Review of United flight from Washington to Lagos in Business

Intro

Welcome to the first report of reviewing Polaris around the world to all six continents.

I plan to fly Polaris to every continent to compare and contrast the experience.

Following a decent flight from Toronto and a lovely layover at the Polaris lounge, this next flight would take me to United Polaris from Washington Dulles to Lagos, Nigeria. This route is an interesting one, as United currently flies this route 3x weekly, but for Dec onwards, this route will upgraded to daily until mid-February. Something must be working on this route to add that much capacity…

With that being said, what a lovely flight onboard the United Airlines 787-8 Dreamliner. I have to say, seat 6L might be the greatest widebody business class seat in the US out of every airline/plane. The crew was charming, and the views were spectacular, but one thing let me down…

LET'S GO TO AFRICA! YAY!

Routing

How I Booked

As I mentioned briefly in the previous flight report, this ticket has been through the ringer and back. The reason I flew to Toronto was because I found a round trip fare from Toronto to Lagos in Polaris Business Class for 2300$ or so. I felt like this was an extremely good deal and one I had to take advantage of, so I did…

Now, with that being said, due to some stuff in Nigeria (we will get to this at the end of the trip 27 FRs later), I ended up canceling the return ticket for this flight. However, I just used the return portion last week. So for 2300$, I managed to fly:

YYZ-IAD (Domestic First)

IAD-LOS (Polaris Business)

KSC-VIE (Austrian Business)

VIE-ZRH (Austrian Business)

ZRH-EWR (Polaris Business)

EWR-YVR (AC Signature Suite)

In my opinion, it was a no-brainer, and 6 PQFs.

Polaris Lounge IAD

The United Polaris Lounge at Washington (IAD) is my second favorite Polaris lounge in the network. The only small issue I have is that for a few hours in the evening, it can get pretty busy. Other than that, the restaurant is absolutely divine and has fantastic food. The service is next level, with staff going above and beyond to help out passengers. The champagne on offer is more than optimal, and the wine selection is decent. With nap rooms, shower rooms, and everything you could want, I could easily spend a whole day here (eating 18 skillet cookies).

Shower Suites

Nap Rooms

Other Stuff:

Boarding

Filled up and freshened up from the Polaris Lounge, it was time to head off to the gate for today, D29. 

At the gate, a large group of passengers were getting their documents verified so they could head to Nigeria. Of course, the visa process for foreigners can be a bit challenging, but most of the crowd that I noticed (from passports) were of Nigerian descent. 

By 5:15 pm, the agent had called group 1. Needless to say, it was a mad rush to the gate😂. It was interesting to see that there was CBP asking questions to passengers when boarding, as few international flights I've been on recently have had this.

Stepping onboard, I was greeted by a Nigerian flight attendant (how cool)!

The Seat/Cabin

Once onboard, I was directed across the aisle to my seat for tonight's red-eye, 6L. The cabin on the 787-8 is laid out with 5 rows of business class between doors 1 and 2, as well as a mini cabin of 2 rows behind door 2.

As a solo traveler, 6A or 6L might be the best seat in the United fleet on the 787-8.

Seats alternate between facing towards the aisle or facing inwards. On the 787-8, try and choose rows 1,3,5 and 6 if you can, as they are much more private.

If you happen to be a couple or would like to sit next to a family member, 6E/F are the perfect seats. 

The Polaris seat features all of the bells and whistles you could ask for.

- The seat controls are located on the right-hand side, closest to the window.

- The tray table pulls out with a push from underneath the IFE screen

And the footrest in the bulkheads is quite sublime. This is why: 6L. 

In case you are worried about storing your devices, there is a small cubby that pushes out right above the table.

Multiple reading lights/ambient lights are on offer.

Stepping onboard, I realized something: I had forgotten an airpod in the lounge somewhere 🤦‍♂️. I started freaking out since I was embarking on a month-long trip, and there were no Apple stores in Africa…

The crew saw me frantically looking everywhere for something and inquired. They offered to message the lounge to take a look, but unfortunately, they couldn't find it. Ugh, that is on me frick… 

Cockpit Visit

With an airpod lost, I might as well visit the cockpit, right? At least to cheer me up a little bit. The flight deck is always extremely nice when I ask to visit the flight deck, and they told me a little bit about the flight today. Seeing as this flight has a 10-hour block, only 3 members were operating the flight deck.

Our initial cruising altitude would be FL340, and we would work our way up to FL400/410.

Since there are four seats, is there any chance you want to let me hitch a ride🤣?

Departure

By 5:50 pm, boarding was wrapped up, and the cabin crew were finalizing the pre-departure routines. One of the crew members (Meron, amazing) had offered us a glass of sparkling wine, and I was ready for pushback to Nigeria! 

Not so fast…

Our 6 pm departure came and went with not a word.

In the meantime, the purser Alvin came around to welcome us onboard, which was a nice touch.

By 6:20, the captain informed us that due to connecting passengers, we would be delayed for another 1o minutes. No worries, this flight only flies 3x weekly, so I understand.

Our 6:30 slot came and went quickly. At least we had some interesting plane spotting during the evening rush hour!

More sparkling wine was brought around.

6:40 seemed hopeless at this point.

At 6:58, the captain came back on to announce that they were sorting out some issues with the bags. "trouble getting the bags sorted."

An hour and 30 minutes late, we pushed back out of D29.

I lied in my last report; Washington Tower had us departing from runway 30 this evening, which is my favorite runway from which to depart. Interestingly, it was a very short taxi out, and no queue to take off.

10 minutes after pushback, we were wheels up to Lagos with a rolling takeoff. 

The views were magnificent over Dulles with our right bank.

With a delightful climb out, I switched on the movie Dune 2, which I had been dying to see.

Ife/Wifi

The IFE across the board on United has one of the most extensive systems in the network. UA offers plenty of options, from movies to TV shows, and is consistent in trying to get the newest releases out there. The screen is responsive, and the quality is sharp.

Additionally, Wifi could be purchased for around 26$ for the whole flight. It worked most of the way until we got landside in Africa. In the past, I was able to stream F1 and the Premier League on the Wi-Fi, so it can't be that bad. 

Meal Service

The crew was quick to get the meal service rolling as we climbed out of Washington. This flight is scheduled perfectly, as, by the time the meal service is done, it is 8 pm local time in Dulles and 2 am in Lagos.

The menu read as follows: 

30 minutes after takeoff, the traditional hot towel and placemats were distributed. 

So, out of all the United flights I have taken this year, the food was quite a letdown compared to the others.

The burrate looked appetizing but was relatively hard, and the chicken was undercooked… The garlic bread, though, is nom nom nom.

Joke of the day: what do you call someone who is hungry and can't sleep? An insomnomnomnomniac😂.

Here is where the crew really did shine. I inquired about getting another meal only if they had one left, and the FA went off to the galley to check. She came back and said that she was happy to give me her crew meal since she wasn't going to eat it anyway (her words). I was like, "No, no, you don't have to. It's okay", but she insisted, which was a very kind gesture.

The beef was a bit better

And for dessert, what more could you want in life than a fattening American ice cream sundae? 🤣 (very delicious). 

An aspect of United that I really appreciate is how they bring the drinks cart with them when delivering bread/starters/dessert. Therefore, as a passenger, it's not as much of a burden to ask for a refill than for FAs to disrupt their service and head back to the galley for a refill. 

Amenities/Bed/Night Night

If there is one word to describe the United Polaris experience, it would be consistent. The amenities are plentiful, with a lovely Therabody amenity kit, noise-canceling headphones, and plentiful bedding; I was in a solid night's sleep. 

Then it was time to make my bed. United doesn't disappoint with its bedding, as passengers receive two pillows, two blankets, and a mattress topper on all Polaris flights (supposedly). However, passengers must ask for a mattress pad from the FA.

Due to the block time being only 10 hours, pajamas were not offered. These are reserved for flights over 14 hours…

Mattress pad 

Doesn't this look oh so cozy? 

Crawling into bed, I managed to fall asleep about an hour and a half East of New York…

And woke up, get this, 7.5 hours later, an hour outside of Lagos. Somehow, I had slept through the night with no disruptions, and I had woken up feeling refreshed. 

Good Morning!

Slowly arising from my sleep coma, a flight attendant came around to offer me breakfast. The options consisted of oatmeal or a grilled cheese. I wasn't too hungry, so I asked if I could have a coffee and an AHA, which was met with "Of course."

Of course, the coffee was airline coffee…

I managed to ransack the galley to find my favorite snack on a plane: the cheese whisps🥰.

At this point, we were south of Ouagadougou and getting ready for descent into Lagos. Ouagadougou is the coolest city on the whole planet. Additionally, did you know that Timbuktu is actually a real place? I only very recently found that out. It is in Mali. 

Service

The crew played a big part in why this flight was so special. It was refreshing to see a crew on a US carrier that truly wanted to be flying this long-haul route and were having a lot of fun, talking with the passengers, and going above and beyond. Here are a couple of my observations:


-An introduction by the purser is always a pleasant experience

-During the delay on the ground in IAD, a flight attendant from Lagos began providing recommendations for things to do in Lagos.

-The whole meal debacle. While garlic bread, a sundae, and a grilled cheese would have sufficed, the offer to give me a crew meal was overly kind.

-Did not lock windows during the time I was awake…

Arrival

Around 10:10 am local time, the captain announced our descent into Lagos and how he wanted the cabin prepared promptly for landing. The reason is that there were severe thunderstorms in the area. He wasn't lying… 

We held for a while due to ATC instruction, but eventually, we touched down at 10:46 am local time onto 18L (1 hour and 2 minutes late).

Our gate for today was E51 in the new terminal, but the interesting part is how we had to be towed into the gate. I wonder if this was a one-off or if this is the norm. 

The crew bid the passengers farewell, and I was on my way to immigration with no idea what to expect.

Immigration

A couple of my very good friends are from Nigeria, and I let them know that I would be visiting them as my first stop in Africa. They were able to set up a visa for me on arrival through a business visa and provided me with a letter of invitation (so I could board the plane). Nigeria is a tough country when it comes to visas, so I greatly appreciate this. However, I asked what I was supposed to do when I landed, and I was met with "we got you".

With no idea what was about to happen, I proceeded off the plane. 

Stepping into the immigration area, I was met by a man who was wondering if I was me. He took me over to the small booth, which is where you obtain your visa on arrival, and I was getting the process started in no time. It is very easy where you provide your letter, have your fingerprints taken, have a photo taken, and wait while they attach the visa to your passport. 

After about 35 minutes, I had my Nigeria visa!


Next up came the process of actually clearing immigration. In the right-hand line, a physical altercation was taking place, and the immigration assistant just walked up to the front; they bank transferred the immigration 5 USD, and I had my passport stamped in no time… Lol

So, if you happen to be going to Nigeria and are from the USA, change money in the airport, as none of my US cards worked here. No visa, no Amex, and no Mastercard.

The Suprise

Out of the terminal, it was a rainy and dull day in Lagos. However, I still had no idea whether I had to get a taxi from the airport to my Airbnb or what was going on. The man (for many reasons, I will not say his name) told me to follow him, and we began walking… It was all very hush-hush, and I was confused.

And walking… 

That was until I was told to wait right by this little booth as the man made a phone call.

5 minutes later, a police vehicle pulls up with a land cruiser behind. Uh oh, why are they looking for me?

Well, as it turns out, they were actually here to take care of me for the day. Wow, that is all I can say; my friend really went above and beyond when it came to me visiting his home country. 

Honestly, Nigeria is a country that really grew on me. I've met countless Nigerians over the years and they always intrigue me. However, there is a certain system that needs to be learnt in Nigeria, which is what everyone will tell you. More on that in the next report. 

Never in my life have I have ever had a police escort, I was speechless and didn't really know what to say or do. 

Lagos Airport is about a 45-minute drive away from downtown, and we were on our way in no time. 

The wildest part of having a police escort is that traffic really does move out of the way most of the time. It's a weird feeling, and one I appreciated that my friend arranged for me, but I wouldn't do it again unless I had to (which you'll find out later on this Africa trip).

We were off to a compound to drop off my money for the VOA, as well as switch vehicles to something just absolutely crazy.

Okay, so I had no idea going into Nigeria that I would have a police escort the whole time I was there, and it certainly wasn't needed but appreciated. However, the rest of the trip is nowhere near like this business class/police escort, so this is the last luxury I would have for a while. I am grateful to all of my friends who have really been amazing in my pursuit of being the youngest man to visit every country in the world: Bangkok, Dhaka, Lagos, Bogota, and Kyiv, to name a few.

Thanks for reading an hope you enjoyed. Next stop Abidjan on the Air Cote D'Ivoire A320neo!