Take a peek at United Airlines new business class, premium economy seats
- The new Polaris business class features private suites with added space and amenities, including a caviar course and companion seating.
- Premium Plus seats will be upgraded with privacy dividers and wireless charging.
- The redesigned cabins will debut on the San Francisco to Singapore route, followed by San Francisco to London.
United Airlines announced a plan to revamp its long-haul premium cabins on Tuesday. The first planes are expected to enter service in 2026.
New Polaris business class seats will feature updated finishes and sliding privacy doors. In addition, planes with the new "Elevate" interiors will have a new Polaris Studio Suite concept in some rows, featuring 25% more space than the standard Polaris seat.
“We already deliver a superior international experience and fly to the most places across the Atlantic and Pacific – these new innovations provide a more premium experience overall, give customers even more reasons to choose United, and set our airline up to grow into the next decade and beyond,” Andrew Nocella, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at United, said in a statement. “We never stand still and are always looking for more ways to set ourselves apart from other carriers. And we’re confident this elevated experience will take international flying to new heights.”
Premium economy seats will also be refreshed. The new interiors will roll out on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s, with deliveries beginning in late 2025 and service introduction soon after. By 2027, United expects to have 30 such planes available.
United's New Polaris business class
According to United, its new 787-9s will each feature 8 Polaris Studio Suites, with ottoman seating for a travel companion to share your space during some segments of the flight, as well as extra space and elevated finishes. Note that ottoman seating typically isn't available during taxi, takeoff and landing, so all passengers will need their own separate, assigned seats.
Studio suite passengers will also receive a caviar course before the main meal service, as well as exclusive entrée options and an enhanced amenity kit, including hoodie pajamas.
The airline said standard Polaris seats will also be upgraded with doors and new finishes. The Polaris cabin will feature a new configuration with some seats that offer more privacy, and others designed for passengers who are flying together.
Premium economy updates
Premium Plus seats on the 787-9s will feature privacy dividers and wireless charging, an update from the current premium economy configuration across United's fleet.
Where will the new seats fly first
According to United, the new planes will be deployed first on the San Francisco-Singapore route in 2026, and then introduced on the San Francisco-London route soon after.
Tickets for the newly configured planes are not yet on sale.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for Paste BN. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.