United upgrades comfort products with Therabody and Saks Fifth Avenue
The Therabody offerings include an onboard amenity kit that features an eye serum, face spray, hand cream and cleansing towelette exclusive to United passengers
United announced the largest upgrade to its United Polaris international Business Class experience in seven years, debuting new in-airport and onboard amenities from Therabody, facilitated by WESSCO International, as well as products from Saks Fifth Avenue that are designed to give passengers "the best sleep in the sky."
“Many international travelers say that getting good sleep is more important than most aspects of the inflight experience. Sixty-six percent say sleep on a flight is more important than having access to Wi-Fi, 74 percent say it's more important than bingeing their favorite shows and 61 percent say it's more important than the beverage service,” reads the press release, referencing a survey conducted on United’s behalf by Ketchum, a public relations and marketing communications consulting firm.
The online survey, fielded between September 14 and September 15, relied on 1,193 nationally representative American adults, 986 of which have traveled in aircraft at some point, including 173 of which travel internationally at least once a year.
The survey reveals that 83 percent of international travelers say catching up on sleep is important on a flight, and 61 percent book flights with sleep in mind.
"International travel is booming and our passengers have direct access to more places around the globe than any other airline – with these new amenities, now they'll also have the best experience flying there," said Andrew Nocella, United Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "We know amenities can really elevate the overall flying experience and are confident United Polaris flyers will love the new wellness-focused offerings created with our best-in-class partners Therabody and Saks Fifth Avenue and increased focus on sourcing recycled materials."
The Therabody products
The Therabody offerings include an onboard amenity kit that features an eye serum, face spray, hand cream and cleansing towelette exclusive to United passengers, as well as access to the award-winning Therabody devices like the Lounger, Theragun and RecoveryAir JetBoots in United Polaris lounges and inflight wellness videos on the airline's inflight entertainment screens.
Tucked inside a reusable belt bag made with recycled plastic, passengers will find:
- TheraFace eye serum: Crafted with ingredients like niacinamide, caffeine, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B5 and allantoin, the serum helps reduce puffiness, enhance hydration, soothe the delicate eye area and improve the skin's barrier function
- TheraFace face spray: Formulated to help soothe, hydrate and protect the skin, this spray features hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B5, calendula flower extract, aloe leaf juice and glycerin
- TheraFace cleansing towelette: Wipe-off the travel day without drying the skin thanks to ingredients like Vitamin B5 and E, calendula flower extract, aloe leaf juice and glycerin
- TheraFace hand cream: Avoid dreaded dry hands thanks to ingredients like niacinamide, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, sweet almond oil and Vitamin B5. Both the hand cream and face spray are available in the onboard lavatories as well
- The must-haves: The kit also includes go-to amenities for arriving refreshed, including a bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, ear plugs, socks and a pen
Passengers can also access free wellness videos onboard from Therabody's team of experts. The videos are tailored for passengers looking to incorporate simple, effective wellness practices into their trip, like movement, breathwork and guided meditations that support relaxation and sleep.
At the airport, Therabody's Reset Suites are scheduled to open this fall at all United Polaris lounges, starting with New York/Newark and San Francisco lounges late October and followed by Chicago O'Hare, Houston Intercontinental, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles. It is anticipated that every lounge will offer at least one semi-private room each outfitted with Therabody wellness technology, including one Therabody Lounger, which combines sound and vibration therapy for full body relaxation. Additional amenities available through lounge valets include the Theragun and RecoveryAir JetBoots to support circulation, lymphatic drainage and muscle recovery and aid in decreased swelling and stiffness, plus SmartGoggles to help passengers feel more relaxed. The TheraFace skin and body care products are also available in the United Polaris lounge restrooms and showers.
And for travelers who want to take the Therabody experience home, MileagePlus members can earn up to six MileagePlus miles per dollar spent on Therabody purchases online. This offer is available for MileagePlus members in the US, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and select locations in Europe.
Claude Kameni is a self-taught, Cameroon-native designer who won a competition to design the new United Airlines x Saks Fifth Avenue day blanket, as part of Saks’ designer accelerator program, The New Wave
Refreshed bedding
The Saks Fifth Avenue bedding includes select items that are made with recycled plastic, aligned with United's commitment to reducing its environmental impact, and feature a new limited-edition day blanket from fashion designer Claude Kameni, who was named as one of the most influential Black designers to watch in 2023.
Passengers can now enjoy the signature United Polaris lie-flat seats under refreshed Saks Fifth Avenue bedding that features a modern design and select items made with recycled plastic:
- Large pillow, duvet, extra cool gel pillow: Two pillows per person and a cool gel pillow
- Limited-edition day blanket: Featuring a pattern by Kameni and made from 100 percent recycled plastic, the day blanket offers additional warmth and comfort. Kameni is a self-taught, Cameroon-native designer who won a competition to design the new United Airlines x Saks Fifth Avenue day blanket, as part of Saks' designer accelerator program, The New Wave. The design reflects Kameni's sharp eye for patterns and colours and Saks' fashion-forward point of view, in addition to the modern United brand experience. The limited-edition blanket will be available through early 2024
