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It’s been years in the making, and United’s Airbus A321XLR is finally ready for takeoff.
The Chicago-based carrier just took the wraps off its extra-long-range A321, which is designed to replace its aging Boeing 757.
Inside, you’ll find all-new Polaris suites, a first-ever dedicated Premium Plus cabin on a narrowbody, as well as a row of “Eurobusiness” in economy.
United has 50 A321XLRs on order, meaning this jet will become a staple on many long-haul routes.
Here’s everything you wanted to know about the United A321XLR.
United Airbus A321XLR Polaris
Those seated in the pointy end of the plane will enjoy a fancy new Polaris suite.
United installed 20 Polaris suites in a 1-1 configuration spread across 10 rows.
The first thing you’ll notice is that these seats face toward the aisle in a herringbone configuration.
That’s far less popular than a reverse herringbone layout, where seats angle away from the aisle, but this arrangement let United fit more seats into a smaller footprint. (After all, these pods offer just 32 inches of pitch.)
The pods themselves are a proprietary version of the Elevate Altitude product.
Lie-flat pods on single-aisle planes can feel claustrophobic — just look at the business suites on American’s A321XLR — but United went to real lengths to minimize that feeling.
For one, it expanded the shoulder room at the top of the seat and installed more translucent privacy dividers to allow natural light to flow across the cabin.
Whether that translates into a widebody-style experience remains to be seen, but I appreciated the extra space during my preview tour.
Each seat measures 21 inches wide and converts into a 74-inch-long lie-flat bed.
There are also sliding doors for added privacy.
The open footwell should make it easier for taller passengers to get comfortable on long-haul flights.
Seat controls are located near the armrest. You can make fine-tune adjustments from a digital panel or use one of three physical preset buttons.
For storage, there’s a small enclosed cubby with a mirror and an exposed area with a glasses hook.
When you recline the seat, you’ll find another small exposed storage area that should be useful for AirPods and other loose items.
The tray table slides out from underneath the armrest and measures 17 inches by 13.5 inches.
This jet also features next-generation tech.
Each pod sports a 19-inch 4K TV with Bluetooth pairing, a universal AC power outlet, two USB-C ports, and a Qi wireless charging pad.
Better yet, these planes will offer free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members right from the outset.
There’s just one lavatory for the Polaris cabin, and it’s located in the front galley.
Note that seat 10A can be converted into a pilot crew rest on the longest flights.
United Airbus A321XLR Premium Plus
Just behind Polaris is the jet’s three-row Premium Plus cabin, arranged in a 2-2 layout.
The 12 premium economy recliners look similar to what you’d find in domestic first class, with a few added bells and whistles.
That includes a legrest and footrest, as well as a sliding privacy divider between seats.
I expect this will be a popular cabin for many travelers, especially on daytime flights when sleep is less important.
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Other highlights include 16-inch 4K TVs, additional recline, bi-fold tray tables, Qi wireless charging pads, and retractable privacy screens.
There’s no cabin curtain between Premium Plus and economy — just a fixed bulkhead wall behind the seats.
Premium economy flyers share the three standard-sized lavatories at the back with those in coach.
United Airbus A321XLR Eurobusiness blocked middle seat
The most unique product on this jet is actually in the economy cabin.
If you look at the seat map, you’ll notice that there’s a middle seat missing in row 32.
That’s not an oversight — United is purposely blocking two Economy Plus middle seats on this jet.
In their place, the airline installed a fixed cocktail table, offering four passengers a similar experience to what you’d find in business class on a short-haul intra-Europe flight.
Expect more shoulder and elbow room, plus a place to put a cup or water bottle between the two seats.
United says pricing and upgrade information will be released in the coming months, but the airline isn’t making this move to simply give four people more space.
By blocking two middle seats, the airline is capping the jet’s capacity at 150 passengers.
That number is important, because it means United can legally staff the plane with four flight attendants — one for every 50 flyers, plus a fourth required due to the sliding doors in business class.
Had the airline gone with 152 seats, it’d be on the hook for a fifth flight attendant on every flight.
United says “most” transatlantic flights will operate with five flight attendants anyway, but some shorter flights will have just four.
United Airbus A321XLR economy
The rest of the plane is outfitted with 118 economy seats.
Rows 30 to 36 feature extra-legroom Economy Plus seats with three extra inches of pitch.
Each seat features a 13-inch 4K TV with Bluetooth support, and there are two universal power outlets for each group of three seats.
Perhaps the highlight of the economy cabin is the walk-up snack bar in the back galley. It’ll be stocked with a rotating selection of picks.
Other nose-to-tail upgrades include oversized Airspace XL overhead bins, which should eliminate the need to gate-check your rollaboard on this plane.
You’ll also find snazzy mood lighting throughout the cabin.
Note that row 42 is missing windows, and row 50 is designated as a crew rest for flight attendants.
United Airbus A321XLR routes
United hasn’t yet shared where the A321XLR will fly, but it’s expected to primarily operate on transatlantic and Latin American routes that don’t need the capacity of a widebody.
It’ll also help the airline unlock new secondary destinations across both continents that don’t have the demand (or a long enough runway) for a bigger plane.
In the industry, these are known as “long-and-thin routes,” and I’m told the network planning team is having lots of fun exploring possible destinations for this plane.
After all, the jet carries the “Born to Explore” tagline and decal — a nod to the fact that it’ll take United’s already impressive international network to new heights.
The aircraft is expected to begin domestic flights in the fall for crew familiarization, followed by its inaugural international routes by the end of the year.
United Airbus A321XLR bottom line
The A321XLR ushers in a new era of narrowbody flying for United.
The jet offers much-improved cabins compared to the 757 it replaces, and I’m especially excited to try the new Polaris suites and “Eurobusiness” economy product.
Some flyers will undoubtedly still prefer a twin-aisle jet for transatlantic hops. But the truth is, if you want to bypass major hubs and fly nonstop to less popular long-haul markets, this is the plane that’ll get you there.
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