This is one of the highlights of the trip and certainly the one lounge that I am most excited about for this series. I have heard so much about the Polaris and the lounge. While you won’t necessarily associate airlines from the US with quality products, the Polaris is a total game changer. This is the flagship lounge of United Airlines in their home hub. The lounge boasts à la carte dining with table service for business class passengers. The SFO facility is the largest throughout the network. The fact that it is of this calibre is mostly unheard of for Business Class passengers. This is also the main reason why I choose to fly back via SFO rather than directly from Los Angeles. Follow me in checking out the SFO lounge.

Access Requirements

The lounge is classified as a premium business-class lounge. The access requirements are much stricter than the usual Star Alliance Gold Lounge. Access is available to United Polaris Business Class passengers, Long-haul First Class passengers on a Star Alliance airline with 1 guest, and Long-haul Business Class passengers on a Star Alliance airline. This is akin to the SKL in Singapore Changi Airport. Lounge access is not offered to Star Alliance Gold members, instead, you will be asked to go to the United Club. The lounge is also offered to arriving guests but only if you are flying in Polaris Business Class. If you arrive on a SQ flight, you will not be able to access it. The lounge is open from 6.30am to 10.30pm daily. It is located in International Terminal G Gates. You should be able to access the lounge with most Star Alliance Carriers including Singapore Airlines which departs from the G gates!

Arrival & Location

The lounge is located in International Terminal G. It is just a short walk away from Terminal 3 where my earlier flight landed. It is a rather chilly day in Frisco today. The Polaris Lounge can be found just after security in terminal G. I was here at 7.30am and it is still relatively quiet at this hour. I was warmly welcomed by the lounge attendant. I love the decor and how bright the place is. I did not have my ANA boarding pass yet since I could only get it at the gate later. The lounge attendant simply pulled up my reservations and I was allowed access.

United Polaris Lounge SFO

The United Polaris Lounge consists of two levels. Upon entering the lounge and passing the entrance, you branch out into the lower-level lounge or an escalator to the upper level. The lower level consists mainly of shower suites and nap rooms. There is also a huge seating area. The upper level consists of the main lounge area, restaurant and bar. Across two floors the lounge has a capacity of around 440 passengers.

The lower level is mainly rectangular in configuration. I love the place! There are various lounge seating arranged in little private areas. You also have these cubicles that are great for solo travellers. I love the tons of natural light coming in and the views of the tarmac. That makes the place look very welcoming.

The main dining and drinking options are on the upper level. There is a refreshment counter here. You can find some juices, water, coffee, tea and soft drinks. The lower level is also where you can find the quiet nap rooms and the showers. I will share more on this later on.

Heading to the upper level of the lounge, you branch out into seating areas on both the right and the left. There are plenty of seatings here both in groups as well as along the sides. Look at how gorgeous this place is. You have both cubicle seating and lounge couches. There are also dining tables that are much more suitable for dining near the refreshment area.

To the left of the escalators is where you can find a host desk where staff are on hand to help you with any ticketing issues. There are also more overflow seating areas here. This place stays rather quiet and I will recommend it if you prefer more privacy.

Quiet Suites

The lounge also comes with Quiet Suites or sleeping pods. It is located on the lower level in the same location as the shower suites. They have a total of 5 suites. Each of them comes with a daybed or reclining chair and a side table with a bottle of water. It is a good spot if you want to take a nap while waiting for your flight. Saks Fifth Avenue amenities are also available for guests’ enjoyment upon request.

Toilets and Showers

Toilets are located on both the upper level and lower level. They are in individual rooms. The spacious space and being well-stocked with products from Sunday Riley make it a lot better than what the general terminal offers.

The showers are located on the lower level, all the way to the end of the lounge. It is available on a first come first serve basis. You might have to wait here. Additional amenities such as a Curling iron, Dental kit, Deodorant, Duvet, Hair dryer, Hair straightener, Sewing Kit, Shower cap and Vanity Kit are available upon request. I was a little puzzled as to why a hairdryer isn’t made permanent in the shower suites. The shower suites are lovely. I love the look of the place. It comes with a spacious luggage area, a toilet as well as a huge standing shower. It comes with both a rainforest shower head and a wall-mounted one. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent. I did wish that they had a handheld showerhead. That will make more sense and a lot more convenient. The Sunday Riley amenities are lovely. I enjoyed a nice shower before my long-haul flight.

Food and Drinks

This is one of the most outstanding aspects of the lounge. Can you imagine a la carte dining with a business-class lounge? Yes, you have it here! The main food and drink selections are on the upper level towards the right of the lounge. There is also a small buffet selection for those who want a quicker bite. I was here during breakfast service. Here you can find a selection of juices, coffee, tea and soft drinks.

There is a nice selection of hot dishes, fruits, pastries and continental selections. I will let the pictures do the rest of the speaking. This will be a great grab-and-go spot if you’re in a rush since you need at least 45 minutes to dine in the dining room.

The dining room is where guests can enjoy table service and ala carte dining. This is awesome! I would come here early to enjoy a proper meal. This is super popular and be prepared to wait during peak times. Do come here once you arrive to put down your name. The place was empty when I arrived at 7.30am. I was famished and got breakfast here. Check out how gorgeous the place is. It has less than 20 tables and could probably fit around 30 to 40 pax at once. Breakfast is served from morning till 11am. Lunch and dinner menu is offered from 11am till the rest of the day.

I was warmly welcomed by a wait staff and shown to a table. Check out the menu here. There is both a food menu and a drinks menu. The drinks menu is the same as the bar one. The full bar menu consists of wines, liquors, cocktails and beers.

I started with a glass of champagne. They serve a very respectable Lanson Brut. I had several glasses throughout my meal.

I got The Bay Breakfast Sandwich

Breakfast Congee

The food is excellent! Coffee is amazing too and barista made. I wish that I had time to order from the lunch and dinner menu. The bar is the centrepiece of the upper lounge space. Check out how gorgeous this is! It is a popular place with guests loving the bar seats. The baristas are on hand to serve you all sorts of cocktails and wines. The staff are good with their creations as well.

I tried their signature Polaris Star Cocktails.

Here are the wines that they have in the lounge. I enjoyed the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon!

Conclusion

Outstanding! This has to be one of the best of the best Business Class lounges that I have visited so far! I would have even rated this even better than SKL in Singapore! Astonishingly, a business class lounge comes with ala carte dining! That is very rare and to do it even with waiting times is commendable. I do wish that they could refine the waiting time and perhaps expand the dining area a little to cope with the crowd. Even with the restrictive access requirements, the lounge sees plenty of traffic. The ala carte dining and bar aspect is one area that I would love for Singapore Airlines to learn from! I can’t believe that I am saying this but Singapore Airlines do have something to learn from their United counterparts! I wish I had more time here. This is one lounge that you should come early for! I will be sharing the LAX Polaris Lounge very soon!