrafts, although I think they are less bad compared to the A350 suite.
British Airways on the other hand, is also relaunching Shanghai on April 23rd and Beijing on June 3rd. However Avios seats have been available for quite a while now so it’s not as exciting.
BA’s new RFS pricing wants 200,000 Avios + £550 for a return trip to Shanghai, which is ridiculous. Unless you are looking to book first class with a companion voucher, Virgin Atlantic is the more favourable option by a large margin.
Complimentary access to gym, swimming pool and beach at GHA hotels, even when you are not staying!
GHA Discovery launched its new program in 2021, and discontinued the much beloved Local Experiences award. It’s replaced with a new feature called Local Offers, which isn’t as exciting but caters to a wider audience.
You could view the Local Offers page here (login required). What’s peculiar about it is you don’t need to stay at the hotel – so say if you are just interested in dining in the restaurant of one specific GHA hotel, it’s worth checking if there are any exclusive discounts.
Most of the offers are discounts for dining, massage or experiences. However there’s a special category filter for Complimentary Access, and as the name suggests it shows hotels that offer you free access to their facilities.
Some of the offers may be tier-specific, so if you have don’t have Titanium status you may not see them. The terms are also very different – some are one-time use only, some are limited to two uses per month, and some are unlimited.
Here are some examples, which I think are of interest:
Netherlands
- nhow Amsterdam RAI, gym access
- nhow Rotterdam, gym and sauna access
- NH Atlanta Rotterdam, gym and sauna access
Lithuania
- Grand Hotel Kempinski Vilnius, private hotel tour
UAE
- Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, free private coffee session
- Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai, pool and beach access
Qatar
- Kempinski Residences and Suites Doha, pool access
Seychelles
- JA Enchanted Waterfront, pool access with boat transfer
- JA Enchanted Island Resort, pool access with boat transfer
Singapore
- Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, pool and gym access
China
- Marco Polo Xiamen, kids club
- Marco Polo Lingnan Tiandi, Foshan, pool access with parking
- Anantara Guiyang Resort, gym access
You need to use the provided form to pre-book, and I’d recommend confirm with the hotel beforehand as they might not be familiar with this new feature.
Many of these perks are quite handy if you happen to be visiting the city, or live nearby – although I’m not sure beach club access on a private Maldives island is useful to anyone except the staying guests!
£15 free money to spend at Amazon Fresh stores
Amazon has been promoting their Fresh stores heavily lately. There was a £5 offer in December 2022 which I took advantage of, and it has come back with a couple of other new offers.
You can access the offer page here. It is very straightforward: you get a £5 discount to use at any Amazon Fresh store and there’s no minimum spend requirement, which means you can grab £5 worth of items for free! It will also stack with any other promotions the store might have. (Snapshot from previous offer so date is incorrect)
You don’t have to use the £5 balance in one shop. It’s not valid on alcohol or infant formula.
You have until January 31 to redeem the offer. The problem of course, is Amazon Fresh doesn’t operate outside London. They do have almost 20 stores in the capital though, so you are a London resident it’s very likely that you’ll come across one.
There is a similar offer for new stores, which you can access and claim here.
Which entitles you to a further £5 discount each at the Monument and East Croydon store, valid until March 10th. You cannot stack two vouchers at once, but nothing stops you from doing two back-to-back £5 shops.
Travelling to Monument or East Croydon for £5 isn’t worthwhile, but if you happen to be near either store don’t forget to pop in!
- £10 off your first Amazon App purchase
- £20 off your first Amazon Fresh and Morrisons order
- Get £10 Amazon voucher for using its Photos app
- £4 off your next Amazon pickup order
- £5 Amazon bonus when topping up £60
- £5 Free Voucher for Streaming Amazon Music
- £5 Free Voucher for Streaming Amazon Podcast
- Earn £5 voucher for using Amazon Pay
- Free £5 Amazon voucher to claim
- £5 voucher for watching Amazon Prime Video
- £5 reward for creating an Amazon wish list
- £15 free money to spend at Amazon Fresh stores
- Amazon Warehouse £5 free voucher