United Polaris Lounge at Newark

The United Polaris Lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) offers a premium pre-flight experience for eligible travellers distinct from the standard United Club Lounges also available in this major hub. 

Until Delta opened it’s upscale Delta One Lounges last year, Polaris Lounges were without question the best Business Class level lounges in the United states. I recently reviewed the Delta One Lounge At JFK and was super genuinely blown away.

Like my first visit here back in 2019, I was here this month at one of the busiest timeslot which made it difficult to take clear pictures. The offering was still solid however, can United still compete with these new Delta One flagships? 

📍 Location & Access

Situated in Terminal C, between Gates C102 and C120, the lounge is easily accessible after security.

This lounge is open daily from 4:30 AM to 10:30 PM.

Access is exclusive to:

• United Polaris business class passengers on long-haul international flights.

• Star Alliance long-haul first and business class passengers departing from Newark.​

Note: Status alone (e.g., United Global Services or Star Alliance Gold) does not grant access unless accompanied by an eligible ticket.

United Polaris Lounge at Newark

There is once again a large reception area with the familiar chandelier lighting common across other Polaris lounges.

I could not take any pictures here due to the sheer number of people passing through. As you walk into the main space you’ll find some large artwork in display with seating lined across the wall..

Spanning over 27,000 square feet, this is the second biggest Polaris lounge after San Francisco but considerably smaller than the Delta One Lounge in JFK.

Further in there are various seating around with comfy multi-sided couches in some of the middle spots..

Facilities & Amenities​

• 455 seats across 15 seating types.

• Full bar area
• A la carte dining restaurant

• 10 private daybeds with Saks Fifth Avenue bedding.

• 10 shower suites featuring rainfall showers and Therabody products.

• 4 private phone booths.

• Personal valet services, including garment steaming

It was possible to find some areas with fewer people ( momentarily – given the constant flow of guests coming and going )

My favourite area is further in the main room with floor to ceiling windows running along the length

Despite being a number of years old the seating and overall deco still looked and felt comfortably modern. If you looked close enough some seating areas do show some wear and tear..

Admittedly, it has more of a corporate feel than luxury retreat but it’s very much in tune with United’s branding onboard the Polaris product itself.

I managed to find a couple of spots to enjoy some great views of aircrafts..

Besides eating time – I had a good hour or so to relax here enjoying some views. I am someone who also does enjoy people watching somewhat – and a notable observation here is that many guest seem to be using each area for around 30 minutes or so, which is good because you are likely to find a spot to get comfortable in sooner than later.

Polaris Lounge Food + Drinks

You will find a dedicated bar at the far end of the lounge with around 8-10 high stool chairs..

This full-service bar offers signature cocktails, including:​

• United Polaris Star
• Supersonic Flight
• Classic Red Snapper
• Spiced Cider Manhattan

• Old Fashioned

Additionally, there are non-alcoholic cocktails as well as Illy espresso drinks are available, with cappuccinos adorned with the Polaris star

There were two dedicated staff tending to customers there, unfortunately on this occasion I did not have time to enjoy a drink here!

Buffet

The dedicated buffet area is another beautifully designed space with central food island as well as counters running alongside the edge of the lougne.

A diverse selection of hot and cold dishes are available depending on time of day

If you were not particularly fussy – the catering here alone should be more than sufficient for most guests.

You have a choice of light bites and finger foods such as chicken and veg wraps

As well as cold cut meats and cheeses

Moving onto hot dishes, you will find a selection of roast vegetables..

And then hot mains such as salmon or stews

You can also make your own salads from a variety of ingredients

And finally for dessert – you will find a wide selection of fruits as well as more sweeter treats..

Dining Room

For those that have more time on their hands and wish to dine at a more leisurely basis, Polaris lounges have a dedicated restaurant with à la carte menu.

You need to reserve a table – which is on a first come first serve basis. I requested a table at 6.10pm, and had a table ready for me at 6.45pm ( you will be notified by text and email ).

Here is just how full the dining area was at 6pm..

From my understanding – this is a typical wait duration for a table since it is one of the busiest periods with most European flights departing between 6-9pm.

I was escorted to my table from reception and promptly offered menus and my first drink orders taken..

This was clearly a well drilled machine designed to speed up the flow of diners through.

The menus were as follows which includes the same drinks menu available at the bar..

The breakfast menu runs till 11am, and then switched to an all day lunch/dinner menu.

To start, I ordered the Butternut squash, Pear and Bipp salad ..

For a salad, this was scrumptiously tasty !

For the main, I had to order the infamous Signature Polaris Burger ..

This came with a surprisingly small portion of wedged fries, though in fairness you can order additional toppings and sides to the dish such as fried eggs, bacon, sautéed mushrooms etc

Overall the burger was excellent, I would most certainly order again!

The skies darkened outside as the wait staff came by to check on things twice with a further round of drinks served.

I did not have time to order any desserts in this instance as my boarding time was fast approaching !

✈️ Final Thoughts

The United Polaris Lounge at Newark provides a plush, if at times busy environment, it won’t be hard to find a space to relax while you wait for your flight or get some work done before your flight.

There are off course dedicated rest areas and luxurious shower spas which I did not use on this visit – they are of the same calibre as the Polaris Lounge in Chicago I reviewed not long ago.

With its comprehensive amenities and quality dining options, this United Polaris lounge is a very solid lounge experience. However, Delta now easily beats the Polaris lounge offering, both in the higher quality catering and service but also amenities like complementary spa treatment.

Nonetheless, I would happily spend a few hours year before a Star Alliance flight anytime !