In this post:
United reveal new business class seats and caviar
It may have felt in the years after Covid that airlines were not investing in their products and customer experience much, but in the last year ago this seems to have turned a corner with most airlines investing in new seats or improving the customer experience. United Airlines is the latest to make an announcement, and today, it unveiled the United Elevated interior for the new Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The new business cabin will include two new business class suites, similar to Air France, Jet Blue, and Virgin Atlantic.
They have only released one photo but this video gives an idea of some of the features:
United Polaris Studio suites
The airline’s new United Polaris Studio suites are positioned in the first two rows of each business class section with eight, lie-flat, all-aisle-access seats in a 1-2-1 configuration that are 25% larger than standard United Polaris with privacy doors. There will be an extra ottoman with seatbelt for companions, exclusive entrée options, an Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service, new amenity kits with luxury skincare offerings, wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and a huge 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screen – the largest among U.S. carriers. Of course , the seats will also have the latest tech with Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging as well as separate USB-C and electrical outlets. The suite also includes digital seat control options, quartzite tables, a soft, wool-blend seat and wood grain trim.
United Polaris Studio amenities are also upgraded, and include exclusive hoodie-pajamas and slippers on all flights, new noise-cancelling headphones powered by Meridian technology, amenity kits featuring clinically formulated Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ luxury skincare products, United-branded playing cards (love this idea!), a plush velvet throw pillow on the ottoman as well as Saks Fifth Avenue bedding that includes a duvet, day blanket, large pillow and cooling gel pillow.
Customers who book a United Polaris Studio suite have access to the airline’s Global Reception® area, receive preferred boarding alongside United Global Services® customers, and are eligible for United’s tarmac transfer program.
The caviar sounds exciting, although being an amuse-bouche, I suspect it will be tiny. However, this is the first transatlantic airline that offers a substantial difference in the customer experience when booking larger suites.
It will be interesting to see how they are priced and sold. Currently, Air France does not charge for theirs, and Virgin and Jet Blue charge a reasonable ~£200 charge to select the seat. With BA soon to be the only airline offering a traditional first class cabin transatlantic from the UK, the United product is positioned somewhere between first and business, so I’d expect the pricing to also be at a midpoint. All the press release says is ” United Polaris Studio will be priced differently than standard United Polaris”.
United Standard Polaris suite
United business class standard Polaris seats also get upgraded to suites with the addition of sliding doors and larger, 19-inch 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth, four ways to charge devices including wireless, and digital seat controls. Each United Polaris suite offers all-aisle access, and breathable, wool-blend covered seats. Similar to Qatar, the centre seats have a divider that can be removed all the way down to bed height – to make a pseudo double bed like Qatar’s.
The United Polaris sundae cart (one of my favourite things about US airlines) also gets an upgrade with a rotation of limited time featured Tillamook ice cream flavors coupled with new toppings that will run throughout the year, alongside the staple, classic vanilla bean.
There will be a new, onboard grab-and-go snack bar for United Polaris business class customers that offers treats from brands like Garretts, Community, and Joe & Seph’s, as well as United Polaris Studio-specific options like an amuse-bouche of Ossetra caviar paired with Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé. The airline will also introduce mid-flight meal options that include a regionally influenced tapas service.
United Premium Economy
The United Premium Plus seats on aircraft with the Elevated interior also get a major upgrade by adding elements normally reserved for United Polaris customers including soft-touch materials, quartzite cocktail tables and a 16-inch 4K OLED screen. Customers also will enjoy Bluetooth and three ways to charge their personal devices, including wireless – the first time offered in United Premium Plus. The seats also include a dedicated water bottle and headphone holders, as well as a privacy divider with a built-in reading light – also a first for United Premium Plus.
New B787-9 roll out
The new interior on the 787-9 includes a complete transformation from the current product. refined finishes and a fresher, brighter and warmer feel throughout – with something for everyone: 99 total premium seats – the highest percentage among U.S. carriers, United Premium Plus seats with privacy dividers and wireless charging, and a United Economy® cabin with Bluetooth connectivity and the largest Economy class seatback screens in the world.
“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,” said Andrew Nocella, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer at United. “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.”
United expects to take delivery of the first United 787-9 with the “Elevated interior” before the end of 2025 with the first international passenger flights planned in 2026 from San Francisco to Singapore and San Francisco to London. All of United’s future 787 deliveries will get United Polaris Studio suites and Elevated interiors, and the airline expects about 30 of these planes to join its fleet by 2027.
Aircraft with the new interior will also be among the first United widebody planes to have free Starlink connectivity for United MileagePlus members. The service is ideal for international travel as it delivers fast, reliable internet, including over oceans, polar regions, and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional Wi-Fi signals.
