Customers flying in United Airlines Polaris business class will soon enjoy more slippers on more routes, though customers in United’s Premium Plus premium economy product will lose out. United Airlines Adds More Slippers To Polaris Business Class, Eliminates Them...
Customers flying in United Airlines Polaris business class will soon enjoy more slippers on more routes, though customers in United’s Premium Plus premium economy product will lose out.
United Airlines Adds More Slippers To Polaris Business Class, Eliminates Them From Premium Economy
Citing “significant requests and inquiries from our customers and flight attendants,” United will provision slippers to 100% of the Polaris business class cabin to most Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern destinations effective January 1, 2024. Currently, slippers are on request only and on some routes not enough are boarded for everyone in the cabin to have a pair.
Per a memo reviewed by Live And Let’s Fly, the following routes will feature slippers for every passenger in Polaris:
Asia Hong Kong – HKG Tokyo – HND Seoul – ICN Osaka – KIX Manila – MNL Tokyo – NRT Beijing – PEK Shanghai – PVG Singapore – SIN Taipei – TPE Pacific Auckland – AKL Brisbane – BNE Christchurch – CHC Melbourne – MEL Tahiti – PPT Sydney – SYD Middle East / India Amman – AMM Delhi – DEL Dubai – DXB Tel Aviv – TLVAs for other routes, “Eligible flights between the U.S. mainland hubs and Europe, South America and Africa will continue to have slippers available upon Polaris customer request.”
Premium Plus Loses Out On Slippers
Currently, Premium Plus (UPP or premium economy) passengers can also receive slippers on request in many Asian markets. That changes on January 1, 2024: no more slippers for those in premium economy.
As a result, all UPP cabins no longer qualify for this amenity and will not have the slippers placed on-seat or counted in the allocation for on-request markets. Slippers are now exclusive to Polaris customers.
That’s a loss for these passengers because I think the slippers (pictured above) are very decent on United, but if it had to be a tradeoff, I think full provisioning in Polaris makes more sense. At the same time, I think pajamas and slippers should be prominently noted on the menus, but still on-request only. No need for many pairs to be wasted by passengers who shove them aside or rip them open only not to use them. Even better would be if flight attendants went around the cabin asking passengers if they would like them.
CONCLUSION
United is modifying its onboard slipper policy in 2024, with more provisioning in Polaris business class but the elimination of slipper in Premium Plus premium economy class. While it is too bad that United is eliminating this benefit from premium economy, it is important to ensure a consists and reliable experience in Polaris…no flight should run out of slippers in a premium cabin.