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United Airlines opened its invite-only restaurant known as Classified at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in 2017. The concept was that of a speakeasy or meant to be secret from the general public. Elite members and some in premium cabins were sent invites in advance of flights with the ability to make reservations. United announced in October 2024 that it was shuttering the eatery to make way for more space in the Polaris® Lounge. The restaurant was not good. It was overpriced and I’m happy to see it close with the space now allocated to more dining tables so that more travelers can enjoy the sit-down restaurant within the Polaris Lounge.
The experience always felt off. United was “inviting” you to purchase mediocre, over-priced food. I don’t think anyone really felt special and if they did, that’s kind of sad that they needed the validation. I’m not alone in my feelings as Eater described the restaurant as “tacky.” While servers were present, orders were placed through tablets (which also felt cheap).
The renovated dining room opened today, June 21st. It adds 60 seats with views of the New York City skyline. The addition makes the lounge now measure about 30,000 square feet. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The expansion will ensure that more diners will get the experience with shorter wait times.
Aaron McMillan, Managing Director of Hospitality Programs at United, said:
We’re bringing an elevated dining experience to Newark with the opening of a larger dining room at our Polaris lounge. Newark offers business class travelers ample opportunity to travel across the Atlantic, and we’re excited to offer them more room to dine before or after their long-haul flights. For years, we’ve been investing in our club and lounge portfolio at Newark, and it’s our first hub to fully reflect our new designs and amenities.”
Anthony’s Take: It’s great to see this expansion complete and Classified closed. I look forward to checking out the new dining area.
(Image Credits: United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
