Details: Giant new United Polaris Lounge at SFO Teaser photo, walk-thru the highly-anticipated lounge

Day bed at United's Polaris Lounge at Chicago O'Hare- you'll see something similar at SFO Day bed at United's Polaris Lounge at Chicago O'Hare- you'll see something similar at SFO Photo: United Photo: United Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Details: Giant new United Polaris Lounge at SFO 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Finally. After a few fits and starts, United will open a gigantic new Polaris Lounge at San Francisco International Airport Boarding Area G on Monday, April 30.

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This United's second Polaris Lounge- the only other one at Chicago O-Hare Airport opened in December 2016. United says new lounges at Newark and Houston will open this summer. Another at LAX could open later this year.

We grabbed a few minutes with Alexander Dorow, United's Director of Premium Services, who is busy this month putting the final touches on the new lounge for a media preview on April 25, and a grand opening on April 30.

Here are some snippets from our conversation (and the single photo United was willing to share):

United's new Polaris lounge is huuuuuge- 28,128 square feet, spanning two floors combining the old United Club with the adjacent Singapore Airlines and EVA Air lounges. Dorow estimates that the new lounge has added around 10,000 square feet. "It's now nearly a football field in length," he said.

The entrance to the new lounge will be in the same area near gate G-92 in SFO's international terminal. As before, guests will enter to the right of the check in desks, then walk to the right to take an escalator, elevator or stairway up to the second level via a space that now feels like a boutique hotel lobby.

What's new is that before ascending the escalators, guests can now turn to the right and into the area once occupied by the Singapore and EVA lounges. Dorow said that this space will house a quiet library room, eight private showers, five private nap rooms with day beds, a washer, dryer and steam press area used by a valet.

Back at the lobby area housing escalators, elevators and stairs, look up and you see a big chandelier (you can see it in the photo below) that is meant to look like a meteor shower. Take the stairs or escalator up, step off and look straight ahead and you'll see the new bar, bistro and dining room area. (In the space that was previously the customer service counter.)

Turn around and you'll see the new customer service area, but instead of a counter, agents will be seated at desks. Customers requiring help will sit on sofa-like chairs to confer with agents. (This is the area that used to be the buffet in the old United Club.)

Beyond that is an office-like area with small wood-paneled rooms and cubbyholes where travelers can work or make private phone calls as desks or tables with modern task lights.

Keep going (as if you were on your way to the back bar in the old United Club) and you come into an area with seats/workstations that are similar to United's new Polaris seat-- you can sit, rest, eat or work in these private spaces. Along the windows in this area is a long bar and stools where passengers can gaze out at the expansive ramp, runway, bay and city views. Dorow says that binoculars mounted on stands in this area will offer a close-up view of the planes and environs.

In a space near the old United Club bar, you'll see something new and unique- a space Dorow is calling "The Studio" which is a residential-feeling space where chefs can show off cooking skills, or winemakers can hold tastings. This is a way that the Polaris lounge can express the Bay Area's local color and entertain passengers.

Photo: United In this image provided by United, you can look beyond the cocktail...

That's it for the virtual walk through, now a few more particulars of interest:

OUTDOORS: While the upper floor of the lounge will offer dramatic views from a special perch for plane-spotting , this lounge does not offer any outdoor space. To get outdoors, passengers will soon enjoy a new public outdoor deck at the far end of Boarding Area G - see more details about that here.

CAPACITY: There are 440 seats which will fill fast since this lounge is for not only United's increasingly busy international schedule, but all other Star Alliance partners, including business and first class passengers on: ANA, Air India, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, SAS, Air New Zealand and Air China. (Note this does not include Air Canada since its international flights from SFO are not considered long-haul flights.)

POWER: There's a plug nearby everyone in the lounge-- it boasts a total of 496 electrical outlets that accommodate both standard AC and USB plugs

IT'S EXCLUSIVE: Unlike the previous United Club, the only passengers allowed in the Polaris Lounge will be those holding first or business class tickets on United or its Star Alliance partners. The current business/first class lounge further out on Boarding Area G (previously United's first class lounge) will convert to a United Club on April 30. United's Arrivals lounge on the lower level of Terminal 3 will remain open.

THREE TYPES OF SPACE: The Polaris Lounge is split into three dedicated areas to "relax, recharge or engage" with specially designed seating for each. For example, there are daybeds outfitted with Saks Fifth Avenue blankets and pillows in private nooks for napping on the lower level. The lounge boasts 19 different types of seats.

SCENTS & SOUNDS: The lounge will have its own custom scent (currently in development, but Dorow says it will be fresh, calming) and music sound track.

Entrance to the new SFO United Polaris Club is still a work in progress - but there’s still time! April 30 is opening day. #paxex @travelskills pic.twitter.com/j5AqGWc6gX — Tim Jue (@timjue) April 12, 2018

DINING: Since many passengers prefer to eat a large meal in the lounge and then sleep on the plane, there will be a 38-seat restaurant style dining area with 16 tables where guests order full meals off a menu. In addition, lounge food includes "light bites, a buffet and tapas." Dorow said that items like cioppino (a tomato-based seafood stew), congee for breakfast, a noodle bar, and sushi prior to departure of flights to Japan will be distinct to the SFO lounge. The Polaris burger, very popular at the O'Hare lounge, will also be available.

BOOZE: Signature cocktails will include the Mai Tai and Pisco Sour which sound like they were invented somewhere else, but were first concocted in the Bay Area. And of course, the Paper Plane seen in the photo above.

HOURS: 6:30 am til 1:00 am

Have you visited a United lounge lately? What do you think of the Polaris lounges? Please leave your comments below.

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.