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Editorial Disclosure
United Airlines just introduced an all-new Polaris seat for single-aisle planes.
The new seat, which will be installed on all 50 extra-long-range Airbus A321XLRs and 50 Coastliner Airbus A321neos, is designed to bring many of the amenities travelers have come to expect from Polaris to a narrowbody jet.
The airline brought mockups of the new Polaris seats to its Elevated media event in Los Angeles.
Here are my first impressions.
United built a custom Polaris suite
United customized this Polaris seat specifically for its Airbus A321 fleet.
The pods are arranged in a 1-1 herringbone layout, meaning every seat faces the aisle.
As a window lover, I don’t mind so much because United intentionally added more shoulder and elbow room, making the seat feel more spacious.
Feeling cramped is the biggest complaint I hear from flyers on American’s A321XLR Flagship Suite, which features a similar layout.
Storage and tech are impressive
As for the seat itself, it has all the usual amenities and tech.
There’s a small enclosed storage cubby with the signature Polaris mirror. Next to it, you’ll find some exposed storage and a hook for glasses.
There’s also a dimmable lamp between the cubby and the open storage area, and it can be controlled using the new digital control panel.
The power and IFE panel sits right next to the exposed storage compartment.
There are two USB-C ports, a universal AC power outlet, a headphone jack, and a retractable remote.
United considered the details
On the other side of the seat, you’ll find another exposed storage area that should be useful for AirPods or other loose items.
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I also love how the literature pocket blends into the armrest. It’s a small touch, but it shows United sweated the details here.
The bifold tray table pops out from beneath the faux-marble side table. It measures 17 inches by 13.5 inches, which is plenty big for my 13-inch MacBook Air.
There’s also a Qi wireless charging pad on the table, though I still find these more gimmicky than useful, especially when devices slide around during turbulence.
The 19-inch 4K TV pops out from the seat in front of you. Note that the mockups are currently outfitted with demo screens.
Unlike American, United says it proactively worked with flight attendants on a service flow that allows meal service without requiring passengers to stow the monitor.
Widebody feel on a single-aisle jet
The 21-inch-wide seats convert into 74-inch-long lie-flat beds.
This is where the extra shoulder and elbow room is most appreciated. Lying down, I didn’t feel cramped or claustrophobic.
United also went the extra mile to make this product feel more like flying on a twin-aisle plane.
To do that, it lowered the privacy partitions slightly and made them somewhat translucent to let in more natural light.
All suites feature sliding doors, but — and this is a big one — the doors will be permanently locked in the open position on the Coastliner Airbus A321neo.
That’s because United hasn’t yet received FAA approval to use doors on that plane. The airline doesn’t expect certification anytime soon, which is a big bummer.
Polaris on the A321 is coming soon
Both the Coastliner and the A321XLR will feature 20 Polaris pods spread across 10 rows.
United is also installing a custom mood-lighting panel on these jets, and it’ll use Airbus’ latest oversized overhead bins to make room for every bag.
The first Polaris-equipped A321s will begin flying this summer.
For more on United’s new A321s, check out my look at the six most overlooked things about the Coastliner and everything you need to know about United’s newest planes.
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Poor choice of words, since the doors are not “permanently” locked, but until approved by FAA. Unlike the choice made by B6.