Connecting from Schengen to Non-Schengen in Munich
I arrived in on a connecting flight from Hamburg, and followed the signs to the H gates, which is where I found passport control. I usually allow myself plenty of time when departing the EU. One time at AMS, I waited 2 hours in line to get through passport control to exit the EU (and they had automated passport control).
Good news here is that MUC has automated passport control for EU passports, US passports, and others. You can view the full list here. It took less than a minute. You scan your passport, it takes a picture, and you proceed to the officer to get your exit stamp.
The Lufthansa Senator Lounge: H24
When flying in United Polaris from Munich, you have access to the Lufthansa Business Lounge; however, if you are Star Alliance Gold or higher, you can access the Senator Lounges, which tend to be more private. The only Business and Senator Lounge in the H gates is the one near H24. I proceeded through and was admitted in promptly.
The Lounge is one of the nicer Senator lounges in my opinion. The seating and layout is nicer than most senator lounges I've been in. There are couches and places where you can sit and spread out.
The bar is staffed, unlike the one in the G gates. It's a large, long bar. There are different beers, wines, and spirits on offer. I didn't partake since it was only about 8:30 a.m. when I arrived.
There was a small buffet which was basic. There were scrambled eggs, sausages, meatballs, and tomatoes. There was also yogurt, fruit, croissants, and pretzels on offer. This is typical of a Lufthansa lounge, so there's really nothing special about the food, given that this is the Senator Lounge in the non-schengen area.
The bathrooms and showers were located outside of the senator lounge, near the entrance to the business lounge. I went in there, and the smell… oh boy. I couldn't handle it enough to even use the facilities, much less take a picture. I do apologize.
The Lounge also has lockers for luggage storage- if that's something you choose to use. Although, it seemed like nobody was using them.
Boarding, Cabin, and Seat
I made my way to gate H14 for my 11:50 a.m. boarding time.
As is typical for flights going to the US, there is an additional security check of your passport, and you answer a few quick questions. If security decides to screen you for additional screening, you'll move to the side to do that.
They had individual lanes depending upon which flight you were on. I went to the IAD and IAH line. The screening took less than a minute.
If you're in business class or have lounge access, I'd recommend staying in the lounge for as long as possible. This is because there is really nothing beyond that additional security check- no lounges, and no great food options.
Boarding began right on schedule at 11:10 a.m., and began with preboarding of passengers with disabilities, followed by Global Services, Families with Children under the age of 2, and Premier 1K customers. I'm 1K, so I preboarded with that group. Though, if you're in Polaris, you'll board with Group 1, which is immediately after all of the preboarding groups.
The 787-8 Polaris Cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, and has a total of 28 seats. The cabin is split into two cabins, separated by a galley. The first cabin, between L1 and L2, consists of 20 seats spread across 5 rows. Whereas, the second cabin, where I was sitting, consists of only 8 seats, spread across 2 rows. So, the second, mini-cabin feels much more private.
It's also important to note that the 2 lavotories for Polaris are located at the very front of the aircraft. So, you have to go up to the very front of the aircraft in order to use the lavatories in flight. But, with 2 lavatories for 28 passengers, the passenger to lavatory ratio is 14:1, which is not bad.
The Polaris seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration on the 787s, offering every passenger direct aisle access. The odd rows face straight, and the even rows are at an angle. I always prefer the odd, window seats as a solo traveler for the most privacy. Though, couples should opt for the odd numbered middle seats in the middle so that you can be close together and lower the partition.
The overhead bins on the 787s are massive, and have more than enough space to store any luggage that you may need to store in the overhead bins, especially if you’re in business class.
My seat today was 6A, the window seat on the right side of the aircraft in the first row of this mini cabin.
The seat has three windows, that are controlled by dimmer switches on the wall or in the IFE system. And this seat in particular offers excellent views of the engine and wing! The window was tinted yellow, which is an aging issue on the 787 windows. But, it was honestly less noticable than in the pictures.
The seat controls are located next to the left armrest, with a wheel that allows you to adjust between fully-flat bed mode, and the fully-upright taxi, takeoff, and landing mode. You can also adjust your footrest, your lumbar support, and your recline with a lot of different combinations.
There is a faux marble countertop on the right side where you can set things on top of. Just above the countertop is the IFE remote control, the universal power outlet, a USB-A charging port, the headphone jack, and a small vanity closet where you can store a few things during the flight. I find this the perfect spot to store your toiletries and/or chargers.
The seat is well padded, comfortable, and extremely private. You can’t see another passenger in the cabin unless you really start looking for them, and nobody else can see you. Which is what I love about the Polaris seats- you really don't need a closing door with this amount of privacy. But, United is adding those in Polaris on their 787-9s soon! On the 787-8, there are individual air vents above your seat, and an overhead reading light.
The menu was located at the seat, so I'll show some pictures here.
Pre-Departure
At 11:34, pre-departure beverages of either water or sparkling wine were offered. I went with sparkling wine. It was served in a plastic cup, not the new glassware. There were a few provisioning issues today, and maybe that's because Munich is an outstation?
Just after that, Brad, the purser came by and said, "Mr. Shivpilot14, we're so glad to have you back again. Thank you so much for your loyalty and being a 1K member with us. I saw that you preordered the lamb shank. Will that still be okay for you?" When I said yes, he said, "Thank you again, and welcome aboard!" He then went around to take meal orders for everyone else in the cabin, but seemed to start with the Premier members.
At 11:42, the captain came on to welcome us aboard and stated that the weather in the Northeast United States is expected to be a bit unpredictable today and that we are expected to have a slightly early arrival, but if the weather changes, that we might not meet that. He said that eitehr way, we were expecting some serious bumps about an hour outside of Washington, and tht he'd likely ask the flight attendants to be seated and end service a bit early, and he apologized for that in advance.
He then did something that, in all my flying with United, I've never heard before from a captain. He said, "I wanted to take a moment to thank especially our Global Services and 1K members for flying with us today. We greatly appreciate your loyalty!"
Taxi, Takeoff, and Climb Out
At 11:48, the doors were closed, and the safety video began.
At 12:02, we pushed back from the gate, and began our taxi just after that.
At 12:15, we were rolling down runway 8R for departure.
At 12:20, we reached 10,000 feet, meaning that we were well on way to Washington.
Cruise
At 12:34, service began with the distribution of a hot towel. At 12:40, the white tablecloth was distributed by Brad. I'll be honest, I preferred the blue tablecloth.
At 12:50, Brad brought the ramekin of nuts and offered me something to drink. I went with the Sauvignon Blanc.
The nuts were seasoned very well, so I really enjoyed that and the taste of them! However, they were not warmed up (they're supposed to be), and they were served in a foil ramekin? The Munich catering and provisioning team needs to do better than this. It looks cheap.
I also don't like that United stopped using stemless wine glasses recently. For a "premium" long haul business class product, this new glasswoare feels a bit tacky, and just doens't live up to the standards of their competitors. This glass would be nice for a call or rail drink, but not for wine in business class. Also, no choice of still or sparkling water was offered, as is usually standard in Polaris.
At 1:16, Brad brought my starter and refilled my wine. I went with the ricotta.
The ricotta was really good! It was spicy and had some great flavor! Despite the red wine vinegar it was served with, the arugula salad was still dry. Though, I liked the cucumber and radish additions to it.
At 1:39, my main course was served.
The lamb shank was good. The creamy polenta was also very good! The green beans weren't flavored that well honestly.
At 1:53, I finished my meal, and Brad came to take my tray.
At 2:06, Brad came by to offer me dessert. I went with the ice cream sundae, as is typical in Polaris.
I finished that about five minutes later, and Brad cleared my sundae bowl.
I reclined my seat, and was so full, that I fell asleep just after switching my watch to Washington time. It was about 8:45 a.m. in Washington.
I slept for a bit over 2 hours and woke up at exactly 11:00 a.m. to the sound of the Captain making an announcement. He said that we were flying over Greenland, and that, if you were on the right side of the aircraft, you could see it. Too bad, I was on the left.
I decided to do the call bell challenge and within 10 seconds (which is extremely impressive considering that all the flight attendants were in the forward most galley), a flight attendant came. I ordered a coke zero.
A bit later, at 12:46, I rang the call bell again and ordered a gin and club soda, and some more water. One thing about Polaris on these daytime flights is that the flight attendants are sometimes up and abotut checking on passengers. But today, they were hiding up in the forward galley. However, they did come by immediately when I rang the call bell, which I really did like!
Pre-arrival
At 1:30, the pre-arrival meal service began with the distribution of a hot towel.
At 1:46, Brad came by to ask what I wanted to eat and drink. I went with the Vegetable Biryani. I was very excited to taste it! To drink, I just went with a water.
The Biryani tasted really good! I was very impressed! It was also very filling! I'd highly recommend it! I didn't try the blueberry muffin or anything else on the tray because I was pretty full.
When I finished, Brad cleared my tray, without even asking if I wanted anything else.
Descent and Arrival
At 2:10, the first officer came on to announce that we'd be beginning our descent soon and that they'd be turning on the fasten seatbelt sign in about 10 minutes. He told us of the weather and said that we'd be landing on runway 19L.
We touched down on runway 19L at 2:47 p.m., and parked at gate C4 at 2:54 p.m. for an early arrival.
The arrival process at IAD was pretty quick. I was at the CBP checkpoint about 15 minutes after deplaning, and with Global Entry, was through in no time.
My bags were then at the carousel about 30 minutes after gate arrival, and I was on my way! Usually, bags never come off an international flight that quickyl at IA in my experience. And sometimes, the Global Entry line can be horrendous. I wonder if it's because we arrived in early?
