How to Get Into a United Polaris Lounge Before Your Flight

United Polaris business class offers travelers a luxurious experience in the sky, with lie-flat seats, elevated dining options, premium bedding and other comfortable amenities. On the ground, Polaris flyers have access to one of United's Polaris lounges, which offer upgraded amenities compared to a typical United Club lounge.

Access to a United Polaris lounge is highly restrictive: You'll need to fly in United Polaris business class on at least a standard fare (base fares are excluded). Business or first class flyers on select Star Alliance partner airlines also have access when traveling on a long-haul international flight.

However, United charges a hefty premium for its Polaris fares. Fortunately, there are other ways to fly in Polaris business class without paying the retail price.

What is United Polaris?

Polaris is United's premium travel product for long-haul international flights, as well as select flights on domestic transcontinental routes and longer Hawaii routes. It encompasses the entire travel experience, offering passengers a personal onboard suite, sleep-centric amenities, upscale dining choices and access to United's Polaris lounges.

All of United's long-haul international flights depart from one of the airline's hubs, so that's where United has placed its Polaris lounges. Every hub has a Polaris lounge, except for Denver. (United has said it will build one in Denver in the coming years.) Here are the six U.S. hubs that currently offer a Polaris lounge:

• Chicago-O’Hare.

• Houston Intercontinental.

• Los Angeles.

• New York-Newark.

• San Francisco.

• Washington-Dulles.

If you're traveling through airports without a Polaris lounge, don't worry: Your Polaris ticket also grants you access to United Clubs. If you've purchased a Polaris base fare, which doesn't include Polaris lounge access, you'll also be able to enter United Club locations.

What makes Polaris lounges different from United’s normal lounges? For starters, they're exclusively for passengers traveling in Polaris business class on United (or business or first class on select Star Alliance partners) for a long-haul international flight and some domestic flights. To determine if your domestic flight is eligible, your ticket will need to say United Polaris on it.

Polaris lounges also offer various dining options, including hot and cold buffets, as well as the Polaris Dining Room, which offers table service. If you're looking for wellness amenities, Polaris lounges offer spacious shower suites and quiet rooms with daybeds or massage chairs.

» Learn more: What to know about United lounge access

5 ways to gain United Polaris lounge access

While United passengers can purchase one-time passes to enter a United Club, you can't purchase a day pass to the United Polaris lounge. You have to have an eligible ticket to get in.

Here's how you can get into the Polaris lounge:

1. Fly United Polaris class

Passengers traveling in United Polaris business class on long-haul international flights and select domestic flights are allowed complimentary lounge access before departure, during connections and upon arrival.

Access upon arrival is useful after getting off a long-haul flight. However, keep in mind that you won't be able to access the lounge after a Polaris flight unless you have a boarding pass for an onward connection to get back through airport security.

To access the lounge, you'll need to be flying on a standard or flexible ticket. If you have purchased a Polaris base fare, you'll have access to only the United Club.

» Learn more: The best first class airline in the U.S.

2. Fly long-haul international premium class on select Star Alliance member airlines

Passengers flying internationally in business or first class on certain Star Alliance partner airlines can get into United Polaris lounges, too, but only at the departure airport of their international flight.

This applies even if you booked your flight through United. For example, I used United miles to book a first class award ticket on All Nippon Airways from Houston to Tokyo with a layover in San Francisco. Because I wasn't on a United Polaris flight, I didn't have any lounge access in Houston (not even to a United Club) based on my first class ticket, although I did in San Francisco.

» Learn more: Your guide to the Star Alliance

3. Upgrade to Polaris business class using miles

If you didn’t book a United Polaris ticket outright, you may be able to upgrade using MileagePlus miles and typically a cash co-pay. Upgrades with PlusPoints or cash may also be possible (more on these upgrades below).

The easiest way is to request an upgrade during booking. On the United website, navigate to Advanced Search and select the “MileagePlus Upgrade Awards (MUAs)” upgrade type under “Upgrades, certificates, and promotion codes.” You’ll then be able to see whether a MileagePlus Upgrade Award is available for the flights you want.

Even if you didn’t request an upgrade during the initial booking, there are still ways to do so.

Simply sign in to your MileagePlus account and pull up an existing reservation to request an upgrade. Or, head to the airport within 24 hours of departure to request an upgrade directly at the check-in counter or gate.

You can also call the reservations line at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) to request an upgrade.

Do note, though, that not all tickets are available for an upgrade. For instance, MileagePlus Upgrade Awards aren’t available when flying on award tickets or if you booked a basic economy fare. Money + Miles tickets aren’t upgradable with MileagePlus Upgrade Awards, either. Upgrades are subject to capacity controls.

4. Upgrade to Polaris business class using PlusPoints

United's Premier Platinum or 1K elite status members receive PlusPoints, which can be used to upgrade your ticket into Polaris business class. The amount of PlusPoints required depends on the cabin you're upgrading to/from and the destination. For example, if you want to upgrade from economy to Polaris, it will cost 40 to 80 PlusPoints, while upgrading from Premium Plus will cost 30 PlusPoints.

If there is no upgrade availability at the time of request, you will be put on the upgrade waitlist. Premier 1K members may see an option to skip the waitlist by paying additional PlusPoints, although expect it to be significantly more expensive to do so.

Keep in mind that your upgrade needs to clear in order for you to access the United Polaris lounge. Sometimes upgrades aren't cleared until you're at the departure gate, meaning you won't have time to visit the lounge.

PlusPoints can also be used to upgrade eligible flights on ANA, Copa and Lufthansa.

» Learn more: The guide to United Premier elite status

5. Purchase an upgrade to United Polaris business class

After you purchase your ticket, United may give you a cash offer to buy up to Polaris business class. This is different from changing your flight outright to business class, which would require you to pay a fare difference.

These are personalized and dynamic offers, so upgrade prices can vary significantly depending on the passenger and time until departure. If you get a reasonable offer, this can be an excellent way to upgrade to business class. Once you pay the nonrefundable upgrade fee, your upgrade is immediately confirmed.

You can also use miles to purchase the upgrade, at a 1 cent per point redemption. That's below NerdWallet's valuation of United miles at 1.2 cents per point, but using miles exempts you from paying the taxes charged on a cash upgrade.

United Polaris lounge locations

The six United Polaris lounges are located in large international airports in the U.S. Here's a look inside each of them:

1. United Polaris lounge Chicago

The Chicago Polaris lounge is located within concourse C (near gate C18).

2. United Polaris lounge Houston

The lounge is located in terminal E, between the United Club and gate E12.

3. United Polaris lounge LAX

The Polaris lounge is located in Terminal 7, between gates 73 and 75A.

» Learn more: The nine best lounges at LAX

4. United Polaris lounge Newark

The lounge is located after security, in Terminal C, between gates C102 and C120.

5. United Polaris lounge SFO

The Polaris lounge is located in the international terminal, across from security for Boarding Area G.

6. United Polaris lounge Dulles

To visit the lounge, you'll need to head to Concourse C by gate C17.

(Top photo courtesy of United Airlines.)