United's new Boeing 777-300ER, Polaris cabin gets splashy debut flight

United put its first Boeing 777-300ER -- along with its ballyhooed new Polaris cabin -- in the air Monday, flying its newest aircraft type on a four-hour demonstration flight from Chicago O’Hare to San Francisco. CEO Oscar Munoz was on hand for the occasion, performing a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the airport and performing gate duties as United showed off the jet. Munoz scanned the boarding passes of media members and other VIPs flying on what the airline billed as its debut flight of the aircraft. Still, Monday’s flight was a not a regular "revenue" flight, but rather part of a continuing publicity blitz by United to show off its new business-class cabin. The 777-300ER, United’s first plane to get its updated Polaris seat, will enter revenue service for the first time on Thursday. Initially, it will fly domestically between Newark Liberty and San Francisco – a hub-to-hub route for United that connects two of its biggest bases and will allow crews to become familiar with the cabin layout on the new aircraft. United will expand its 777-300ER service to international routes as more models of the plane enter its fleet. The airline says the new Polaris-outfitted planes will begin flying between San Francisco and Hong Kong on March 25 when the 777-300ER will replace United’s Boeing 747-400s that currently fly the route.<br/>