Zipping to Zürich in United Polaris Business Class - Boeing 767 Edition

There are some pretty bougee premium airlines out there - Emirates, Etihad, Singapore... with bars and showers on planes, free massages in the lounge and private transfers to the airport. Then there's United, who as recently as 2019 was still flying a 2-4-2 "dorm style" business class seat on international routes. But fast forward to post-COVID and the Chicago-based Star Alliance carrier now offers a pretty respectable seat on all its long haul planes - from the oldest 767s/777s to the newest 787s. It has also opened up 6 dedicated business class lounges at all its hubs (except Denver - but that's coming soon), so it's easier than ever to justify flying up front with United, assuming the price is right. So when I came across a deal to lock in two long haul biz flights for 88,000 MileagePlus miles (with the first leg on United's 767-300ER), I had to jump on it.

So come along as we check out what United "Polaris" has to offer on an 8 hour transatlantic flight from its hometown hub in Chicago over to Zürich, Switzerland!

Flight Details:
Airline / Flight No: United Airlines (UA) 3
Aircraft Type: Boeing 767-300ER (N669UA)
From: Chicago, IL (ORD)
To: Zürich, Switzerland (ZRH)
Departure Time: 4 March 2024 3:55pm CT
Arrival Time: 5 March 2024 7:55am CET

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
02:33 Arrival and Check-in at O'Hare Terminal 1
04:21 Post-Security and United's Polaris Lounge
07:45 Arrival at Gate and Boarding the B767
10:37 Pushback, Taxi and Takeoff - Rwy 28R
12:48 Wifi Situation and First Inflight Meal Service
15:59 Bedtime Prep and Lav Tour
17:59 Waking Up and Breakfast Service
19:42 Approach and Landing into ZRH
20:55 Final Thoughts (including Ticket Cost)