United Airlines has decided to use the Rio Summer Olympics as the launching pad for its new Polaris international business class service that debuts on Dec. 1.
The Chicago-based carrier introduced a new 30-second commercial during Thursday night's telecast on NBC - coincidentally the night USA swimmer won his 22nd gold medal - with a spot created by the New York advertising firm McGarryBowen.
United first announced Polaris in June, looking to garner more of a share of the affluent business passenger who is traveling overseas, with a luxurious "pod" designed to create maximum comfort. Every pod has aisle access and lie-flat seats that can accommodate a person up to six feet, six inches tall. It includes ambient lighting, slippers, foam pillow, even pajamas.
"Based on customer feedback, we tailored that experience to focus on comfort and sleep to put the legacy of the weary business traveler to rest," United said in a statement.
Even the exclusive, dedicated Polaris lounges in the airport mimic the luxury of the actual airline seats, with showers and personal day-beds.
The commercial itself is somewhat pedestrian in that it uses each letter of the word Polaris in the voiceover to describe an aspect of the service, such as "P is for permission to indulge" and "A is for access to everything, including the aisle."
But that is offset by the video of the extravagant amenties.
Take a look:
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
