CHECK-IN
To watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rb8Za8QxirI
Welcome to Washington Dulles! Today I’ll be flying to London Heathrow on United’s 777-200ER in their Polaris Business Class cabin. I proceeded to the priority check-in which was a bit of a mess since it was all kiosks even though most passengers required their documents checked. They were severely understaffed so even though I was almost done checking in, getting someone’s attention to get my documents in order to complete took a few more minutes.
After check-in I headed through TSA Pre-check which had a decently long line. Sometimes the regular lines can be quicker than the Pre-check like however this time of the day seemed to be crowded all round.
LOUNGE
I took the train to C gates which my flight and the United Polaris lounge was. The Polaris lounge was bright and spacious with a lot of seating options and plenty of amenities like a quiet room and shower suites. The bar area was popular and crowded.
I headed to the dining room to get a quick meal before my red eye. The menu had a lot of options. I ordered the scallops followed by the Sea bass, both of which were exceptional restaurant quality dishes.
I still had a few minutes before I had to proceed to the gate so I checked the buffet area had limited hot options.
BOARDING
Boarding began 10 minutes late but was quick and efficient. Today’s aircraft was a 27 year old United 777-200ER (N784UA).
I headed down the aisle to seat 11A, which was closer to the window. The odd numbered window seats offer far more privacy as the even numbered seats are angled towards the aisle.
Waiting at my seat were a bunch of goodies from Saks Fifth & Therabody as well as a menu.
The seat offers a lot of legroom, however the floor area was dirty and didn’t seem to be cleaned between flights.
I was offered a choice between a glass of water and a welcome drink which, both served in a plastic cup which is the norm for US airlines with pre departure drinks.
The door closed soon after and we were on schedule for an on time departure from Dulles.
AFTER TAKEOFF
After departure the crew came around with a hot towel.
I was also served a drink and a bowl of nuts
For dinner I chose their ‘Spicy chicken’ which was served with smoked duck and a salad. The entire meal was served on one tray which makes sense for a red eye like this.
I checked out the entertainment system which had a good selection of new movies and TV shows, however the headphones were pretty disappointing and low quality. I decided to use my own wired headphones.
I chose to try and get a few hours of sleep before landing into London. United provides a duvet, a day blanket, a large pillow and a smaller memory foam pillow. The bedding was incredibly comfortable, some of the best (Iberia has one of the comfiest).
A few hours later I was woken up for breakfast. I chose the scrambled eggs, which was served with a bowl of fruit, a yogurt cup and a croissant.
Shortly after we began our descent and approach into London Heathrow
