Originally Posted by
NickP 1K
I don't believe for a minute that NOT upgrading the Y seats is rational.
Other carriers (even some in dire straits) are working to change their Y seats to lighter seats. The UA Y seat is ancient now and one of the heavier seats in the market. The weight savings pay off the investment over time, along with the fact that the newer seats actually allow for greater pitch since the backrest has higher density foam and a narrower backing (which I can assume UA will use to shove an extra row in the back)
Well, not to be a UA apologist, but it may be that the Y seats that offer them the best long-term value are still a few years away from being ready (see Delta's Y seat decision), and are waiting for those before updating the Y cabin. The seats currently out there are impressive in terms of losing weight, but reconfiguring in a diagonal pattern is the real win in terms of capacity, and those seats are just coming online.
So we just don't know. While its usually safe to assume incompetence on UA's part, there may be a bit of logic thrown in there...