Chicago-based United Airlines is making another investment in Denver, buying 113 acres of land outside the airport where it has a major hub.
Antonio Perez Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | getty images
Los Angeles – United Airlines‘The formula for higher profits: fewer, but better seats.
It is the second most profitable carrier in the country after delta air lines On Tuesday it unveiled new cabin designs, including on some of its smaller planes, which have more premium seating options and fewer amenities in standard coach.
The difference in airfare for those seats can be huge. For example, a flight between United’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and San Francisco in the first week of May is going for $423 in standard coach and $5,556 in the carrier’s top-tier Polaris Class. boeing 757.
Despite rising fuel prices, United executives have said in recent weeks that demand remains strong, noting that premium-travel demand has outstripped main cabin.
“The main cabin is also improving, and we saw very strong demand across the board for United in the first quarter, but premium took off again in the quarter and continues to do so,” Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer, told reporters last week.
United plans to introduce a sub-fleet of narrow-body Airbus A321neo jets for transcontinental flights, called the “Coastliner”, which will feature 20 Polaris seats, which can comfortably sit on a bed. Every Polaris seat will have aisle access.
Those jets will have 12 premium economy seats and 36 extra legroom seats, with the rest being regular economy seats. United said it removed three seats from the plane’s standard configuration to install a snack bar in the back of the plane.
The current layout of the aircraft does not have premium economy, but they do have 57 extra legroom seats and 123 seats in standard economy, as well as 20 first class recliners, not lie-flat Polaris seats.
United said the first Coastliners will begin flying this summer and it will have 40 Coastliners by early 2028.
The airline also announced its configuration for its long-range Airbus A321XLR aircraft, which will replace some aging Boeing 757s. That layout includes 20 Polaris suites, 12 premium economy suites and 34 extra legroom. The plane will debut this summer, and United said it could operate on some of its existing routes to Spain, France, Portugal and Brazil.
United will also add a seven-seat first class cabin to its Bombardier CRJ-200 jets, for a total of 41 seats, whereas the current 51-seat layout has only one cabin.
These changes are part of an ongoing trend for airlines to devote more of the scarce real estate on planes to premium seats, as the growth of those higher-end options exceeds regular economy sales.
Last year, United unveiled an upgraded Polaris suite for long-haul flights on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which includes the “Polaris Studio,” which is larger than previous models and features a 27-inch 4K screen as well as an ottoman for guests.
United’s main rival, Delta, has said it expects premium revenue to overtake main cabin sales this year. The carrier said last month that the first of its seven new Airbus A321neos, starting in May, will have 44 seats in first class, more than double the 20 it usually has.
The demand for luxurious new suites and other premium seats is so high that the supply chain cannot meet it. CNBC reported that the delivery of the aircraft has also been delayed due to the disruptions.
Delta said the larger first class cabin on the A321neo is a medium-term measure, “intended to remain in service for a limited time as Delta awaits delivery of the flatbed suites that will eventually be installed on these aircraft.”
Meanwhile, United has been eyeing lie-flat seats for some of its new narrow-body jets for years.
CEO Scott Kirby told reporters in August 2018 that the carrier was planning to offer lie-flat seats on new Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, although that aircraft has still not been certified and is several years behind schedule.
Other airlines are also adding upper class seats.
jetblue airwayswhich was a pioneer in offering lie-flat seats and suites on its narrow-body Airbus fleet, plans to offer a less spacious domestic first class cabin later this year. Southwest Airlines Extra legroom seats were recently introduced to the Boeing 737 fleet, eliminating decades of standard seating throughout its cabin.
Budget carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines There are also plans to add more spacious seats.
