by Is it possible for business class seats to be as extravagant as first class cabins? With Delta One and the United Polaris, you get two serious contenders. These two airlines have ramped up their products, creating premium cabins for leisure and business travelers.
Delta One business class not only has gorgeously designed seats, these fully recline while giving guests storage, accessible charging ports, an IFE, and gourmet meals on board. Meanwhile, United Polaris is considered among the most premium business class cabins in the U.S. with all of its splendid features and design.
These two, no doubt, are amazing products but which one is better?
Let’s find out in this Delta One business class vs. United Polaris business class cabin comparison.
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Quick Glance: Delta Business Class vs. United Polaris Business Class
| Delta Business Class | United Polaris Business Class | |
| Ground Experience | Delta One passengers receive Delta Sky Club lounge access found in most hub cities or any of Delta’s partner lounges worldwide. There’s priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling. Guests even receive complimentary two checked luggage, weighing up to 70 pounds. | Guests on United Polaris receive free Polaris Lounge access. These lounges are some of the finest in the United States. There’s ample seating, an overflowing buffet selection, and even a first-come, first-served dining area that’s a real treat. Also available are quiet rooms, lounge chairs, and showers. Pre-flight access is available for business class guests too. |
| Seat | Being the most premium cabin in Delta’s fleet, passengers can expect stylish lie-flat seats. These are beautifully upholstered with room for storage, gourmet meals, amenity kits, and an IFE with hundreds of movies, TV, shows, music, and more. The Delta One Business Class seats are found in most international and select domestic routes. For a special treat, the seats on the Boeing 777-200LR, the A350, and the A330–900 come with full-height closure to create a cocoon-like cabin. All seats face forward, measure 19 to 22.5 inches in width, and feature a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access. | Finding United Polaris seats can be challenging. While they’re widely available, there is a chance you’ll get just the regular business seats if you’re not careful. United Polaris seats feature fully lie-flat beds, a spacious cabin, sleek chairs, and direct aisle access. Everything is in a 1-2-1 layout. You’ll find these seats installed in the 787-10 Dreamliners, 777-300ER, 767-300ER, 777-200ER, and 787-9 Dreamliners. If you’re lucky and board the special 767, you’ll get the United Polaris in a 1-1-1 configuration. It has a 24-inch width with a 75 to 76-inch pitch in the 30-seat cabin. |
| Amenities | Delta swapped its Tumi amenity kits in favor of the Mexican-based brand, b. This move marks Delta’s commitment to using more eco-friendly offerings. Inside the handmade kit are a handmade eye mask, a bamboo toothbrush, a hand cream, and a lip balm from another eco-conscious brand, Grown Alchemist. | United Polaris blows the competition away with its amenities. On long-haul flights, guests receive Saks Avenue-designed bedding (blankets and pillows). You can also request a thin mattress pad for a cushion on the seat. Guests also receive hard shell Away amenity kits. Inside, they have a collection of items from the skincare brand Sunday Riley. It also contains a pen, dental kit, earplugs, and socks. If the flight is more than 12 hours, United Polaris also offers free pajamas which you can take home. |
| Food and Beverage | Pre-order meals can be done over the Delta App or online. You can also enter Kosher or vegetarian requests at this time. In the air, meals start shortly after departure while the second meal is served about two hours or so before landing. Meals are always impeccably presented and served with care by the attendants. | Food is a mix of classic American cuisine. While there have been downgrades in United’s food service, is still excellent. Pre-flight drinks (including champagne) are poured for you and the dinner service starts at least 40 minutes after takeoff. You can choose from a printed menu and the mains are served with a side salad in one tray. United’s signature ice cream sundae is back. Breakfast is then served at least 90 minutes before landing. |
| Entertainment | Delta’s in-flight entertainment, Delta Studio, is robust and pre-filled with hundreds of shows, movies, music, and more. Each seat comes with an 18-inch monitor. There’s also an air show for anyone who loves watching their routes. Delta hands out headphones as well but you can bring your own if you want something of better quality. | While the in-flight entertainment monitors varied slightly between aircraft, it’s generally a 15-16 inch HD touchscreen monitor. It’s pre-filled with hundreds of shows and movies. There’s also an interactive flight map. United-branded headphones are decent but better to bring your own. |
| Lavatories | The number of lavatories depends on the plane. Inside these lavatories, you’ll find high-end toiletries like Malin+Goetz. But other than that, there’s nothing else special about what’s inside. | Lavatories are simple and clean. They all feature touchless sinks and come with more toiletries from Sunday Riley including wrinkle-free spray. |
| Bed | You can sleep comfortably, thanks to the fully flat seats. Delta also supplies Coz-z-z pillows and blankets which are made from recycled plastic. Once flat, the seat measures 76 inches or about 6 feet and 4 inches. | All beds recline flat and transform into a bed that measures up to 75 inches in length. |
| Service | Great service. Passengers can expect top-quality service and pampered attention from the crew. They’re always attentive, ensuring the passenger’s needs are always cared for. | It’s great for the most part. However, there are occasions when service is lackluster. Usually, the United crew is attentive and proactive. They will always assist with whatever you need. |
| Wi-Fi | Delta has a lot of options when it comes to Wi-Fi. If you’re flying within the U.S. on most domestic flights, Wi-Fi is now free! On international flights, you can pay for a Wi-Fi access pass. | Wi-Fi on domestic and short-haul routes starts at $8 to $10. For monthly subscriptions, it starts at $49 per month. Guests get free messaging over message services over Wi-Fi. A full flight plan can also be purchased for $23. The Wi-Fi plan also differs depending on the aircraft. |
