United Airlines is adding some extra bells and whistles to its new Boeing fleet.
The Chicago-based company announced that its Boeing 787-9 planes will offer a larger selection of premium seats as well as new suites, dubbed “United Polaris Studio.”
Positioned at the front of the business class section, the Polaris Studio suites will include a host of luxury amenities for travelers who are willing to dish out more money for the premium experience. Among the offerings are skincare kits, flatbed seating with ottomans, champagne service, and exclusive dining options including “curated food and drinks,” according to the United website.
Also included are wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity and 27-inch screens. United Polaris Studio seats will also be 25% larger than standard United Polaris seats and come with privacy doors, the airline said.
“We’re planning to fly this aircraft to Singapore, but there’s 140 of these aircraft on order that are all going to come with this amazing suite on board,” United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella told CBS News.
United hasn’t disclosed the cost of the enhanced seating.
“We’ve created a everything around it to make sure that we can deliver it reliably and we can deliver it for a price that I think consumers will be excited to pay,” Nocella said.
The Polaris Studio suites will include a host of luxury amenities for travelers willing to dish out more money for the premium experience. / Credit: United Airlines
United posted its best quarterly performance in five years earlier this year, raking in $13.2 billion in first-quarter revenue.
Standard United Polaris seats — the tier below the new studio suites — will also see some upgrades, including 19-inch screens and sliding doors.
United Polaris Studio seats will be 25% larger than standard United Polaris seats and come with privacy doors, the airline said. / Credit: Kris Van Cleave
The Boeing 787-9 aircraft will have 99 premium seats total, the most of any in United’s fleet and the highest percentage among U.S. carriers, according to the airline. That number includes seating in eight United Polaris Studio and 56 United Polaris business class suites.
Despite the focus on offering a more luxurious travel experience, United also wants to enhance flights for passengers with more modest budgets.
“[W]e also know we need to pay attention to the rear of the aircraft, because the bulk of the passengers are flying in the main cabin, not in the Polaris cabin,” Nocella said. “And we’ve made efforts to make sure that that experience is going to get better, not worse.”
This nose-to-tail transformation comes as the luxury travel sector continues to expand. Demand for luxury tourism and hospitality is expected to grow faster than any other travel segment, according to a 2024 McKinsey & Company report.
This rendering shows the Boeing 787-9’s new interior, which will have 99 premium seats total, according to United Airlines. / Credit: United Airlines
The first international flights planned for the new Boeing aircraft will take off from San Francisco and travel to Singapore and London in 2026.
The airline industry has been under increased scrutiny in recent months after an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River in February, killing everyone aboard both planes.
Newark Airport, which has hundreds of departures each day, has also made headlines in recent weeks after multiple air traffic control outages disrupted travel. United Airlines limited flights to and from the New Jersey airport amid the problems.
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