May 29, 2017, 1:21 pm
Last edit by: kirkwoodj
Check the current status of aircraft reconfigured (or delivered) with new Polaris seats: http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris...-desktop-4/p/3.
A Polaris Update and Polaris Mod Schedule to indicate the status of specific aircraft are maintained by those that manage the United Airlines Fleet Website.
Except for 773- and 781-operated flights, and those markets selling Premium Plus, Polaris-equipped planes have not been allocated to specific routes. You won't know until approx. 36-48 hours before departure if you'll have a newly reconfigured aircraft, and even then, it may be replaced with a non-retrofitted aircraft.
777-300ER - All 22 aircraft have Polaris (60 seats) and installation of Premium Plus cabins (24 seats) is complete.
767-300ER - As of September 2020, 31 of the 38 aircraft have been reconfigured with the Polaris seats.
- Retrofit is from 3-cabin to 2-cabin with direct-aisle-access seats. No 3-cabin 767s remain in service.
- 76A configuration is 30J/50Y+/134Y, total of 214; fleet to consist of 17 ships (former 3-cabin 767s).
- 76L configuration is 46J/22PE/47Y+/52Y; fleet to consist of 21 ships (18 former 2-cabin 76C and 3 used ships from Hawaiian).
767-400ER - [16 aircraft] None updated yet; modifications put on hold due to Covid-19.
777-200ER - As of September 2020, 46 of the 50 aircraft have been reconfigured with Polaris and Premium Plus seats.
- Configuration is 50 Polaris seats, 32 in the front cabin and 18 in the second cabin (behind 2L/R)
- Configuration is 10 across in economy, with 24 Premium Plus seats, 4686 E+ seats and 156 E seats, with E+ in front economy cabin plus exit rows and bulkhead at 3L/R, i.e., almost the same as current pmCO planes, except with 4 seats in middle section.
- Seat map (v5) on united.com
787-8, 787-9 - As of November 2022, all 787-8/9 are converted or in mod. No chance of flying old configuration anymore.
- 788 configuration has 28 Polaris seats (20 in front cabin, 8 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
- 789 configuration has 48 Polaris seats (32 in front cabin, 16 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
787-10 - 13 787-10s have been delivered in 2020. All come with Polaris and Premium Plus cabins factory-installed. Another 19 should be added by 2024.
FAQ:
Q: Does a Polaris ticket mean the aircraft has the new Polaris seat?
A: No, Polaris is the label UA uses for long haul international business class. It is also the label UA uses for the new seats, so this does create some confusion.
All the 773s and 787-10s are 100% the new seat.
The rest of the long haul fleet in various stages of conversion, see http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris...-desktop-4/p/3
Q: How to tell if my aircraft is the new style Polaris seats?
A: If the unassigned business class section is showing orange seats or all the seats are side-by-side or there is a section for 4 adjacent seats in the middle, this is an old style lie-flat aircreaft
If the unassigned bussines class seats are dark blue seats or the all the seats appear to have direct aisle access, then you aircraft is the new Polaris seat.
You can also look at the FT maintained, United Fleet Site and crosscheck the tail number or check thePolaris Update tab
Q: How to tell if my aircraft has the new PremiumPlus (PP) / Premium Economy seats?
A: If the unassigned seats just behind business class are purple seats or the aircraft is 773 or 787-10, then yes. However, the purple color seat will only show on routes where PP is being sold.
Aircraft with PP seats are being used on some routes but are not being sold as PP. In those cases, the seats are considered to be a part of E+. In those cases, an indicator of PP sold as E+ will be if the first few rows of economy, there are just 2 seats on the sides (with the rest of E+ showing 3 seats).
Q: Will the aircraft I see at booking be the same configuration at flight time?
A: Unfortunately with the fleet in transit, aircraft swaps happen. UA tends to use placeholders until 2 days before travel and even after that last minute swaps do happen.
Q: My flight seat map shows 772 with polaris seats is it a retrofit?
A: Possibly. The flight status page shows the most accurate scheduled aircraft. If a 77W is swapped in, it will list the aircraft as 777-300ER. However, if the 772's seatmap shows blue rectangular boxes in the business class cabin instead of orange "pointy rounds", this would indicate that a retrofit aircraft has been swapped.
See also: United Future/Changed Routes w/ Polaris seats
A Polaris Update and Polaris Mod Schedule to indicate the status of specific aircraft are maintained by those that manage the United Airlines Fleet Website.
Except for 773- and 781-operated flights, and those markets selling Premium Plus, Polaris-equipped planes have not been allocated to specific routes. You won't know until approx. 36-48 hours before departure if you'll have a newly reconfigured aircraft, and even then, it may be replaced with a non-retrofitted aircraft.
777-300ER - All 22 aircraft have Polaris (60 seats) and installation of Premium Plus cabins (24 seats) is complete.
767-300ER - As of September 2020, 31 of the 38 aircraft have been reconfigured with the Polaris seats.
- Retrofit is from 3-cabin to 2-cabin with direct-aisle-access seats. No 3-cabin 767s remain in service.
- 76A configuration is 30J/50Y+/134Y, total of 214; fleet to consist of 17 ships (former 3-cabin 767s).
- 76L configuration is 46J/22PE/47Y+/52Y; fleet to consist of 21 ships (18 former 2-cabin 76C and 3 used ships from Hawaiian).
767-400ER - [16 aircraft] None updated yet; modifications put on hold due to Covid-19.
777-200ER - As of September 2020, 46 of the 50 aircraft have been reconfigured with Polaris and Premium Plus seats.
- Configuration is 50 Polaris seats, 32 in the front cabin and 18 in the second cabin (behind 2L/R)
- Configuration is 10 across in economy, with 24 Premium Plus seats, 46
- Seat map (v5) on united.com
787-8, 787-9 - As of November 2022, all 787-8/9 are converted or in mod. No chance of flying old configuration anymore.
- 788 configuration has 28 Polaris seats (20 in front cabin, 8 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
- 789 configuration has 48 Polaris seats (32 in front cabin, 16 in rear mini-cabin), and 21 Premium Plus seats (2-3-2).
787-10 - 13 787-10s have been delivered in 2020. All come with Polaris and Premium Plus cabins factory-installed. Another 19 should be added by 2024.
FAQ:
Q: Does a Polaris ticket mean the aircraft has the new Polaris seat?
A: No, Polaris is the label UA uses for long haul international business class. It is also the label UA uses for the new seats, so this does create some confusion.
All the 773s and 787-10s are 100% the new seat.
The rest of the long haul fleet in various stages of conversion, see http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris...-desktop-4/p/3
Q: How to tell if my aircraft is the new style Polaris seats?
A: If the unassigned business class section is showing orange seats or all the seats are side-by-side or there is a section for 4 adjacent seats in the middle, this is an old style lie-flat aircreaft
If the unassigned bussines class seats are dark blue seats or the all the seats appear to have direct aisle access, then you aircraft is the new Polaris seat.
You can also look at the FT maintained, United Fleet Site and crosscheck the tail number or check thePolaris Update tab
Q: How to tell if my aircraft has the new PremiumPlus (PP) / Premium Economy seats?
A: If the unassigned seats just behind business class are purple seats or the aircraft is 773 or 787-10, then yes. However, the purple color seat will only show on routes where PP is being sold.
Aircraft with PP seats are being used on some routes but are not being sold as PP. In those cases, the seats are considered to be a part of E+. In those cases, an indicator of PP sold as E+ will be if the first few rows of economy, there are just 2 seats on the sides (with the rest of E+ showing 3 seats).
Q: Will the aircraft I see at booking be the same configuration at flight time?
A: Unfortunately with the fleet in transit, aircraft swaps happen. UA tends to use placeholders until 2 days before travel and even after that last minute swaps do happen.
Q: My flight seat map shows 772 with polaris seats is it a retrofit?
A: Possibly. The flight status page shows the most accurate scheduled aircraft. If a 77W is swapped in, it will list the aircraft as 777-300ER. However, if the 772's seatmap shows blue rectangular boxes in the business class cabin instead of orange "pointy rounds", this would indicate that a retrofit aircraft has been swapped.
See also: United Future/Changed Routes w/ Polaris seats
✨ Polaris (& PP) Retrofits: Schedule, ....
Aug 21, 2018, 1:52 pm
#1231
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 6
I'm also looking at UA895 for 11/15, and it's got the strange seat map. Think this aircraft will have retrofitted PE seats, and the booking system just isn't updated yet? I'm also noticing like the previous poster that row F is completely blocked off...?
Aug 21, 2018, 1:56 pm
#1232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,318
My UA 851 ORD-PEK on Thursday has been changed to a newly reconfgures 777-200.
N786UA was reflected in the United APP this morning and I immediately changed my seat to the 3L. I was stuck in the middle row of 2-4-2 last night.
Saw the seatmap and noted the premium economy 2-4-2 section. I plan to sneak back there during flight to check them out. At the moment, PE section is quite empty.
Hope the switch stick.
N786UA was reflected in the United APP this morning and I immediately changed my seat to the 3L. I was stuck in the middle row of 2-4-2 last night.
Saw the seatmap and noted the premium economy 2-4-2 section. I plan to sneak back there during flight to check them out. At the moment, PE section is quite empty.
Hope the switch stick.
Last edited by UA_Flyer; Aug 22, 2018 at 5:10 am
Aug 21, 2018, 1:59 pm
#1233
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,427
My UA 851 ORD-PEK on Thursday has been changed to a newly reconfgures 777-200.
N786UA was reflect in the United APP this morning and I immediately change my seat to the 3A. I was stuck in the middle row of 2-4-2 last night.
Saw the seatmap and noted the premium economy 2-4-2 section. I plan to sneak back there during flight to check them out. At the moment, PE section is quite empty.
Hope the switch stick.
N786UA was reflect in the United APP this morning and I immediately change my seat to the 3A. I was stuck in the middle row of 2-4-2 last night.
Saw the seatmap and noted the premium economy 2-4-2 section. I plan to sneak back there during flight to check them out. At the moment, PE section is quite empty.
Hope the switch stick.
Aug 21, 2018, 3:09 pm
#1234
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,366
That's the point of the interim seat map; it allows UA to open seat reservations for as many seats as possible while maintaining the flexibility to swap in the actual frame with as little disruption as possible.
Aug 21, 2018, 6:21 pm
#1236
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,393
There's no way to know until about 48 hours before departure, and even then you won't be 100% certain until you're in the air, as there can always be a swap to a non-reconfigured plane.
That's the point of the interim seat map; it allows UA to open seat reservations for as many seats as possible while maintaining the flexibility to swap in the actual frame with as little disruption as possible.
That's the point of the interim seat map; it allows UA to open seat reservations for as many seats as possible while maintaining the flexibility to swap in the actual frame with as little disruption as possible.
Aug 22, 2018, 1:34 am
#1238
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,392
Any word as to when the 77Ws go in for PE? The fleet site says 8/18, but I haven't seen any action and August is more than 3/4 over.
Update:
I just looked and see that N2331U now has PE. It's currently enroute to SFO as UA340. The seat map has a normal Polaris J cabin but the Y cabin is all jagged. Seats are unevenly spaced, etc. There is no flight history prior to today and it originated in SFO.
Looking at all of the other 77Ws, the only one that appears idle is N2332U and that has been in SFO for over a day now, so that one could be getting PE installed.
Update:
I just looked and see that N2331U now has PE. It's currently enroute to SFO as UA340. The seat map has a normal Polaris J cabin but the Y cabin is all jagged. Seats are unevenly spaced, etc. There is no flight history prior to today and it originated in SFO.
Looking at all of the other 77Ws, the only one that appears idle is N2332U and that has been in SFO for over a day now, so that one could be getting PE installed.
Last edited by phkc070408; Aug 22, 2018 at 1:50 am Reason: Update
Aug 22, 2018, 8:56 am
#1240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,366
If it has the P+ seats, it will also have 3-4-3 in Y. They're not going to install P+ on an 777 with 3-3-3 in Y.
I think the point is that if you think you're flying 10-across, and the actual plane is 9 across, that's a pleasant surprise. If you think you're flying 9-across, and the actual plane is 10-across, though...
I think the point is that if you think you're flying 10-across, and the actual plane is 9 across, that's a pleasant surprise. If you think you're flying 9-across, and the actual plane is 10-across, though...
Aug 22, 2018, 12:41 pm
#1242
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,318
My UA 851 ORD-PEK on Thursday has been changed to a newly reconfgures 777-200.
N786UA was reflected in the United APP this morning and I immediately changed my seat to the 3L. I was stuck in the middle row of 2-4-2 last night.
Saw the seatmap and noted the premium economy 2-4-2 section. I plan to sneak back there during flight to check them out. At the moment, PE section is quite empty.
Hope the switch stick.
N786UA was reflected in the United APP this morning and I immediately changed my seat to the 3L. I was stuck in the middle row of 2-4-2 last night.
Saw the seatmap and noted the premium economy 2-4-2 section. I plan to sneak back there during flight to check them out. At the moment, PE section is quite empty.
Hope the switch stick.
Aug 22, 2018, 12:48 pm
#1243
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,381
Tempted to change to 15A on tomorrow’s flight so I can check out the the PE seat behind me, but the engine noise and lights from Y session made to stick to my 3L seat. 9L is open, but I also tempered to see how they have configured the 8-row Polaris cabin in the same space used to be fitted with 2 rows of F and 3 rows of J.
Anyhow, that tells me 8 rows of polsris ~4+ real rows, which fit into 5 rows of J+F easily.
Aug 22, 2018, 12:57 pm
#1244
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,427
Tempted to change to 15A on tomorrow’s flight so I can check out the the PE seat behind me, but the engine noise and lights from Y session made to stick to my 3L seat. 9L is open, but I also tempered to see how they have configured the 8-row Polaris cabin in the same space used to be fitted with 2 rows of F and 3 rows of J.
Not like they won't let you back to your seat if you were to even try out a seat.Being one of first to board for NH flight in Biz I too was curious about their PE seat, so went back to the minicabin and had it all to myself. Then just walked back to my seat up front in Biz as other pax started to board
I was rather impressed by NH's PE seat, but also befuddled by how few there were. I've flown EVA, and they have a lot more of them, though it looks like UA is following NH in number of PE seats.
Aug 22, 2018, 1:06 pm
#1245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,366
PE is a popular product on FT, but it's not a popular product with the general public when you consider the economics: 24 PE seats are replacing 40 Y seats, so if they can fill the Y seats at $600 each, they'd need to be able to sell the PE seats at $1000 just to break even from a revenue perspective. People claim to want more space, but they continue to gravitate to the lowest-cost carrier they can find.