United Airlines has announced a significant upgrade to its fleet, adding more than 1,600 Polaris and first-class seats across nearly 250 international and domestic aircraft. The carrier is also introducing the two-cabin, 50-seat Bombardier CRJ 550 to its regional fleet to provide greater comfort and space on short-haul flights.
In the coming weeks, United will begin rolling out more than 20 reconfigured Boeing 767-300ER aircraft that add 16 Polaris business-class seats each. This change represents a roughly 60 percent increase in all-aisle-access seating on those planes, and the reconfigured jets will include over 20 United Premium Plus seats per aircraft. These 767-300ERs will initially serve routes between Newark (EWR) and London (LHR), with plans to expand service to additional markets.
United’s Airbus fleet will also see more premium seating. Starting this fall, Airbus A319 aircraft will feature four additional first-class seats, and the same expansion will be made to A320 aircraft early next year.
The Bombardier CRJ 550 will join United’s regional fleet by the end of 2019, with 50 of these aircraft deployed on existing routes. The CRJ 550 is unique among regional jets: it offers a true first-class cabin while keeping a total of just 50 seats. Cabin amenities include LED lighting, a self-serve beverage and snack station, and onboard Wi-Fi. The aircraft also provides generous carry-on space, which reduces the need for passengers to gate-check luggage.
“In an era where many airlines are adding seats to their aircraft to crowd more passengers onto the plane, we’re re-configuring more than 100 of our aircraft and doing exactly the opposite — for the benefit of our customers,” said Andrew Nocella, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at United. “From adding more premium seats on aircraft that serve some of our most traveled routes, introducing a revolutionary, best-in-class 50-seat experience or simply offering free DIRECTV on more than 200 aircraft, we are committed to making United the airline that our customers choose to fly.”