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United Airlines just “elevated” the inflight experience with the introduction of three brand-new jets.
The Chicago-based carrier on Tuesday took the wraps off its hotly anticipated Coastliner Airbus A321neo, the extra-long-range Airbus A321XLR, and a spiffy new regional jet, the CRJ450.
This comes as United works to one-up Delta as the most premium airline in the country — or, as CEO Scott Kirby described the move in a briefing, “we are decommoditizing United … and building the best brand loyal airline in the country.”
There’s lots to unpack from the announcement, so here’s everything you need to know.
United Coastliner Airbus A321neo cabins
United will introduce 50 Coastliners, a variant of the Airbus A321neo, designed for premium transcontinental flying.
At launch, you’ll find the Coastliner on routes from Newark to Los Angeles and San Francisco, but it’ll also make its way to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) when United returns to the airport in 2027, according to Andrew Nocella, the airline’s chief commercial officer.
The Coastliner’s internal designator will be the 32C.
The 161-seat Coastliner will feature a three-cabin experience, consisting of 20 Polaris pods, 12 Premium Plus recliners, 36 Economy Plus extra-legroom seats, and 93 standard economy seats.
This marks the first time United will offer a separate premium economy cabin on a narrowbody jet, a feature American pioneered late last year with the introduction of the Airbus A321XLR.
Note, however, that there’s no cabin partition between Premium Plus and economy — a move that’ll likely irk some travelers.
The 20 Polaris pods will be arranged in a 1-1 configuration. The seats face toward the aisle in a herringbone configuration, which means you’ll need to turn your neck to look out the window.
This new Polaris product was custom-designed for a single-aisle jet. United says that it “brings the same feeling of spaciousness and comfort that customers enjoy on widebody airplanes.”
To back up that claim, the airline is touting wider shoulder and elbow areas, which it says will translate into a more comfortable experience.
I’ll be the judge of that when the plane is inaugurated this summer.
While Polaris on the Coastliner sports privacy doors, they’ll be locked in the open position. United didn’t tell me why, but my hunch is that the airline might be dealing with certification issues.
Note that Polaris flyers on the Coastliner will have access to the Polaris lounge before departure — a first for the airline’s premium transcon service.
Meanwhile, the 12 Premium Plus recliners are located just behind Polaris in a 2-2 layout. They feature calf rests and footrests, privacy partitions, additional storage, and other bells and whistles.
Think of this like a traditional domestic first-class product.
Back in economy, you’ll find 36 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats and 93 standard seats.
The highlight of the economy cabin will likely be the walk-up snack bar at the back of the plane.
United didn’t share seat specifications, such as pitch, nor did it confirm how many lavatories each jet will have.
Aside from the new cabins, these A321neos will sport a special livery that pays homage to the coastal destinations they’ll serve.
You’ll find bands of bright blue around the back third of the jet and, if you’re spotting the plane from below — say, from the In-N-Out Burger next to LAX — you’ll see United’s name printed on the belly.
United Airbus A321XLR cabins
In addition to the Coastliner, another A321 variant will enter the fleet this summer: the 150-seat A321XLR, or extra-long-range.
This single-aisle jet is designed to replace the aging Boeing 757-200. It’ll also feature 20 Polaris pods and 12 Premium Plus recliners, just like the Coastliner.
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In fact, the products look nearly identical, with two key differences.
First, Polaris flyers will actually be able to use the frosted-glass sliding doors on the A321XLR.
Second, Premium Plus will be separated from economy by a proper bulkhead wall.
Economy is split between 34 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats and 84 standard economy seats.
Just like on the Coastliner, the airline removed three seats from the A321XLR to make room for a walk-up snack bar at the back of the economy cabin.
Every seat features a 4K TV measuring 19 inches in Polaris, 16 inches in Premium Plus, and 13 inches in economy.
United will deploy the A321XLR on existing short- and medium-haul international routes starting this summer. In the future, it plans to use the jet to open new secondary destinations across Europe and South America.
United has 50 A321XLRs on order, with 28 expected to be in service by 2028.
United CRJ450 cabins
United’s smallest jet is also getting a major makeover with the introduction of the new CRJ450 configuration.
This is essentially a CRJ200 that’s being converted into a roomier configuration, much like United took the CRJ700 airframe and turned it into the CRJ550 back in 2019.
The CRJ450 will feature 41 seats — nine fewer than the existing CRJ200 layout — and it’ll even debut a seven-seat first-class cabin in a 1-2 layout.
Plus, for the first time ever for a U.S. commercial airline, the overhead bins in first class have been removed in favor of a large luggage closet, just like United did with the bag closets on the CRJ550.
The economy cabin also features overhead bins that can accommodate full-size rollaboards, along with a spiffy new trim and finish that’ll make it look far more premium than the CRJ200s flying today.
United will also install Starlink across its CRJ450 fleet to deliver what should be the best inflight internet experience on the market.
United Express partner SkyWest Airlines will operate the CRJ450 primarily from United’s Chicago and Denver hubs.
The airline plans to debut the CRJ450 late this year and have more than 50 CRJ450s in the fleet by 2028. United will phase out the CRJ200 configuration as part of that process.
Notably, it’ll keep the 50-seat Embraer E145 regional jet in the fleet for the foreseeable future.
United becoming more premium than ever
Ever since United introduced its United Next growth plan in 2021, the airline has been on a mission to give travelers more reasons to actively choose United.
This latest announcement builds on the momentum the carrier has been gathering over the past five years.
All three new jets are more premium than their predecessors and are designed to appeal to a market that’s been riding the premium wave in recent years. (Of course, they also join the Elevated 787-9 Dreamliner that was officially unveiled on Tuesday.)
For years, Delta has been the industry’s premium leader, but United hopes to narrow that gap — and maybe even overtake Delta — with this latest announcement.
Now, United just needs to match these hard-product innovations with a corresponding investment in the soft product, especially in onboard service and dining.
If it can combine these flashy new cabins with a more elevated service and meal experience, United might just be on the road to becoming the nation’s best carrier.
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