#i also have a few layouts for the cabins and such i might stitch together soon

[campbyler]

would you guys ever make “official” fanart for the fic? (if any of you guys are artists, besides the art that is the fic)

yes we would and have before!!! suni has posted at least three acswy related pieces which i can find later and edit this post to add :) we also desperately need to go through the blog and find all the art others have made for the fic and make a tag for that too!!

[wanderer-of-sol]

Wanderer of Sol - Business Chapter 1

Here’s a little taste of a novel I’ve been working on in my spare time.

Chapter1

Wanderer had found himself on this table a dozen or more times before. It was dark as pitch, but he could feel the cold stainless steel work surface chill his back and fingertips through the haze of general anesthetics. Muttered and muddied words struggled to meet his ears, wading through the fog of his mind, and blackness of his vision. No amount of effort would allow him to open his eyes, or feel his face. A buzzing, burrowing sound rattled in his skull, chattering his teeth against the plastic tapping of a breathing tube invading his throat and lungs. Time passed at a trickle, and Wanderer lost track of the sounds and sensations violating his unmoving shell. Suddenly a stitch of light poured in through the darkness, in one eye. Pixels and artifacts flashed before him. It was like dreaming of meaningless text and menus as they floated into his consciousness. Nothing was in focus, not even his mind. He could hear the pulsing of life monitoring equipment and the muttering sharpened into words.

“That should do it. Let's get the other one out and replaced, then we'll work on removing the first arm. The other teams are backed up with limb enhancement, so we might as well lend them a hand, so to speak.” The voice let out a quiet half-laugh, but was calm and cold as it echoed. It had done this a dozen or more times before.

A moment later a distant frantic chirping could be heard, like a cat had snatched a sparrow from the air. Then another was caught much closer.

“Doctor, something's wrong with the anesthetic machine. The gas levels are dropping rapidly. There may be a leak!” Came another voice, as Wanderer was greeted with pounding soreness.

“Well, find the leak and replace the tank, asap! You know how hard it is to keep these things sedated!” The voice barked, as if trying to scare away the cats. It began to lose it's cool and calm tone as more and more machines started to chirp their warning alarms all around Wanderer.

As he regained feeling to his face and control over his eyes, sight came back, fuzzy in one eye. The other eye's vision was obscured with invisible shapes, and text flash by as it displayed “Initial setup” in his mind. Above him floated a familiar visage, in the reflective focusing plate of the operation light. Thin cuts bled lightly around his right eye. A portion of his light brown hair was removed, in preparation for who knew what. The only clues were the black marker on his lightly tanned skin, directing where and how to cut to the uncaring voices that scrambled around him. His beard was much longer and messier than he had remembered it being. That somehow made sense to him, as he felt like he had been sleeping for so long before waking up where he was.

The chirping grew louder and more frantic as the voices in the room, separated by curtains hanging from the ceiling and lightly muffled by medical face masks, grew louder and more frantic in turn. All attention on him was lost as he pulled the tube from his throat with a cough. Sitting on the edge of what felt like a mortuary's examination table, Wanderer's gaze drifted to what he felt was the center of the room. Something drew him there as the separating curtains started to shift and billow towards him. The only warning of what came next was the sudden flying bodies of doctors, nurses and those they worked on, along with the tables they rested on and tools used on them. They came in a wave as Wanderer's own table was lifted and thrown in turn. He sailed through the air with scalpels and bone saws as his vision was taken up by the rapidly approaching floor.

With a start, Wanderer jumped awake. It had happened like this a dozen or more times before.

“What the fuck's your problem, Wanderer?” Came a familiar voice. Wanderer's eyes focused much faster than they had for him moments ago. The girl sitting beside him was colorful in the way of a poisonous animal, but also foreboding like a raven. Her hair, or what remained of it, was trimmed into a mohawk with a blade of blue, violet and deep red down the center, and short black scruff on the sides. Her eyes were a piercing brown that burned a hole into Wanderer. Her ripped and torn clothes were stitched together to compensate for the scars of many bar brawls, dirty jobs gone poorly, and questionable fashion choices. Even in the year 2422, punk was alive and well in this woman.

“I'm fine, Munin. Just that fuckin' dream again.” Wanderer explained, rubbing his face with both hands, in attempts to brush off the grog left by his nap.

“Great. So I guess we'll be turning around and scheduling a trip for Venus soon?” She seemed annoyed to say the least.

“No, I'm good. We've got places to be and deadlines to make. I just need some coffee. Where are we?” Wanderer replied, stretching his arms in the cramped pilot's cabin. There was an audible pop and a sigh somewhere between relief and pain.

“Like, ten minutes from entering Martian atmosphere. Maybe half an hour from Sulci Gordii Port. I already called in docking with Olympus Mons air traffic while you slacked off.” The evidence of her annoyance was beginning to become clear. Wanderer didn't realized how long he had been out.

“I can take us down, if you want.” He rationed, attempting to get on her good side, but she wasn't having that.

“Nope. Go get yourself some brew. You're useless to me as a captain if you're fuckin' falling asleep.” She wasn't even looking at him any more. Her eyes were on her screen and her hands were finding the switches needed to adjust shields for entry, and line up her orbit to get them where they needed to be. “And call Gomez once you can string together a sentence without yawning. We don't have the funds to sit around in port an extra hour waiting for him to bring the fuckin' goods to the dock.” She added, before switching on the comms and confirming her landing request. Wanderer was always amazed at her ability to sound like a cold hard bitch when talking to him, but a decently sweet thing when chatting to the girl on air traffic control.

Wanderer found his way to the common area with one final yawn and discovered what looked like the coffee maker scattered out in parts across the kitchen table. Above it stood his other crew mate, with a screwdriver in one hand and a crystal pendulum draped in the other. All he could do was ask, “Ah, Robin? What's up with all this?” as his mind was still waking up.

“Oh, hey man. Uh. Well, he wasn't feeling well, so I decided to preform surgery while you were sleeping. I didn't expect it to take this long, but I dropped a screw and it rolled into the vents so I had to take apart the grav-pads on the floor to find it. And when I did, some other screws floated away. Long story short, we're about to find the source of this guy's upset tummy and I'll slap him back together in no time.” She explained while dangling the pendulum over the exploded layout of heating coils and PCB boards. To any normal person she would appear insane, but Wanderer had been traveling with Robin for a couple years now, and she was an expert in things he only had a cursory understanding in. And for Wanderer to only have a  cursory understanding in anything of the sort was rare.

“Well, that's good. Anyway, did you make a fresh pot before starting the operation?” He inquired, while wondering if there was any instant left. Or maybe tea. He wasn't picky at this point in time.

“Um, that probably would have been a good idea. Here, you can finish mine if you want.” She said, before putting the screwdriver in her teeth like a pirate holding a dagger, picking up her half drank mug and tapping it down in front of Wanderer. “Ah ha!” she let out, half muffled by the screwdriver as she took it back to her hand. The pendulum's cord pulled tight, contradicting the suggestions given by gravity, pointing directly what Robin diagnosed as a damaged connection leading to the heating coil. “Just found the problem. If you want to wait fifteen I'll have him back together and brewing a new pot.” The goggles she dawned for the surgery amplified the size and brilliance of her blue-green eyes, before she flipped down the tinted welding lenses. It's strap around the back of her head bunched her hair into random tufts of light brown. To be honest, at the moment she looked a little like a mad scientist standing over the Frankenstein's monster of a kitchen appliance.

“Thanks, I'll take yours. I've got to call Gomez in a minute.” Wanderer responded, picking up her mug and walking towards his room, away from the small flying sparks and wafting smoke.

Sipping the coffee gave him a sudden jolt of energy and clarity. It was cold and about half as sweet as he'd like, but it had a certain kick only someone like him could put their finger on. He took another sip, and swirled the remaining shallow cloud of heavily creamed coffee, revealing a peculiar set of lines at the bottom of the mug. Probably the remnants of some artificial sweetening gel, like synthesized syrup or molasses. Time to call Gomez.

“Yeah, hi. This is Jon Dillir. I spoke to you about a shipment.” The voice of “Gomez” on the other line must not have minded that Wanderer was using an alias. Dealing in such rare and potentially dangerous things often prompted Wanderer to take names like Jon, or Bill. The fact that no one knew his name could always be a boon to Wanderer. The fact that he, himself, didn't know his real name was rarely anything more than an inconvenience, even if the question did hold a weight in his mind.

“Yeah, we'll be docking shortly, and we're in a bit of a rush, so... Yeah, of course I have goods to trade as well as credits. Yeah, untraceable. You know me Gomez. We're both professionals here. I'll see you at dock thirteen in a few minutes. We'll deal in my cargo bay away from prying eyes... No I don't mind if you bring some guys. Mi casa es tu casa, Gomez.” Wanderer said as he hung up. Gomez was being a pain in the ass. The few times they had done business before had gone smoothly, if not a little tense. Gomez was new to the trade, but brought decent items to the table. Why Gomez would want to bring some extra muscle onto Wanderer's ship was unclear, but Wanderer had done business under worse stress and peril.

Chapter 2 here

[noahdogcarrierbackpack-blog]

A few of the Best Socks for Women?

Insignificant as they may possibly be, socks can get the outsize effect on typically the course of your working day. As well free around this ankle joint, and you are getting to turn out to be pulling them way up just about every few blocks. Very rough — blister area. After that there’s the matter of picking a sock that certainly is basically stylish — deciding on among, say, a match of actually eye-catching tube socks and some glittery mesh going-out socks. All of us attained out to twenty-one stylish women to hear about their favorites regarding all occasions — regarding slipping on under high heel sandals (Darners, Tabios), and steering clear of slip-sliding on the yoga sparring floor (Sticky Bes together with Pointes). Consider your sock compartment revived. 1. Bombas No-Show Stockings We’ve read high compliment for Bombas socks via everyone through Yeardley Smith (the words of Lisa Simpson) to help chief cook Jonathan Waxman. Persons are especially partial to the brand’s no-show shoes. “For me, it’s information on comfort and ease and functionality, ” says stylist Jasmine Caccamo, that loves the brand’s no-show style. “When I’m putting on everything from my YSL Court docket Classic trainers to be able to my Coleman Air Pegasus, Bombas clothes are my own go-to. All these socks experience a ‘blister heel’ (meaning gel grips around the heel bone that keep the clothes in place) and the particular good quality of the natural cotton makes them ultra comfortable, comfortable, and in order to. ” Allison Tray, founder regarding Tres Belle Spa in Boerum Hill, explained to people that she is “totally obsessed” with how secure Bombas socks are, in addition to compares the feeling connected with wearing these phones “a small hug on the foot. ” She sports them to be able to the gym, and as well frames them with ankle joint boots. minimal payments Hue No-Show Socks To be able to wear clothes with residences, you’re planning to need something using a deep cut in this front, and, crucially, a little something that wil slip away. Dolley Frearson, co-founder plus creative director of Large Fashion Home, discovered a new pair that does the particular tip: Hue’s No-Show Shoes. “They’re the best no-show socks actually, ” the woman says. “I possessed in order to go through so several brands before My spouse and i observed ones that didn’t slide off. ” These shoes feature an supple topline and a silicon back again so they stay throughout place, and according to Frearson, they handle only about each type associated with boot: “They’re perfect intended for flats, booties, sneakers, every thing. ” several. Jarseen The female No-Show Low-Cut Non-Slip Boat Socks We would be remiss to abandon off the particular pair of no-show clothes that come recommended simply by researched surgeon Marian Wang, that applied her professional homework expertise to often the hunt for the perfect no-show sock. Her answer: Jarseen Women’s No-Show Low-Cut Non slip Liner Socks. “This sock was the clear winner, ” she wrote. “Unlike many no-show socks who have just a tiny pat of silicon gel in the hindfoot for hold, these shoes have a new ring of gel just about all the way around often the borders, which is a lot of more effective. ” There is also silicone within the baseball of the foot, which in turn helps your sock live place in flats. “If My spouse and i have been only acquiring one set of two, I’d find these, ” says Wang. 4. Keysocks Knee Substantial No Display Socks “Winter no-show socks” may noise like the zusammenstellung einander widersprechender begriffe, although costume custom together with Strategist contributor Alison Freer identified a pair that is normally just that. They are knee-high no-shows, which usually she describes as “kind of much like a pair of Peds about steroids. ” This shoes cover your foot, often the bottoms of your foot, heels, and calves, nevertheless leave your ankle subjected. It might sound unusual, nonetheless Freer swears they are extremely versatile: “You can put on them underneath skinny jeans or even pants with high heels, moccasin shoes, oxfords, récréation flats, as well as even Toms (seriously, have got you received a whiff of your Toms currently? ), and absolutely no person would be the wiser, ” the woman says. This socks will be made with Coolmax polyester, a moisture-wicking technical materials, which Freer says will help cut sweat and smell in half. 5. Nancy Los angeles Rosa Two-Tone Voile Stockings Both former Maryam Nassir Zadeh buyer Carnelia Garcia and swimsuit designer Melisa Denizeri raved concerning Maria La Rosa silk-blend shoes. “Maria La Rosa shoes feel super high-class along with the colors are constantly fun, ” says Denizeri. Garcia, that calls the particular socks “super chic, ” told all of us that the lady liked to be able to pair all of them with MNZ new sandals (but you could wear them all with any kind of sandals). We’re straight into the brand’s recent horoscope-themed silk-blend clothes — which would make a good birthday gift for this Co-Star addict in your own personal life — and this two-tone golden pair, which can be with a a bit more affordable price point. 6. Tabio Side Shrub Short Socks Denizeri can be another fan of Tabio socks — she states that visiting the Western brand’s London store is actually a emphasize of her family vacations to help the U. K. — for their unique styles in addition to high-quality construction. “I believe what sets Taboio shoes aside is the particular quality sourcing of the yarn and their creation standards, ” Denizeri states. “But also the classic layouts — I would not seriously find any related socks by simply other companies. ” Maayan Zilberman, president of the confectionary firm Sweet Saba, is some sort of Tabio devotee, as well. “They have finest yarns suitable for using using heels, ” states. 8. Hansel From Basel Small Chucks Sheer Folks Sock Of all the brands producing show-off-worthy socks on the market, fine art movie director (and former Have to have Offer Co. fashion director) Krystle Kemp says the fact that Hansel from Basel “is the one that makes fun-to-wear shoes in the nearly all aesthetically appealing way. ” According to Kemp, the particular sock line’s layouts autumn “somewhere between simple and even loud, and they affect the perfect balance of flashy interest and thoughtful layout. ” Ear-piercing start-up Studs founder Lisa Bubbers can be a fan, too. “Hansel Through Basel socks may be the most beautiful, delicate very little works of art produced in Japan, ” she claims. “They’re made for showing off with some loafers or chunky heel. ” 8. Roots Cabin Sock You don’t have to be able to be hiking keep pile to slide about some sort of pair of thick shoes — they work as well for a new day inside office. Denizeri says of which in the winter the woman first are traditional camp out socks, like these from D. L. Veggie and Origins Canada. “I usually wear heavy boots and My partner and i love to put on heavier socks, ” states. “They’re super cozy when they are worn in your own home. ” The Phase. M. Bean are made of a good chunky cotton stitched plus the Roots are a new cozy flexible plastic and natural cotton blend. 9. Hanes Silk Reflections The female Knee Large Strengthen Toe of the feet If being dressed in a new set of two chunky clothes under boots sounds as well heavy with regard to everyday use, take note through halloween costume designer Leesa Evans, that says she “loves to help wear a thin knee-high inventory with boots. ” Often the thinner sock makes for simplicity of wear: “It makes taking your boots upon, especially a new knee-high boot your computer, extremely uncomplicated, ” the lady says. We think these would be practical in order to have available for wearing with loafers and inshore in the cooler a few months, as well. Read more: - Best Toddler Bike - Dog Backpack Carrier - Balance Bike Toddler - Nearest Redbox Locations - Sock Boots - Phone Cases

[touristguidebuzz]

Flight Review: United (777-300ER) Business Class From Newark to San Francisco (Polaris Inaugural)

On any other day, United 539 is an ordinary p.s. (Premium Service) flight from Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO). Today, it’s the most significant United flight in years — UA 539, which just arrived at SFO, was the very first scheduled flight operated by the airline’s brand-new 777-300ER (77W), complete with the much-improved Polaris business-class seat that we’ve been hearing so much about.

While the Polaris “soft product” has been flying for more than two months, following its launch on December 1, passengers have only been able to travel in United’s aging international business and first-class seats. With today’s inaugural, the new 1-2-1 business-class product is now available — for now, flying between Newark and SFO, with international service launching March 25 (San Francisco-Hong Kong), followed by several other to-be-confirmed routes later this year.

In This Post

Although we had a chance to fly on this exact aircraft during the airline’s “preview” flight earlier this week, with handpicked flight attendants, significantly expanded service and just 60 passengers on board, it was hardly a typical experience. Today was our first opportunity to experience the new product on a “real” flight, so I booked my seat as soon as the launch date was announced. (Note that because it wasn’t possible to arrange an aircraft tour before today’s inaugural, some of the images below were captured during this week’s preview flight.)

Booking Business Class

I couldn’t have gotten luckier with this flight. When I booked a business-class trip from Seoul (ICN) to New York (JFK) in order to review United’s new Polaris service on the upper deck of the 747-400, I purchased an economy return “mileage run” to Taipei in the upgradeable “W” fare class, which actually cost me less than what I would have paid for a one-way flight in business.

My return trip happened to be scheduled for one day before the EWR-SFO inaugural, and I was even booked on the exact same flight (United 539). Once the 777-300ER inaugural was announced, I was able to leverage a schedule change to move to the Thursday flight instead — quite the score!

Since this ticket was originating in Seoul, the fare was quite reasonable as well — $2,064 round-trip, including the outbound segments in paid business class and the return booked in “W,” then upgraded to business with a Global Premier Upgrade.

I purchased the flight with an American Express Platinum Card to earn 5x points on airfare. In total, I earned 10,805 Amex Membership Rewards points, worth $205 based on TPG’s recent valuation, plus 22,704 United miles ($2,064 base airfare x 11, due to my Premier 1K status), worth $341. In total, after factoring in my rewards haul, my net cost was $1,615, not including the value of the 25,478 Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs), enough to get me more than a quarter of the way to 1K.

Check-In and Lounge

I arrived at the airport a little after 5:00am for my 7:00am departure — this inaugural (and almost all other United-operated flights) departed from Newark’s Terminal C.

United has dedicated lanes for Polaris passengers, and while I technically wasn’t eligible today, there weren’t any long-haul flights departing around my check-in time, so those lines were empty.

I took one last look at the seat map — I still had my original pick of seat 9L — and printed my boarding pass for the inaugural, as well as the one for my flight to Taipei.

Then it was time to check out the United Club. UA doesn’t yet offer a Polaris Lounge at Newark, though I wouldn’t have been able to access it today anyway. Business-class passengers on flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco do get complimentary United Club access, though, which I took advantage of this morning.

The United Clubs at Newark haven’t been updated yet, though they’re scheduled for a refresh soon, at which point they’ll more closely resemble the new lounge at LAX.

The main Terminal C lounge (located just after security) is very large, but typically packed — even more crowded than I found it this morning.

There are a mix of continental buffet items available at breakfast, including cereal, oatmeal and bagels.

There’s also a large bar, but it was a bit too early for booze.

My favorite feature is the large room with semi-private workstations — I really hope the renovated lounge offers these!

I also spent a few minutes exploring the terminal before boarding. There are a handful of new restaurants available, including the CBGB Lab (which, unfortunately, has pretty terrible reviews).

All the new restaurants and bars offer iPads at every seat, and you can pay for your food with miles — at a not-so-great rate.

There wasn’t much fanfare at the gate (like we’d had on United’s true SFO-Singapore inaugural), perhaps due to the extra-early hour (boarding began at 6:10am).

I decided to board around 6:20am, at which point the gate agents were already on to Group 3.

Passengers could board the 777-300ER through two jet bridges — the one on the left brought you through door #1 (at the front of the plane), while one on the right was attached to door #2 (at the beginning of the second Polaris cabin).

The Business-Class Cabin

As you can see in the seat map below, there are two Polaris cabins on the 77W — 28 seats between doors 1 and 2, and 32 seats in the slightly larger cabin just behind, for a total of 60 business-class seats.

Seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 layout.

With this particular configuration, which is unique to United, some window seats are positioned next to the window (odd-numbered rows):

While window seats in even-numbered rows are closer to the aisle:

As for the center seats, some are positioned close together in the center (odd-numbered rows):

While even-numbered rows have seats that are spaced farther apart:

While there isn’t a ton of storage space within each seat, there are plenty of options overhead.

Also overhead are individual air vents. This might not seem like a big deal at first, but having the ability to control the temperature in your immediate area is huge. I can’t remember the last time I saw individual air vents on a 777-300ER, and boy am I glad that United decided to include them here!

As for the lavs, there’s one large restroom located just behind door #2.

There are also three smaller lavatories — a second at the other end of the mid-cabin bar, and two more located just behind the cockpit.

As for that bar I just mentioned… it’s nothing fancy, like you’d find on, say, Emirates’ A380, but it does offer a nice place to hang with other passengers on longer flights (note that the setup below will only be available on international flights).

The Seat

As you may have spotted above, I booked 9L, a bulkhead window seat at the front of the second Polaris cabin.

I was pretty happy with 9L — it only had two windows, while some other seats have three, but that was an easy tradeoff for the extra footwell room (more on that below).

Bulkhead seats have a ton of space for your feet, and while storage is limited overall, the wider footwell gave me enough room to store my overstuffed backpack for taxi, takeoff and landing.

Or my latest Polaris bear — and a dozen of his friends:

I was able to capture much clearer photos during the aircraft tour on Monday, so I’ll use some of those images as well to share details of the seat.

Pictured below is a center seat in an odd-numbered row. While it’s much closer to its neighbor than the seat behind it, the electronic partition provides significant privacy — you can still see your seat-mate’s head, but not much else.

Center seats in even-numbered rows also offer a partition, though it doesn’t need to be nearly as wide, given the position of the seats. Every seat has a large fixed table — while it looks like granite, it’s actually a composite material, since a large piece of stone would be too heavy to install on an aircraft. The table is designed to match the ones that are available in the Polaris Lounge.

There are several lighting options around the seat — one standalone sconce (as seen above), a small push-out reading light, an overhead light and some soft lighting under the footwell.

There’s a universal power outlet as well, along with a USB port, headphone jack and wired remote above the table.

These seats also have a unique (and supremely intuitive) recline wheel. To put your seat in lie-flat mode, simply turn the wheel to the right; rotating it in the opposite direction will return the seat to its upright position. Other buttons make it possible to make some granular adjustments as well — one switch lets you turn the light fixture on or off, while the one on the far right (below) activates the Do Not Disturb sign.

I did notice some folks using the Do Not Disturb sign during my flight, including the passenger seated directly across from me.

Of course, these seats go completely flat, and if you happen to catch the 77W on an international flight, you’ll have a full suite of bedding to choose from, including a mattress cover and gel pillow (pictured below).

Again, one thing to keep an eye out for is the footwells. They’re by no means tiny at any of the seats, but some definitely offer more space than others. For example, here’s a 13-inch MacBook Air in a non-bulkhead footwell:

Meanwhile, here’s the same computer in the footwell of a seat in row 1:

Storage is limited to the footwell (above), a small side compartment (below) and a narrow shelf below the display, which is just large enough to hold a smartphone or other small accessories.

Overall, it’s clear that the airline really paid attention to small details here — down to the stitching and United tag at each business-class seat.

Finally, I just want to add another reminder about economy — it’s tight.

Amenities

United’s p.s. flights don’t offer Polaris service, so you don’t get all the bedding and amenities available on international routes. However, these flights (even on the 757s) do include large Saks Fifth Avenue pillows and blankets. And, for this inaugural flight, each passenger got a Polaris teddy bear as well.

There’s also a small amenity kit — essentially a condensed version of what you’ll get on international routes.

The p.s. kit includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, earplugs, lip balm and hand sanitizer.

While stuffed bears and amenity kits are nice to have, by far the most important amenity for business travelers these days (especially on a weekday transcon) is Wi-Fi — and the internet on this flight was anything but exceptional.

The Wi-Fi's a bit better on @United's 77W today, but it's still really, really bad. @AirlineFlyer @PanasonicAero http://pic.twitter.com/dZfysWppGh

— Zach Honig (@ZachHonig) February 16, 2017

To make matters worse, it’s pricey — $20.99 for a full-flight pass, which you’ll need, considering it could end up taking the entire five hours to send a few tweets and emails. By comparison, I paid $16.99 for a full-flight pass while flying Chicago to Tokyo, and the Wi-Fi actually worked there.

I even had difficulty connecting to the access point at times, with the below error message popping up each time I tried over a ~30-minute period.

In-Flight Entertainment

Since I couldn’t get any work done over the Wi-Fi, I decided to explore the IFE system. Each Polaris seat offers an 16-inch touchscreen display. While the content itself is identical to what United offers on other aircraft, the screen is much sharper and a bit more responsive.

Currently, you can choose from movies, TV shows, music, games, audiobooks, a moving map and a selection of United content.

There’s plenty of content on board — for example, there were several dozen new releases to choose from.

Once you narrow in on a selection, you can view a synopsis, click to play or watch a trailer.

One new feature I really like is the ability to click and drag through the timeline, making it easy to pick up right where you left off.

United also now offers a selection of “relaxation” content, from Headspace, NatureVision and Slow TV.

And Avgeeks will be pleased to see that this aircraft offers “Channel 9” Air Traffic Control audio, however the pilots have to choose to turn it on, which they did not do on this flight.

Unfortunately, the moving map was a bit buggy — it worked for the first half of the flight, but displayed an error message as we were somewhere over the Midwest.

The headphones haven’t changed either — they’re a bit of a letdown, and while everything sounds alright, you’ll want to use your own higher-quality set for a long-haul flight. (United considered adding a much higher quality noise-cancelling option, but those would need to be collected long before landing, as AA currently does on select flights.)

Interestingly, the wired remote United selected is a much older model than what you’ll find on the airline’s 787-9 Dreamliners. Unfortunately, the new touchscreen remotes have proven to be quite buggy and passengers have found them frustrating to use, so the airline opted to install a simpler option on its 777-300ER.

Food and Beverage

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for this flight on the food and beverage front — sure, it didn’t seem likely that we’d experience the same level of service as we had on Monday’s preview flight, but this would have been a good opportunity to highlight some of the higher-end dishes on United’s most premium domestic route. Instead, it was just the regular p.s. service, served on a tray with three entree choices. All of the flight attendants I interacted with were really friendly, though (and excited for their first flight on the 77W).

A few minutes after boarding, I was offered a pre-departure beverage and chose a cup of sparkling wine.

Then, maybe 30 minutes after takeoff, flight attendants came through with the “appetizer” breakfast tray, which consisted of Chobani yogurt and fresh fruit.

There were also warm biscuits and United’s delicious cinnamon rolls — they’re fantastic, but I can never not finish the entire thing, so I had to pass today.

For my entree, I opted for the Southwest Skillet, which didn’t seem especially Southwestern (the salsa, perhaps?) and wasn’t prepared or served in anything resembling a “skillet.” I also ordered a Bloody Mary.

The entree was fine, but I don’t like this dish nearly as much as the cheesy omelette United serves on occasion.

After breakfast, a flight attendant came by with bottles of water, which I always appreciate having at my seat.

Then, about 90 minutes before landing, we had warm chocolate and vanilla chip cookies. Yum!

I was a bit surprised to see that the flight attendants never ended up setting up any snacks at the walk-up bar — I thought this would have been a good opportunity to go all out and show off the “real” Polaris offerings, but apparently that wasn’t on the table today.

Overall Impression

United’s 777-300ER is a huge step up, as long as you’re able to fly in business. However, with seats in a 3-4-3 configuration in the back of the plane, it’s a tight squeeze in coach — be prepared to bump shoulders and wrestle for the arm rests a bit more than you’re used to on United’s other 777s. There are a few choice economy seats that remain comfortable despite the limited 17-inch width, such as the exit row Economy Plus seats in row 39, but if you’re unfortunate enough to end up in a center seat in the regular economy section, you might find a 16-hour transpacific journey to be pretty unpleasant.

That said, Polaris is overall an excellent product, specifically on the 777-300ER. And I had a great time on this Newark-San Francisco inaugural.

Is this the world’s best business-class product? No, not at all. But I’d argue that it’s the best all-around product from a US-based airline — especially when you factor in the phenomenal Polaris Lounge (which is currently only available at Chicago O’Hare).

As for today’s inaugural flight — and the continued p.s. service from Newark to San Francisco — five-hour journeys don’t get much better than this!

Were you on today’s 77W inaugural from EWR?